USP7 deubiquitinase promotes ubiquitin-dependent DNA damage signaling by stabilizing RNF168*

During DNA damage response (DDR), histone ubiquitination by RNF168 is a critical event, which orchestrates the recruitment of downstream DDR factors, e.g. BRCA1 and 53BP1. Here, we report USP7 deubiquitinase regulates the stability of RNF168. We showed that USP7 disruption impairs H2A and ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced γH2AX monoubiquitination, and decreases the levels of pBmi1, Bmi1, RNF168 and BRCA1. The effect of USP7 disruption was recapitulated by siRNA-mediated USP7 depletion. The USP7 disruption also compromises the formation of UVR-induced foci (UVRIF) and ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF) of monoubiquitinated H2A (uH2A) and polyubiquitinated H2AX/A, and subsequently affects UVRIF and IRIF of BRCA1 as well as the IRIF of 53BP1. USP7 was shown to physically bind RNF168 in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of wild-type USP7, but not its interaction-defective mutant, prevents UVR-induced RNF168 degradation. The USP7 mutant is unable to cleave Ub-conjugates of RNF168 in vivo. Importantly, ectopic expression of RNF168, or both RNF8 and RNF168 together in USP7-disrupted cells, significantly rescue the formation of UVRIF and IRIF of polyubiquitinated H2A and BRCA1. Taken together, these findings reveal an important role of USP7 in regulating ubiquitin-dependent signaling via stabilization of RNF168.     

Rnf20 deficiency in adipocyte impairs adipose tissue development and thermogenesis

RNF20,an E3 ligase critical for monoubiquitination of histone H2B at lysine 120 (H2Bub),has been implicated in the regulation of various cellar processes;however,its physiological roles in adipocytes remain poorly characterized.Here,we report that the adipocyte-speci-fic knockout of Rnf20 (ASKO) in mice led to progressive fat loss,organomegaly and hyperinsulinemia.Despite signs of hyperinsulinemia,normal insulin sensitivity and improved glucose tolerance were observed in the young and aged CD-fed ASKO mice.In addition,high-fat diet-fed ASKO mice developed severe liver steatosis.More-over,we observed that the ASKO mice were extremely sensitive to a cold environment due to decreased expression levels of brown adipose tissue (BAT) selec-tive genes,including uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1),and impaired mitochondrial functions.Significantly decreased levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Ppary) were observed in the gonadal white adipose tissues (gWAT) from the ASKO mice,suggesting that Rnf20 regulates adipogenesis,at least in part,through Ppary.Rosiglitazone-treated ASKO mice exhibited increased fat mass compared to that of the non-treated ASKO mice.Collectively,our results illus-trate the critical role of RNF20 in control of white and brown adipose tissue development and physiological function.     

多巴胺通过促进RNF20降解抑制神经细胞中组蛋白H2B泛素化

表观遗传修饰参与了药物成瘾的形成过程,而在药物成瘾过程中组蛋白泛素化水平的变化仍未可知。药物成瘾过程中常表现为多巴胺(dopamine, DA)表达量的升高,因此本研究欲探讨多巴胺升高对神经细胞组蛋白泛素化的影响及其机制。Western印迹结果显示,在终浓度0.8 mmol/L的多巴胺作用8 h后,人神经母细胞瘤细胞系SH-SY5Y细胞中环指蛋白20(ring finger protein 20, RNF20)表达量降低(0.29±0.032 vs. 1.0±0.025,P<0.0001),泛素化组蛋白H2B(H2Bub1)表达量下降(0.28±0.032 vs. 1.0±0.017,P<0.0001)。但是RT-PCR结果显示,多巴胺处理SH-SY5Y细胞后,RNF20在mRNA水平的表达无明显变化。在SH-SY5Y细胞中沉默RNF20的表达,H2Bub1在蛋白质水平的表达明显降低(0.20±0.069 vs. 1.0±0.060,P=0.001)。在加入多巴胺的基础上,分别加入蛋白酶体抑制剂MG132、自噬体形成抑制剂3-MA以及空泡型H^+-ATP酶特异性抑制剂Baf-A1等药物来检测RNF20的降解途径,结果发现,加入MG132、3-MA以及Baf-A1后,RNF20表达量均比DA处理组显著上升(1.51±0.095,P=0.0003; 0.89±0.075,P=0.0021; 2.74±0.099,P<0.0001;vs. 0.27±0.044)。上述结果表明,在SH-SY5Y细胞中,RNF20对H2Bub1具有调控作用,多巴胺可通过泛素化及自噬两种途径促进RNF20降解,从而抑制组蛋白H2B泛素化。     

An RNF168 fragment defective for focal accumulation at DNA damage is proficient for inhibition of homologous recombination in BRCA1 deficient cells

The E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF168 is a DNA damage response (DDR) factor that promotes monoubiquitination of H2A/H2AX at K13/15, facilitates recruitment of other DDR factors (e.g. 53BP1) to DNA damage, and inhibits homologous recombination (HR) in cells deficient in the tumor suppressor BRCA1. We have examined the domains of RNF168 important for these DDR events, including chromosomal HR that is induced by several nucleases (I-SceI, CAS9-WT and CAS9-D10A), since the inducing nuclease affects the relative frequency of distinct repair outcomes. We found that an N-terminal fragment of RNF168 (1-220/N221*) efficiently inhibits HR induced by each of these nucleases in BRCA1 depleted cells, and promotes recruitment of 53BP1 to DNA damage and H2AX monoubiquitination at K13/15. Each of these DDR events requires a charged residue in RNF168 (R57). Notably, RNF168-N221* fails to self-accumulate into ionizing radiation induced foci (IRIF). Furthermore, expression of RNF168 WT and N221* can significantly bypass the role of another E3 ubiquitin ligase, RNF8, for inhibition of HR in BRCA1 depleted cells, and for promotion of 53BP1 IRIF. We suggest that the ability for RNF168 to promote H2A/H2AX monoubiquitination and 53BP1 IRIF, but not RNF168 self-accumulation into IRIF, is important for inhibition of HR in BRCA1 deficient cells.     

Mitotic Accumulation of Dimethylated Lysine 79 of Histone H3 Is Important for Maintaining Genome Integrity During Mitosis in Human Cells

The loss of genome stability is an early event that drives the development and progression of virtually all tumor types. Recent studies have revealed that certain histone post-translational modifications exhibit dynamic and global increases in abundance that coincide with mitosis and exhibit essential roles in maintaining genomic stability. Histone H2B ubiquitination at lysine 120 (H2Bub1) is regulated by RNF20, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is altered in many tumor types. Through an evolutionarily conserved trans-histone pathway, H2Bub1 is an essential prerequisite for subsequent downstream dimethylation events at lysines 4 (H3K4me2) and 79 (H3K79me2) of histone H3. Although the role that RNF20 plays in tumorigenesis has garnered much attention, the downstream components of the trans-histone pathway, H3K4me2 and H3K79me2, and their potential contributions to genome stability remain largely overlooked. In this study, we employ single-cell imaging and biochemical approaches to investigate the spatial and temporal patterning of RNF20, H2Bub1, H3K4me2, and H3K79me2 throughout the cell cycle, with a particular focus on mitosis. We show that H2Bub1, H3K4me2, and H3K79me2 exhibit distinct temporal progression patterns throughout the cell cycle. Most notably, we demonstrate that H3K79me2 is a highly dynamic histone post-translational modification that reaches maximal abundance during mitosis in an H2Bub1-independent manner. Using RNAi and chemical genetic approaches, we identify DOT1L as a histone methyltransferase required for the mitotic-associated increases in H3K79me2. We also demonstrate that the loss of mitotic H3K79me2 levels correlates with increases in chromosome numbers and increases in mitotic defects. Collectively, these data suggest that H3K79me2 dynamics during mitosis are normally required to maintain genome stability and further implicate the loss of H3K79me2 during mitosis as a pathogenic event that contributes to the development and progression of tumors.     

RNF126 Quenches RNF168 Function in the DNA Damage Response

DNA damage response (DDR) is essential for maintaining genome stability and protecting cells from tumorigenesis. Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications play an important role in DDR, from signaling DNA damage to mediating DNA repair. In this report, we found that the E3 ligase ring finger protein 126 (RNF126) was recruited to UV laser micro-irradiation-induced stripes in a RNF8-dependent manner. RNF126 directly interacted with and ubiquitinated another E3 ligase, RNF168. Overexpression of wild type RNF126, but not catalytically-inactive mutant RNF126 (CC229/232AA), diminished ubiquitination of H2A histone family member X (H2AX), and subsequent bleomycin-induced focus formation of total ubiquitin FK2, TP53-binding protein 1 (53BP1), and receptor-associated protein 80 (RAP80). Interestingly, both RNF126 overexpression and RNF126 downregulation compromised homologous recombination (HR)-mediated repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Taken together, our findings demonstrate that RNF126 negatively regulates RNF168 function in DDR and its appropriate cellular expression levels are essential for HR-mediated DSB repair.     

Intestinal Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Lentinan: Influence on IL-8 and TNFR1 Expression in Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. It is unknown whether β-1,3;1,6-glucan can induce immune suppressive effects. Here, we study intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of Lentinula edodes-derived β-1,3;1,6-glucan, which is known as lentinan. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice were used to elucidate effects of lentinan in vivo. In the cellular level assessment, lentinan was added into a co-culture model consisting of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Ligated intestinal loop assay was performed for assessing effects of lentinan on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in vivo. Oral administration of lentinan (100 µg/mouse) significantly ameliorated DSS-induced colitis in body weight loss, shortening of colon lengths, histological score, and inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in inflamed tissues. Lentinan reduced interleukin (IL)-8 mRNA expression and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation in Caco-2 cells without decreasing of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production from RAW264.7 cells. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that surface levels of TNF receptor (TNFR) 1 were decreased by lentinan treatment. A clathrin-mediated endocytosis inhibitor, monodansylcadaverine, canceled lentinan inhibition of IL-8 mRNA expression. Moreover, lentinan inhibited TNFR1 expression in Caco-2 cells in both protein and mRNA level. Lentinan also inhibited TNFR1 mRNA expression in mouse IECs. These results suggest that lentinan exhibits intestinal anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of IL-8 mRNA expression associated with the inhibition of NF-κB activation which is triggered by TNFR1 endocytosis and lowering of their expression in IECs. Lentinan may be effective for the treatment of gut inflammation including IBD.     

A tumor suppressor function of Smurf2 associated with controlling chromatin landscape and genome stability through RNF20

In addition to allelic mutations, cancers are known to harbor alterations in their chromatin landscape. Here we show that genomic ablation of Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2), a HECT-domain E3 ubiquitin ligase, results in dysregulation of both the DNA damage response and genomic stability, culminating in increased susceptibility to various types of cancers in aged mice. We show that Smurf2 regulates the monoubiquitination of histone H2B as well as the trimethylation of histone H3 at Lys4 and Lys79 by targeting ring finger protein 20 (RNF20) for proteasomal degradation in both mouse and human cells. We also show that Smurf2 and RNF20 are colocalized at the γ-H2AX foci of double-stranded DNA breaks in the nucleus. Thus, Smurf2 has a tumor suppression function that normally maintains genomic stability by controlling the epigenetic landscape of histone modifications through RNF20.     

Dysregulated phosphatidylinositol signaling promotes endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-mediated intestinal mucosal injury and inflammation in zebrafish

Dysregulated phosphatidylinositol (PI) signaling has been implicated in human gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies and inflammatory states, underlining the need to study pathophysiological roles of PI in an in vivo genetic model. Here, we study the significance of PI in GI pathophysiology using the zebrafish mutant cdipt^hi559, which lacks PI synthesis, and unravel a crucial role of PI in intestinal mucosal integrity and inflammation. The cdipt^hi559 mutants exhibit abnormal villous architecture and disorganized proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), with pathologies reminiscent of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including apoptosis of goblet cells, abnormal mucosecretion, bacterial overgrowth and leukocyte infiltration. The mutant IECs exhibit vacuolation, microvillus atrophy and impaired proliferation. The cdipt^hi559 gene expression profile shows enrichment of acute phase response signaling, and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress factors hspa5 and xbp1 are robustly activated in the mutant GI tissue. Temporal electron micrographic analyses reveal that PI-deficient IECs undergo sequential ER-Golgi disruption, mitochondrial depletion, macroautophagy and cell death, consistent with chronic ER-stress-mediated cytopathology. Furthermore, pharmacological induction of ER stress by inhibiting protein glycosylation or PI synthase inhibition in leukocyte-specific reporter lines replicates the cdipt^hi559 inflammatory phenotype, suggesting a fundamental role of PI metabolism and ER stress in mucosal inflammation. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs resolved the inflammation, but not the autophagic necroapoptosis of IECs, suggesting that bacterial overgrowth can exacerbate ER stress pathology, whereas persistent ER stress is sufficient to trigger inflammation. Interestingly, the intestinal phenotype was partially alleviated by chemical chaperones, suggesting their therapeutic potential. Using zebrafish genetic and pharmacological models, this study demonstrates a newly identified link between intracellular PI signaling and ER-stress-mediated mucosal inflammation. The zebrafish cdipt mutants provide a powerful tool for dissecting the fundamental mechanisms of ER-stress-mediated human GI diseases and a platform to develop molecularly targeted therapies.KEY WORDS: Cdipt, Phosphoinositides, IBD, UPR