Replication of Telomeres and the Regulation of Telomerase

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Replication of Telomeres and the Regulation of Telomerase Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ on September 29, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Replication of Telomeres and the Regulation of Telomerase Verena Pfeiffer and Joachim Lingner Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Frontiers in Genetics National Center of Competence in Research, Ecole Polytechnique Fe´de´rale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Correspondence: joachim.lingner@epfl.ch Telomeres are the physical ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. They protect chromosome ends from DNA degradation, recombination, and DNA end fusions, and they are important for nuclear architecture. Telomeres provide a mechanism for their replication by semiconserva- tive DNA replication and length maintenance by telomerase. Through telomerase repression and induced telomere shortening, telomeres provide the means to regulate cellular life span. In this review, we introduce the current knowledge on telomere composition and structure. We then discuss in depth the current understanding of how telomere components mediate their function during semiconservative DNA replication and how telomerase is regulated at the end of the chromosome. We focus our discussion on the telomeres from mammals and the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. erman Muller and Barbara McClintock Barbara McClintock analyzed maize strains in Hwere probably the first scientists to recog- which dicentric chromosomes were produced nize that the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes with high frequency. Dicentric chromosomes have special properties and crucial functions break when the two centromeres are pulled (reviewed by Blackburn 2006). Herman Muller toward opposite poles of the mitotic spindle studied Drosophila chromosomes and found during anaphase of the cell cycle. The broken that X rays could induce chromosome rear- chromosomal ends were unstable and fused rangements. However, he never observed chro- with other broken ends with which they came mosomes carrying terminal deletions (Muller in contact. However, when dicentric chromo- 1938). These results led him to conclude that somes were present in embryonic cells, the bro- “the terminal gene must have a special function, ken ends were somehow “healed” (McClintock that of sealing the end of the chromosome, so to 1941). speak,” and that “for some reason, a chromo- The molecular sequence of telomeric DNA some cannot persist indefinitely without having was first determined by Elizabeth Blackburn and its ends thus sealed.” Muller coined the term Joseph Gall in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahy- “telomere” for this terminal gene (from the mena thermophila (Blackburn and Gall 1978). Greek words telos ¼ end and meros ¼ part). These experiments revealed that the DNA ends Editors: Stephen D. Bell, Marcel Me´chali, and Melvin L. DePamphilis Additional Perspectives on DNA Replication available at www.cshperspectives.org Copyright # 2013 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved; doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a010405 Cite this article as Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2013;5:a010405 1 Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ on September 29, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press V. Pfeiffer and J. Lingner 0 0 0 in this organism consist of 5 -T2G4-3 /5 -C4A2- identification of the first Tert subunits opened 30 telomeric repeats with the G-rich strand run- the door to identify the corresponding genes ning toward the 30 end of the chromosome. in humans and other organisms, allowing the Cloning and sequencing of telomeres from oth- study of telomerase during development and er eukaryotes revealed that the repetitive nature in cancer. Significantly, it was shown that ectop- of telomeric repeats and the presence of a G-rich ic expression of human Tert in various pri- strand are common features of nearly all eu- mary human cells is sufficient to reconstitute karyotes. Furthermore, it has been established telomerase, rendering them immortal (Bodnar that the 30-end-containing strand protrudes at et al. 1998). both ends of the chromosome. However,notable Ciliated protozoa were also instrumental in exceptions do exist. The roundworm Caeno- purifying and cloning the first eukaryotic telo- rhabditis elegans contains both 30 G-overhangs mere-binding proteins (Gottschling and Zakian as well as 50 C-overhangs (Raices et al. 2008). 1986; Hicke et al. 1990; Gray et al. 1991). How- Several genera of insects and plants do contain ever, orthologs of these proteins were at first long DNA repeats (Martinez et al. 2001). Droso- not recognized in other eukaryotes, and inde- phila contains, instead of short telomeric re- pendent approaches were undertaken to identify peats, retrotransposons at chromosome ends the first telomeric proteins invarious eukaryotes that have overtaken telomere functions (Pardue including yeasts and humans. Only much later and Debaryshe 2011). was it realized that the ciliate telomere-binding The formulation of the DNA end-replica- proteins contain counterparts in a broad range tion problem by Watson and Olovnikov in- of eukaryotes (Baumann and Cech 2001). ferred that specialized mechanisms must exist In this review, we introduce known basic to maintain telomere length (Olovnikov 1971; components of telomeres and review the mech- Watson 1972). Greider and Blackburn discov- anisms of semiconservative DNA replication of ered telomerase activity in extracts from Tet ra- telomeric DNA and the regulation of telome- hymena (Greider and Blackburn 1985). They rase. For the discussion of telomere protection also identified the telomerase RNA moiety in and the three-dimensional structures of telo- this organism, which contains a sequence com- mere components, the reader is referred to ex- plementary to Tetrahymena telomeric repeats cellent recent reviews (de Lange 2009; Jain and (Greider and Blackburn 1989). Mutation of Cooper 2010; Lewis and Wuttke 2012). this sequence proved that the telomerase RNA moiety provides the template for DNA repeat TELOMERE COMPONENTS synthesis and that the telomerase functions as reverse transcriptase (Yu et al. 1990). Around In the following section, the stable constituents the same time, Lundblad and Szostak were the of telomeres that are implicated in regulating first to discover an essential telomere mainte- telomere replication are discussed. Abundant nance protein gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. telomere-binding proteins as well as telomerase Dysfunction of the identified gene gave rise to subunits from S. cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces an ever shorter telomeres (est) phenotype cul- pombe, and Homo sapiens described in detail in minating in cellular senescence (Lundblad and the text are summarized in Table 1. Szostak 1989). The discovery of EST1 was fol- lowed by the identification of EST2, EST3, and S. cerevisiae EST4 in the Lundblad laboratory (Lendvay et al. 1996). Est2 turned out to be orthologous with The telomeric DNA repeat consensus sequence the p123 telomerase reverse transcriptase (Tert) for the 30-end-containing strand from S. cerevi- 0 0 protein subunit (Lingner et al. 1997) that was siae is 5 -(TG)0–6TGGGTGTG(G)-3 (Forste- identified in the ciliate Euplotes aediculatus mann and Lingner 2001). The telomere length upon biochemical purification of the telome- is around 300 bp. Native chromosome ends in rase enzyme (Lingner and Cech 1996). The S. cerevisiae have a number of subtelomeric 2 Cite this article as Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2013;5:a010405 Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ Cite this article as Table 1. Abundant telomere-binding proteins and telomerase proteins in S. cerevisiae, S. pombe, and H. sapiens Organism Subcomplex Protein Interaction partner Ortholog Function S. cerevisiae Rap1 Sir3, Sir4, or Rif1, Rap1 (S. p., H. s.) Essential; major double-stranded telomere-binding Rif2 protein; transcriptional regulation of telomeres and Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol protein-coding genes; protection from NHEJ; negative regulator of telomere length Sirtuins Sir2 Sir3, Sir4 NADþ-dependent histone deacetylase; telomeric silencing Sir3 Sir2, Sir4, Rap1 Telomeric silencing onSeptember29,2021-PublishedbyColdSpringHarborLaboratoryPress Sir4 Sir2, Sir3, Rap1 Telomeric silencing Rifs Rif1 Rif2, Rap1 Negative regulator of telomere length Rif2 Rif1, Rap1 Negative regulator of telomere length CST Cdc13 Ten1, Stn1, Est1, Ctc1 (H. s.; limited Essential G-strand single-stranded telomere-binding Pol1 sequence protein; protects from C-strand loss; recruits 2013;5:a010405 similarity) telomerase through interaction with Est1; essential for telomerase activity in vivo but not in vitro; interacts with Pol1, the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase a-primase, promoting fill-in synthesis of telomerase-elongated telomeres Stn1 Ten1, Cdc13, Pol12 Stn1 (S. p., H. s.) Essential; protects from C-strand loss; negative regulator of telomere length; interacts with Pol12, the B subunit of DNA polymerase a-primase, promoting fill-in synthesis of telomerase-elongated telomeres Ten1 Stn1, Cdc13 Ten1 (S. p., H. s.) Essential; protects from C-strand loss; negative regulator of telomere length Telomerase Est1 Tlc1, Est2, Cdc13 Est1 (S. p., H. s. est phenotype; binds Tlc1 and G-strand single- Est1A has limited stranded telomeric DNA; recruits telomerase Telomere Replication sequence through interaction with Cdc13; essential for similarity) telomerase activity in vivo but not in vitro Est2 Tlc1, Est1 Tert (H. s.), Trt1 est phenotype; telomerase reverse transcriptase; (S. p.) essential
Recommended publications
  • Introduction of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase to Normal Human Fibroblasts Enhances DNA Repair Capacity
    Vol. 10, 2551–2560, April 1, 2004 Clinical Cancer Research 2551 Introduction of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase to Normal Human Fibroblasts Enhances DNA Repair Capacity Ki-Hyuk Shin,1 Mo K. Kang,1 Erica Dicterow,1 INTRODUCTION Ayako Kameta,1 Marcel A. Baluda,1 and Telomerase, which consists of the catalytic protein subunit, No-Hee Park1,2 human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the RNA component of telomerase (hTR), and several associated pro- 1School of Dentistry and 2Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California teins, has been primarily associated with maintaining the integ- rity of cellular DNA telomeres in normal cells (1, 2). Telomer- ase activity is correlated with the expression of hTERT, but not ABSTRACT with that of hTR (3, 4). Purpose: From numerous reports on proteins involved The involvement of DNA repair proteins in telomere main- in DNA repair and telomere maintenance that physically tenance has been well documented (5–8). In eukaryotic cells, associate with human telomerase reverse transcriptase nonhomologous end-joining requires a DNA ligase and the (hTERT), we inferred that hTERT/telomerase might play a DNA-activated protein kinase, which is recruited to the DNA role in DNA repair. We investigated this possibility in nor- ends by the DNA-binding protein Ku. Ku binds to hTERT mal human oral fibroblasts (NHOF) with and without ec- without the need for telomeric DNA or hTR (9), binds the topic expression of hTERT/telomerase. telomere repeat-binding proteins TRF1 (10) and TRF2 (11), and Experimental Design: To study the effect of hTERT/ is thought to regulate the access of telomerase to telomere DNA telomerase on DNA repair, we examined the mutation fre- ends (12, 13).
    [Show full text]
  • T-Loops and the Origin of Telomeres E
    PERSPECTIVES 66. Steinman, R. M., Mellman, I. S., Muller, W. A. & Cohn, Z. A. Acknowledgments eukaryotes evolved. The presence of t-loops at Endocytosis and the recycling of plasma membrane. H.S. is supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society and the J. Cell Biol. 96, 1–27 (1983). Research Council of Norway, and J.G. by the Swiss National present-day telomeres and their association 67. Lafont, F., Lecat, S., Verkade, P. & Simons, K. Annexin Science Foundation and the Human Frontier Science Programme with proteins that have evolved from RDR XIIIb associates with lipid microdomains to function in Organization. apical delivery. J. Cell Biol. 142, 1413–1427 (1998). factors might be remnants of the original 68. Aniento, F., Gu, F., Parton, R. & Gruenberg, J. Competing interests statement telomere system. Furthermore, the relative An endosomal βcop is involved in the pH-dependent The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests. formation of transport vesicles destined for late ease with which many eukaryotes can main- endosomes. J. Cell Biol. 133, 29–41 (1996). tain telomeres without telomerase might 69. Gu, F., Aniento, F., Parton, R. & Gruenberg, J. Functional Online links dissection of COP-I subunits in the biogenesis of reflect this ancient system of chromosome-end multivesicular endosomes. J. Cell Biol. 139, 1183–1195 DATABASES replication. This proposal ends with a dis- (1997). The following terms in this article are linked online to: 70. Gu, F. & Gruenberg, J. ARF1 regulates pH-dependent Interpro: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/interpro/ cussion of the advantages of the telom- COP functions in the early endocytic pathway.
    [Show full text]
  • A Mutation in DNA Polymerase Α Rescues WEE1KO Sensitivity to HU
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article A Mutation in DNA Polymerase α Rescues WEE1KO Sensitivity to HU Thomas Eekhout 1,2 , José Antonio Pedroza-Garcia 1,2 , Pooneh Kalhorzadeh 1,2, Geert De Jaeger 1,2 and Lieven De Veylder 1,2,* 1 Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Gent, Belgium; [email protected] (T.E.); [email protected] (J.A.P.-G.); [email protected] (P.K.); [email protected] (G.D.J.) 2 Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Gent, Belgium * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: During DNA replication, the WEE1 kinase is responsible for safeguarding genomic integrity by phosphorylating and thus inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which are the driving force of the cell cycle. Consequentially, wee1 mutant plants fail to respond properly to problems arising during DNA replication and are hypersensitive to replication stress. Here, we report the identification of the pola-2 mutant, mutated in the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α, as a suppressor mutant of wee1. The mutated protein appears to be less stable, causing a loss of interaction with its subunits and resulting in a prolonged S-phase. Keywords: replication stress; DNA damage; cell cycle checkpoint Citation: Eekhout, T.; Pedroza- 1. Introduction Garcia, J.A.; Kalhorzadeh, P.; De Jaeger, G.; De Veylder, L. A Mutation DNA replication is a highly complex process that ensures the chromosomes are in DNA Polymerase α Rescues correctly replicated to be passed onto the daughter cells during mitosis. Replication starts WEE1KO Sensitivity to HU. Int.
    [Show full text]
  • Telomeres.Pdf
    Telomeres Secondary article Elizabeth H Blackburn, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA Article Contents . Introduction Telomeres are specialized DNA–protein structures that occur at the ends of eukaryotic . The Replication Paradox chromosomes. A special ribonucleoprotein enzyme called telomerase is required for the . Structure of Telomeres synthesis and maintenance of telomeric DNA. Synthesis of Telomeric DNA by Telomerase . Functions of Telomeres Introduction . Telomere Homeostasis . Alternatives to Telomerase-generated Telomeric DNA Telomeres are the specialized chromosomal DNA–protein . Evolution of Telomeres and Telomerase structures that comprise the terminal regions of eukaryotic chromosomes. As discovered through studies of maize and somes. One critical part of this protective function is to fruitfly chromosomes in the 1930s, they are required to provide a means by which the linear chromosomal DNA protect and stabilize the genetic material carried by can be replicated completely, without the loss of terminal eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomeres are dynamic struc- DNA nucleotides from the 5’ end of each strand of this tures, with their terminal DNA being constantly built up DNA. This is necessary to prevent progressive loss of and degraded as dividing cells replicate their chromo- terminal DNA sequences in successive cycles of chromo- somes. One strand of the telomeric DNA is synthesized by somal replication. a specialized ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase called telomerase. Telomerase is required for both
    [Show full text]
  • Expression of Telomerase Activity, Human Telomerase RNA, and Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase in Gastric Adenocarcinomas Jinyoung Yoo, M.D., Ph.D., Sonya Y
    Expression of Telomerase Activity, Human Telomerase RNA, and Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase in Gastric Adenocarcinomas Jinyoung Yoo, M.D., Ph.D., Sonya Y. Park, Seok Jin Kang, M.D., Ph.D., Byung Kee Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Sang In Shim, M.D., Ph.D., Chang Suk Kang, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Pathology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Catholic University, Suwon, South Korea esis of gastric cancer and may reflect, along with Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase enhanced hTR, the malignant potential of the tu- that synthesizes TTAGGG telomeric DNA onto chro- mor. It is noteworthy that methacarn-fixed tissue mosome ends to compensate for sequence loss dur- cannot as yet substitute for the frozen section in the ing DNA replication. It has been detected in 85–90% TRAP assay. of all primary human cancers, implicating that the telomerase seems to be reactivated in tumors and KEY WORDS: hTR, Stomach cancer, Telomerase, that such activity may play a role in the tumorigenic TERT. process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Mod Pathol 2003;16(7):700–707 telomerase activity, human telomerase RNA (hTR), and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in Recent studies of stomach cancer have been di- stomach cancer and to determine their potential rected toward gaining a better understanding of relationships to clinicopathologic parameters. Fro- tumor biology. Molecular analysis has suggested zen and corresponding methacarn-fixed paraffin- that alterations in the structures and functions of embedded tissue samples were obtained from 51 oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, genetic patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and analyzed instability, as well as the acquisition of cell immor- for telomerase activity by using a TRAPeze ELISA tality may be of relevance in the pathogenesis of kit.
    [Show full text]
  • DNA Replication
    9 DNA Replication To understand the chemistry Living cells must be able to duplicate their entire set of genetic instructions Goal of DNA synthesis and how every time they divide. Likewise, multicellular organisms must be able to DNA is replicated with high pass on complete copies of their genetic information to future generations. accuracy. This requires that the instructions are stored in a form that is capable of Objectives being duplicated. As we have seen (and will return to in Chapter 11), genetic instructions are embedded in the order of nucleobases in the DNA. As we After this chapter, you should be able to have also seen, the self-complementary nature of the double helix provides • describe the experiment that proved a simple (in principle) templating mechanism for replicating DNA into two that DNA replication is semi- identical copies. Only DNA (and in some instances RNA when, as in the conservative. case of the genomes of RNA viruses, it is used as a repository of genetic • diagram the reaction for information) are self-complementary and hence capable of being replicated. phosphodiester bond formation. The other three categories of macromolecules—carbohydrates, lipids, and • explain the energetics of DNA proteins—are not self-complementary and do not serve as templates for synthesis. their own production. Instead, the synthesis of these macromolecules is • explain why the 5’-to-3’ rule creates a ultimately directed by information stored in DNA through the action of conundrum during replication. enzymes and other proteins. Here we focus on the chemical and enzymatic • explain how DNA is replicated mechanisms by which DNA acts as a template for its own duplication and accurately.
    [Show full text]
  • Fructose Causes Liver Damage, Polyploidy, and Dysplasia in the Setting of Short Telomeres and P53 Loss
    H OH metabolites OH Article Fructose Causes Liver Damage, Polyploidy, and Dysplasia in the Setting of Short Telomeres and p53 Loss Christopher Chronowski 1, Viktor Akhanov 1, Doug Chan 2, Andre Catic 1,2 , Milton Finegold 3 and Ergün Sahin 1,4,* 1 Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; [email protected] (C.C.); [email protected] (V.A.); [email protected] (A.C.) 2 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; [email protected] 3 Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; fi[email protected] 4 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-713-798-6685; Fax: +1-713-798-4146 Abstract: Studies in humans and model systems have established an important role of short telomeres in predisposing to liver fibrosis through pathways that are incompletely understood. Recent studies have shown that telomere dysfunction impairs cellular metabolism, but whether and how these metabolic alterations contribute to liver fibrosis is not well understood. Here, we investigated whether short telomeres change the hepatic response to metabolic stress induced by fructose, a sugar that is highly implicated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We find that telomere shortening in telomerase knockout mice (TKO) imparts a pronounced susceptibility to fructose as reflected in the activation of p53, increased apoptosis, and senescence, despite lower hepatic fat accumulation in TKO mice compared to wild type mice with long telomeres. The decreased fat accumulation in TKO Citation: Chronowski, C.; Akhanov, is mediated by p53 and deletion of p53 normalizes hepatic fat content but also causes polyploidy, V.; Chan, D.; Catic, A.; Finegold, M.; Sahin, E.
    [Show full text]
  • The Conserved Structure of Plant Telomerase RNA Provides the Missing Link for an Evolutionary Pathway from Ciliates to Humans
    The conserved structure of plant telomerase RNA provides the missing link for an evolutionary pathway from ciliates to humans Jiarui Songa, Dhenugen Logeswaranb,1, Claudia Castillo-Gonzáleza,1, Yang Lib, Sreyashree Bosea, Behailu Birhanu Aklilua, Zeyang Mac,d, Alexander Polkhovskiya,e, Julian J.-L. Chenb,2, and Dorothy E. Shippena,2 aDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843; bSchool of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287; cNational Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, 100193 Beijing, China; dCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, 100193 Beijing, China; and eCenter of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205 Moscow, Russian Federation Edited by Thomas R. Cech, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, and approved October 24, 2019 (received for review September 4, 2019) Telomerase is essential for maintaining telomere integrity. Although transcribed by RNA polymerase III (Pol III) (6, 7). The La-related telomerase function is widely conserved, the integral telomerase protein P65 in Tetrahymena recognizes the 3′ poly-U tail of TR RNA (TR) that provides a template for telomeric DNA synthesis has and bends the RNA to facilitate telomerase RNP assembly (8, 9). diverged dramatically. Nevertheless, TR molecules retain 2 highly In contrast, fungi maintain much larger TR molecules (900 to conserved structural domains critical for catalysis: a template- 2,400 nt) that are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) (3). proximal pseudoknot (PK) structure and a downstream stem-loop The 3′ end maturation of fungal TRs requires components of the structure. Here we introduce the authentic TR from the plant canonical snRNA biogenesis pathway and results in RNP assembly Arabidopsis thaliana, called AtTR, identified through next-generation sequencing of RNAs copurifying with Arabidopsis TERT.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biochemical Activities of the Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Pif1 Helicase Are Regulated by Its N-Terminal Domain
    G C A T T A C G G C A T genes Article The Biochemical Activities of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pif1 Helicase Are Regulated by Its N-Terminal Domain David G. Nickens y, Christopher W. Sausen y and Matthew L. Bochman * Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; [email protected] (D.G.N.); [email protected] (C.W.S.) * Correspondence: [email protected] These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 31 March 2019; Accepted: 20 May 2019; Published: 28 May 2019 Abstract: Pif1 family helicases represent a highly conserved class of enzymes involved in multiple aspects of genome maintenance. Many Pif1 helicases are multi-domain proteins, but the functions of their non-helicase domains are poorly understood. Here, we characterized how the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pif1 helicase affects its functions both in vivo and in vitro. Removal of the Pif1 NTD alleviated the toxicity associated with Pif1 overexpression in yeast. Biochemically, the N-terminally truncated Pif1 (Pif1DN) retained in vitro DNA binding, DNA unwinding, and telomerase regulation activities, but these activities differed markedly from those displayed by full-length recombinant Pif1. However, Pif1DN was still able to synergize with the Hrq1 helicase to inhibit telomerase activity in vitro, similar to full-length Pif1. These data impact our understanding of Pif1 helicase evolution and the roles of these enzymes in the maintenance of genome integrity. Keywords: DNA helicase; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Pif1; telomerase; telomere 1. Introduction DNA helicases are enzymes that couple DNA binding and ATP hydrolysis to unwind double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) into its component single strands [1].
    [Show full text]
  • Human Glucokinase Gene
    Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 89, pp. 7698-7702, August 1992 Genetics Human glucokinase gene: Isolation, characterization, and identification of two missense mutations linked to early-onset non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus (glucose/metabolism/phosphorylation/structure4unctlon/chromosome 7) M. STOFFEL*, PH. FROGUELt, J. TAKEDA*, H. ZOUALItt, N. VIONNET*, S. NISHI*§, I. T. WEBER¶, R. W. HARRISON¶, S. J. PILKISII, S. LESAGEtt, M. VAXILLAIREtt, G. VELHOtt, F. SUNtt, F. lIRSt, PH. PASSAt, D. COHENt, AND G. I. BELL*"** *Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and of Medicine, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC1028, Chicago, IL 60637; §Second Division of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-32, Japan; IDepartment of Pharmacology, Jefferson Cancer Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107; IlDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794; tCentre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain, 27 rue Juliette Dodu, and Service d'Endocrinologie, H6pital Saint-Louis, 75010 Paris, France; and tG6ndthon, 1 rue de l'Internationale, 91000 Evry, France Communicated by Jean Dausset, May 28, 1992 ABSTRACT DNA polymorphisms in the glucokinase gene by maintaining a gradient for glucose transport into these cells have recently been shown to be tightly linked to early-onset thereby regulating hepatic glucose disposal. In (3 cells, glu- non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in "80% of French cokinase is believed to be part of the glucose-sensing mech- families with this form of diabetes. We previously identified a anism and to be involved in the regulation ofinsulin secretion.
    [Show full text]
  • DNA Bound by the Oxytricha Telomere Protein Is Accessible to Telomerase and Other DNA Polymerases DOROTHY E
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 91, pp. 405-409, January 1994 Biochemistry DNA bound by the Oxytricha telomere protein is accessible to telomerase and other DNA polymerases DOROTHY E. SHIPPEN*, ELIZABETH H. BLACKBURNt, AND CAROLYN M. PRICE0§ tDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143; and tDepartment of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NB 68588 Contributed by Elizabeth H. Blackburn, August 25, 1993 ABSTRACT Macronuclear telomeres in Oxytricha exist as oftelomere protein in these two populations is not altered by DNA-protein complexes in which the termini of the G-rich additional nuclease treatment. strands are bound by a 97-kDa telomere protein. During The fragment of DNA bound by the majority of telomere telome'ic DNA replication, the replication machinery must protein molecules corresponds to the most terminal 13 or 14 have access to the G-rich strand. However, given the stability nucleotides of the T4G4T4G4 overhang (4). Dimethyl sulfate of telomere protein binding, it has been unclear how this is footprinting demonstrated that the complex formed between accomplished. In this study we investigated the ability of the telomere protein and the residual DNA fragment retains several different DNA polymerases to access telomeric DNA in the same DNA-protein contacts present at native telomeres Oxytricha telomere protein-DNA complexes. Although DNA (4). Thus, these telomeric DNA-protein complexes are useful bound by the telomere protein is not degraded by micrococcal substrates for in vitro investigations of telomere structure nuclease or labeled by terminal deoxynucleotidyltrnsferase, (10). In this study we have employed the DNA-protein this DNA serves as an efficient primer for the addition of complexes to analyze the interaction of protein-bound telo- telomeric repeats by telomerase, a specialized RNA-dependent meric DNA with components of the DNA replication ma- DNA polymerase (ribonucleoprotein reverse tanscriptase), chinery.
    [Show full text]
  • Getting Ready for DNA Duplication
    INSIGHT INTRACELLULAR ORGANIZATION Getting ready for DNA duplication The discovery of a biomolecular condensate involved in DNA replication has wide-ranging implications. NINA Y YAO AND MICHAEL E O’DONNELL involves regions with different physical proper- Related research article Parker MW, Bell ties separating from each other). The molecules M, Mir M, Kao JA, Darzacq X, Botchan MR, required for the formation of condensates are Berger JM. 2019. A new class of disordered called scaffolding factors, while the molecules elements controls DNA replication through encapsulated inside are known as clients. A initiator self-assembly. eLife 8:e48562. DOI: given condensate typically contains only those 10.7554/eLife.48562 clients involved in the relevant reaction. Now, in eLife, Michael Botchan (UC Berkeley), James Berger (Johns Hopkins) and colleagues – including Matthew Parker as first author – report on the discovery of a biomolecular condensate esearch into biomolecular condensates – required for the initiation of DNA replication in self-contained regions within cells where the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster R specific reactions take place – is taking (Parker et al., 2019). Three proteins – ORC, cell biology by storm. Biomolecular condensates Cdc6 and Cdt1 – form the scaffold along with do not have membranes, but they are able to DNA, while a hexamer ring protein called keep the proteins and/or nucleic acids involved Mcm2-7 is the client. During the G1 phase of the in a particular reaction separate from the rest of cell cycle, the scaffold proteins load two Mcm2- the cell. Biomolecular condensates do not have 7 hexamers onto the DNA to form the pre-repli- membranes, but they are able to keep the mole- cative complex, which marks the spot where cules involved in a particular reaction (usually DNA replication will begin (Figure 1A–C; proteins, but sometimes also nucleic acids) sepa- Bell and Labib, 2016; Bleichert et al., 2017).
    [Show full text]