DNA Research 9, 25–29 (2002) Short Communication

Binding of 5-bromouracil-containing S/MAR DNA to the Nuclear Matrix

Hideki Ogino, Michihiko Fujii, Wataru Satou, Toshikazu Suzuki, Eriko Michishita, and Dai Ayusawa∗

Kihara Institute for Biological Research and Graduate School of Integrated Science, Yokohama City University, Maioka-cho 641-12, Yokohama 244-0813, Japan

(Received 16 November 2001; revised 15 January 2002)

Abstract Substitution of thymine with 5-bromouracil in DNA is known to change interaction between DNA and proteins, thereby inducing various biological phenomena. We hypothesize that A/T-rich scaffold/nuclear matrix attachment region (S/MAR) sequences are involved in the effects of 5-bromodeoxyuridine. We examined an interaction between DNA containing an intronic S/MAR sequence of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and nuclear halos prepared from HeLa cells. Upon substitution with 5-bromouracil, the S/MAR DNA bound more tightly to the nuclear halos. The multi-functional nuclear matrix protein YY1 was also found to bind more strongly to 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA containing its recognition motif. These results are consistent with the above hypothesis. Key words: BrdU; 5-bromouracil; S/MAR sequence; nuclear matrix; IgH gene; YY1

We have shown that 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) we hypothesize that A/T-rich S/MAR sequences are in- clearly induces a senescence-like phenomenon in mam- volved in the biological phenomena induced by BrdU. malian cells regardless of cell type or species.1 In Substitution of thymine with 5-bromouracil is thought to this system, the senescence-associated genes and some alter chromatin structure by changing the interaction be- tissue-specific genes are immediately induced or sup- tween DNA and the nuclear matrix. In this regard, filter pressed by BrdU.1–6 We have obtained a few clues to binding assays carried out by Lin and Riggs have shown the molecular basis for the action of BrdU. In an ear- that some structural and regulatory proteins bind more lier study, AT-binding ligands such as distamycin A and tightly to DNA substituted with 5-bromouracil.15–17 AT-hook proteins such as HMG-I markedly potentiated As a first step to verify the above hypothesis, the effects of BrdU.7 Further, since distamycin A and we examined the interaction between S/MAR DNA AT-hook proteins are able to bind to specific A/T-rich se- and the nuclear matrix. The S/MAR DNA se- quences and displace histone H1 and other DNA-binding quence we used was a concatemer of oligonucleotide proteins, it is possible that BrdU targets such A/T-rich (5-TCTTTAATTTCTAATATATTTAGAA-3) contain- sequences. We thought that such A/T-rich sequences ing an intronic S/MAR sequence derived from the im- might be scaffold/nuclear matrix attachment region munoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene enhancer,18 be- (S/MAR) sequences because A/T-rich sequences are cause it is one of the best characterized S/MARs. As clustered in S/MAR sequences in mammalian cells.8–10 nuclear halos are often used for the nuclear matrix, In addition, S/MAR sequences have been shown to dra- we prepared the halos from HeLa cell nuclei by the matically affect their neighboring promoter activities, method described by C. Mielke et al.19 with slight and this effect is manifested when reporter constructs modification. The resulting halos were digested with are integrated into the host genome.11–13 For exam- restriction endonucleases to remove endogenous DNA ple, the S/MAR binding protein SATB1 modulates the to empty S/MAR binding sites. The S/MAR DNA expression of a set of tissue-specific genes.14 Further- was end-labeled with T4 polynucleotide kinase and [γ- more, we have found that S/MARs are linked to the 32P]ATP and mixed with the halos. After incubation in senescence-associated genes affected by BrdU (unpub- the dark at 37◦C overnight in the presence of an excess lished data). With these lines of circumstantial evidence, amount of carrier DNA, the mixture was centrifuged to Communicated by Toshio Watanabe yield pellet and supernatant fractions. DNA was puri- ∗ To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel. +81-45- fied from each fraction and electrophoresed on a poly- 820-1906, Fax. +81-45-820-1901, E-mail: dayusawa@yokohama- acrylamide gel. cu.ac.jp We examined the binding of the IgH S/MAR DNA to 26 Role of BrdU in DNA-protein Interaction [Vol. 9,

A Halo TTBBnone Probe T B T B Fraction P S P S P S P S P S P S IgH S/MAR

vector Lane 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

B Halo T Probe T B Fraction IPSPS I IgH S/MAR

vector

Lane 1 2 3 4 5 6

Figure 1. Binding of IgH S/MAR DNA to nuclear halos. IgH S/MAR DNA was prepared as described.18 An oligonucleotide containing the intronic S/MAR sequence was self-ligated to yield a heptamer and cloned into the EcoRV site of the plasmid pBluescriptSK(−). This plasmid was used as a template to prepare S/MAR DNA containing thymine (T) or 5-bromouracil (B) by PCR with T3 and T7 primers and dTTP or 5-BrdUTP as a substrate. A PCR product of pBluescriptSK(−) (vector DNA) was used as non-S/MAR DNA. Radiolabeled 357-bp probe DNA (IgH S/MAR) and 165-bp vector DNA (vector) with equivalent radioactivity (typically 3×104 cpm) were mixed, incubated with nuclear halos (7 × 106 cell equivalents) prepared from HeLa cells cultured in the absence (T) or presence (B) of 50 µM BrdU for 7 days, and centrifuged to yield pellet and supernatant fractions. DNA was purified from each sample and resolved in 100 µl TE buffer. A, DNA samples amounting to 1000 cpm were loaded on each well, and run on 5% polyacrylamide gel to prepare an autoradiogram. B, Samples of equal amounts of DNA were run on the gel as described above. I, input DNA; P, pellet fraction; S, supernatant fraction. nuclear halos under various conditions. Upon substitu- thymine with 5-bromouracil in IgH S/MAR DNA per se tion of thymine with 5-bromouracil, the proportion of is involved in the increase in its binding affinity to the the S/MAR DNA in the pellet fractions (P fractions) nuclear matrix. markedly increased (Fig. 1A, lanes 5 and 7 and Fig. 1B, Then, we examined an interaction between YY1 and lane 5). We also compared nuclear halos prepared from an oligonucleotide containing its A/T-rich recognition se- cells cultured with or without BrdU. The nuclear ha- quence by electromobility shift assay (EMSA). YY1 is a los of the BrdU-treated cells only slightly decreased the multi-functional zinc finger transcription factor located binding with the DNA probe, probably due to compe- in the nuclear matrix.20 Substitution of thymine in the tition with 5-bromouracil-substituted genomic DNA at- oligonucleotide with 5-bromouracil increased its binding tached to the nuclear halos rather than to an alteration affinity to YY1 in a protein extract by about 2.5-fold of the composition of the nuclear matrix (Fig. 1A lane (Fig. 2, lanes 1 vs. 5). We also confirmed that YY1 pref- l vs. 3 and lane 5 vs. 7). Control DNA (a vector se- erentially bound to the 5-bromouracil-containing probe quence) did not bind to the nuclear halos under any con- (Fig. 2, lane 9–16). The addition of BrdU to HeLa cells ditions. When mouse L929 cells were used as the source did not affect the above binding (not shown). In the of nuclear halos, similar results were obtained (data not EMSA competition experiments, we estimated the appar- shown). These results suggest that the substitution of ent equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) in terms of the No. 1] H. Ogino et al. 27

Probe YY1 NC T B T B T B Competitor YY1NCYY1 NC YY1 NC YY1 NC x10 x20 x10 x10 x20 x10 x10 x20 x10 x10 x20 x10 TBB T

YY1

Free

Lane 123 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718

Figure 2. Binding of YY1 to DNA containing its binding motif. Protein extracts were prepared from HeLa cells and EMSA were per- formed according to the method by T. C. Lee et al.29,30 Double-stranded oligonucleotide 5-GACGCCATTTTAAGTCCTAACGA-3 containing a YY1 binding motif31 was inserted into the EcoRV site of pBluescriptSK(−). This plasmid was used as a template to prepare probe DNA and competitor DNA containing thymine (T) or 5-bromouracil (B) by PCR with T3 and T7 primers and dTTP or 5-BrdUTP. Two nanograms (final concentration 1.09 nM) of the end-labeled probe DNA was mixed with 3 µg of the protein extract and the competitor DNA as indicated in a 15-µl reaction volume. NC lacks YY1 binding motif and was used as a negative control. Competitors containing thymine (T) or 5-bromouracil (B) were added in molar excess of 10-fold (×10) and 20-fold (×20). effective molar concentration of the binding sites (i.e., the gree of bending along the axis or stacking of A/T-bases. molar concentration of probe DNA). Under the same con- These altered forms might bind more strongly to the dition as shown in Fig. 2, the thymine-containing DNA S/MAR proteins. In fact, we have already demon- probe was competed with 0.5-, 1-, 2-, and 5-fold molar ex- strated that substitution of thymine with 5-bromouracil cess of competitors containing thymine or 5-bromouracil. in a rat S/MAR sequence reduced its degree of bending The YY1-specific shifted bands and free DNA bands (T. Suzuki et al., submitted). Furthermore, there are were quantified using a phosphoimager (BAS 2000II, some reports suggesting that BrdU alters the chromatin FUJI film). We estimated that YY1 bound to the probe structure. For example, BrdU decondenses A/T-rich DNA with Kd =2.58 ± 0.70 nM (mean value ± S.D.) and constitutive heterochromatin and Giemsa-dark bands in Kd =0.47 ± 0.04 nM, respectively, for competitor DNA mitotic chromosomes, especially in human chromosome containing thymine and 5-bromouracil. 1, 9, 15, 16 and Y.21,22 Thus, it seems plausible that We showed that IgH S/MAR DNA increased the DNA conformation and electrochemical properties, in binding capacity of the DNA to the nuclear matrix addition to DNA sequence, may be important determi- upon substitution with 5-bromouracil. Although the nants for the increased binding of S/MAR proteins to chemical nature of the stabilizing effect by BrdU is 5-bromouracil-containing DNA. Recently, we have also still unknown, the presence of a atom at the shown that only 5-halogenated analogues com- 5 position of uracil in double-stranded DNA some- monly induce the senescence-like phenomenon.23 Further how provides an altered environment favored by the work with the other halogenated analogues (chlorine and S/MAR-binding proteins like YY1. Such an alteration iodine derivatives) will give useful information regarding could occur in at least two general non-exclusive ways. the relative importance of the electro-negative environ- First, the increased affinity between S/MAR proteins ment and the change in DNA topology. and the 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA may occur be- The nuclear matrix is thought to execute many im- cause bromine is more electronegative than a methyl portant functions within the nucleus.24 It plays a critical residue, and this may stabilized electrostatic interac- role in higher-order organization of chromatin structure tions. Alternatively, bromine substitution might in- by tethering actively transcribed genes via S/MARs.25–28 duce a change in the topology of DNA, e.g., the de- Any alteration in the interaction between S/MARs and 28 Role of BrdU in DNA-protein Interaction [Vol. 9, the nuclear matrix will no doubt lead to altered expres- can be used to enhance the stable expression of genes un- sion of neighboring genes. The results presented in this der the control of various promoters, Biochemistry, 30, report support the above hypothesis that BrdU might 1264–1270. alter the binding of S/MARs to the nuclear matrix to 14. Alvarez, J. D., Yasui, D. H., Niida, H., Joh, T., Loh, D. induce or suppress a particular type of genes. Y., and Kohwi-Shigematsu, T. 2000, The MAR-binding Acknowledgements: This work was supported in protein SATB1 orchestrates temporal and spatial expres- sion of multiple genes during T-cell development, Genes part by a research fellowship (to H. Ogino) of the Japan Dev., 14, 521–535. 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