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Gao B, Kong Q, Zhang Y, Yun C, Dent SYR, Song J, Zhang DD, Wang Y, Li X, Fang D. The Histone Acetyltransferase Gcn5 Positively Regulates T Cell Activation. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 198:3927-3938. [PMID: 28424240 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) regulate inducible transcription in multiple cellular processes and during inflammatory and immune response. However, the functions of general control nonrepressed-protein 5 (Gcn5), an evolutionarily conserved HAT from yeast to human, in immune regulation remain unappreciated. In this study, we conditionally deleted Gcn5 (encoded by the Kat2a gene) specifically in T lymphocytes by crossing floxed Gcn5 and Lck-Cre mice, and demonstrated that Gcn5 plays important roles in multiple stages of T cell functions including development, clonal expansion, and differentiation. Loss of Gcn5 functions impaired T cell proliferation, IL-2 production, and Th1/Th17, but not Th2 and regulatory T cell differentiation. Gcn5 is recruited onto the il-2 promoter by interacting with the NFAT in T cells upon TCR stimulation. Interestingly, instead of directly acetylating NFAT, Gcn5 catalyzes histone H3 lysine H9 acetylation to promote IL-2 production. T cell-specific suppression of Gcn5 partially protected mice from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an experimental model for human multiple sclerosis. Our study reveals previously unknown physiological functions for Gcn5 and a molecular mechanism underlying these functions in regulating T cell immunity. Hence Gcn5 may be an important new target for autoimmune disease therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beixue Gao
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Qingfei Kong
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Yana Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Chawon Yun
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Sharon Y R Dent
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Epigenetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
| | - Donna D Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, China; and
| | - Xuemei Li
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province 261053, China
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611; .,Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, China; and.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province 261053, China
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Bae NS, Seberg AP, Carroll LP, Swanson MJ. Identification of Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that Are Haploinsufficient for Overcoming Amino Acid Starvation. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2017; 7:1061-1084. [PMID: 28209762 PMCID: PMC5386856 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.037416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae responds to amino acid deprivation by activating a pathway conserved in eukaryotes to overcome the starvation stress. We have screened the entire yeast heterozygous deletion collection to identify strains haploinsufficient for growth in the presence of sulfometuron methyl, which causes starvation for isoleucine and valine. We have discovered that cells devoid of MET15 are sensitive to sulfometuron methyl, and loss of heterozygosity at the MET15 locus can complicate screening the heterozygous deletion collection. We identified 138 cases of loss of heterozygosity in this screen. After eliminating the issues of the MET15 loss of heterozygosity, strains isolated from the collection were retested on sulfometuron methyl. To determine the general effect of the mutations for a starvation response, SMM-sensitive strains were tested for the ability to grow in the presence of canavanine, which induces arginine starvation, and strains that were MET15 were also tested for growth in the presence of ethionine, which causes methionine starvation. Many of the genes identified in our study were not previously identified as starvation-responsive genes, including a number of essential genes that are not easily screened in a systematic way. The genes identified span a broad range of biological functions, including many involved in some level of gene expression. Several unnamed proteins have also been identified, giving a clue as to possible functions of the encoded proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy S Bae
- Department of Biochemistry, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona 85308
| | - Andrew P Seberg
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4295
| | - Leslie P Carroll
- Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia 31207
| | - Mark J Swanson
- Department of Biochemistry, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona 85308
- Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia 31207
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Yin YW, Jin HJ, Zhao W, Gao B, Fang J, Wei J, Zhang DD, Zhang J, Fang D. The Histone Acetyltransferase GCN5 Expression Is Elevated and Regulated by c-Myc and E2F1 Transcription Factors in Human Colon Cancer. Gene Expr 2015; 16:187-96. [PMID: 26637399 PMCID: PMC5584536 DOI: 10.3727/105221615x14399878166230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The histone acetyltransferase GCN5 has been suggested to be involved in promoting cancer cell growth. But its role in human colon cancer development remains unknown. Herein we discovered that GCN5 expression is significantly upregulated in human colon adenocarcinoma tissues. We further demonstrate that GCN5 is upregulated in human colon cancer at the mRNA level. Surprisingly, two transcription factors, the oncogenic c-Myc and the proapoptotic E2F1, are responsible for GCN5 mRNA transcription. Knockdown of c-Myc inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation largely through downregulating GCN5 transcription, which can be fully rescued by the ectopic GCN5 expression. In contrast, E2F1 expression induced human colon cancer cell death, and suppression of GCN5 expression in cells with E2F1 overexpression further facilitated cell apoptosis, suggesting that GCN5 expression is induced by E2F1 as a possible negative feedback in suppressing E2F1-mediated cell apoptosis. In addition, suppression of GCN5 with its specific inhibitor CPTH2 inhibited human colon cancer cell growth. Our studies reveal that GCN5 plays a positive role in human colon cancer development, and its suppression holds a great therapeutic potential in antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Wei Yin
- *Department of Oncology, Linyi People’s Hospital, and Linyi Tumor Hospital, Linyi, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Jian Jin
- †Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- *Department of Oncology, Linyi People’s Hospital, and Linyi Tumor Hospital, Linyi, P.R. China
| | - Beixue Gao
- ‡Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jiangao Fang
- ‡Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Junmin Wei
- §Department of Chemotherapy, Cancer Center, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Donna D. Zhang
- ¶Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jianing Zhang
- #School of Life Science and Medicine, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, P.R. China
| | - Deyu Fang
- ‡Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- #School of Life Science and Medicine, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, P.R. China
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Lanza AM, Blazeck JJ, Crook NC, Alper HS. Linking yeast Gcn5p catalytic function and gene regulation using a quantitative, graded dominant mutant approach. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36193. [PMID: 22558379 PMCID: PMC3338614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing causative links between protein functional domains and global gene regulation is critical for advancements in genetics, biotechnology, disease treatment, and systems biology. This task is challenging for multifunctional proteins when relying on traditional approaches such as gene deletions since they remove all domains simultaneously. Here, we describe a novel approach to extract quantitative, causative links by modulating the expression of a dominant mutant allele to create a function-specific competitive inhibition. Using the yeast histone acetyltransferase Gcn5p as a case study, we demonstrate the utility of this approach and (1) find evidence that Gcn5p is more involved in cell-wide gene repression, instead of the accepted gene activation associated with HATs, (2) identify previously unknown gene targets and interactions for Gcn5p-based acetylation, (3) quantify the strength of some Gcn5p-DNA associations, (4) demonstrate that this approach can be used to correctly identify canonical chromatin modifications, (5) establish the role of acetyltransferase activity on synthetic lethal interactions, and (6) identify new functional classes of genes regulated by Gcn5p acetyltransferase activity—all six of these major conclusions were unattainable by using standard gene knockout studies alone. We recommend that a graded dominant mutant approach be utilized in conjunction with a traditional knockout to study multifunctional proteins and generate higher-resolution data that more accurately probes protein domain function and influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Lanza
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - John J. Blazeck
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Nathan C. Crook
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hal S. Alper
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Negative regulatory gene for general control of amino acid biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol 1986. [PMID: 3537730 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.6.9.3150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, many amino acid biosynthetic pathways are coregulated by a complex general control system: starvation for a single amino acid results in the derepression of amino acid biosynthetic genes in multiple pathways. Derepression of these genes is mediated by positive (GCN) and negative (GCD) regulatory genes. In this paper we describe the isolation and characterization of a previously unreported negative regulatory gene, GCD3. A gcd3 mutation is recessive to wild type, confers resistance to multiple amino acid analogs, and results in overproduction and partially constitutive elevation of mRNA levels for amino acid biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, a gcd3 mutation can overcome the derepression-deficient phenotype of mutations in the positive regulatory GCN1, GCN2, and GCN3 genes. However, the gcd3 mutation cannot overcome the derepression-deficient phenotype of a gcn4 mutation, suggesting that GCD3 acts as a negative regulator of the important GCN4 gene. Northern blot analysis confirmed this conclusion, in that the steady-state levels of GCN4 mRNA are greatly increased in a gcd3 mutant. Thus, the negative regulatory gene GCD3 plays a central role in derepression of amino acid biosynthetic genes.
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Myers PL, Skvirsky RC, Greenberg ML, Greer H. Negative regulatory gene for general control of amino acid biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol 1986; 6:3150-5. [PMID: 3537730 PMCID: PMC367050 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.6.9.3150-3155.1986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, many amino acid biosynthetic pathways are coregulated by a complex general control system: starvation for a single amino acid results in the derepression of amino acid biosynthetic genes in multiple pathways. Derepression of these genes is mediated by positive (GCN) and negative (GCD) regulatory genes. In this paper we describe the isolation and characterization of a previously unreported negative regulatory gene, GCD3. A gcd3 mutation is recessive to wild type, confers resistance to multiple amino acid analogs, and results in overproduction and partially constitutive elevation of mRNA levels for amino acid biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, a gcd3 mutation can overcome the derepression-deficient phenotype of mutations in the positive regulatory GCN1, GCN2, and GCN3 genes. However, the gcd3 mutation cannot overcome the derepression-deficient phenotype of a gcn4 mutation, suggesting that GCD3 acts as a negative regulator of the important GCN4 gene. Northern blot analysis confirmed this conclusion, in that the steady-state levels of GCN4 mRNA are greatly increased in a gcd3 mutant. Thus, the negative regulatory gene GCD3 plays a central role in derepression of amino acid biosynthetic genes.
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