Mutant PCNA alleles are associated with cdc phenotypes and sensitivity to DNA damage in fission yeast

Twenty-eight site-directed mutations were introduced into the fission yeast gene (pcn1 ⁺) that encodes proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and their in vivo effects analyzed in a strain with a null pcn1 background. Mutants defective in enhancing processivity of DNA polymerase δ have previously been identified. In this study, we assessed all of the mutants for their sensitivities to temperature, hydroxyurea, UV irradiation and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), and specific mutants were also tested for sensitivity to γ irradiation. One cold-sensitive allele, pcn1-3, was characterized in detail. This mutant had a recessive cold-sensitive cdc phenotype and showed sensitivity to hydroxyurea, UV, and γ irradiation. At the non-permissive temperature pcn1-3 protein was able to form homotrimers in solution and showed increased stimulation of both synthetic activity and processivity of DNA polymerase δ relative to the wild-type Pcn1⁺ protein. Epistasis analyses indicated that pcn1-3 is defective in the repair pathway involving rad2 ⁺ but not defective in the classical nucleotide excision repair pathway involving rad13 ⁺ . Furthermore, pcn1-3 is either synthetically or conditionally lethal in null checkpoint rad backgrounds and displays a mitotic catastrophe phenotype in these backgrounds. A model for how pcn1-3 defects may affect DNA repair and replication is presented. Received: 5 July 1997 / Accepted: 10 October 1997     

Molecular anatomy of an endodermal gland: Investigations on mucus glycoproteins and cell turnover in Brunner's glands of didelphis verginiana using lectins and PCNA immunoreactivity

Brunner's glandsl are located in the submucosa of the proximal duodenum and are unique to mammalian species. The North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is generally regarded as a prototype marsupial that closely resembles fossil didelphids which can be placed at the beginning of mammalian evolution. The current investigation provided an opportunity for the analysis of secretory products from these glands in a species thought to be more closely related to earlier evolutionary forms. Extracts of Brunner's glands were subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting. The results indicate the presence of two high molecular weight PAS-positive glycoprotein bands. In addition to these two PAS-positive bands, several other glycoprotein bands were detected in the high molecular weight range that bind several lectins which typically recognize O-linked carbohydrates indicative of mucus type glycoproteins. The same lectins bind to glandular structures in tissue sections. Comparison of lectin binding sites with the pyloric glands of the stomach and duodenal goblet cells indicates that brunner's glands carbohydrate residues resemble those of the pyloric glands more closely than those of the duodenal goblet cells. The low cell turnover rate in brunner's glands is in contrast to the rapid turnover rate of goble cell precursors in the duodenal crypts. The mucus composition and the cell turnover rate correlate well with embryological data and suggest that Brunner's glands of Didelphis evolved from an epithelium more closely associated closely associated with the stomach than that of the duodenum as the topography of the gland would suggest. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Role of Y-family translesion DNA polymerases in replication stress: Implications for new cancer therapeutic targets

DNA replication stress, defined as the slowing or stalling of replication forks, is considered an emerging hallmark of cancer and a major contributor to genomic instability associated with tumorigenesis (Macheret and Halazonetis, 2015). Recent advances have been made in attempting to target DNA repair factors involved in alleviating replication stress to potentiate genotoxic treatments. Various inhibitors of ATR and Chk1, the two major kinases involved in the intra-S-phase checkpoint, are currently in Phase I and II clinical trials [2]. In addition, currently approved inhibitors of Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase (PARP) show synthetic lethality in cells that lack double-strand break repair such as in BRCA1/2 deficient tumors [3]. These drugs have also been shown to exacerbate replication stress by creating a DNA-protein crosslink, termed PARP ‘trapping’, and this is now thought to contribute to the therapeutic efficacy. Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a mechanism whereby special repair DNA polymerases accommodate and tolerate various DNA lesions to allow for damage bypass and continuation of DNA replication (Yang and Gao, 2018). This class of proteins is best characterized by the Y-family, encompassing DNA polymerases (Pols) Kappa, Eta, Iota, and Rev1. While best studied for their ability to bypass physical lesions on the DNA, there is accumulating evidence for these proteins in coping with various natural replication fork barriers and alleviating replication stress. In this mini-review, we will highlight some of these recent advances, and discuss why targeting the TLS pathway may be a mechanism of enhancing cancer-associated replication stress. Exacerbation of replication stress can lead to increased genome instability, which can be toxic to cancer cells and represent a therapeutic vulnerability.     

CD47基因对食道癌细胞增殖的影响

本研究将CD47-si RNA转染至食道癌细胞,采用蛋白免疫印迹检测食道癌细胞中CD47蛋白的表达,MTT法检测CD47-siRNA转染组和空质粒转染组(对照组)食道癌细胞增殖状态,蛋白免疫印迹检测CD47-siRNA转染组和空质粒转染组(对照组)食道癌细胞中PCNA蛋白表达,DCFDA染色流式细胞仪检测食道癌细胞CD47-siRNA转染组和空质粒转染组(对照组)中ROS水平,以探究CD47基因对食道癌发生发展的影响。研究结果表明,CD47-si RNA转染组食道癌细胞中CD47蛋白明显低于对照组;CD47-siRNA转染组食道癌细胞增殖率显著低于对照组(p<0.05);CD47-siRNA转染组细胞增殖相关蛋白PCNA低于对照组(p<0.01);CD47-siRNA转染组食道癌细胞中ROS水平明显高于对照组(p<0.05)。本研究初步认为:CD47-siRNA可降低食道癌细胞中CD47蛋白表达,抑制食道癌细胞的增殖并增加食道癌细胞中ROS水平。     

A DDB2 mutant protein unable to interact with PCNA promotes cell cycle progression of human transformed embryonic kidney cells

DNA damage binding protein 2 (DDB2) is a protein involved in the early step of DNA damage recognition of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) process. Recently, it has been suggested that DDB2 may play a role in DNA replication, based on its ability to promote cell proliferation. We have previously shown that DDB2 binds PCNA during NER, but also in the absence of DNA damage; however, whether and how this interaction influences cell proliferation is not known. In this study, we have addressed this question by using HEK293 cell clones stably expressing DDB2^Wt protein, or a mutant form (DDB2^Mut) unable to interact with PCNA. We report that overexpression of the DDB2^Mut protein provides a proliferative advantage over the wild type form, by influencing cell cycle progression. In particular, an increase in the number of S-phase cells, together with a reduction in p21^CDKN1A protein level, and a shorter cell cycle length, has been observed in the DDB2^Mut cells. These results suggest that DDB2 influences cell cycle progression thanks to its interaction with PCNA.     

增殖细胞核抗原在低氧大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞中表达

目的通过建立低氧性肺动脉高压大鼠模型,探讨增殖细胞核抗原(proliferating cell nuclear antigen,PCNA)在大鼠低氧性肺血管平滑肌细胞中的表达。方法将SPF级SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组(n=10)、模型组(n=10),通过间断常压低氧法建立大鼠低氧性肺动脉高压模型,肺组织切片经HE染色后图像分析技术定量检测大鼠肺小动脉的形态改变;免疫组织化学染色法测定肺血管平滑肌细胞内PCNA蛋白表达,并经图像分析半定量检测其表达强度。结果 4周后,模型组SD大鼠MT%、MA%与对照组比较,差异具有显著性(P<0.05);模型组SD大鼠肺血管平滑肌细胞内PCNA核蛋白表达(积分面积、累积光密度)与对照组比较,差异具有显著性(P<0.05)。结论常压低氧4周可成功建立肺动脉高压大鼠模型,PCNA在肺血管平滑肌细胞中的表达量具有差异性提示其可能在肺动脉高压形成过程中起重要作用。     

明日叶查尔酮对小鼠肝癌细胞PCNA 和BCL-2 蛋白表达影响

目的:研究明日叶(Angelica keiskei Koidz)查尔酮对小鼠肝癌细胞PCNA和BCL-2蛋白表达的影响。方法:将50只皮下接种肝癌H22细胞株的小鼠随机分为5组,每组10只。高、中、低剂量组分别每日经口灌胃给予40、20、5mg/kg的查尔酮,肿瘤对照组给予等量生理盐水,连续10d,环磷酰胺组隔天腹腔注射环磷酰胺20mg/kg。取肝癌组织用四甲基偶氮噻唑蓝(MTT)法测各组小鼠肝癌细胞增殖活性,免疫组化法检测各组肝癌细胞增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)和凋亡相关蛋白BCL-2表达水平。结果:高剂量查尔酮组和肿瘤对照组的肝癌细胞增殖活性分别为(0.716±0.018)和(1.135±0.032),差别有显著性(P<0.05)。高剂量组PCNA和BCL-2蛋白表达率分别为28.33%和16.77%,肿瘤对照组分别为72.77%和65.17%,差异均有显著性(P<0.05)。结论:查尔酮可降低小鼠肝癌细胞PCNA和BCL-2表达水平,对肝癌细胞增殖有一定抑制作用。     

明日叶查尔酮对小鼠肝癌细胞PCNA和BCL-2蛋白表达影响

目的：研究明日叶（Angelica keiskei Koidz）查尔酮对小鼠肝癌细胞PCNA和BCL-2蛋白表达的影响。方法：将50只皮下接种肝癌H22细胞株的小鼠随机分为5组,每组10只。高、中、低剂量组分别每日经口灌胃给予40、20、5mg/kg的查尔酮,肿瘤对照组给予等量生理盐水,连续10d,环磷酰胺组隔天腹腔注射环磷酰胺20mg/kg。取肝癌组织用四甲基偶氮噻唑蓝（MTT）法测各组小鼠肝癌细胞增殖活性,免疫组化法检测各组肝癌细胞增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）和凋亡相关蛋白BCL-2表达水平。结果：高剂量查尔酮组和肿瘤对照组的肝癌细胞增殖活性分别为（0.716±0.018）和（1.135±0.032）,差别有显著性（P〈0.05）。高剂量组PCNA和BCL-2蛋白表达率分别为28.33%和16.77%,肿瘤对照组分别为72.77%和65.17%,差异均有显著性（P〈0.05）。结论：查尔酮可降低小鼠肝癌细胞PCNA和BCL-2表达水平,对肝癌细胞增殖有一定抑制作用。