Rad51 Polymerization Reveals a New Chromatin Remodeling Mechanism

Rad51 protein is a well known protagonist of homologous recombination in eukaryotic cells. Rad51 polymerization on single-stranded DNA and its role in presynaptic filament formation have been extensively documented. Rad51 polymerizes also on double-stranded DNA but the significance of this filament formation remains unclear. We explored the behavior of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 on dsDNA and the influence of nucleosomes on Rad51 polymerization mechanism to investigate its putative role in chromatin accessibility to recombination machinery. We combined biochemical approaches, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for analysis of the effects of the Rad51 filament on chromatinized templates. Quantitative analyses clearly demonstrated the occurrence of chromatin remodeling during nucleoprotein filament formation. During Rad51 polymerization, recombinase proteins moved all the nucleosomal arrays in front of the progressing filament. This polymerization process had a powerful remodeling effect, as Rad51 destabilized the nucleosomes along considerable stretches of DNA. Similar behavior was observed with RecA. Thus, recombinase polymerization is a powerful mechanism of chromatin remodeling. These remarkable features open up new possibilities for understanding DNA recombination and reveal new types of ATP-dependent chromatin dynamics

Artisans Angkor: Reclaiming Cambodian silk crafts under French patronage (1992–2017)

Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords that granted a return to a relative political stability in Cambodia, the non-profit organization Les Chantiers Ecoles was launched with the support of the European Union to revive local traditional crafts and sericulture that had nearly vanished under the Khmer Rouge regime. This vocational institute was the result of a cooperation between the French and the Cambodian government. It provided training to disadvantaged young villagers of Siem Reap’s area in polychromic woodwork, stone carving, metal, lacquerware, and silk weaving. Eventually, the project turned into a social enterprise under the French name Artisans Angkor. Drawing its inspiration from the surrounding archaeological splendors of Angkor Wat, the company emphasizes its authentic making processes. Artisans Angkor welcomes tourists in its silk farm near Siem Reap, using this production site as a showcase for sericulture from silkworms breeding to weaving, promoting the revival of indigenous golden silk while selling a wide range of souvenirs goods. Relying on the performative value of silk craft practices, Artisans Angkor has developed an engaging storytelling, an educational and marketing tool which elevates crafts as tokens of Cambodian cultural identity. Praised by the Cambodians who consider the brand as a national success, the enterprise has however kept a French leadership. Tracing the company’s history, this paper examines to which extent Artisan Angkor follows the definition of a Transnational Artisan Partnership developed by anthropologist Susan Falls and how it pertains to a form of soft power for the French. Through the analysis of its aesthetic and discourses, this case study highlights the project’s hybrid nature and demonstrates how it relates to the colonial model of the School of Cambodian Arts implemented in 1920 under the French Protectorate to promote Cambodian crafts

Cdk1 Targets Srs2 to Complete Synthesis-Dependent Strand Annealing and to Promote Recombinational Repair

Cdk1 kinase phosphorylates budding yeast Srs2, a member of UvrD protein family, displays both DNA translocation and DNA unwinding activities in vitro. Srs2 prevents homologous recombination by dismantling Rad51 filaments and is also required for double-strand break (DSB) repair. Here we examine the biological significance of Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation of Srs2, using mutants that constitutively express the phosphorylated or unphosphorylated protein isoforms. We found that Cdk1 targets Srs2 to repair DSB and, in particular, to complete synthesis-dependent strand annealing, likely controlling the disassembly of a D-loop intermediate. Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation controls turnover of Srs2 at the invading strand; and, in absence of this modification, the turnover of Rad51 is not affected. Further analysis of the recombination phenotypes of the srs2 phospho-mutants showed that Srs2 phosphorylation is not required for the removal of toxic Rad51 nucleofilaments, although it is essential for cell survival, when DNA breaks are channeled into homologous recombinational repair. Cdk1-targeted Srs2 displays a PCNA–independent role and appears to have an attenuated ability to inhibit recombination. Finally, the recombination defects of unphosphorylatable Srs2 are primarily due to unscheduled accumulation of the Srs2 protein in a sumoylated form. Thus, the Srs2 anti-recombination function in removing toxic Rad51 filaments is genetically separable from its role in promoting recombinational repair, which depends exclusively on Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation. We suggest that Cdk1 kinase counteracts unscheduled sumoylation of Srs2 and targets Srs2 to dismantle specific DNA structures, such as the D-loops, in a helicase-dependent manner during homologous recombinational repair

The SUMO Isopeptidase Ulp2p Is Required to Prevent Recombination-Induced Chromosome Segregation Lethality following DNA Replication Stress

SUMO conjugation is a key regulator of the cellular response to DNA replication stress, acting in part to control recombination at stalled DNA replication forks. Here we examine recombination-related phenotypes in yeast mutants defective for the SUMO de-conjugating/chain-editing enzyme Ulp2p. We find that spontaneous recombination is elevated in ulp2 strains and that recombination DNA repair is essential for ulp2 survival. In contrast to other SUMO pathway mutants, however, the frequency of spontaneous chromosome rearrangements is markedly reduced in ulp2 strains, and some types of rearrangements arising through recombination can apparently not be tolerated. In investigating the basis for this, we find DNA repair foci do not disassemble in ulp2 cells during recovery from the replication fork-blocking drug methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), corresponding with an accumulation of X-shaped recombination intermediates. ulp2 cells satisfy the DNA damage checkpoint during MMS recovery and commit to chromosome segregation with similar kinetics to wild-type cells. However, sister chromatids fail to disjoin, resulting in abortive chromosome segregation and cell lethality. This chromosome segregation defect can be rescued by overproducing the anti-recombinase Srs2p, indicating that recombination plays an underlying causal role in blocking chromatid separation. Overall, our results are consistent with a role for Ulp2p in preventing the formation of DNA lesions that must be repaired through recombination. At the same time, Ulp2p is also required to either suppress or resolve recombination-induced attachments between sister chromatids. These opposing defects may synergize to greatly increase the toxicity of DNA replication stress

Symmetry and attractors: Arbitrary dimension.

Let Ω be the domain of ℝN (N ≥ 2) defined by

RNA Nanostructure Molecular Imaging

International audienceThis volume looks at the different spectroscopic and biophysical methods used by researchers to study the structure and folding of RNA, and to follow their interactions with proteins. The chapters in this book cover topics such as single-molecule spectroscopy of multiple RNA species; surface plasmon resonance, MS or microcalorimetry for investigating molecular interactions with RNA; FTIR, SAXS, SANS and SRCD spectroscopies to analyze RNA structure; use of fluorescent nucleotides to map RNA-binding sites on proteins surfaces or CryoEM; and much more. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls