SAMHD1 is a biomarker for cytarabine response and a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia.

The nucleoside analog cytarabine (Ara-C) is an essential component of primary and salvage chemotherapy regimens for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After cellular uptake, Ara-C is converted into its therapeutically active triphosphate metabolite, Ara-CTP, which exerts antileukemic effects, primarily by inhibiting DNA synthesis in proliferating cells. Currently, a substantial fraction of patients with AML fail to respond effectively to Ara-C therapy, and reliable biomarkers for predicting the therapeutic response to Ara-C are lacking. SAMHD1 is a deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) triphosphohydrolase that cleaves physiological dNTPs into deoxyribonucleosides and inorganic triphosphate. Although it has been postulated that SAMHD1 sensitizes cancer cells to nucleoside-analog derivatives through the depletion of competing dNTPs, we show here that SAMHD1 reduces Ara-C cytotoxicity in AML cells. Mechanistically, dGTP-activated SAMHD1 hydrolyzes Ara-CTP, which results in a drastic reduction of Ara-CTP in leukemic cells. Loss of SAMHD1 activity-through genetic depletion, mutational inactivation of its triphosphohydrolase activity or proteasomal degradation using specialized, virus-like particles-potentiates the cytotoxicity of Ara-C in AML cells. In mouse models of retroviral AML transplantation, as well as in retrospective analyses of adult patients with AML, the response to Ara-C-containing therapy was inversely correlated with SAMHD1 expression. These results identify SAMHD1 as a potential biomarker for the stratification of patients with AML who might best respond to Ara-C-based therapy and as a target for treating Ara-C-refractory AML

Conserved determinants of lentiviral genome dimerization

Abstract Background Retroviruses selectively package two copies of their unspliced genomes by what appears to be a dimerization-dependent RNA packaging mechanism. Dimerization of human immunodeficiency virus Type-1 (HIV-1) genomes is initiated by “kissing” interactions between GC-rich palindromic loop residues of a conserved hairpin (DIS), and is indirectly promoted by long-range base pairing between residues overlapping the gag start codon (AUG) and an upstream Unique 5′ element (U5). The DIS and U5:AUG structures are phylogenetically conserved among divergent retroviruses, suggesting conserved functions. However, some studies suggest that the DIS of HIV-2 does not participate in dimerization, and that U5:AUG pairing inhibits, rather than promotes, genome dimerization. We prepared RNAs corresponding to native and mutant forms of the 5′ leaders of HIV-1 (NL4-3 strain), HIV-2 (ROD strain), and two divergent strains of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV; cpz-TAN1 and -US strains), and probed for potential roles of the DIS and U5:AUG base pairing on intrinsic and NC-dependent dimerization by mutagenesis, gel electrophoresis, and NMR spectroscopy. Results Dimeric forms of the native HIV-2 and SIV leaders were only detectable using running buffers that contained Mg2+, indicating that these dimers are more labile than that of the HIV-1 leader. Mutations designed to promote U5:AUG base pairing promoted dimerization of the HIV-2 and SIV RNAs, whereas mutations that prevented U5:AUG pairing inhibited dimerization. Chimeric HIV-2 and SIV leader RNAs containing the dimer-promoting loop of HIV-1 (DIS) exhibited HIV-1 leader-like dimerization properties, whereas an HIV-1NL4-3 mutant containing the SIVcpzTAN1 DIS loop behaved like the SIVcpzTAN1 leader. The cognate NC proteins exhibited varying abilities to promote dimerization of the retroviral leader RNAs, but none were able to convert labile dimers to non-labile dimers. Conclusions The finding that U5:AUG formation promotes dimerization of the full-length HIV-1, HIV-2, SIVcpzUS, and SIVcpzTAN1 5′ leaders suggests that these retroviruses utilize a common RNA structural switch mechanism to modulate function. Differences in native and NC-dependent dimerization propensity and lability are due to variations in the compositions of the DIS loop residues rather than other sequences within the leader RNAs. Although NC is a well-known RNA chaperone, its role in dimerization has the hallmarks of a classical riboswitch.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113284/1/12977_2015_Article_209.pd

The evolutionarily conserved family of cyanovirin-N homologs: structures and carbohydrate specificity

Solution structures for three members of the recently discovered cyanovirin-N (CV-N) homolog family of lectins have been determined. Cyanovirin-N homologs (CVNHs) from Tuber borchii, Ceratopteris richardii, and Neurospora crassa, representing each of the three phylogenetic groups, were selected. All proteins exhibit the same fold, and the overall structures resemble that of the founding member of the family, CV-N, albeit with noteworthy differences in loop conformation and detailed local structure. Since no data are available regarding the proteins' function or their natural ligands, extensive carbohydrate-binding studies were conducted. We delineated ligand-binding sites on all three proteins by nuclear magnetic resonance and identified which sugars interact by array screening. The number and location of binding sites vary for the three proteins, and different ligand specificities exist. Potential physiological roles for two family members, TbCVNH and NcCVNH, were probed in nutrition deprivation experiments that suggest a possible involvement of these proteins in lifestyle-related responses

Structure-function analysis of a CVNH-LysM lectin expressed during plant infection by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

SummaryThe rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae's genome encodes a hypothetical protein (MGG_03307) containing a type III CVNH lectin, in which a LysM domain is inserted between individual repeats of a single CVNH domain. At present, no structural or ligand binding data are available for any type III CVNH and functional studies in natural source organisms are scarce. Here, we report NMR solution structure and functional data on MGG_03307. The structure of the CVNH/LysM module revealed that intact and functionally competent CVNH and LysM domains are present. Using NMR titrations, carbohydrate specificities for both domains were determined, and it was found that each domain behaves as an isolated unit without any interdomain communication. Furthermore, live-cell imaging revealed a predominant localization of MGG_03307 within the appressorium, the specialized fungal cell for gaining entry into rice tissue. Our results suggest that MGG_03307 plays a role in the early stages of plant infection