Effects of oxidation agents and metal ions on binding of p53 to supercoiled DNA

Wild type human full length (f.l.) tumor suppressor p53 protein binds preferentially to supercoiled (sc) DNA in vitro both in the presence and absence of the p53 consensus sequence (p53CON). This binding produces a ladder of retarded bands on the agarose gel. Bands revealed by immunoblotting with antibody DO-1 corresponded to the ethidium stained retarded bands. The intensity and the number of bands of p53-scDNA complex were decreased by physiological concentrations of unchelated zinc ions. Nickel and cobalt ions inhibited binding of p53 to scDNA and to p53CON in linear DNA fragments less efficiently than zinc. Compared to the intrinsic zinc strongly bound to Cys 176, Cys 238, Cys 242 and His 179 in the p53 core domain, binding of additional Zn2+ to p53 was much weaker as shown by an easy removal of the latter ions by low concentrations of EDTA. Oxidation of the protein with diamide resulted in a decrease of the number of the retarded bands. Under the same conditions, no binding of oxidized p53 to p53CON in a linear DNA fragment was observed. In agreement with the literature oxidation of f.l. p53 with diamide was irreversible and was not reverted by an excess of DTT. We showed that in the presence of 0.1 mM zinc ions, oxidation of p53 became reversible. Other divalent cations tested (cadmium, cobalt, nickel) exhibited no such effect. We suggested that the irreversibility of p53 oxidation was due, at least in part, to the removal of intrinsic zinc from its position in the DNA binding domain (after oxidation of the three cysteines to which the zinc ion is coordinated in the reduced protein) accompanied by a change in the p53 conformation. Binding of C-terminal anti-p53 antibody also protected bacterially expressed protein against irreversible loss of activity due to diamide oxidation. Binding the human p53 core domain (segment 94-312) to scDNA greatly differed from that observed with the full-length p53. The core domain did not posses the ability to bind strongly to many sites in scDNA regardless of the presence or absence of p53CON suggesting involvement of some other domain (probably C-terminal) in binding of the full-length p53 to scDNA. Supershift experiments using antibodies against p53 N- or C-terminus suggested that in oxidized p53, scDNA binding through the C-terminus gained importance

Comparative Genome Analysis Reveals Divergent Genome Size Evolution in a Carnivorous Plant Genus

The C-value paradox remains incompletely resolved after >40 yr and is exemplified by 2,350-fold variation in genome sizes of flowering plants. The carnivorous Lentibulariaceae genus , displaying a 25-fold range of genome sizes, is a promising subject to study mechanisms and consequences of evolutionary genome size variation. Applying genomic, phylogenetic, and cytogenetic approaches, we uncovered bidirectional genome size evolution within the genus . The Steyerm. genome (86 Mbp) has probably shrunk by retroelement silencing and deletion-biased double-strand break (DSB) repair, from an ancestral size of 400 to 800 Mbp to become one of the smallest among flowering plants. The Stapf genome has expanded by whole-genome duplication (WGD) and retrotransposition to 1550 Mbp. became allotetraploid after the split from the clade ∼29 Ma. A. St.-Hil. (179 Mbp), a close relative of , proved to be a recent (auto)tetraploid. Our analyses suggest a common ancestor of the genus a with an intermediate 1C value (400–800 Mbp) and subsequent rapid genome size evolution in opposite directions. Many abundant repeats of the larger genome are absent in the smaller, casting doubt on their functionality for the organism, while recurrent WGD seems to safeguard against the loss of essential elements in the face of genome shrinkage. We cannot identify any consistent differences in habitat or life strategy that correlate with genome size changes, raising the possibility that these changes may be selectively neutral

The Progeny of Arabidopsis thaliana Plants Exposed to Salt Exhibit Changes in DNA Methylation, Histone Modifications and Gene Expression

Plants are able to acclimate to new growth conditions on a relatively short time-scale. Recently, we showed that the progeny of plants exposed to various abiotic stresses exhibited changes in genome stability, methylation patterns and stress tolerance. Here, we performed a more detailed analysis of methylation patterns in the progeny of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) plants exposed to 25 and 75 mM sodium chloride. We found that the majority of gene promoters exhibiting changes in methylation were hypermethylated, and this group was overrepresented by regulators of the chromatin structure. The analysis of DNA methylation at gene bodies showed that hypermethylation in the progeny of stressed plants was primarily due to changes in the 5′ and 3′ ends as well as in exons rather than introns. All but one hypermethylated gene tested had lower gene expression. The analysis of histone modifications in the promoters and coding sequences showed that hypermethylation and lower gene expression correlated with the enrichment of H3K9me2 and depletion of H3K9ac histones. Thus, our work demonstrated a high degree of correlation between changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and gene expression in the progeny of salt-stressed plants

Transgenerational Stress Memory Is Not a General Response in Arabidopsis

Adverse conditions can trigger DNA damage as well as DNA repair responses in plants. A variety of stress factors are known to stimulate homologous recombination, the most accurate repair pathway, by increasing the concentration of necessary enzymatic components and the frequency of events. This effect has been reported to last into subsequent generations not exposed to the stress. To establish a basis for a genetic analysis of this transgenerational stress memory, a broad range of treatments was tested for quantitative effects on homologous recombination in the progeny. Several Arabidopsis lines, transgenic for well-established recombination traps, were exposed to 10 different physical and chemical stress treatments, and scored for the number of somatic homologous recombination (SHR) events in the treated generation as well as in the two subsequent generations that were not treated. These numbers were related to the expression level of genes involved in homologous recombination and repair. SHR was enhanced after the majority of treatments, confirming previous data and adding new effective stress types, especially interference with chromatin. Compounds that directly modify DNA stimulated SHR to values exceeding previously described induction rates, concomitant with an induction of genes involved in SHR. In spite of the significant stimulation in the stressed generations, the two subsequent non-treated generations only showed a low and stochastic increase in SHR that did not correlate with the degree of stimulation in the parental plants. Transcripts coding for SHR enzymes generally returned to pre-treatment levels in the progeny. Thus, transgenerational effects on SHR frequency are not a general response to abiotic stress in Arabidopsis and may require special conditions

Interplay of ribosomal DNA Loci in nucleolar dominance: dominant NORs are up-regulated by chromatin dynamics in the wheat-rye system

Background: Chromatin organizational and topological plasticity, and its functions in gene expression regulation, have been strongly revealed by the analysis of nucleolar dominance in hybrids and polyploids where one parental set of ribosomal RNA (rDNA) genes that are clustered in nucleolar organizing regions (NORs), is rendered silent by epigenetic pathways and heterochromatization. However, information on the behaviour of dominant NORs is very sparse and needed for an integrative knowledge of differential gene transcription levels and chromatin specific domain interactions. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using molecular and cytological approaches in a wheat-rye addition line (wheat genome plus the rye nucleolar chromosome pair 1R), we investigated transcriptional activity and chromatin topology of the wheat dominant NORs in a nucleolar dominance situation. Herein we report dominant NORs up-regulation in the addition line through quantitative real-time PCR and silver-staining technique. Accompanying this modification in wheat rDNA trascription level, we also disclose that perinucleolar knobs of ribosomal chromatin are almost transcriptionally silent due to the residual detection of BrUTP incorporation in these domains, contrary to the marked labelling of intranucleolar condensed rDNA. Further, by comparative confocal analysis of nuclei probed to wheat and rye NORs, we found that in the wheat-rye addition line there is a significant decrease in the number of wheat-origin perinucleolar rDNA knobs, corresponding to a diminution of the rDNA heterochromatic fraction of the dominant (wheat) NORs. Conclusions/Significance: We demonstrate that inter-specific interactions leading to wheat-origin NOR dominance results not only on the silencing of rye origin NOR loci, but dominant NORs are alsomodified in their transcriptional activity and interphase organization. The results show a cross-talk between wheat and rye NORs, mediated by ribosomal chromatin dynamics, revealing a conceptual shift from differential amphiplasty to ‘mutual amphiplasty’ in the nucleolar dominance process.This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (projects POCI/BIA-BDE/57575/2004 to M.S. and POCI/BIA-BCM/59389/2004 to N.N.

Differing Requirements for RAD51 and DMC1 in Meiotic Pairing of Centromeres and Chromosome Arms in Arabidopsis thaliana

During meiosis homologous chromosomes pair, recombine, and synapse, thus ensuring accurate chromosome segregation and the halving of ploidy necessary for gametogenesis. The processes permitting a chromosome to pair only with its homologue are not fully understood, but successful pairing of homologous chromosomes is tightly linked to recombination. In Arabidopsis thaliana, meiotic prophase of rad51, xrcc3, and rad51C mutants appears normal up to the zygotene/pachytene stage, after which the genome fragments, leading to sterility. To better understand the relationship between recombination and chromosome pairing, we have analysed meiotic chromosome pairing in these and in dmc1 mutant lines. Our data show a differing requirement for these proteins in pairing of centromeric regions and chromosome arms. No homologous pairing of mid-arm or distal regions was observed in rad51, xrcc3, and rad51C mutants. However, homologous centromeres do pair in these mutants and we show that this does depend upon recombination, principally on DMC1. This centromere pairing extends well beyond the heterochromatic centromere region and, surprisingly, does not require XRCC3 and RAD51C. In addition to clarifying and bringing the roles of centromeres in meiotic synapsis to the fore, this analysis thus separates the roles in meiotic synapsis of DMC1 and RAD51 and the meiotic RAD51 paralogs, XRCC3 and RAD51C, with respect to different chromosome domains