Molecular cloning and functional characterization of two murine cDNAs which encode Ubc variants involved in DNA repair and mutagenesis

Uev1A promotes breast cancer cell migration by up-regulating CT45A expression via the AKT pathway

Background

UEV1A encodes a ubiquitin-E2 variant closely associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis, but its underlying mechanism in promoting metastasis remains to be investigated.

Methods

In this study, we experimentally manipulated UEV1A and CT45A gene expression and monitored their effects on cancer-related gene expression, cell migration and the signal transduction cascade.

Results

It was found that UEV1A overexpression induces CT45A family gene expression in breast cancer cells. Indeed, ectopic expression of UEV1A was sufficient to induce CT45A and its downstream genes involved in tumorigenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), stemness and metastasis, and to promote cell migration and EMT signaling. Consistently, depletion of CT45A abolished the above effects, indicating that CT45A is a critical downstream effector of Uev1A. The Uev1A-induced cell migration and EMT signaling was dependent on AKT but independent of NF-κB, indicating that CT45A acts downstream of the AKT pathway.

Conclusions

Based on previous reports and observations in this study, we propose that the Ubc13-Uev1A complex activates AKT through K63-linked polyubiquitination, which leads to enhanced CT45A expression, stimulated cell migration and EMT signaling in breast cells. Since similar effects were also observed in a colorectal cancer cell line, the Ubc13/Uev1A-AKT-CT45A axis may also promote tumorigenesis and metastasis in other tissues.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08750-3.

Transcriptome analysis of pancreatic cancer cell response to treatment with grape seed proanthocyanidins

Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) have been demonstrated to exhibit potential chemotherapeutic efficacy against various cancer types. To determine the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in GSP-induced apoptosis, the present study prepared pancreatic cancer (PC) cells samples, S3, S12 and S24, which were treated with 20 µg/ml GSPs for 3, 12 and 24 h, respectively. Control cell samples, C3, C12 and C24, were also prepared. Using RNA-sequencing, transcriptome comparisons were performed, which identified 966, 3,543 and 4,944 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) in S3 vs. C3, S12 vs. C12 and S24 vs. C24, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis of the DEGs, revealed that treatment with GSPs is associated with disruption of the cell cycle (CC) in PC cells. Additionally, disruption of transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair were associated with GSP-treatment in PC cells. Network analysis demonstrated that the common DEGs involved in the CC, transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair were integrated, and served essential roles in the control of CC progression in cancer cells. In summary, GSPs may exhibit a potential chemotherapeutic effect on PC cell proliferation.

Nuclear GIT2 is an ATM substrate and promotes DNA repair

Insults to nuclear DNA induce multiple response pathways to mitigate the deleterious effects of damage and mediate effective DNA repair. G-protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 2 (GIT2) regulates receptor internalization, focal adhesion dynamics, cell migration, and responses to oxidative stress. Here we demonstrate that GIT2 coordinates the levels of proteins in the DNA damage response (DDR). Cellular sensitivity to irradiation-induced DNA damage was highly associated with GIT2 expression levels. GIT2 is phosphorylated by ATM kinase and forms complexes with multiple DDR-associated factors in response to DNA damage. The targeting of GIT2 to DNA double-strand breaks was rapid and, in part, dependent upon the presence of H2AX, ATM, and MRE11 but was independent of MDC1 and RNF8. GIT2 likely promotes DNA repair through multiple mechanisms, including stabilization of BRCA1 in repair complexes; upregulation of repair proteins, including HMGN1 and RFC1; and regulation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity. Furthermore, GIT2-knockout mice demonstrated a greater susceptibility to DNA damage than their wild-type littermates. These results suggest that GIT2 plays an important role in MRE11/ATM/H2AX-mediated DNA damage responses.

Zebrafish Mms2 promotes K63-linked polyubiquitination and is involved in p53-mediated DNA-damage response

The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13 together with a Ubc/E2 variant (Uev) form a stable complex and mediate K63-linked polyubiquitination, which is implicated in DNA damage tolerance in yeast and mammalian cells. The zebrafish Danio rerio is a lower vertebrate model organism widely used in the studies of vertebrate development and environmental stress responses. Here we report the identification and functional characterization of two zebrafish UEV genes, Drmms2 and Druev1. Their deduced amino acid sequences indicate that the two UEV genes evolved separately prior to the appearance of vertebrates. Both zebrafish Uevs form a stable complex with DrUbc13 as well as Ubc13s from yeast and human, and are able to promote Ubc13-mediated K63 polyubiquitination in vitro, suggesting that their biochemical activities are conserved. Despite the fact that both zebrafish UEV genes can functionally replace the yeast MMS2 DNA-damage tolerance function, they exhibited differences in DNA-damage response in zebrafish embryos: ablation of DrMms2, but not DrUev1, enhances both spontaneous and DNA-damage induced expression of p53 effectors p21 and mdm2. In addition, DrUbc13 specifically binds Drp53 in an in vitro assay. These observations collectively indicate that zebrafish Mms2 and Ubc13 form a stable complex, which is required for p53-mediated DNA-damage response.

Surfing the wave, cycle, life history, and genes/proteins expressed by testicular germ cells. Part 5: intercellular junctions and contacts between germs cells and Sertoli cells and their regulatory interactions, testicular cholesterol, and genes/proteins associated with more than one germ cell generation

In the testis, cell adhesion and junctional molecules permit specific interactions and intracellular communication between germ and Sertoli cells and apposed Sertoli cells. Among the many adhesion family of proteins, NCAM, nectin and nectin-like, catenins, and cadherens will be discussed, along with gap junctions between germ and Sertoli cells and the many members of the connexin family. The blood-testis barrier separates the haploid spermatids from blood borne elements. In the barrier, the intercellular junctions consist of many proteins such as occludin, tricellulin, and claudins. Changes in the expression of cell adhesion molecules are also an essential part of the mechanism that allows germ cells to move from the basal compartment of the seminiferous tubule to the adluminal compartment thus crossing the blood-testis barrier and well-defined proteins have been shown to assist in this process. Several structural components show interactions between germ cells to Sertoli cells such as the ectoplasmic specialization which are more closely related to Sertoli cells and tubulobulbar complexes that are processes of elongating spermatids embedded into Sertoli cells. Germ cells also modify several Sertoli functions and this also appears to be the case for residual bodies. Cholesterol plays a significant role during spermatogenesis and is essential for germ cell development. Lastly, we list genes/proteins that are expressed not only in any one specific generation of germ cells but across more than one generation.

Arabidopsis UEV1D promotes Lysine-63-linked polyubiquitination and is involved in DNA damage response

DNA damage tolerance (DDT) in budding yeast requires Lys-63-linked polyubiquitination of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen. The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13 and the Ubc enzyme variant (Uev) methyl methanesulfonate2 (Mms2) are required for this process. Mms2 homologs have been found in all eukaryotic genomes examined; however, their roles in multicellular eukaryotes have not been elucidated. We report the isolation and characterization of four UEV1 genes from Arabidopsis thaliana. All four Uev1 proteins can form a stable complex with At Ubc13 or with Ubc13 from yeast or human and can promote Ubc13-mediated Lys-63 polyubiquitination. All four Uev1 proteins can replace yeast MMS2 DDT functions in vivo. Although these genes are ubiquitously expressed in most tissues, UEV1D appears to express at a much higher level in germinating seeds and in pollen. We obtained and characterized two uev1d null mutant T-DNA insertion lines. Compared with wild-type plants, seeds from uev1d null plants germinated poorly when treated with a DNA-damaging agent. Those that germinated grew slower, and the majority ceased growth within 2 weeks. Pollen from uev1d plants also displayed a moderate but significant decrease in germination in the presence of DNA damage. This report links Ubc13-Uev with functions in DNA damage response in Arabidopsis.

A/T mutagenesis in hypermutated immunoglobulin genes strongly depends on PCNAK164 modification

B cells use translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) to introduce somatic mutations around genetic lesions caused by activation-induced cytidine deaminase. Monoubiquitination at lysine¹⁶⁴ of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA^K164) stimulates TLS. To determine the role of PCNA^K164 modifications in somatic hypermutation, PCNA^K164R knock-in mice were generated. PCNA^K164R/K164R mutants are born at a sub-Mendelian frequency. Although PCNA^K164R/K164R B cells proliferate and class switch normally, the mutation spectrum of hypermutated immunoglobulin (Ig) genes alters dramatically. A strong reduction of mutations at template A/T is associated with a compensatory increase at G/C, which is a phenotype similar to polymerase η (Polη) and mismatch repair–deficient B cells. Mismatch recognition, monoubiquitinated PCNA, and Polη likely cooperate in establishing mutations at template A/T during replication of Ig genes.

Developmental regulation of rat Ubc13 and Uev1B genes in the nervous system

Ubiquitin is a highly conserved protein in eukaryotes, and regulates diverse cellular processes. Lys-63-linked poly-ubiquitination has been recently identified to be involved in non-proteolytic processes such as DNA repair and cytokine-mediated signal transduction. Although, the heterodimeric enzymes Ubc13 and Uev are required for ubiquitination, their expressional regulation is not known. We have analyzed changes in their expression during brain development. Northern blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of the two genes were very similar. Expression of both genes decreased gradually during the embryonic stages, then increased in the late postnatal period and was moderate in the adult. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that the expression patterns of the two genes were similar. Expression was observed in various regions in the embryonic brain but became restricted to specific regions after birth. In the adult, their expression was similar in regions such as the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and substantia nigra, but different in the cerebellum. These results suggest that Ubc13 may be closely associated with Uev1B.

Distinct regulation of Ubc13 functions by the two ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variants Mms2 and Uev1A

Ubc13, a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (Ubc), requires the presence of a Ubc variant (Uev) for polyubiquitination. Uevs, although resembling Ubc in sequence and structure, lack the active site cysteine residue and are catalytically inactive. The yeast Uev (Mms2) incites noncanonical Lys63-linked polyubiquitination by Ubc13, whereas the increased diversity of Uevs in higher eukaryotes suggests an unexpected complication in ubiquitination. In this study, we demonstrate that divergent activities of mammalian Ubc13 rely on its pairing with either of two Uevs, Uev1A or Mms2. Structurally, we demonstrate that Mms2 and Uev1A differentially modulate the length of Ubc13-mediated Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains. Functionally, we describe that Ubc13-Mms2 is required for DNA damage repair but not nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation, whereas Ubc13-Uev1A is involved in NF-kappaB activation but not DNA repair. Our finding suggests a novel regulatory mechanism in which different Uevs direct Ubcs to diverse cellular processes through physical interaction and alternative polyubiquitination.

Expression and possible functions of DNA lesion bypass proteins in spermatogenesis

In mammalian cells, there is a complex interplay of different DNA damage response and repair mechanisms. Several observations suggest that, in particular in gametogenesis, proteins involved in DNA repair play an intricate role in and outside the context of DNA repair. Here, we discuss the possible roles of proteins that take part in replicative damage bypass (RDB) mechanisms, also known as post-replication DNA repair (PRR), in germ line development. In yeast, and probably also in mammalian somatic cells, RDB [two subpathways: damage avoidance and translesion synthesis (TLS)] prevents cessation of replication forks during the S phase of the cell cycle, in situations when the replication machinery encounters a lesion present in the template DNA. Many genes encoding proteins involved in RDB show an increased expression in testis, in particular in meiotic and post-meiotic spermatogenic cells. Several RDB proteins take part in protein ubiquitination, and we address relevant aspects of the ubiquitin system in spermatogenesis. RDB proteins might be required for damage avoidance and TLS of spontaneous DNA damage during gametogenesis. In addition, we consider the possible functional relation between TLS and the induction of mutations in spermatogenesis. TLS requires the activity of highly specialized polymerases, and is an error-prone process that may induce mutations. In evolutionary terms, controlled generation of a limited number of mutations in gametogenesis might provide a mechanism for evolvability.

A single Mms2 "key" residue insertion into a Ubc13 pocket determines the interface specificity of a human Lys63 ubiquitin conjugation complex

Human Ubc13 and Mms2 (or its homolog, Uev1) form a unique ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (Ubc) complex that generates atypical Lys(63)-linked ubiquitin conjugates. Such conjugates are attached to specific targets that modulate the activity of various cellular processes including DNA repair, mitotic progression, and nuclear factor-kappaB signaling. Whereas Ubc13 is a typical Ubc, Mms2 is a non-catalytic Ubc variant. Substantial biochemical evidence has revealed a mechanism whereby Mms2 properly orients ubiquitin to allow for Lys(63) conjugation by Ubc13; however, how this specific Ubc13-Mms2 complex is formed and why Mms2 does not form a complex with other Ubcs have not been reported. In order to address these questions, we used a structure-based approach to design mutations and characterize the human Ubc13-Mms2 interface. We used the yeast two-hybrid assay, glutathione S-transferase pull-downs, and surface plasmon resonance to test in vivo and in vitro binding. These experiments were paired with functional complementation and ubiquitin conjugation studies to provide in vivo and in vitro functional data. The results in this study allowed us to identify important residues of the Ubc13-Mms2 interface, determine a correlation between heterodimer formation and function, and conclude why Mms2 forms a specific complex with Ubc13 but not other Ubc proteins.

Identification of numerous genes differentially expressed in rat brain during postnatal development by suppression subtractive hybridization and expression analysis of the novel rat gene rMMS2

During postnatal development the potential for axonal growth and regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) becomes very restricted. This decline of axon growth and regeneration might be due to developmental alterations in the expression level of genes which are strongly expressed in differentiating neurons during formation of axons, but which are downregulated later in development. In order to identify genes which are downregulated in rat brain with the completion of neuronal differentiation, we performed suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) with rat cerebellum at two developmental stages. Several differentially expressed genes were identified. We present the detailed expression analysis of one of these, rMMS2, which is the rat homologue of mouse ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme-like protein MMS2 and belongs to a family of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variants (UEVs) that are highly similar to ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes E2 (Ubcs) but lack the essential amino acid residue in the active site. UEVs play a role in DNA repair and are possibly involved in ubiquitination, which may be important for the assembly and function of neuronal circuits. In the present study, we examined the temporal and spatial expression of rMMS2 transcript and show a strong developmental downregulation in rat brain by Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. The mRNA of rMMS2 is widely distributed in rat brain at late embryonic development but is differentially regulated during postnatal development; its expression is strongly reduced during maturation of the CNS. Our results show that SSH is a suitable method for identifying genes which are regulated during postnatal development and suggest that the newly identified rat UEV rMMS2 may play a role in neuronal development and differentiation.

Roles of mouse UBC13 in DNA postreplication repair and Lys63-linked ubiquitination

The E2 enzyme, Ubc13, and the E2 enzyme variants, Uevs, form stable, high affinity complexes for the assembly of Lys63-linked ubiquitin chains. This process is involved in error-free DNA postreplication repair, the activation of kinases in the NF-kappaB signaling pathway and possibly other cellular processes. To further investigate the roles played by Ubc13 in a whole animal model, we report here the molecular cloning of mouse UBC13 and show for the first time that a mammalian UBC13 gene is able to complement the yeast ubc13 null mutant. Furthermore, in vitro analyses and a yeast two-hybrid assay show that mUbc13 is able to form stable complexes with various Uevs. In the presence of E1 and ATP, mUbc13 forms thiolesters with ubiquitin; however, the formation of Lys63-linked di-ubiquitin and multi-ubiquitin chains is dependent on Uevs. These results suggest that the roles of UBC13 are conserved throughout eukaryotes and that the mouse is an appropriate model for the study of Ubc13-mediated Lys63-linked ubiquitin signaling pathways in humans.

A homologue of CROC-1 in a ciliated protist (Sterkiella histriomuscorum) testifies to the ancient origin of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant family

Resting cysts of Sterkiella histriomuscorum (Ciliophora, Oxytrichidae) have been shown to contain messenger RNA, one of which codes for a protein significantly similar to CROC-1. CROC-1 is a human regulatory protein capable of transactivating the promoter of c-fos and belongs to a newly characterized family of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) variants (UEV). We have determined the corresponding macronuclear gene sequence, which is the first protistan UEV sequence available. The phylogenetic analysis indicates the deep separation and solid clustering of all the UEV sequences within the E2 tree showing the ancient origin of these regulatory genes and their high structural conservation during evolution. Furthermore, overexpression of the ciliate UEV is able to rescue the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mms2 null mutant from killing by DNA damaging agents, implying that the UEV family proteins are functionally conserved. In S. histriomuscorum, expression of UEV is correlated with the growth of the cells as transcripts are present in excysting and vegetative cells but are rapidly down-regulated during starvation. These data support the high conservation of the UEV family in eukaryotes, and a regulatory role of the gene is discussed in relation to known functions of UEVs. This analysis may promote the search for homologues of other regulatory genes (metazoan regulators of differentiation) in ciliates.