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Li Y, Lemon SM. Biochemical analysis of the host factor activity of ZCCHC14 in hepatitis A virus replication. J Virol 2024; 98:e0005724. [PMID: 38501662 PMCID: PMC11019785 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00057-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Relatively little is known of the mechanisms underlying hepatitis A virus (HAV) genome replication. Unlike other well-studied picornaviruses, HAV RNA replication requires the zinc finger protein ZCCHC14 and non-canonical TENT4 poly(A) polymerases with which it forms a complex. The ZCCHC14-TENT4 complex binds to a stem-loop located within the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the 5' untranslated RNA (5'UTR) and is essential for viral RNA synthesis, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, we describe how different ZCCHC14 domains contribute to its RNA-binding, TENT4-binding, and HAV host factor activities. We show that the RNA-binding activity of ZCCHC14 requires both a sterile alpha motif (SAM) and a downstream unstructured domain (D4) and that ZCCHC14 contains two TENT4-binding sites: one at the N-terminus and the other around D4. Both RNA-binding and TENT4-binding are required for HAV host factor activity of ZCCHC14. We also demonstrate that the location of the ZCCHC14-binding site within the 5'UTR is critical for its function. Our study provides a novel insight into the function of ZCCHC14 and helps elucidate the mechanism of the ZCCHC14-TENT4 complex in HAV replication.IMPORTANCEThe zinc finger protein ZCCHC14 is an essential host factor for both hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). It recruits the non-canonical TENT4 poly(A) polymerases to viral RNAs and most likely also a subset of cellular mRNAs. Little is known about the details of these interactions. We show here the functional domains of ZCCHC14 that are involved in binding to HAV RNA and interactions with TENT4 and describe previously unrecognized peptide sequences that are critical for the HAV host factor activity of ZCCHC14. Our study advances the understanding of the ZCCHC14-TENT4 complex and how it functions in regulating viral and cellular RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Li
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stanley M. Lemon
- Department of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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2
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Barzegar S, Pirouzpanah S. Zinc finger proteins and ATP-binding cassette transporter-dependent multidrug resistance. Eur J Clin Invest 2024; 54:e14120. [PMID: 37930002 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a significant challenge in cancer treatment, leading to poor clinical outcomes. Dysregulation of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters has been identified as a key contributor to MDR. Zinc finger proteins (ZNPs) are key regulators of transcription and have emerged as potential contributors to cancer drug resistance. Bridging the knowledge gap between ZNPs and MDR is essential to understand a source of heterogeneity in cancer treatment. This review sought to elucidate how different ZNPs modulate the transcriptional regulation of ABC genes, contributing to resistance to cancer therapies. METHODS The search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE and Web of Science. RESULTS In addition to ABC-blockers, the transcriptional features regulated by ZNP are expected to play a role in reversing ABC-mediated MDR and predicting the efficacy of anticancer treatments. Among the ZNP-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition, SNAIL, SLUG and Zebs have been identified as important factors in promoting MDR through activation of ATM, NFκB and PI3K/Akt pathways, exposing the metabolism to potential ZNP-MDR interactions. Additionally, nuclear receptors, such as VDR, ER and PXR have been found to modulate certain ABC regulations. Other C2H2-type zinc fingers, including Kruppel-like factors, Gli and Sp also have the potential to contribute to MDR. CONCLUSION Besides reviewing evidence on the effects of ZNP dysregulation on ABC-related chemoresistance in malignancies, significant markers of ZNP functions are discussed to highlight the clinical implications of gene-to-gene and microenvironment-to-gene interactions on MDR prospects. Future research on ZNP-derived biomarkers is crucial for addressing heterogeneity in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Barzegar
- Shahid Madani Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeed Pirouzpanah
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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3
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Tao YD, Liu Y, Wan XS, Xu J, Fu DY, Zhang JZ. High and Low Temperatures Differentially Affect Survival, Reproduction, and Gene Transcription in Male and Female Moths of Spodoptera frugiperda. Insects 2023; 14:958. [PMID: 38132631 PMCID: PMC10743771 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we found that both heat and cold stresses significantly affected the survival and reproduction of both sexes in Spodoptera frugiperda adults, with larvae showing relatively higher extreme temperature tolerance. Further transcriptomic analysis in adults found remarkable differences and similarities between sexes in terms of temperature stress responses. Metabolism-related processes were suppressed in heat stressed females, which did not occur to the same extend in males. Moreover, both heat and cold stress reduced immune activities in both sexes. Heat stress induced the upregulation of many heat shock proteins in both sexes, whereas the response to cold stress was insignificant. More cold tolerance-related genes, such as cuticle proteins, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and facilitated trehalose transporter Tret1, were found upregulated in males, whereas most of these genes were downregulated in females. Moreover, a large number of fatty acid-related genes, such as fatty acid synthases and desaturases, were differentially expressed under heat and cold stresses in both sexes. Heat stress in females induced the upregulation of a large number of zinc finger proteins and reproduction-related genes; whereas cold stress induced downregulation in genes linked to reproduction. In addition, TRPA1-like encoding genes (which have functions involved in detecting temperature changes) and sex peptide receptor-like genes were found to be differentially expressed in stressed moths. These results indicate sex-specific heat and cold stress responses and adaptive mechanisms and suggest sex-specific trade-offs between stress-resistant progresses and fundamental metabolic processes as well as between survival and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Dong Tao
- Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (Y.-D.T.); (D.-Y.F.)
| | - Yu Liu
- Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (Y.-D.T.); (D.-Y.F.)
| | - Xiao-Shuang Wan
- Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (Y.-D.T.); (D.-Y.F.)
| | - Jin Xu
- Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (Y.-D.T.); (D.-Y.F.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Da-Ying Fu
- Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (Y.-D.T.); (D.-Y.F.)
| | - Jun-Zhong Zhang
- Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control in Yunnan Province, Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China; (Y.-D.T.); (D.-Y.F.)
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4
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Zhao J, Wen D, Zhang S, Jiang H, Di X. The role of zinc finger proteins in malignant tumors. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23157. [PMID: 37615242 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300801r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) are the largest family of transcriptional factors in mammalian cells. Recently, their role in the development, progression, and metastasis of malignant tumors via regulating gene transcription and translation processes has become evident. Besides, their possible involvement in drug resistance has also been found, indicating that ZNFs have the potential to become new biological markers and therapeutic targets. In this review, we summarize the oncogenic and suppressive roles of various ZNFs in malignant tumors, including lung, breast, liver, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and other cancers, highlighting their role as prognostic markers, and hopefully provide new ideas for the treatment of malignant tumors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Doudou Wen
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shubing Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaotang Di
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
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5
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Umaña JD, Wasserman SR, Song L, Goel AA, Yu X, Jin J, Hathaway NA. Chemical Epigenetic Regulation of Adeno-Associated Virus Delivered Transgenes. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:947-957. [PMID: 37624737 PMCID: PMC10517330 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a powerful gene therapy vector that has been used in several FDA-approved therapies as well as in multiple clinical trials. This vector has high therapeutic versatility with the ability to deliver genetic payloads to a variety of human tissue types, yet there is currently a lack of transgene expression control once the virus is administered. There are also times when transgene expression is too low for the desired therapeutic outcome, necessitating high viral dose administration resulting in possible immunological complications. Herein, we validate a chemically controllable AAV transgene expression technology in vitro that utilizes bifunctional molecules known as chemical epigenetic modifiers (CEMs). These compounds employ endogenous epigenetic machinery to specifically enhance transgene expression of episomal DNA. A recombinant AAV (rAAV) was designed to both deliver the reporter transgene as well as deliver a synthetic zinc finger (ZFs) protein fused to FK506 binding protein (FKBP). These synthetic ZFs target a DNA-binding array sequence upstream of the promoter expressing the AAV transgene to specifically enhance AAV transgene expression in the presence of a CEM. The transcriptional activating compound CEM87 functions by recruiting the epigenetic transcription activator bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), increasing AAV transgene activity up to fivefold in a dose-dependent manner in HEK293T cells. The highest levels of transgene product activity are seen 24 h following CEM87 treatment. Additionally, the CEM87-mediated enhancement of different transgene products with either Luciferase or green fluorescent protein (GFP) was observed in multiple cell lines and enhancement of transgene expression was capsid serotype independent. The impact of CEM87 activity can be disrupted through drug removal or chemical recruitment site competition with FK506, thus demonstrating the reversibility of the impact of CEM87 on transgene expression. Collectively, this chemically controllable rAAV transgene technology provides temporal gene expression control that could increase the safety and efficiency of AAV-based research and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D. Umaña
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry,Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sara R. Wasserman
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry,Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Liujiang Song
- Gene Therapy Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Arushi A. Goel
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry,Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xufen Yu
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nathaniel A. Hathaway
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry,Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Mekapogu AR, Suárez CA, Wang JY. Editorial: Exploring cancer stem cells signaling pathways. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1274509. [PMID: 37664073 PMCID: PMC10471960 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1274509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alpha R. Mekapogu
- Cancer and Stem Cell Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kolling Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Cecilia A. Suárez
- Laboratorio de Sistemas Complejos, Instituto de Física Interdisciplinaria y Aplicada (INFINA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) – Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jenny Y. Wang
- Cancer and Stem Cell Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kolling Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Li J, Zhou Q, Zhang C, Zhu H, Yao J, Zhang M. Development and validation of novel prognostic models for zinc finger proteins-related genes in soft tissue sarcoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:3171-3190. [PMID: 37100454 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
As the most common transcriptional regulators, zinc finer proteins (ZNFs) play vital roles in occurrence and progression of malignant tumors. Whereas, information regarding the roles of ZNFs in soft tissue sarcomas (STS) remains scarce. In this study, a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis investigating roles of ZNFs in STS was performed. Initially, we extracted raw datasets of differentially expressed ZNFs from GSE2719. Using a sequence of bioinformatics methods, we then investigated the prognostic significance, function, and molecular subtype of these differentially expressed ZNFs. In addition, CCK8 and plate clone formation assays were used to explore the effect of ZNF141 on STS cells. A total of 110 differentially expressed ZNFs were identified. Nine ZNFs (HLTF, ZNF292, ZNF141, LDB3, PHF14, ZNF322, PDLIM1, NR3C2, and LIMS2) were selected to establish an overall survival (OS) prediction model, and seven ZNFs (ZIC1, ZNF141, ZHX2, ZNF281, ZNHIT2, NR3C2, and LIMS2) were used to develop a progression-free survival (PFS) prediction model. Compared with patients with low-risk in the TCGA training and testing cohorts, as well as the GEO validation cohorts, patients with high-risk had poorer OS and PFS. Using nomograms constructed with the identified ZNFs predicting OS and PFS, we established a clinically useful model. Four distinct molecular subtypes with different prognostic and immune infiltration characteristics were identified. In vitro experiments showed that ZNF141 promoted the proliferation and viability of STS cells. In conclusion, ZNF-related models are useful as prognostic biomarkers, suggesting their potentials as therapeutic targets in STS. These findings will enable us to develop novel strategies treating STS, which will potentially improve outcomes of patients with STS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqing Li
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Center, Luoyang Orthopedic-Traumatological Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Quan Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan University People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Changsheng Zhang
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Center, Luoyang Orthopedic-Traumatological Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huimin Zhu
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Center, Luoyang Orthopedic-Traumatological Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jie Yao
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Center, Luoyang Orthopedic-Traumatological Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan University People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
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Prasad M, Veeraraghavan VP, Jayaraman S. Methylated ZNF582: a therapeutic target in oral cancer. Epigenomics 2022; 14:1389-1392. [PMID: 36722134 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tweetable abstract Zinc finger proteins control the transcription of downstream genes that are implicated in migration, invasion, cell death and proliferation. More mechanistic research on ZNF582 is needed to ascertain how this protein's methylation regulates the inflammatory pathway in oral cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monisha Prasad
- Center of Molecular Medicine & Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India
| | - Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan
- Center of Molecular Medicine & Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India
| | - Selvaraj Jayaraman
- Center of Molecular Medicine & Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India
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Akkouche A, Brasset E. More than just an inert dense region. eLife 2022; 11:83076. [PMID: 36239700 PMCID: PMC9566848 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A newly discovered protein helps define a subset of heterochromatin regions that can silence harmful mobile genetic elements in the genome of fruit flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdou Akkouche
- iGReD, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Emilie Brasset
- iGReD, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Baumgartner L, Handler D, Platzer SW, Yu C, Duchek P, Brennecke J. The Drosophila ZAD zinc finger protein Kipferl guides Rhino to piRNA clusters. eLife 2022; 11:80067. [PMID: 36193674 PMCID: PMC9531945 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference systems depend on the synthesis of small RNA precursors whose sequences define the target spectrum of these silencing pathways. The Drosophila Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) variant Rhino permits transcription of PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) precursors within transposon-rich heterochromatic loci in germline cells. Current models propose that Rhino’s specific chromatin occupancy at piRNA source loci is determined by histone marks and maternally inherited piRNAs, but also imply the existence of other, undiscovered specificity cues. Here, we identify a member of the diverse family of zinc finger associated domain (ZAD)-C2H2 zinc finger proteins, Kipferl, as critical Rhino cofactor in ovaries. By binding to guanosine-rich DNA motifs and interacting with the Rhino chromodomain, Kipferl recruits Rhino to specific loci and stabilizes it on chromatin. In kipferl mutant flies, Rhino is lost from most of its target chromatin loci and instead accumulates on pericentromeric Satellite arrays, resulting in decreased levels of transposon targeting piRNAs and impaired fertility. Our findings reveal that DNA sequence, in addition to the H3K9me3 mark, determines the identity of piRNA source loci and provide insight into how Rhino might be caught in the crossfire of genetic conflicts. The genes within our DNA encode the essentials of our body plan and how each task in the body is achieved. However, our genome also contains many repetitive regions of DNA that do not encode functional genes. Some of these regions are genetic parasites known as transposons that try to multiply and spread around the DNA of their host. To prevent transposon DNA from interfering with the way the body operates, humans and other animals have evolved elaborate defense mechanisms to identify transposons and prevent them from multiplying. In one such mechanism, known as the piRNA pathway, the host makes small molecules known as piRNAs that have sequences complementary to those of transposons, and act as guides to silence the transposons. The instructions to make these piRNAs are stored in the form of transposon fragments in dedicated regions of host DNA called piRNA clusters. These clusters thereby act as genetic memory, allowing the host to recognize and silence specific transposons in other locations within the host’s genome. In fruit flies, a protein called Rhino binds to piRNA clusters that are densely packed to allow piRNAs to be made. However, it remained unclear how Rhino is able to identify and bind to piRNA clusters, but not to other similarly densely packed regions of DNA. Baumgartner et al. used a combination of genetic, genomic, and imaging approaches to study how Rhino finds its way in the fruit fly genome. They found that another protein called Kipferl interacts with Rhino and is required for Rhino to bind to nearly all piRNA clusters. Since Kipferl can by itself bind to the sequences that Rhino needs to find, the results suggest that Kipferl acts to recruit and initiate Rhino binding within densely packed piRNA clusters. Further experiments found that, in flies lacking Kipferl, Rhino binds to regions of DNA called Satellite repeats, hinting that these selfish sequences may compete for Rhino for their own benefit. The finding that Kipferl and Rhino work together to define the memory system of the piRNA pathway strongly advances our understanding of how a sequence-specific defense system based on small RNAs can be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Baumgartner
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominik Handler
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Wolfgang Platzer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Changwei Yu
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Duchek
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julius Brennecke
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
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Moreno V, Saluja K, Pina-Oviedo S. NUT Carcinoma: Clinicopathologic Features, Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics. Front Oncol 2022; 12:860830. [PMID: 35372003 PMCID: PMC8966081 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.860830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma is a rare, highly aggressive, poorly differentiated carcinoma occurring mostly in adolescents and young adults. This tumor usually arises from the midline structures of the thorax, head, and neck, and exhibits variable degrees of squamous differentiation. NUT carcinoma is defined by the presence of a NUTM1 (15q14) rearrangement with multiple other genes. In about 70-80% of the cases, NUTM1 is involved in a balanced translocation with the BRD4 gene (19p13.12), leading to a BRD4-NUTM1 fusion oncogene. Other variant rearrangements include BRD3-NUTM1 fusion (~15-20%) and NSD3-NUTM1 fusion (~6%), among others. The diagnosis of NUT carcinoma requires the detection of nuclear expression of the NUT protein by immunohistochemistry. Additional methods for diagnosis include the detection of a NUTM1 rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization or by reverse transcriptase PCR. NUT carcinoma is usually underrecognized due to its rarity and lack of characteristic histological features. Therefore, the goal of this review is to provide relevant recent information regarding the clinicopathologic features of NUT carcinoma, the role of the multiple NUTM1 gene rearrangements in carcinogenesis, and the impact of understanding these underlying molecular mechanisms that may result in the development of possible novel targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Moreno
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Karan Saluja
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sergio Pina-Oviedo
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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Abstract
Zinc finger proteins (ZNF) are among the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic genomes. It contains several zinc finger domains that can selectively bind to certain DNA or RNA and associate with proteins, therefore, ZNF can regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. In terms of neurological diseases, numerous studies have shown that many ZNF are associated with neurological diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize the types and roles of ZNF in neuropsychiatric disorders. We will describe the structure and classification of ZNF, then focus on the pathophysiological role of ZNF in neuro-related diseases and summarize the mechanism of action of ZNF in neuro-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Bu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yihan Lv
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yusheng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sen Qiao
- Department of Pharmacology, Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Hongmei Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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Kong L, Feng B, Yan Y, Zhang C, Kim JH, Xu L, Rack JGM, Wang Y, Jang JC, Ahel I, Shan L, He P. Noncanonical mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation of zinc finger SZF proteins counteracts ubiquitination for protein homeostasis in plant immunity. Mol Cell 2021; 81:4591-4604.e8. [PMID: 34592134 PMCID: PMC8684601 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Protein ADP-ribosylation is a reversible post-translational modification that transfers ADP-ribose from NAD+ onto acceptor proteins. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), catalyzed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) and poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolases (PARGs), which remove the modification, regulates diverse cellular processes. However, the chemistry and physiological functions of mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation (MARylation) remain elusive. Here, we report that Arabidopsis zinc finger proteins SZF1 and SZF2, key regulators of immune gene expression, are MARylated by the noncanonical ADP-ribosyltransferase SRO2. Immune elicitation promotes MARylation of SZF1/SZF2 via dissociation from PARG1, which has an unconventional activity in hydrolyzing both poly(ADP-ribose) and mono(ADP-ribose) from acceptor proteins. MARylation antagonizes polyubiquitination of SZF1 mediated by the SH3 domain-containing proteins SH3P1/SH3P2, thereby stabilizing SZF1 proteins. Our study uncovers a noncanonical ADP-ribosyltransferase mediating MARylation of immune regulators and underpins the molecular mechanism of maintaining protein homeostasis by the counter-regulation of ADP-ribosylation and polyubiquitination to ensure proper immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Kong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Baomin Feng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; State Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jun Hyeok Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Lahong Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Ying Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA
| | - Jyan-Chyun Jang
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Department of Molecular Genetics, Center for Applied Plant Sciences, and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ivan Ahel
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Libo Shan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Ping He
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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Shim J, Williams L, Kim D, Ko K, Kim MS. Application of Engineered Zinc Finger Proteins Immobilized on Paramagnetic Beads for Multiplexed Detection of Pathogenic DNA. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 31:1323-1329. [PMID: 34261849 PMCID: PMC9705829 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2106.06057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Micro-scale magnetic beads are widely used for isolation of proteins, DNA, and cells, leading to the development of in vitro diagnostics. Efficient isolation of target biomolecules is one of the keys to developing a simple and rapid point-of-care diagnostic. A zinc finger protein (ZFP) is a double-stranded (ds) DNA-binding domain, providing a useful scaffold for direct reading of the sequence information. Here, we utilized two engineered ZFPs (Stx2-268 and SEB-435) to detect the Shiga toxin (stx2) gene and the staphylococcal enterotoxin B (seb) gene present in foodborne pathogens, Escherichia coli O157 and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Engineered ZFPs are immobilized on a paramagnetic bead as a detection platform to efficiently isolate the target dsDNA-ZFP bound complex. The small paramagnetic beads provide a high surface area to volume ratio, allowing more ZFPs to be immobilized on the beads, which leads to increased target DNA detection. The fluorescence signal was measured upon ZFP binding to fluorophore-labeled target dsDNA. In this study, our system provided a detection limit of ≤ 60 fmol and demonstrated high specificity with multiplexing capability, suggesting a potential for development into a simple and reliable diagnostic for detecting multiple pathogens without target amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyoung Shim
- Department of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA
| | - Langley Williams
- Department of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA
| | - Dohyun Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Myongji University, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Kisung Ko
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon-Soo Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA,Corresponding author Phone: +1-270-745-4362 Fax: +1-270-745-5361 E-mail:
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15
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Zhang J, Zhang C, Cao P, Zheng X, Yu B, Cao H, Gao Z, Zhang F, Wu J, Cao H, Hao C, Sun Z, Wang W. A zinc finger protein gene signature enables bladder cancer treatment stratification. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:13023-13038. [PMID: 33962398 PMCID: PMC8148496 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BC) is a commonly occurring malignant tumor affecting the urinary tract. Zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) constitute the largest transcription factor family in the human genome and are therefore attractive biomarker candidates for BC prognosis. In this study, we profiled the expression of ZNFs in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) BC cohort and developed a novel prognostic signature based on 7 ZNF-coding genes. After external validation of the model in the GSE48276 dataset, we integrated the 7-ZNF-gene signature with patient clinicopathological data to construct a nomogram that forecasted 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS with good predictive accuracy. We then accessed The Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database to predict the therapeutic drug responses of signature-defined high- and low-risk BC patients in the TCGA cohort. Greater sensitivity to chemotherapy was revealed in the low-risk group. Finally, we conducted gene set enrichment analysis of the signature genes and established, by applying the ESTIMATE algorithm, distinct correlations between the two risk groups and the presence of stromal and immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment. By allowing effective risk stratification of BC patients, our novel ZNF gene signature may enable tailoring more intensive treatment for high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiandong Zhang
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.,Shanxi Bethune Hospital Affiliated Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan 030032, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xiang Zheng
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Baozhong Yu
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Haoyuan Cao
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zihao Gao
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Feilong Zhang
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Jiyuan Wu
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Huawei Cao
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Changzhen Hao
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zejia Sun
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
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Ma J, Wang Y, Ding J, Zhang S, Yang Y, Sun C. SAHA induces white fat browning and rectifies metabolic dysfunctions via activation of ZFPs. J Endocrinol 2021; 249:177-193. [PMID: 33856361 DOI: 10.1530/joe-20-0472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Several histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been shown to play beneficial roles in treating obesity and its related metabolic syndromes. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not understood well. In this study, we examined the potential roles of SAHA, a potent inhibitor of HDACs, on energy expenditure and explored the molecular mechanism involved. Our data showed that SAHA induces less lipid accumulation and smaller lipid droplets in cultured adipocytes. In vivo studies showing SAHA reduces body weight gain and increases core temperature in lean and obese mice. Furthermore, SAHA accelerates blood glucose disposal, improves insulin sensitivity and attenuates fatty liver in obese animals. Transcriptome sequencing found that a group of zinc finger proteins (Zfps) was up-regulated by SAHA. Functional studies showed that the knockdown of Zfp691 or Zfp719 largely abolishes SAHA-induced Ucp1 expression in adipocytes. ChIP assay showed that SAHA stimulates histone H3 acetylation at Zfp719 promoter. Luciferase reporter analysis revealed that Zfp719 activates Ucp1 promoter. As a consequence, forced expression of Zfp719 increases Ucp1 expression and promotes lipid catabolism in adipocytes. Taken together, our data indicate that by stimulating axis of ZFPs-UCP1, SAHA induces white fat browning and energy consumption, which makes it a potential drug for treating obesity and related metabolic dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University,Nantong, China
| | - Yuejun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University,Nantong, China
| | - Jie Ding
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University,Nantong, China
| | - Shouping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University,Nantong, China
| | - Yinuo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University,Nantong, China
| | - Cheng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Nantong University,Nantong, China
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Cardiothoracic Diseases, Institute of Translational Medicine in Cardiothoracic Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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17
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Gonzalez-Perez AC, Stempel M, Wyler E, Urban C, Piras A, Hennig T, Ganskih S, Wei Y, Heim A, Landthaler M, Pichlmair A, Dölken L, Munschauer M, Erhard F, Brinkmann MM. The Zinc Finger Antiviral Protein ZAP Restricts Human Cytomegalovirus and Selectively Binds and Destabilizes Viral UL4/ UL5 Transcripts. mBio 2021; 12:e02683-20. [PMID: 33947766 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.02683-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferon-stimulated gene products (ISGs) play a crucial role in early infection control. The ISG zinc finger CCCH-type antiviral protein 1 (ZAP/ZC3HAV1) antagonizes several RNA viruses by binding to CG-rich RNA sequences, whereas its effect on DNA viruses is less well understood. Here, we decipher the role of ZAP in the context of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, a β-herpesvirus that is associated with high morbidity in immunosuppressed individuals and newborns. We show that expression of the two major isoforms of ZAP, ZAP-S and ZAP-L, is induced during HCMV infection and that both negatively affect HCMV replication. Transcriptome and proteome analyses demonstrated that the expression of ZAP results in reduced viral mRNA and protein levels and decelerates the progression of HCMV infection. Metabolic RNA labeling combined with high-throughput sequencing (SLAM-seq) revealed that most of the gene expression changes late in infection result from the general attenuation of HCMV. Furthermore, at early stages of infection, ZAP restricts HCMV by destabilizing a distinct subset of viral mRNAs, particularly those from the previously uncharacterized UL4-UL6 HCMV gene locus. Through enhanced cross-linking immunoprecipitation and sequencing analysis (eCLIP-seq), we identified the transcripts expressed from this HCMV locus as the direct targets of ZAP. Moreover, our data show that ZAP preferentially recognizes not only CG, but also other cytosine-rich sequences, thereby expanding its target specificity. In summary, this report is the first to reveal direct targets of ZAP during HCMV infection, which strongly indicates that transcripts from the UL4-UL6 locus may play an important role for HCMV replication.IMPORTANCE Viral infections have a large impact on society, leading to major human and economic losses and even global instability. So far, many viral infections, including human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, are treated with a small repertoire of drugs, often accompanied by the occurrence of resistant mutants. There is no licensed HCMV vaccine in sight to protect those most at risk, particularly immunocompromised individuals or pregnant women who might otherwise transmit the virus to the fetus. Thus, the identification of novel intervention strategies is urgently required. In this study, we show that ZAP decelerates the viral gene expression cascade, presumably by selectively handpicking a distinct set of viral transcripts for degradation. Our study illustrates the potent role of ZAP as an HCMV restriction factor and sheds light on a possible role for UL4 and/or UL5 early during infection, paving a new avenue for the exploration of potential targets for novel therapies.
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18
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Blake S, Hemming I, Heng JIT, Agostino M. Structure-Based Approaches to Classify the Functional Impact of ZBTB18 Missense Variants in Health and Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:979-989. [PMID: 33621064 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cys2His2 type zinc finger is a motif found in many eukaryotic transcription factor proteins that facilitates binding to genomic DNA so as to influence cellular gene expression. One such transcription factor is ZBTB18, characterized as a repressor that orchestrates the development of mammalian tissues including skeletal muscle and brain during embryogenesis. In humans, it has been recognized that disease-associated ZBTB18 missense variants mapping to the coding sequence of the zinc finger domain influence sequence-specific DNA binding, disrupt transcriptional regulation, and impair neural circuit formation in the brain. Furthermore, general population ZBTB18 missense variants that influence DNA binding and transcriptional regulation have also been documented within this domain; however, the molecular traits that explain why some variants cause disease while others do not are poorly understood. Here, we have applied five structure-based approaches to evaluate their ability to discriminate between disease-associated and general population ZBTB18 missense variants. We found that thermodynamic integration and Residue Scanning in the Schrodinger Biologics Suite were the best approaches for distinguishing disease-associated variants from general population variants. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of structure-based approaches for the functional characterization of missense alleles to DNA binding, zinc finger transcription factor protein-coding genes that underlie human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Blake
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
- Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6845, Australia
| | - Isabel Hemming
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
- Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Julian Ik-Tsen Heng
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
- Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Mark Agostino
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6845, Australia
- Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
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Yusuf AP, Abubakar MB, Malami I, Ibrahim KG, Abubakar B, Bello MB, Qusty N, Elazab ST, Imam MU, Alexiou A, Batiha GES. Zinc Metalloproteins in Epigenetics and Their Crosstalk. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11030186. [PMID: 33652690 PMCID: PMC7996840 DOI: 10.3390/life11030186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
More than half a century ago, zinc was established as an essential micronutrient for normal human physiology. In silico data suggest that about 10% of the human proteome potentially binds zinc. Many proteins with zinc-binding domains (ZBDs) are involved in epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, which regulate transcription in physiological and pathological conditions. Zinc metalloproteins in epigenetics are mainly zinc metalloenzymes and zinc finger proteins (ZFPs), which are classified into writers, erasers, readers, editors, and feeders. Altogether, these classes of proteins engage in crosstalk that fundamentally maintains the epigenome's modus operandi. Changes in the expression or function of these proteins induced by zinc deficiency or loss of function mutations in their ZBDs may lead to aberrant epigenetic reprogramming, which may worsen the risk of non-communicable chronic diseases. This review attempts to address zinc's role and its proteins in natural epigenetic programming and artificial reprogramming and briefly discusses how the ZBDs in these proteins interact with the chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdurrahman Pharmacy Yusuf
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
| | - Murtala Bello Abubakar
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2254 Sokoto, Nigeria
- Correspondence: (M.B.A.); (A.A.); (G.E.-S.B.)
| | - Ibrahim Malami
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Kasimu Ghandi Ibrahim
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2254 Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Bilyaminu Abubakar
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Muhammad Bashir Bello
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Naeem Qusty
- Medical Laboratories Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca 21955, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Sara T. Elazab
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Dakahlia 35516, Egypt;
| | - Mustapha Umar Imam
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2346 Sokoto, Nigeria; (A.P.Y.); (I.M.); (K.G.I.); (B.A.); (M.U.I.)
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B. 2254 Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW 2770, Australia
- AFNP Med, Haidingergasse 29, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence: (M.B.A.); (A.A.); (G.E.-S.B.)
| | - Gaber El-Saber Batiha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, AlBeheira 22511, Egypt
- Correspondence: (M.B.A.); (A.A.); (G.E.-S.B.)
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20
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Lubega J, Umbreen S, Loake GJ. Recent advances in the regulation of plant immunity by S-nitrosylation. J Exp Bot 2021; 72:864-872. [PMID: 33005916 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
S-nitrosylation, the addition of a nitric oxide (NO) moiety to a reactive protein cysteine (Cys) thiol, to form a protein S-nitrosothiol (SNO), is emerging as a key regulatory post-translational modification (PTM) to control the plant immune response. NO also S-nitrosylates the antioxidant tripeptide, glutathione, to form S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), both a storage reservoir of NO bioactivity and a natural NO donor. GSNO and, by extension, S-nitrosylation, are controlled by GSNO reductase1 (GSNOR1). The emerging data suggest that GSNOR1 itself is a target of NO-mediated S-nitrosylation, which subsequently controls its selective autophagy, regulating cellular protein SNO levels. Recent findings also suggest that S-nitrosylation may be deployed by pathogen-challenged host cells to counteract the effect of delivered microbial effector proteins that promote pathogenesis and by the pathogens themselves to augment virulence. Significantly, it also appears that S-nitrosylation may regulate plant immune functions by controlling SUMOylation, a peptide-based PTM. In this context, global SUMOylation is regulated by S-nitrosylation of SUMO conjugating enzyme 1 (SCE1) at Cys139. This redox-based PTM has also been shown to control the function of a key zinc finger transcriptional regulator during the establishment of plant immunity. Here, we provide an update of these recent advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibril Lubega
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Saima Umbreen
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gary J Loake
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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21
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Nagano Y, Sugiyama A, Kimoto M, Wakahara T, Noguchi Y, Jiang X, Saijo S, Shimizu N, Yabuno N, Yao M, Gooley PR, Moseley GW, Tadokoro T, Maenaka K, Ose T. The Measles Virus V Protein Binding Site to STAT2 Overlaps That of IRF9. J Virol 2020; 94:e01169-20. [PMID: 32581091 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01169-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Measles virus (MeV) is a highly immunotropic and contagious pathogen that can even diminish preexisting antibodies and remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide despite the availability of effective vaccines. MeV is one of the most extensively studied viruses with respect to the mechanisms of JAK-STAT antagonism. Of the three proteins translated from the MeV P gene, P and V are essential for inactivation of this pathway. However, the lack of data from direct analyses of the underlying interactions means that the detailed molecular mechanism of antagonism remains unresolved. Here, we prepared recombinant MeV V protein, which is responsible for human JAK-STAT antagonism, and a panel of variants, enabling the biophysical characterization of V protein, including direct V/STAT1 and V/STAT2 interaction assays. Unambiguous direct interactions between the host and viral factors, in the absence of other factors such as Jak1 or Tyk2, were observed, and the dissociation constants were quantified for the first time. Our data indicate that interactions between the C-terminal region of V and STAT2 is 1 order of magnitude stronger than that of the N-terminal region of V and STAT1. We also clarified that these interactions are completely independent of each other. Moreover, results of size exclusion chromatography demonstrated that addition of MeV-V displaces STAT2-core, a rigid region of STAT2 lacking the N- and C-terminal domains, from preformed complexes of STAT2-core/IRF-associated domain (IRF9). These results provide a novel model whereby MeV-V can not only inhibit the STAT2/IRF9 interaction but also disrupt preassembled interferon-stimulated gene factor 3.IMPORTANCE To evade host immunity, many pathogenic viruses inactivate host Janus kinase signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathways using diverse strategies. Measles virus utilizes P and V proteins to counteract this signaling pathway. Data derived largely from cell-based assays have indicated several amino acid residues of P and V proteins as important. However, biophysical properties of V protein or its direct interaction with STAT molecules using purified proteins have not been studied. We have developed novel molecular tools enabling us to identify a novel molecular mechanism for immune evasion whereby V protein disrupts critical immune complexes, providing a clear strategy by which measles virus can suppress interferon-mediated antiviral gene expression.
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El-Khazragy N, Esmaiel MA, Mohamed MM, Hassan NS. Upregulation of long noncoding RNA Lnc-IRF2-3 and Lnc-ZNF667-AS1 is associated with poor survival in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Int J Lab Hematol 2020; 42:284-291. [PMID: 32083800 DOI: 10.1111/ijlh.13167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lnc-IRF2-3 and Lnc-ZNF667-AS1 were recently studied as a positive biomarker for many tumor cells. However, experimental studies found that they are associated with worse outcomes in B-CLL. METHODS A prospective case study was conducted on 135 B-CLL patients that were compared to thirty healthy controls. The patients were followed up for 40 months and quantitative measurements of Lnc-IRF2-3 and Lnc-ZNF667-AS1 were measured and compared between the two groups as well as high-risk and low low-risk B-CLL. RESULTS Lnc-IRF2-3 and Lnc-ZNF667-AS1 had a high specificity (94% and 85%) and sensitivity (85%, 87%), respectively, to differentiate B-CLL from healthy controls. Furthermore, they showed high expression levels in high-risk CLL groups. For survival analysis, there was a negative correlation between overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and both biomarkers. However, it was not evident in multivariate Cox regression analysis; in patients with Lnc-IRF2-3 expression level, >67 had a significant decrease in OS and PFS. However, there is no significant effect for high expression levels of Lnc-ZNF667-AS1 on OS (P = .16) or PFS (P = .48). CONCLUSION The Lnc-IRF2-3 and Lnc-ZNF667-AS1 are promising prognostic biomarkers in B-CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashwa El-Khazragy
- Clinical Pathology/Hematology and Biomedical Research Departments, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.,Global Research Labs, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Marwa A Esmaiel
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Magdy M Mohamed
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nahla S Hassan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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23
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Li YH, Liu TB. Zinc Finger Proteins in the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041361. [PMID: 32085473 PMCID: PMC7072944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc is one of the essential trace elements in eukaryotes and it is a critical structural component of a large number of proteins. Zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) are zinc-finger domain-containing proteins stabilized by bound zinc ions and they form the most abundant proteins, serving extraordinarily diverse biological functions. In recent years, many ZNFs have been identified and characterized in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungal pathogen causing fatal meningitis mainly in immunocompromised individuals. It has been shown that ZNFs play important roles in the morphological development, differentiation, and virulence of C. neoformans. In this review, we, first, briefly introduce the ZNFs and their classification. Then, we explain the identification and classification of the ZNFs in C. neoformans. Next, we focus on the biological role of the ZNFs functionally characterized so far in the sexual reproduction, virulence factor production, ion homeostasis, pathogenesis, and stress resistance in C. neoformans. We also discuss the perspectives on future function studies of ZNFs in C. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Prevention, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Tong-Bao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Prevention, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-23-6825-1088
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24
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Wenzel MN, Bonsignore R, Thomas SR, Bourissou D, Barone G, Casini A. Cyclometalated Au III Complexes for Cysteine Arylation in Zinc Finger Protein Domains: towards Controlled Reductive Elimination. Chemistry 2019; 25:7628-7634. [PMID: 30990916 PMCID: PMC6594228 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201901535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With the aim of exploiting the use of organometallic species for the efficient modification of proteins through C‐atom transfer, the gold‐mediated cysteine arylation through a reductive elimination process occurring from the reaction of cyclometalated AuIII C^N complexes with a zinc finger peptide (Cys2His2 type) is here reported. Among the four selected AuIII cyclometalated compounds, the [Au(CCON)Cl2] complex featuring the 2‐benzoylpyridine (CCON) scaffold was identified as the most prone to reductive elimination and Cys arylation in buffered aqueous solution (pH 7.4) at 37 °C by high‐resolution LC electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. DFT and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) studies permitted to propose a mechanism for the title reaction that is in line with the experimental results. Overall, the results provide new insights into the reactivity of cytotoxic organogold compounds with biologically important zinc finger domains and identify initial structure–activity relationships to enable AuIII‐catalyzed reductive elimination in aqueous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot N Wenzel
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, CF10 3AT, Cardiff, UK
| | - Riccardo Bonsignore
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, CF10 3AT, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sophie R Thomas
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, CF10 3AT, Cardiff, UK
| | - Didier Bourissou
- CNRS/Université Paul Sabatier, Laboratoire Hétérochimie Fondamentale et Appliquée (LHFA, UMR 5069), 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 09, France
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Casini
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, CF10 3AT, Cardiff, UK
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25
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Lange M, Ok K, Shimberg GD, Bursac B, Markó L, Ivanović-Burmazović I, Michel SLJ, Filipovic MR. Direct Zinc Finger Protein Persulfidation by H 2 S Is Facilitated by Zn 2. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:7997-8001. [PMID: 30924279 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201900823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
H2 S is a gaseous signaling molecule that modifies cysteine residues in proteins to form persulfides (P-SSH). One family of proteins modified by H2 S are zinc finger (ZF) proteins, which contain multiple zinc-coordinating cysteine residues. Herein, we report the reactivity of H2 S with a ZF protein called tristetraprolin (TTP). Rapid persulfidation leading to complete thiol oxidation of TTP mediated by H2 S was observed by low-temperature ESI-MS and fluorescence spectroscopy. Persulfidation of TTP required O2 , which reacts with H2 S to form superoxide, as detected by ESI-MS, a hydroethidine fluorescence assay, and EPR spin trapping. H2 S was observed to inhibit TTP function (binding to TNFα mRNA) by an in vitro fluorescence anisotropy assay and to modulate TNFα in vivo. H2 S was unreactive towards TTP when the protein was bound to RNA, thus suggesting a protective effect of RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Lange
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.,Current address: Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, University of Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kiwon Ok
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Geoffrey D Shimberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Biljana Bursac
- CNRS, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires-UMR5095, University of Bordeaux, 33077, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lajos Markó
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité Medical Faculty and Max Delbrück Center (MDC) for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sarah L J Michel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Milos R Filipovic
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.,CNRS, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires-UMR5095, University of Bordeaux, 33077, Bordeaux, France
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26
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Lai WS, Wells ML, Perera L, Blackshear PJ. The tandem zinc finger RNA binding domain of members of the tristetraprolin protein family. Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA 2019; 10:e1531. [PMID: 30864256 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype member of the protein family of the same name, was originally discovered as the product of a rapidly inducible gene in mouse cells. Development of a knockout (KO) mouse established that absence of the protein led to a severe inflammatory syndrome, due in part to elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TTP was found to bind directly and with high affinity to specific AU-rich sequences in the 3'-untranslated region of the TNF mRNA. This initial binding led to promotion of TNF mRNA decay and inhibition of its translation. Many additional TTP target mRNAs have since been identified, some of which are cytokines and chemokines involved in the inflammatory response. There are three other proteins in the mouse with similar activities and domain structures, but whose KO phenotypes are remarkably different. Moreover, proteins with similar domain structures and activities have been found throughout eukaryotes, demonstrating that this protein family arose from an ancient ancestor. The defining characteristic of this protein family is the tandem zinc finger (TZF) domain, a 64 amino acid sequence with many conserved residues that is responsible for the direct RNA binding. We discuss here many aspects of this protein domain that have been elucidated since the original discovery of TTP, including its sequence conservation throughout eukarya; its apparent continued evolution in some lineages; its functional dependence on many key conserved residues; its "interchangeability" among evolutionarily distant species; and the evidence that RNA binding is required for the physiological functions of the proteins. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Recognition RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wi S Lai
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Melissa L Wells
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Lalith Perera
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Perry J Blackshear
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina.,Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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27
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Shen Y, Bassett MA, Gurumurthy A, Nar R, Knudson IJ, Guy CR, Perez A, Mellen RW, Ikeda M, Hossain MA, Huang S, Igarashi K, Bungert J. Identification of a Novel Enhancer/Chromatin Opening Element Associated with High-Level γ-Globin Gene Expression. Mol Cell Biol 2018; 38:e00197-18. [PMID: 30012865 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.00197-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of the five β-type globin genes on chromosome 11 reflects the timing of expression during erythroid cell development, with the embryonic ε-globin gene being located at the 5′ end, followed by the two fetal γ-globin genes, and with the adult β- and δ-globin genes being located at the 3′ end. Here, we functionally characterized a DNase I-hypersensitive site (HS) located 4 kb upstream of the Gγ-globin gene (HBG-4kb HS). The organization of the five β-type globin genes on chromosome 11 reflects the timing of expression during erythroid cell development, with the embryonic ε-globin gene being located at the 5′ end, followed by the two fetal γ-globin genes, and with the adult β- and δ-globin genes being located at the 3′ end. Here, we functionally characterized a DNase I-hypersensitive site (HS) located 4 kb upstream of the Gγ-globin gene (HBG-4kb HS). This site is occupied by transcription factors USF1, USF2, EGR1, MafK, and NF-E2 in the human erythroleukemia cell line K562 and exhibits histone modifications typical for enhancers. We generated a synthetic zinc finger (ZF) DNA-binding domain targeting the HBG-4kb HS (HBG-4kb ZF). The HBG-4kb ZF interacted with the target site in vitro and in the context of cells with a high affinity and specificity. Direct delivery of the HBG-4kb ZF to K562 and primary human erythroid cells caused a reduction in γ-globin gene expression which was associated with decreased binding of transcription factors and active histone marks at and downstream of the HS. The data demonstrate that the HBG-4kb HS is important for fetal globin production and suggest that it may act by opening chromatin in a directional manner.
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28
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Hauck AK, Zhou T, Hahn W, Petegrosso R, Kuang R, Chen Y, Bernlohr DA. Obesity-induced protein carbonylation in murine adipose tissue regulates the DNA-binding domain of nuclear zinc finger proteins. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:13464-13476. [PMID: 30012885 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In obesity-linked insulin resistance, oxidative stress in adipocytes leads to lipid peroxidation and subsequent carbonylation of proteins by diffusible lipid electrophiles. Reduction in oxidative stress attenuates protein carbonylation and insulin resistance, suggesting that lipid modification of proteins may play a role in metabolic disease, but the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Herein, we show that in vivo, diet-induced obesity in mice surprisingly results in preferential carbonylation of nuclear proteins by 4-hydroxy-trans-2,3-nonenal (4-HNE) or 4-hydroxy-trans-2,3-hexenal (4-HHE). Proteomic and structural analyses revealed that residues in or around the sites of zinc coordination of zinc finger proteins, such as those containing the C2H2 or MATRIN, RING, C3H1, or N4-type DNA-binding domains, are particularly susceptible to carbonylation by lipid aldehydes. These observations strongly suggest that carbonylation functionally disrupts protein secondary structure supported by metal coordination. Analysis of one such target, the nuclear protein estrogen-related receptor γ (ERR-γ), showed that ERR-γ is modified by 4-HHE in the obese state. In vitro carbonylation decreased the DNA-binding capacity of ERR-γ and correlated with the obesity-linked down-regulation of many key genes promoting mitochondrial bioenergetics. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel mechanistic connection between oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction arising from carbonylation of nuclear zinc finger proteins, such as the transcriptional regulator ERR-γ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Hauck
- From the Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
| | - Tong Zhou
- From the Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
| | - Wendy Hahn
- From the Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
| | - Raphael Petegrosso
- Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Rui Kuang
- Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Yue Chen
- From the Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
| | - David A Bernlohr
- From the Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and
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29
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Lai WS, Stumpo DJ, Qiu L, Faccio R, Blackshear PJ. A Knock-In Tristetraprolin (TTP) Zinc Finger Point Mutation in Mice: Comparison with Complete TTP Deficiency. Mol Cell Biol 2018; 38:e00488-17. [PMID: 29203639 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.00488-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a tandem CCCH zinc finger protein that can bind to AU-rich element-containing mRNAs and promote their decay. TTP knockout mice develop a severe inflammatory syndrome, largely due to excess tumor necrosis factor (TNF), whose mRNA is a direct target of TTP binding and destabilization. TTP's RNA binding activity and its ability to promote mRNA decay are lost when one of the zinc-coordinating residues of either zinc finger is mutated. To address several long-standing questions about TTP activity in intact animals, we developed a knock-in mouse with a cysteine-to-arginine mutation within the first zinc finger. Homozygous knock-in mice developed a severe inflammatory syndrome that was essentially identical to that of complete TTP deficiency, suggesting that TTP's critical anti-inflammatory role in mammalian physiology is secondary to its ability to bind RNA. In addition, there was no evidence for a "dominant-negative" effect of the mutant allele in heterozygotes, as suggested by previous experiments. Finally, mRNA decay experiments in mutant macrophages demonstrated that TTP can regulate the stability of its own mRNA, albeit to a minor extent. These studies suggest that RNA binding is an essential first step in the physiological activities of members of this protein family.
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30
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Hu X, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Peng J, Song T, Xu T, Wei H, Jiang S, Peng J. Identification of zinc finger protein Bcl6 as a novel regulator of early adipose commitment. Open Biol 2017; 6:rsob.160065. [PMID: 27251748 PMCID: PMC4929941 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue is a key determinant of whole-body metabolism and energy homeostasis. Unravelling the transcriptional regulatory process during adipogenesis is therefore highly relevant from a biomedical perspective. In these studies, zinc finger protein B-cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) was demonstrated to have a role in early adipogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. Bcl6 is enriched in preadipose versus non-preadipose fibroblasts and shows upregulated expression in the early stage of adipogenesis. Gain- and loss-of-function studies revealed that Bcl6 acts as a key regulator of adipose commitment and differentiation both in vitro and ex vivo. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Bcl6 in C3H10T1/2 cells greatly inhibited adipogenic potential, whereas Bcl6 overexpression enhanced adipogenic differentiation. This transcription factor also directly or indirectly targets and controls the expression of some early and late adipogenic regulators (i.e. Zfp423, Zfp467, KLF15, C/EBPδ, C/EBPα and PPARγ). We further identified that Bcl6 transactivated the signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1), which was determined as a required factor for adipogenesis. Moreover, overexpression of STAT1 rescued the impairment of adipogenic commitment and differentiation induced by Bcl6 knockdown in C3H10T1/2 cells, thereby confirming that STAT1 is a downstream direct target of Bcl6. This study identifies Bcl6 as a positive transcriptional regulator of early adipose commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Hu
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanfei Zhou
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Peng
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Tongxing Song
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongkui Wei
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Siwen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Peng
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
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31
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Gopalakrishnan AM, Aly ASI, Aravind L, Kumar N. Multifunctional Involvement of a C2H2 Zinc Finger Protein (PbZfp) in Malaria Transmission, Histone Modification, and Susceptibility to DNA Damage Response. mBio 2017; 8:e01298-17. [PMID: 28851851 DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01298-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In sexually reproducing organisms, meiosis is an essential step responsible for generation of haploid gametes from diploid somatic cells. The quest for understanding regulatory mechanisms of meiotic recombination in Plasmodium led to identification of a gene encoding a protein that contains 11 copies of C2H2 zinc fingers (ZnF). Reverse genetic approaches were used to create Plasmodium berghei parasites either lacking expression of full-length Plasmodium berghei zinc finger protein (PbZfp) (knockout [KO]) or expressing PbZfp lacking C-terminal zinc finger region (truncated [Trunc]). Mice infected with KO parasites survived two times longer (P < 0.0001) than mice infected with wild-type (WT) parasites. In mosquito transmission experiments, the infectivity of KO and Trunc parasites was severely compromised (>95% oocyst reduction). KO parasites revealed a total lack of trimethylation of histone 3 at several lysine residues (K4, K27, and K36) without any effect on acetylation patterns (H3K9, H3K14, and H4K16). Reduced DNA damage and reduced expression of topoisomerase-like Spo11 in the KO parasites with normal Rad51 expression further suggest a functional role for PbZfp during genetic recombination that involves DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation followed by DNA repair. These finding raise the possibility of some convergent similarities of PbZfp functions to functions of mammalian PRDM9, also a C2H2 ZnF protein with histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase activity. These functions include the major role played by the latter in binding recombination hotspots in the genome during meiosis and trimethylation of the associated histones and subsequent chromatin recruitment of topoisomerase-like Spo11 to catalyze DNA DSB formation and DMC1/Rad51-mediated DNA repair and homologous recombination. Malaria parasites are haploid throughout their life cycle except for a brief time period when zygotes are produced as a result of fertilization between male and female gametes during transmission through the mosquito vector. The reciprocal recombination events that follow zygote formation ensure orderly segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, creating genetic diversity among offspring. Studies presented in the current manuscript identify a novel C2H2 ZnF-containing protein exhibiting multifunctional roles in parasite virulence, mosquito transmission, and homologous recombination during meiosis. Understanding the transmission biology of malaria will result in the identification of novel targets for transmission-blocking intervention approaches.
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32
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Yin M, Wang Y, Zhang L, Li J, Quan W, Yang L, Wang Q, Chan Z. The Arabidopsis Cys2/His2 zinc finger transcription factor ZAT18 is a positive regulator of plant tolerance to drought stress. J Exp Bot 2017; 68:2991-3005. [PMID: 28586434 PMCID: PMC5853917 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stress poses a global threat to plant growth and reproduction, especially drought stress. Zinc finger proteins comprise a family of transcription factors that play essential roles in response to various abiotic stresses. Here, we found that ZAT18 (At3g53600), a nuclear C2H2 zinc finger protein, was transcriptionally induced by dehydration stress. Overexpression (OE) of ZAT18 in Arabidopsis improved drought tolerance while mutation of ZAT18 resulted in decreased plant tolerance to drought stress. ZAT18 was preferentially expressed in stems, siliques, and vegetative rosette leaves. Subcellular location results revealed that ZAT18 protein was predominantly localized in the nucleus. ZAT18 OE plants exhibited less leaf water loss, lower content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), higher leaf water content, and higher antioxidant enzyme activities after drought treatment when compared with the wild type (WT). RNA sequencing analysis showed that 423 and 561 genes were transcriptionally modulated by the ZAT18 transgene before and after drought treatment, respectively. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that hormone metabolism, stress, and signaling were over-represented in ZAT18 OE lines. Several stress-responsive genes including COR47, ERD7, LEA6, and RAS1, and hormone signaling transduction-related genes including JAZ7 and PYL5 were identified as putative target genes of ZAT18. Taken together, ZAT18 functions as a positive regulator and plays a crucial role in the plant response to drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Yin
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lihua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jinzhu Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenli Quan
- Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables of Hubei Province, College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei, China
| | - Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingfeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Correspondence: or
| | - Zhulong Chan
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables of Hubei Province, College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei, China
- Correspondence: or
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Javed MA, Biswas S, Willis LG, Harris S, Pritchard C, van Oers MM, Donly BC, Erlandson MA, Hegedus DD, Theilmann DA. Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus AC83 is a Per Os Infectivity Factor (PIF) Protein Required for Occlusion-Derived Virus (ODV) and Budded Virus Nucleocapsid Assembly as well as Assembly of the PIF Complex in ODV Envelopes. J Virol 2017; 91:e02115-16. [PMID: 28031365 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.02115-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Baculovirus occlusion-derived virus (ODV) initiates infection of lepidopteran larval hosts by binding to the midgut epithelia, which is mediated by per os infectivity factors (PIFs). Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) encodes seven PIF proteins, of which PIF1 to PIF4 form a core complex in ODV envelopes to which PIF0 and PIF6 loosely associate. Deletion of any pif gene results in ODV being unable to bind or enter midgut cells. AC83 also associates with the PIF complex, and this study further analyzed its role in oral infectivity to determine if it is a PIF protein. It had been proposed that AC83 possesses a chitin binding domain that enables transit through the peritrophic matrix; however, no chitin binding activity has ever been demonstrated. AC83 has been reported to be found only in the ODV envelopes, but in contrast, the Orgyia pseudotsugata MNPV AC83 homolog is associated with both ODV nucleocapsids and envelopes. In addition, unlike known pif genes, deletion of ac83 eliminates nucleocapsid formation. We propose a new model for AC83 function and show AC83 is associated with both ODV nucleocapsids and envelopes. We also further define the domain required for nucleocapsid assembly. The cysteine-rich region of AC83 is also shown not to be a chitin binding domain but a zinc finger domain required for the recruitment or assembly of the PIF complex to ODV envelopes. As such, AC83 has all the properties of a PIF protein and should be considered PIF8. In addition, pif7 (ac110) is reported as the 38th baculovirus core gene.IMPORTANCE ODV is essential for the per os infectivity of the baculovirus AcMNPV. To initiate infection, ODV binds to microvilli of lepidopteran midgut cells, a process which requires a group of seven virion envelope proteins called PIFs. In this study, we reexamined the function of AC83, a protein that copurifies with the ODV PIFs, to determine its role in the oral infection process. A zinc finger domain was identified and a new model for AC83 function was proposed. In contrast to previous studies, AC83 was found to be physically located in both the envelope and nucleocapsid of ODV. By deletion analysis, the AC83 domain required for nucleocapsid assembly was more finely delineated. We show that AC83 is required for PIF complex formation and conclude that it is a true per os infectivity factor and should be called PIF8.
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Zang D, Li H, Xu H, Zhang W, Zhang Y, Shi X, Wang Y. An Arabidopsis Zinc Finger Protein Increases Abiotic Stress Tolerance by Regulating Sodium and Potassium Homeostasis, Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging and Osmotic Potential. Front Plant Sci 2016; 7:1272. [PMID: 27605931 PMCID: PMC4995212 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) comprise a large protein family and they are mainly involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Although Arabidopsis RING/FYVE/PHD ZFP At5g62460 (AtRZFP) is found to bind to zinc, whether it is involved in abiotic stress tolerance is still unknown. In the present study, we characterized the roles of AtRZFP in response to abiotic stresses. The expression of AtRZFP was induced significantly by salt and osmotic stress. AtRZFP positively mediates tolerance to salt and osmotic stress. Additionally, compared with wild-type Arabidopsis plants, plants overexpressing AtRZFP showed reduced reactive oxygen species (ROSs) accumulation, enhanced superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity, increased soluble sugars and proline contents, reduced K(+) loss, decreased Na(+) accumulation, stomatal aperture and the water loss rate. Conversely, AtRZFP knockout plants displayed the opposite physiological changes when exposed to salt or osmotic stress conditions. These data suggested that AtRZFP enhances salt and osmotic tolerance through a series of physiological processes, including enhanced ROSs scavenging, maintaining Na(+) and K(+) homeostasis, controlling the stomatal aperture to reduce the water loss rate, and accumulating soluble sugars and proline to adjust the osmotic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
| | - Hongyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
| | - Hongyun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
| | - Wenhui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
| | - Yiming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
| | - Xinxin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
| | - Yucheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, HarbinChina
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, XinjiangChina
- *Correspondence: Yucheng Wang,
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Peretz J, Pekosz A, Lane AP, Klein SL. Estrogenic compounds reduce influenza A virus replication in primary human nasal epithelial cells derived from female, but not male, donors. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2015; 310:L415-25. [PMID: 26684252 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00398.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza causes an acute infection characterized by virus replication in respiratory epithelial cells. The severity of influenza and other respiratory diseases changes over the life course and during pregnancy in women, suggesting that sex steroid hormones, such as estrogens, may be involved. Using primary, differentiated human nasal epithelial cell (hNEC) cultures from adult male and female donors, we exposed cultures to the endogenous 17β-estradiol (E2) or select estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and then infected cultures with a seasonal influenza A virus (IAV) to determine whether estrogenic signaling could affect the outcome of IAV infection and whether these effects were sex dependent. Estradiol, raloxifene, and bisphenol A decreased IAV titers in hNECs from female, but not male, donors. The estrogenic decrease in viral titer was dependent on the genomic estrogen receptor-2 (ESR2) as neither genomic ESR1 nor nongenomic GPR30 was expressed in hNEC cultures and addition of the genomic ER antagonist ICI 182,780 reversed the antiviral effects of E2. Treatment of hNECs with E2 had no effect on interferon or chemokine secretion but significantly downregulated cell metabolic processes, including genes that encode for zinc finger proteins, many of which contain estrogen response elements in their promoters. These data provide novel insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how natural and synthetic estrogens impact IAV infection in respiratory epithelial cells derived from humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackye Peretz
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Andrew Pekosz
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Andrew P Lane
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sabra L Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; and
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van Roon AMM, Yang JC, Mathieu D, Bermel W, Nagai K, Neuhaus D. ¹¹³Cd NMR experiments reveal an unusual metal cluster in the solution structure of the yeast splicing protein Bud31p. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:4861-4. [PMID: 25703931 PMCID: PMC4471582 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201412210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Establishing the binding topology of structural zinc ions in proteins is an essential part of their structure determination by NMR spectroscopy. Using (113)Cd NMR experiments with (113)Cd-substituted samples is a useful approach but has previously been limited mainly to very small protein domains. Here we used (113)Cd NMR spectroscopy during structure determination of Bud31p, a 157-residue yeast protein containing an unusual Zn3Cys9 cluster, demonstrating that recent hardware developments make this approach feasible for significantly larger systems.
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Abstract
Epigenetic modifications such as histone post-transcriptional modifications, DNA methylation, and non-protein-coding RNAs organize the DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and are critical for the spatio-temporal regulation of gene expression. These epigenetic modifications are reversible and precisely regulated by epigenetic enzymes. In addition to genetic mutations, epigenetic modifications are highly disrupted in cancer relative to normal tissues. Many epigenetic alterations (epi-mutations) are associated with aberrations in the expression and/or activity of epigenetic enzymes. Thus, epigenetic regulators have emerged as prime targets for cancer therapy. Currently, several inhibitors of epigenetic enzymes (epi-drugs) have been approved for use in the clinic to treat cancer patients with hematological malignancies. However, one potential disadvantage of epi-drugs is their lack of locus-selective specificity, which may result in the over-expression of undesirable parts of the genome. The emerging and rapidly growing field of epigenome engineering has opened new grounds for improving epigenetic therapy in view of reducing the genome-wide “off-target” effects of the treatment. In the current review, we will first describe the language of epigenetic modifications and their involvement in cancer. Next, we will overview the current strategies for engineering of artificial DNA-binding domains in order to manipulate and ultimately normalize the aberrant landscape of the cancer epigenome (epigenome engineering). Lastly, the potential clinical applications of these emerging genome-engineering approaches will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Falahi
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia , Perth, WA , Australia
| | - Agustin Sgro
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia , Perth, WA , Australia
| | - Pilar Blancafort
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia , Perth, WA , Australia
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Lockwood SH, Guan A, Yu AS, Zhang C, Zykovich A, Korf I, Rannala B, Segal DJ. The functional significance of common polymorphisms in zinc finger transcription factors. G3 (Bethesda) 2014; 4:1647-55. [PMID: 24970883 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.012195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Variants that alter the DNA-binding specificity of transcription factors could affect the specificity for and expression of potentially many target genes, as has been observed in several tumor-derived mutations. Here we examined if such trans expression quantitative trait loci (trans-eQTLs) could similarly result from common genetic variants. We chose to focus on the Cys2-His2 class of zinc finger transcription factors because they are the most abundant superfamily of transcription factors in human and have well-characterized DNA binding interactions. We identified 430 SNPs that cause missense substitutions in the DNA-contacting residues. Fewer common missense SNPs were found at DNA-contacting residues compared with non-DNA-contacting residues (P = 0.00006), consistent with possible functional selection against SNPs at DNA-contacting positions. Functional predictions based on zinc finger transcription factor (ZNF) DNA binding preferences also suggested that many common substitutions could potentially alter binding specificity. However, Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium analysis and examination of seven orthologs within the primate lineage failed to find evidence of trans-eQTLs associated with the DNA-contacting positions or evidence of a different selection pressure on a contemporary and evolutionary timescales. The overall conclusion was that common SNPs that alter the DNA-contacting residues of these factors are unlikely to produce strong trans-eQTLs, consistent with the observations by others that trans-eQTLs in humans tend to be few and weak. Some rare SNPs might alter specificity and remained rare due to purifying selection. The study also underscores the need for large-scale eQTLs mapping efforts that might provide experimental evidence for SNPs that alter the choice of transcription factor binding sites.
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Suchy-Dicey A, Heckbert SR, Smith NL, McKnight B, Rotter JI, Chen YDI, Psaty BM, Enquobahrie DA. Gene expression in thiazide diuretic or statin users in relation to incident type 2 diabetes. Int J Mol Epidemiol Genet 2014; 5:22-30. [PMID: 24596594 PMCID: PMC3939004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Thiazide diuretics and statins are used to improve cardiovascular outcomes, but may also cause type 2 diabetes (T2DM), although mechanisms are unknown. Gene expression studies may facilitate understanding of these associations. Participants from ongoing population-based studies were sampled for these longitudinal studies of peripheral blood microarray gene expression, and followed to incident diabetes. All sampled subjects were statin or thiazide users. Those who developed diabetes during follow-up comprised cases (44 thiazide users; 19 statin users), and were matched to drug-using controls who did not develop diabetes on several factors. Supervised normalization, surrogate variable analyses removed technical bias and confounding. Differentially-expressed genes were those with a false discovery rate Q-value<0.05. Among thiazide users, diabetes cases had significantly different expression of CCL14 (down-regulated 6%, Q-value=0.0257), compared with controls. Among statin users, diabetes cases had marginal but insignificantly different expression of ZNF532 (up-regulated 15%, Q-value=0.0584), CXORF21 (up-regulated 11%, Q-value=0.0584), and ZNHIT3 (up-regulated 19%, Q-value=0.0959), compared with controls. These genes comprise potential targets for future expression or mechanistic research on medication-related diabetes development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan R Heckbert
- Department of Epidemiology, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pharmacy, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health CooperativeSeattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicholas L Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health CooperativeSeattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and DevelopmentSeattle, WA, USA
| | - Barbara McKnight
- Department of Biostatistics, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
| | - Jerome I Rotter
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, Los Angeles BioMedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical CenterTorrance, CA, USA
| | - YD Ida Chen
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences and Department of Pediatrics, Los Angeles BioMedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical CenterTorrance, CA, USA
| | - Bruce M Psaty
- Department of Epidemiology, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
- Department of Health Services, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, USA
- Group Health Research Institute, Group Health CooperativeSeattle, WA, USA
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Wu AC, Himes BE, Lasky-Su J, Litonjua A, Peters SP, Lima J, Kubo M, Tamari M, Nakamura Y, Qiu W, Weiss ST, Tantisira K. Inhaled corticosteroid treatment modulates ZNF432 gene variant's effect on bronchodilator response in asthmatics. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2013; 133:723-8.e3. [PMID: 24280104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Revised: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence a patient's response to inhaled corticosteroids and β2-agonists, and the effect of treatment with inhaled corticosteroids is synergistic with the effect of β2-agonists. We hypothesized that use of inhaled corticosteroids could influence the effect of SNPs associated with a bronchodilator response. OBJECTIVE To assess whether, among subjects with asthma, the association of SNPs with bronchodilator response is different between those treated with inhaled corticosteroids versus those on placebo. METHODS A genome-wide association analysis was conducted by using 581 white subjects from the Childhood Asthma Management Program. By using data for 449,540 SNPs, we conducted a gene by environment analysis in PLINK with inhaled corticosteroid treatment as the environmental exposure and bronchodilator response as the outcome measure. We attempted to replicate the top 12 SNPs in the Leukotriene Modifier or Corticosteroid or Corticosteroid-Salmeterol Trial. RESULTS The combined P value for the Childhood Asthma Management Program and Leukotriene Modifier or Corticosteroid or Corticosteroid-Salmeterol Trial populations was 4.8 × 10(-8) for rs3752120, which is located in the zinc finger protein gene ZNF432 and has an unknown function. CONCLUSIONS Inhaled corticosteroids appear to modulate the association of bronchodilator response with variant(s) in the ZNF432 gene among adults and children with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Chen Wu
- Center for Child Health Care Studies, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
| | - Blanca E Himes
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Jessica Lasky-Su
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Augusto Litonjua
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Stephen P Peters
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - John Lima
- Nemours Children's Clinic, Centers for Clinical Pediatric Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics, for the American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Centers, Jacksonville, Fla
| | | | | | - Yusuke Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Weiliang Qiu
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Scott T Weiss
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Kelan Tantisira
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
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Anand P, Schug A, Wenzel W. Structure based design of protein linkers for zinc finger nuclease. FEBS Lett 2013; 587:3231-5. [PMID: 23994524 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Zinc finger nucleases are a promising tool to edit DNA in many biological applications, in particular for gene knockout. Despite many efforts the number of genes that can be effectively targeted with ZFNs remains severely limited, as available constructs cannot address arbitrary gene sequences. Here, we develop a novel concept to significantly enhance the number of DNA sequences that can be targeted by ZFN. Using an efficient computational model, we provide an extensive library of possible linker molecules between individual zinc finger motifs in the construct that can skip up to 10 base pairs between adjacent zinc finger recognition sites in the DNA sequence, which increases the number of genes that can be efficiently targeted by more than an order of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Anand
- Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Li J, Blue R, Zeitler B, Strange TL, Pearl JR, Huizinga DH, Evans S, Gregory PD, Urnov FD, Petolino JF. Activation domains for controlling plant gene expression using designed transcription factors. Plant Biotechnol J 2013; 11:671-80. [PMID: 23521778 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Revised: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 01/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Targeted gene regulation via designed transcription factors has great potential for precise phenotypic modification and acceleration of novel crop trait development. To this end, designed transcriptional activators have been constructed by fusing transcriptional activation domains to DNA-binding proteins. In this study, a transcriptional activator from the herpes simplex virus, VP16, was used to identify plant regulatory proteins. Transcriptional activation domains were identified from each protein and fused with zinc finger DNA-binding proteins (ZFPs) to generate designed transcriptional activators. In addition, specific sequences within each transcriptional activation domain were modified to mimic the VP16 contact motif that interacts directly with RNA polymerase II core transcription factors. To evaluate these designed transcriptional activators, test systems were built in yeast and tobacco comprising reporter genes driven by promoters containing ZFP-binding sites upstream of the transcriptional start site. In yeast, transcriptional domains from the plant proteins ERF2 and PTI4 activated MEL1 reporter gene expression to levels similar to VP16 and the modified sequences displayed even greater levels of activation. Following stable transformation of the tobacco reporter system with transcriptional activators derived from ERF2, GUS reporter gene transcript accumulation was equal to or greater than those derived from VP16. Moreover, a modified ERF2 domain displayed significantly enhanced transcriptional activation compared with VP16 and with the unmodified ERF2 sequence. These results demonstrate that plant sequences capable of facilitating transcriptional activation can be found and, when fused to DNA-binding proteins, can enhance gene expression.
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Lai WS, Stumpo DJ, Kennington EA, Burkholder AB, Ward JM, Fargo DL, Blackshear PJ. Life without TTP: apparent absence of an important anti-inflammatory protein in birds. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2013; 305:R689-700. [PMID: 23904106 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00310.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Both innate and adaptive immunity in birds are different from their mammalian counterparts. Understanding bird immunity is important because of the enormous potential impact of avian infectious diseases, both in their role as food animals and as potential carriers of zoonotic diseases in man. The anti-inflammatory protein tristetraprolin (TTP) is an important component of the mammalian innate immune response, in that it binds to and destabilizes key cytokine mRNAs. TTP knockout mice exhibit a severe systemic inflammatory syndrome, and they are abnormally sensitive to innate immune stimuli such as LPS. TTP orthologs have been found in most vertebrates studied, including frogs. Here, we attempted to identify TTP orthologs in chicken and other birds, using database searches and deep mRNA sequencing. Although sequences encoding the two other widely expressed TTP family members, ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2, were identified, we did not find sequences corresponding to TTP in any bird species. Sequences corresponding to TTP were identified in both lizards and alligators, close evolutionary relatives of birds. The induction kinetics of Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2 mRNAs in LPS-stimulated chicken macrophages or serum-stimulated chick embryo fibroblasts did not resemble the normal mammalian TTP response to these stimuli, suggesting that the other two family members might not compensate for the TTP deficiency in regulating rapidly induced mRNA targets. Several mammalian TTP target transcripts have chicken counterparts that contain one or more potential TTP binding sites, raising the possibility that birds express other proteins that subsume TTP's function as a rapidly inducible regulator of AU-rich element (ARE)-dependent mRNA turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wi S Lai
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
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Blattler A, Yao L, Wang Y, Ye Z, Jin VX, Farnham PJ. ZBTB33 binds unmethylated regions of the genome associated with actively expressed genes. Epigenetics Chromatin 2013; 6:13. [PMID: 23693142 PMCID: PMC3663758 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-6-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation and repressive histone modifications cooperate to silence promoters. One mechanism by which regions of methylated DNA could acquire repressive histone modifications is via methyl DNA-binding transcription factors. The zinc finger protein ZBTB33 (also known as Kaiso) has been shown in vitro to bind preferentially to methylated DNA and to interact with the SMRT/NCoR histone deacetylase complexes. We have performed bioinformatic analyses of Kaiso ChIP-seq and DNA methylation datasets to test a model whereby binding of Kaiso to methylated CpGs leads to loss of acetylated histones at target promoters. RESULTS Our results suggest that, contrary to expectations, Kaiso does not bind to methylated DNA in vivo but instead binds to highly active promoters that are marked with high levels of acetylated histones. In addition, our studies suggest that DNA methylation and nucleosome occupancy patterns restrict access of Kaiso to potential binding sites and influence cell type-specific binding. CONCLUSIONS We propose a new model for the genome-wide binding and function of Kaiso whereby Kaiso binds to unmethylated regulatory regions and contributes to the active state of target promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Blattler
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Genetics Graduate Group, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Lijing Yao
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Zhenqing Ye
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Victor X Jin
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Peggy J Farnham
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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Voráčková I, Suchanová Š, Ulbrich P, Diehl WE, Ruml T. Purification of proteins containing zinc finger domains using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. Protein Expr Purif 2011; 79:88-95. [PMID: 21600288 PMCID: PMC3134162 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2011.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2011] [Revised: 04/29/2011] [Accepted: 04/30/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Heterologous proteins are frequently purified by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) based on their modification with a hexa-histidine affinity tag (His-tag). The terminal His-tag can, however, alter functional properties of the tagged protein. Numerous strategies for the tag removal have been developed including chemical treatment and insertion of protease target sequences in the protein sequence. Instead of using these approaches, we took an advantage of natural interaction of zinc finger domains with metal ions to purify functionally similar retroviral proteins from two different retroviruses. We found that these proteins exhibited significantly different affinities to the immobilized metal ions, despite that both contain the same type of zinc finger motif (i.e., CCHC). While zinc finger proteins may differ in biochemical properties, the multitude of IMAC platforms should allow relatively simple yet specific method for their isolation in native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Voráčková
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Šárka Suchanová
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Ulbrich
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - William E. Diehl
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Tomáš Ruml
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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Allen CE, Richards J, Muthusamy N, Auer H, Liu Y, Robinson ML, Barnard JA, Wu LC. Disruption of ZAS3 in mice alters NF-kappaB and AP-1 DNA binding and T-cell development. Gene Expr 2007; 14:83-100. [PMID: 18257392 PMCID: PMC6042042 DOI: 10.3727/105221607783417574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The large zinc finger proteins, ZAS, regulate the transcription of a variety of genes involved in cell growth, development, and metastasis. They also function in the signal transduction of the TGF-beta and TNF-alpha pathways. However, the endogenous protein of a representative member, ZAS3, is rapidly degraded in primary lymphocytes, which limits the determination of its physiological function in vitro. Therefore, we have generated mice with targeted disruption of ZAS3. Oligonucleotide-based microarray analyses revealed subtle but consistent differences in the expression of genes, many of which are associated with receptor or signal transduction activities between ZAS3+/+ and ZAS3-/- thymi. Gel mobility shift assays showed altered DNA binding activities of NF-kappaB and AP-1 proteins in ZAS3-deficient tissues, including the thymus. Lymphocyte analysis suggested a subtle but broad function of ZAS3 in regulating T-cell development and activation. In CD3+ ZAS3-/- thymocytes, the CD4/ CD8 ratio was decreased and CD69 expression was decreased. In peripheral CD4+ ZAS3-/- lymphocytes we observed an increased number of memory T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl E. Allen
- *Department of Pediatrics and Center for Cell and Developmental Biology, Columbus Children’s Research Institute, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
- †Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - John Richards
- ‡Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Natarajan Muthusamy
- §Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Herbert Auer
- *Department of Pediatrics and Center for Cell and Developmental Biology, Columbus Children’s Research Institute, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- ‡Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Michael L. Robinson
- *Department of Pediatrics and Center for Cell and Developmental Biology, Columbus Children’s Research Institute, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - John A. Barnard
- *Department of Pediatrics and Center for Cell and Developmental Biology, Columbus Children’s Research Institute, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Lai-Chu Wu
- †Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- §Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- ¶Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Sundblad AS, Ricci L, Xynos FP, Fernandez-Pol JA. Metallopanstimulin / S27 Ribosomal Antigen Expression in Stages I and II Breast Cancer: its Relationship with Clinicopathologic Factors. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2005; 2:53-60. [PMID: 31394666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2004] [Accepted: 12/09/2004] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Metallopanstimulin (MPS-1)/S27 ribosomal protein is involved in cellular proliferation and oncogenesis. In this study, we have examined the expression of the MPS-1 protein in 120 stages I and II breast carcinomas to study its relationship with breast cancer prognosis. We also determined if there was any relationship of MPS-1 with other biological markers commonly used in breast cancer prognosis. The expression of MPS-1 protein was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using specific anti-MPS-1 antibodies. We found that there was greater expression of MPS-1 in tumors of greater size and in higher histological grades. Thus, in tumors with more histological aggressiveness there is more MPS-1. Both were frequently associated with a greater proliferative activity. There was also a significant association between the expression of MPS-1 with the expression of receptors for progesterone (p=0.004), estrogens (p=0.03), bcl-2 (p=0.002), and MIB-1 (p=0.03). After univariate logistic regression analysis, we found that overexpression of MPS-1 correlated with Disease Free Survival (DFS) (p=0.039), showing that MPS-1 positivity is associated with a greater incidence of recurrence and/or metastasis. There was no association between overexpression of MPS-1 and poor Overall Survival (OS) (p=0.146). The results presented here indicate a significant correlation between overexpression of MPS-1/S27 ribosomal protein and more aggressive breast cancer growth. These results suggest that the MPS-1 antigen may be a useful marker to understand better the biological behavior of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto S Sundblad
- Departments of Pathology, Division of Breast Cancer Screening/Surgery, Hospital Privado de Comunidad, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Lila Ricci
- Biostatistics Department, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, National University of Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Francisco P Xynos
- Gynecologic Oncology, Division of Breast Cancer Screening/Surgery, Hospital Privado de Comunidad, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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Abstract
In wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans, six cells develop as receptors for gentle touch. In egl-44 and egl-46 mutants, two other neurons, the FLP cells, express touch receptor-like features. egl-44 and egl-46 also affect the differentiation of other neurons including the HSN neurons, two cells needed for egg laying. egl-44 encodes a member of the transcription enhancer factor family. The product of the egl-46 gene, two Drosophila proteins, and two proteins in human and mice define a new family of zinc finger proteins. Both egl-44 and egl-46 are expressed in FLP and HSN neurons (and other cells); expression of egl-46 is dependent on egl-44 in the FLP cells but not in the HSN cells. Wild-type touch cells express egl-46 but not egl-44. Moreover, ectopic expression of egl-44 in the touch cells prevents touch cell differentiation in an egl-46-dependent manner. The sequences of these genes and their nuclear location as seen with GFP fusions indicate that they repress transcription of touch cell characteristics in the FLP cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
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Kambadur R, Koizumi K, Stivers C, Nagle J, Poole SJ, Odenwald WF. Regulation of POU genes by castor and hunchback establishes layered compartments in the Drosophila CNS. Genes Dev 1998; 12:246-60. [PMID: 9436984 PMCID: PMC316437 DOI: 10.1101/gad.12.2.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
POU transcription factors participate in cell-identity decisions during nervous system development, yet little is known about the regulatory networks controlling their expression. We report all known Drosophila POU genes require castor (cas) for correct CNS expression. drifter and I-POU depend on cas for full expression, whereas pdm-1 and pdm-2 are negatively regulated. cas encodes a zinc finger protein that shares DNA-binding specificity with another pdm repressor: the gap segmentation gene regulator Hunchback (Hb). Our studies reveal that the embryonic CNS contains sequentially generated neuroblast sublineages that can be distinguished by their expression of either Hb, Pdm-1, or Cas. Hb and Cas may directly silence pdm expression in early and late developing sublineages, given that pdm-1 cis-regulatory DNA contains >=32 Hb/Cas-binding sites and its enhancer(s) are ectopically activated in cas- neuroblasts. In addition, the targeted misexpression of Cas in all neuroblast lineages reduces Pdm-1 expression without altering Hb expression. By ensuring correct POU gene expression boundaries, hb and cas maintain temporal subdivisions in the cell-identity circuitry controlling CNS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kambadur
- The Neurogenetics Unit, Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20892 USA
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