PARG: A Macrodomain in Disguise

Our understanding of poly-ADP-ribosylation as a posttranslational modification was limited by the lack of structural information on poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) hydrolysing enzymes. A recent study in Nature (Slade et al., 2011) reports the structure of PAR glycohydrolase (PARG), revealing unexpected similarity to the ubiquitous ADP-ribose-binding macrodomains

Local IGF-1 isoform protects cardiomyocytes from hypertrophic and oxidative stresses via SirT1 activity

Oxidative and hypertrophic stresses contribute to the pathogenesis of heart failure. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a peptide hormone with a complex post-transcriptional regulation, generating distinct isoforms. Locally acting IGF-1 isoform (mIGF-1) helps the heart to recover from toxic injury and from infarct. In the murine heart, moderate overexpression of the NAD+-dependent deacetylase SirT1 was reported to mitigate oxidative stress. SirT1 is known to promote lifespan extension and to protect from metabolic challenges. Circulating IGF-1 and SirT1 play antagonizing biological roles and share molecular targets in the heart, in turn affecting cardiomyocyte physiology. However, how different IGF-1 isoforms may impact SirT1 and affect cardiomyocyte function is unknown. Here we show that locally acting mIGF-1 increases SirT1 expression/activity, whereas circulating IGF-1 isoform does not affect it, in cultured HL-1 and neonatal cardiomyocytes. mIGF-1-induced SirT1 activity exerts protection against angiotensin II (Ang II)-triggered hypertrophy and against paraquat (PQ) and Ang II-induced oxidative stress. Conversely, circulating IGF-1 triggered itself oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Interestingly, potent cardio-protective genes (adiponectin, UCP-1 and MT-2) were increased specifically in mIGF-1-overexpressing cardiomyocytes, in a SirT1-dependent fashion. Thus, mIGF-1 protects cardiomyocytes from oxidative and hypertrophic stresses via SirT1 activity, and may represent a promising cardiac therapeutic

Structures of Drosophila Cryptochrome and Mouse Cryptochrome1 Provide Insight into Circadian Function

SummaryDrosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) is a FAD-dependent circadian photoreceptor, whereas mammalian cryptochromes (CRY1/2) are integral clock components that repress mCLOCK/mBMAL1-dependent transcription. We report crystal structures of full-length dCRY, a dCRY loop deletion construct, and the photolyase homology region of mouse CRY1 (mCRY1). Our dCRY structures depict Phe534 of the regulatory tail in the same location as the photolesion in DNA-repairing photolyases and reveal that the sulfur loop and tail residue Cys523 plays key roles in the dCRY photoreaction. Our mCRY1 structure visualizes previously characterized mutations, an NLS, and MAPK and AMPK phosphorylation sites. We show that the FAD and antenna chromophore-binding regions, a predicted coiled-coil helix, the C-terminal lid, and charged surfaces are involved in FAD-independent mPER2 and FBXL3 binding and mCLOCK/mBMAL1 transcriptional repression. The structure of a mammalian cryptochrome1 protein may catalyze the development of CRY chemical probes and the design of therapeutic metabolic modulators

sNASP and ASF1A function through both competitive and compatible modes of histone binding

Histone chaperones are proteins that interact with histones to regulate the thermodynamic process of nucleosome assembly. sNASP and ASF1 are conserved histone chaperones that interact with histones H3 and H4 and are found in a multi-chaperoning complex in vivo. Previously we identified a short peptide motif within H3 that binds to the TPR domain of sNASP with nanomolar affinity. Interestingly, this peptide motif is sequestered within the known ASF1–H3–H4 interface, raising the question of how these two proteins are found in complex together with histones when they share the same binding site. Here, we show that sNASP contains at least two additional histone interaction sites that, unlike the TPR–H3 peptide interaction, are compatible with ASF1A binding. These surfaces allow ASF1A to form a quaternary complex with both sNASP and H3–H4. Furthermore, we demonstrate that sNASP makes a specific complex with H3 on its own in vitro, but not with H4, suggesting that it could work upstream of ASF1A. Further, we show that sNASP and ASF1A are capable of folding an H3–H4 dimer in vitro under native conditions. These findings reveal a network of binding events that may promote the entry of histones H3 and H4 into the nucleosome assembly pathway

Nucleolar release of rDNA repeats for repair involves SUMO-mediated untethering by the Cdc48/p97 segregase

Ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) are highly unstable and susceptible to rearrangement due to their repetitive nature and active transcriptional status. Sequestration of rDNA in the nucleolus suppresses uncontrolled recombination. However, broken repeats must be first released to the nucleoplasm to allow repair by homologous recombination. Nucleolar release of broken rDNA repeats is conserved from yeast to humans, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are currently unknown. Here we show that DNA damage induces phosphorylation of the CLIP-cohibin complex, releasing membrane-tethered rDNA from the nucleolus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Downstream of phosphorylation, SUMOylation of CLIP-cohibin is recognized by Ufd1 via its SUMO-interacting motif, which targets the complex for disassembly through the Cdc48/p97 chaperone. Consistent with a conserved mechanism, UFD1L depletion in human cells impairs rDNA release. The dynamic and regulated assembly and disassembly of the rDNA-tethering complex is therefore a key determinant of nucleolar rDNA release and genome integrity

Co-localization of CENP-C and CENP-H to discontinuous domains of CENP-A chromatin at human neocentromeres

The distribution of centromeric chromatin-associated proteins across human neocentromeric DNA shows that this chromatin consists of several CENP-A-containing sub-domains

Repression of RNA Polymerase II Transcription by a Drosophila Oligopeptide

Background: Germline progenitors resist signals that promote differentiation into somatic cells. This occurs through the transient repression in primordial germ cells of RNA polymerase II, specifically by disrupting Ser2 phosphorylation on its C-terminal domain. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we show that contrary to expectation the Drosophila polar granule component (pgc) gene functions as a protein rather than a non-coding RNA. Surprisingly, pgc encodes a 71-residue, dimeric, alphahelical oligopeptide repressor. In vivo data show that Pgc ablates Ser2 phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain and completely suppresses early zygotic transcription in the soma. Conclusions/Significance: We thus identify pgc as a novel oligopeptide that readily inhibits gene expression. Germ cell repression of transcription in Drosophila is thus catalyzed by a small inhibitor protein

MacroH2A1.1 regulates mitochondrial respiration by limiting nuclear NAD+ consumption

Histone variants are structural components of eukaryotic chromatin that can replace replication-coupled histones in the nucleosome. The histone variant macroH2A.1.1 contains a macrodomain able to bind NAD+ derived metabolites. Here, we report that macroH2A.1.1 is rapidly induced during myogenic differentiation through a switch in alternative splicing. Importantly, myotubes lacking macroH2A.1.1 display a defect in mitochondrial respiratory capacity. We find that the metabolite-interacting macrodomain is essential for sustaining optimal mitochondrial function, but dispensable for gene regulation. Through direct binding, macroH2A.1.1 inhibits basal poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 activity and thus reduces nuclear NAD+ consumption. Consequentially, accumulation of the NAD+ precursor NMN allows the maintenance of mitochondrial NAD+ pools critical for respiration. Our data indicate that macroH2A.1.1-containing chromatin regulates mitochondrial respiration by limiting nuclear NAD+ consumption and establishing a buffer of NAD+ precursors in differentiated cells