人XPB基因在核苷酸剪切修复和基因转录中的分子机制

核苷酸剪切修复(NER)途径是维持生物体基因组稳定的重要机制。人着色性干皮病B组(xeroderma pigmentosum group B,XPB)基因又名ERCC3基因,它既是NER途径不可缺少的成员又是转录因子TFIIH的最大p89亚基。它是具有从3’端→5’端依赖ATP的单链DNA解旋酶活性的蛋白质,执行依赖DNA的ATP酶和解旋酶功能,在损伤DNA修复和基因转录中均起重要作用,并将两者有机偶联。该基因突变将导致3种不同的遗传疾病：着色性干皮病(xeroderma pigmentosum,XP),科凯恩氏综合征(cockayne’s syndrome,CS),毛发硫营养不艮(trichothiodystrophy,TTD)。其基因型通过在DNA修复和转录中的功能与表型联系起来。另外,XPB与p53存在物理和功能上的相互作用。现从XPB的3个方面即“一个基因,两种功能,3种疾病”作一综述。     

抑癌基因p53蛋白产物与DNA相互作用的研究进展

抑癌基因p53蛋白产物是一种多功能的转录调控因子,其C-末端含DNA结合区,N-末端含转录激活区。它能通过磷酸化或构象变化来激活其DNA结合活性,从而与某些基因的启动子区结合而激活它们的转录,而对不具有与其结合位点基因的转录起抑制作用。p53蛋白还能作为一种DNA复制因子,通过与某些基因的复制起始区结合而对它们的复制或修复进行调控。对基因转录或复制的调控都最终反映在对细胞周期的调控上。     

从DNA修复机理看细胞癌变的发生机制

DNA损伤是引起基因突变,导致细胞恶性转化的重要原因．DNA损伤的修复过程非常复杂,是与细胞周期调节、DNA复制和DNA转录等生命活动紧密相连的．首先DNA修复需要细胞周期停滞,避免DNA损伤进入子代细胞．其次,参与DNA转录的某些基因产物参与DNA损伤的识别,有利于转录链的优先修复．最后,DNA修复系统NER、MMR参与损伤修复．上述DNA修复过程任何环节的异常,都将造成DNA修复功能减弱,导致某些功能基因突变,从而导致细胞的恶性转化．     

乙酰转移酶Tip60在转录调控及DNA损伤应答中作用的研究进展

Tip60(Tat-interactive protein)是进化上极为保守的乙酰转移酶,它在细胞周期阻滞、凋亡、DNA损伤修复等众多生理学过程中都发挥着重要的作用.作为许多转录因子的共调节因子,Tip60既可以激活也可以抑制特定基因的转录.当发生DNA损伤时,它被招募到损伤位点,参与DNA损伤应答的感受、信号转导和修复过程中.除此之外,Tip60还与许多病理过程有关,尤其是在肿瘤发生中起着关键作用.     

p53基因与DNA修复

DNA的损伤修复是一个多因子参与的、多环节的复杂修复系统。p53基因以多条信号通路,多种调控方式参与DNA修复。它可以通过其下游一系列靶基因p21、gadd45等调控细胞周期,使细胞停滞于G1期、G2期等检测点,从而使受损DNA有足够的时间进行多因子参与的修复过程;也可以与DNA修复因子PRSA、PCNA、XPp48基因等相互作用,直接参与DNA修复;还可以蛋白－蛋白相互作用参与DNA修复。     

DNA损伤修复基本方式的研究进展

DNA损伤修复基因可修复由不同原因导致的DNA损伤．从而保护遗传信息的完整性。DNA损伤修复有3种基本形式,即碱基切除修复、核苷酸切除修复和错配修复。本文综述了DNA损伤修复3种基本形式的研究进展情况并讨论了DNA链断裂重组和重接合修复及DNA聚合酶绕道修复DNA损伤。     

植物MYB蛋白与其靶定DNA结合位点之间的相互作用

MYB转录因子是植物转录因子中最大的家族之一,在植物生长发育和对环境胁迫的应激反应中发挥重要作用。MYB蛋白通过识别和结合特定的DNA序列调控靶基因的表达,进而发挥其多样性的作用。近几十年来,MYB蛋白与其靶定DNA结合位点之间的相互作用研究取得了很大的进展。主要综述了植物MYB蛋白与DNA的结合特性及其DNA结合位点的序列特异性,并对检测蛋白质与DNA之间相互作用的新兴技术做了简要阐述。     

真核细胞DNA聚合酶δ的结构与功能

DNA聚合酶δ(Polδ)在真核细胞的DNA复制过程中具有核心酶的作用,同时还参与DNA的修复。Polδ是一种由多个亚基组成的复合体,目前已从哺乳动物、裂殖酵母和芽殖酵母等多种真核生物细胞中分离出,并对它们的亚基组成进行了分析,但还未得到确切一致的结果。Polδ在DNA复制中的具体作用已基本了解,它参与催化整个前导链的复制以及一些或大部分滞后链的复制。此外,Polδ还参与DNA的修复,此酶的这一功能可减少DNA的变异,但目前对其作用机理还知之较少。在Polδ活性调控方面,主要研究了一些相关蛋白因子对Polδ活性的调控作用以及转录因子对催化亚基表达的调控作用。     

基因转录后调控在DNA损伤反应中的重要功能

DNA损伤发生时,细胞会激活一系列复杂的信号网络来调控细胞周期检查,完成DNA损伤修复或当损伤超过修复能力时诱导凋亡,这一信号网络被称为DNA损伤反应(DNA damage response,DDR)。以往DDR信号网络的研究主要集中于基因转录调控和蛋白共价修饰对功能分子的稳定性和活性调控。近年来,mRNA稳定性调控和mRNA翻译调控等基因转录后调控机制在DDR中的重要作用引起研究者越来越多的关注。研究证明:多种microRNAs和RNA结合蛋白(RNA-binding proteins,RBPs)在转录后水平调控诸多重要功能蛋白的表达,在DDR信号网络中起着不可或缺的作用。文章针对DDR反应中转录后调控的研究进展以及参与其中的microRNAs和RBPs进行阐述和讨论。     

原核细胞中可调控人工转录元件的构建与表征

人工转录装置可以按照所设计的方式在原核细胞和真核细胞中调节基因表达。本研究在大肠杆菌中设计并构建了一种由合成启动子和人工转录因子构成的人工转录装置:其中,合成启动子包含了一种弱启动子P_(lac)突变体与位于其上游的λ噬菌体操纵区(O_R2或O_R3)的不同组合,而人工转录因子则利用细菌RNA聚合酶α亚基的N端和λ噬菌体CI蛋白的C端组成的融合蛋白α-CI作为效应域,CI蛋白作为DNA结合结构域。利用绿荧光蛋白作为报告基因对这一人工转录装置检测发现,它可以成功开启报告基因的转录活性。随后通过改变这一人工转录装置的某些参数,例如,增加启动子上游操纵序列的拷贝数、使用温敏型CI取代野生型CI、在系统中引入CI的阻遏蛋白Cro等多种方式,实现了对报告基因转录强度的精细调控。这一人工可调控转录装置可以在原核细胞中实现对报告基因表达强度的精细调控,在原核细胞中调节基因线路的信号输出强度方面具有一定的应用前景。     

Active DNA demethylation and DNA repair

DNA methylation on cytosine is an epigenetic modification and is essential for gene regulation and genome stability in vertebrates. Traditionally DNA methylation was considered as the most stable of all heritable epigenetic marks. However, it has become clear that DNA methylation is reversible by enzymatic “active” DNA demethylation, with examples in plant cells, animal development and immune cells. It emerges that “pruning” of methylated cytosines by active DNA demethylation is an important determinant for the DNA methylation signature of a cell. Work in plants and animals shows that demethylation occurs by base excision and nucleotide excision repair. Far from merely protecting genomic integrity from environmental insult, DNA repair is therefore at the heart of an epigenetic activation process.     

诺贝尔化学奖和拉斯克基础医学研究奖共同奖励DNA修复机制研究

<正>2015年诺贝尔化学奖授予瑞典出生的托马斯·林达尔(Tomas Lindahl)、美国人保罗·莫里奇(Paul Modrich)和土耳其出生的阿齐兹·桑卡尔(Aziz Sancar),以奖励他们在"DNA修复机制研究"中的杰出贡献.2015年拉斯克基础医学研究奖虽然也奖给DNA损伤修复主题,但获奖人却不同,授予了两位美国人伊夫林·威特金(Evelyn M.Witkin)和史蒂芬·埃利奇(Stephen J.Elledge),以奖励他们     

Proliferating cell unclear antigen-associated factor (PAF15): A novel oncogene

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-Associated Factor (PAF15) is a small protein containing a PCNA interacting motif and sequences for association with ubiquitin enzymes. In interaction with PCNA, PAF15 plays a key role in recruiting DNA replicative polymerase by double monoubiquitination at Lys¹⁵ and Lys²⁴. Under DNA damage conditions, PAF15 regulates the switch from DNA replicative polymerase to translesion synthesis polymerase in order to bypass the replication-blocking lesions. Overexpression of PAF15 promotes the repair of ultraviolet-induced DNA damage and prevents cell death, whereas attenuation of PAF15 decreases DNA replication and cell survival. Ectopic expression of PAF15 in mouse fibroblasts increases colony formation and tumourigenicity. PAF15 is aberrantly increased in various human malignancies with poor prognosis. Collectively, PAF15 may contribute to carcinogenesis and represents one of the potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of cancer.     

Repair of bleomycin-damaged DNA by human fibroblasts

The ability of human fibroblasts to repair bleomycin-damaged DNA was examined in vivo. Repair of the specific lesions caused by bleomycin (BLM) was investigated in normal cell strains as well as those isolated from patients with apparent DNA repair defects. The diseases ataxia telangiectasia (AT), Bloom syndrome (BS), Cockayne syndrome (CS), Fanconi anemia (FA), and xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) were those selected for study. The method used for studying the repair of DNA after BLM exposure was alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation. After exposure to BLM, a fall in the molecular weight of DNA was observed, and after drug removal the DNA reformed rapidly to high molecular weight. The fall in molecular weight upon exposure to BLM was observed in all cells examined with the exception of some XP strains. Prelabeled cells from some XP complementation groups were found to have a higher percentage of low molecular weight DNA on alkaline gradients than did normal cells. This prelabeled low molecular weight DNA disappeared upon exposure to BLM.     

DNA修复的分子机制

ＤＮＡ是遗传信息的载体,需要有极高的保真度,这不仅有赖于完善的复制体系,而且还需要有能纠正已存在错误的修复系统。对于不同的ＤＮＡ损伤,生物体内存在许多不同的修复系统。本文介绍三种主要修复系统即核苷酸切割修复,错配修复及转录偶联修复的分子机制,深入研究ＤＮＡ修复作用对了解某些癌症成因及细胞衰老等过程有重要意义 。     

Protective action of melatonin against oxidative DNA damage—Chemical inactivation versus base-excision repair

Melatonin is a hormone-like substance that has a variety of beneficial properties as regulator of the circadian rhythm and as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent. The latter activity can be linked with the ability of melatonin to protect DNA against oxidative damage. It may exert such action either by scavenging reactive oxygen species or their primary sources, or by stimulating the repair of oxidative damage in DNA. Since such type of DNA damage is reflected in oxidative base modifications that are primarily repaired by base-excision repair (BER), we tried to investigate in the present work whether melatonin could influence this DNA-repair system. We also investigated the ability of melatonin to inactivate hydrogen peroxide, a potent source of reactive oxygen species. Melatonin at 50 μM and its direct metabolite N¹-acetyl-N²-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine reduced DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide at approximately the same ratio. Melatonin stimulated the repair of DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide, as assessed by the alkaline comet assay. However, melatonin at 50 μM had no impact on the activity in vitro of three glycosylases playing a pivotal role in BER: Endo III, Fpg and ANPG 80. On the other hand, melatonin chemically inactivated hydrogen peroxide, reducing its potential to damage DNA. And finally, melatonin did not influence the repair of an a-basic (AP) site by cellular extracts, as was evaluated by a functional BER assay in vitro. In conclusion, melatonin can have a protective effect against oxidative DNA damage by chemical inactivation of a DNA-damaging agent as well as by stimulating DNA repair, but key factors in BER, viz. glycosylases and AP-endonucleases, do not seem to be affected by melatonin. Further study with other components of the BER machinery and studies aimed at other DNA-repair systems are needed to clarify the mechanism underlying the stimulation of DNA repair by melatonin.     

Characterization of the plant homolog of Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1: Involvement in DNA repair and recombination

The Nbs1 gene is known to code for a protein involved in the hereditary cancer-prone disease, Nijmegen breakage syndrome. This gene is conserved in animals and fungi, but no plant homolog is known. The work reported here describes a homolog of Nbs1 isolated from higher plants. The Nbs1 proteins from both Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa are smaller in size than animal or yeast Nbs1, but both contain the conserved Nbs1 domains such as the FHA/BRCT domain, the Mre11-binding domain, and the Atm-interacting domain in orientations similar to what is seen in animal Nbs1. The OsNbs1 protein interacted not only with plant Mre11, but also with animal Mre11. In plants, OsNbs1 mRNA expression was found to be higher in the shoot apex and young flower, and AtNbs1 expression increased when plants were exposed to 100 Gy of X-rays. These results suggest that plant Nbs1 could participate in a Rad50/Mre11/Nbs1 complex, and could be essential for the regulation of DNA recombination and DNA damage responses.     

Comet assay with nuclear extract incubation

Alkaline comet assay is a simple sensitive method for detecting DNA strand breaks. However, at the time of cell lysis, only a fraction of the entire DNA damage appears as DNA strand breaks, while some DNA strand breaks may have been rejoined and some DNA lesions may still remain unexcised. We showed that nuclear extract (NE) prepared from human cells could excise the DNA adducts induced by UVC, X-ray, and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Thus, the comet assay with NE incubation allows a closer estimation of total DNA damage. Among the human urothelial carcinoma cell lines we tested, the NE of NTUB1 cells showed higher activity in excising the DNA adducts induced by UVC, but with a lower activity in excising the DNA adducts induced by MMS than the NE of BFTC905 cells. Moreover, under the same dose of X-ray irradiation, a larger difference in total DNA damage between two cell lines was revealed in comet assay incubated with NE than without NE. Therefore, the comet assay with NE incubation may be useful in the research of cancer risk, drug resistance, and DNA repair proteins.