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Al-Turki TM, Maranon DG, Nelson CB, Lewis AM, Luxton JJ, Taylor LE, Altina N, Wu F, Du H, Kim J, Damle N, Overbey E, Meydan C, Grigorev K, Winer DA, Furman D, Mason CE, Bailey SM. Telomeric RNA (TERRA) increases in response to spaceflight and high-altitude climbing. Commun Biol 2024; 7:698. [PMID: 38862827 PMCID: PMC11167063 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06014-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are repetitive nucleoprotein complexes at chromosomal termini essential for maintaining genome stability. Telomeric RNA, or TERRA, is a previously presumed long noncoding RNA of heterogeneous lengths that contributes to end-capping structure and function, and facilitates telomeric recombination in tumors that maintain telomere length via the telomerase-independent Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway. Here, we investigated TERRA in the radiation-induced DNA damage response (DDR) across astronauts, high-altitude climbers, healthy donors, and cellular models. Similar to astronauts in the space radiation environment and climbers of Mt. Everest, in vitro radiation exposure prompted increased transcription of TERRA, while simulated microgravity did not. Data suggest a specific TERRA DDR to telomeric double-strand breaks (DSBs), and provide direct demonstration of hybridized TERRA at telomere-specific DSB sites, indicative of protective TERRA:telomeric DNA hybrid formation. Targeted telomeric DSBs also resulted in accumulation of TERRA foci in G2-phase, supportive of TERRA's role in facilitating recombination-mediated telomere elongation. Results have important implications for scenarios involving persistent telomeric DNA damage, such as those associated with chronic oxidative stress (e.g., aging, systemic inflammation, environmental and occupational radiation exposures), which can trigger transient ALT in normal human cells, as well as for targeting TERRA as a therapeutic strategy against ALT-positive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taghreed M Al-Turki
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - David G Maranon
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Christopher B Nelson
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 214 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, Sydney, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Aidan M Lewis
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jared J Luxton
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Lynn E Taylor
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Noelia Altina
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Fei Wu
- Buck AI Platform, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - Huixun Du
- Buck AI Platform, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - JangKeun Kim
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Namita Damle
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eliah Overbey
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cem Meydan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kirill Grigorev
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel A Winer
- Buck AI Platform, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - David Furman
- Buck AI Platform, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
- Stanford 1000 Immunomes Project, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional (IIMT), Universidad Austral, CONICET, Pilar, Argentina
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Susan M Bailey
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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Impact of Chromatin Dynamics and DNA Repair on Genomic Stability and Treatment Resistance in Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225678. [PMID: 34830833 PMCID: PMC8616465 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) are the leading cause of mortality in pediatric neuro-oncology, due in great part to treatment resistance driven by complex DNA repair mechanisms. pHGGs have recently been divided into molecular subtypes based on mutations affecting the N-terminal tail of the histone variant H3.3 and the ATRX/DAXX histone chaperone that deposits H3.3 at repetitive heterochromatin loci that are of paramount importance to the stability of our genome. This review addresses the functions of H3.3 and ATRX/DAXX in chromatin dynamics and DNA repair, as well as the impact of mutations affecting H3.3/ATRX/DAXX on treatment resistance and how the vulnerabilities they expose could foster novel therapeutic strategies. Abstract Despite their low incidence, pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), are the leading cause of mortality in pediatric neuro-oncology. Recurrent, mutually exclusive mutations affecting K27 (K27M) and G34 (G34R/V) in the N-terminal tail of histones H3.3 and H3.1 act as key biological drivers of pHGGs. Notably, mutations in H3.3 are frequently associated with mutations affecting ATRX and DAXX, which encode a chaperone complex that deposits H3.3 into heterochromatic regions, including telomeres. The K27M and G34R/V mutations lead to distinct epigenetic reprogramming, telomere maintenance mechanisms, and oncogenesis scenarios, resulting in distinct subgroups of patients characterized by differences in tumor localization, clinical outcome, as well as concurrent epigenetic and genetic alterations. Contrasting with our understanding of the molecular biology of pHGGs, there has been little improvement in the treatment of pHGGs, with the current mainstays of therapy—genotoxic chemotherapy and ionizing radiation (IR)—facing the development of tumor resistance driven by complex DNA repair pathways. Chromatin and nucleosome dynamics constitute important modulators of the DNA damage response (DDR). Here, we summarize the major DNA repair pathways that contribute to resistance to current DNA damaging agent-based therapeutic strategies and describe the telomere maintenance mechanisms encountered in pHGGs. We then review the functions of H3.3 and its chaperones in chromatin dynamics and DNA repair, as well as examining the impact of their mutation/alteration on these processes. Finally, we discuss potential strategies targeting DNA repair and epigenetic mechanisms as well as telomere maintenance mechanisms, to improve the treatment of pHGGs.
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Chang KV, Chen YC, Wu WT, Shen HJ, Huang KC, Chu HP, Han DS. Expression of Telomeric Repeat-Containing RNA Decreases in Sarcopenia and Increases after Exercise and Nutrition Intervention. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12123766. [PMID: 33302352 PMCID: PMC7762552 DOI: 10.3390/nu12123766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcopenia is defined as aging-related loss of muscle mass and function. Telomere length in chromosomes shortens with age and is modulated by telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA). This study aimed to explore the impact of aging and sarcopenia on telomere length and TERRA expression, and changes following strengthening exercise and nutrition intervention (supplement of branched-chain amino acids, calcium and vitamin D3) for 12 weeks in the sarcopenic population. Older adults (≥65 years old) were divided into non-sarcopenic controls (n = 36) and sarcopenic individuals (n = 36) after measurement of grip strength and body composition. The relative telomere length of leukocytes in all research participants was evaluated using the T/S ratio (telomere/single copy gene), and relative TERRA expression of leukocytes was determined by reverse-transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to analyze the influence of sarcopenia and intervention on the outcomes. There was no significant difference in telomere length between control subjects and participants with sarcopenia. TERRA expression was lower in sarcopenic participants compared to that in non-sarcopenic controls (5.18 ± 2.98 vs. 2.51 ± 1.89; p < 0.001). In the sarcopenic group, intervention significantly increased TERRA expression, but not telomere length. The GEE analysis demonstrated that TERRA expression was negatively associated with sarcopenia (β coefficient = −2.705, p < 0.001) but positively associated with intervention (β coefficient = 1.599, p = 0.023). Sarcopenia is associated with a decrease in TERRA expression in leukocytes. Rebound TERRA expression (returning to the level similar to the non-sarcopenic controls) was observed in the sarcopenic group after exercise and nutrition intervention. Future studies are warranted to examine the potential of TERRA as a biomarker for sarcopenia and its subsequent responses to intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Vin Chang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (K.-V.C.); (W.-T.W.)
- Community and Geriatric Medicine Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei 108, Taiwan;
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (H.-J.S.)
| | - Wei-Ting Wu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (K.-V.C.); (W.-T.W.)
| | - Hong-Jhin Shen
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (H.-J.S.)
| | - Kuo-Chin Huang
- Community and Geriatric Medicine Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei 108, Taiwan;
- Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Ping Chu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; (Y.-C.C.); (H.-J.S.)
- Correspondence: (H.-P.C.); (D.-S.H.); Tel.: +886-233-662487 (H.-P.C.); +886-223-717101(ext. 5001) (D.-S.H.)
| | - Der-Sheng Han
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei 100, Taiwan; (K.-V.C.); (W.-T.W.)
- Community and Geriatric Medicine Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei 108, Taiwan;
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Health Science and Wellness Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (H.-P.C.); (D.-S.H.); Tel.: +886-233-662487 (H.-P.C.); +886-223-717101(ext. 5001) (D.-S.H.)
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