Diverse functions of PHD fingers of the MLL/KMT2 subfamily

Five members of the KMT2 family of lysine methyltransferases, originally named the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL1-5) proteins, regulate gene expression during embryogenesis and development. Each KMT2A-E contains a catalytic SET domain that methylates lysine 4 of histone H3, and one or several PHD fingers. Over the past few years a growing number of studies have uncovered diverse biological roles of the KMT2A-E PHD fingers, implicating them in binding to methylated histones and other nuclear proteins, and in mediating the E3 ligase activity and dimerization. Mutations in the PHD fingers or deletion of these modules are linked to human diseases including cancer and Kabuki syndrome. In this work, we summarize recently identified biological functions of the KMT2A-E PHD fingers, discuss mechanisms of their action, and examine preference of these domains for histone and non-histone ligands.     

Crystal Structure of MLL2 Complex Guides the Identification of a Methylation Site on P53 Catalyzed by KMT2 Family Methyltransferases

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The Cks1/Cks2 axis fine-tunes Mll1 expression and is crucial for MLL-rearranged leukaemia cell viability

The Cdc28 protein kinase subunits, Cks1 and Cks2, play dual roles in Cdk-substrate specificity and Cdk-independent protein degradation, in concert with the E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes SCF^Skp2 and APC^Cdc20. Notable targets controlled by Cks include p27 and Cyclin A. Here, we demonstrate that Cks1 and Cks2 proteins interact with both the Mll^N and Mll^C subunits of Mll1 (Mixed-lineage leukaemia 1), and together, the Cks proteins define Mll1 levels throughout the cell cycle. Overexpression of CKS1B and CKS2 is observed in multiple human cancers, including various MLL-rearranged (MLLr) AML subtypes. To explore the importance of MLL-Fusion Protein regulation by CKS1/2, we used small molecule inhibitors (MLN4924 and C1) to modulate their protein degradation functions. These inhibitors specifically reduced the proliferation of MLLr cell lines compared to primary controls. Altogether, this study uncovers a novel regulatory pathway for MLL1, which may open a new therapeutic approach to MLLr leukaemia.     

MLL: How complex does it get?

The mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene encodes a very large nuclear protein homologous to Drosophila trithorax (trx). MLL is required for the proper maintenance of HOX gene expression during development and hematopoiesis. The exact regulatory mechanism of HOX gene expression by MLL is poorly understood, but it is believed that MLL functions at the level of chromatin organization. MLL was identified as a common target of chromosomal translocations associated with human acute leukemias. About 50 different MLL fusion partners have been isolated to date, and while similarities exist between groups of partners, there exists no unifying property shared by all the partners. MLL gene rearrangements are found in leukemias with both lymphoid and myeloid phenotypes and are often associated with infant and secondary leukemias. The immature phenotype of the leukemic blasts suggests an important role for MLL in the early stages of hematopoietic development. Mll homozygous mutant mice are embryonic lethal and exhibit deficiencies in yolk sac hematopoiesis. Recently, two different MLL-containing protein complexes have been isolated. These and other gain- and loss-of-function experiments have provided insight into normal MLL function and altered functions of MLL fusion proteins. This article reviews the progress made toward understanding the function of the wild-type MLL protein. While many advances in understanding this multifaceted protein have been made since its discovery, many challenging questions remain to be answered.     

Therapeutic Targeting of MLL Degradation Pathways in MLL-Rearranged Leukemia

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An interdependent network of functional enhancers regulates transcription and EZH2 loading at the INK4a/ARF locus

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Characterization of the AE7 gene in Arabidopsis suggests that normal cell proliferation is essential for leaf polarity establishment

The formation of leaf polarity is critical for leaf morphogenesis. In this study, we characterized and cloned an Arabidopsis gene, AS1/2 ENHANCER7 (AE7), which is required for both leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity formation and normal cell proliferation. The ae7 mutant exhibited leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity defects and double mutants combining ae7 with the leaf polarity mutants as1 (asymmetric leaves1), as2, rdr6 (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase6) or ago7/zip (argonaute7/zippy) all resulted in plants with an apparently enhanced loss of adaxial leaf identity. In addition, ae7 also showed decreased cell proliferation in both leaves and roots, compensated by increased cell sizes in leaves. AE7 encodes a protein conserved in many eukaryotic organisms, ranging from unicellular yeasts to humans; however, the functions of AE7 family members from other species have not been reported. In situ hybridization revealed that AE7 is expressed in a spotted pattern in plant tissues, similar to cell-cycle marker genes such as HISTONE4. Moreover, the ae7 endoploidy and expression analysis of several cell-cycle marker genes in ae7 suggest that the AE7 gene is required for cell cycle progression. As the previously characterized 26S proteasome and ribosome mutants also affect both leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity and cell proliferation, similar to the defects in ae7, we propose that normal cell proliferation may be essential for leaf polarity establishment. Possible models for how cell proliferation influences leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity establishment are discussed.     

人NFE2基因上游增强子lncRNA调控NFE2基因转录和K562细胞增殖

目的 转录因子NFE2的异常表达在许多骨髓增殖性肿瘤患者中被观察到,然而造成这种异常的转录调控机制尚不明确,本研究旨在探究参与NFE2转录调控的元件和分子机制。方法 首先通过公共数据库中ChIP-seq数据和ATAC-seq数据预测NFE2基因的潜在增强子元件,并通过双荧光素酶报告实验进行体外验证。随后,通过PRO-seq和GRO-seq数据结合RACE技术克隆这些增强子RNA转录本,经在线编码潜能预测工具分析认为其为lncRNA,通过RT-qPCR检测该lncRNA在不同白血病细胞系中和这些细胞诱导分化前后的表达变化及其亚细胞定位。最后,通过慢病毒系统在K562细胞中过表达和敲降该lncRNA以探究其功能。结果 鉴定出调控NFE2转录的3个增强子元件,分别位于NFE2转录起始位点-3.6k,-6.2k和+6.3k区域,这些元件插入NFE2启动子上游均能增强下游萤火虫荧光素酶的表达。克隆出-3.6k增强子负链方向的转录本,将其鉴定为-3.6k-lncRNA。本研究发现,该lncRNA在K562、U937和HL-60这3种白血病细胞系中均有一定程度的表达,且均定位于细胞核内。当该lncRNA在K562细胞中过表达,NFE2水平随之提高,细胞增殖和细胞迁移能力受到抑制;当其被敲降时,NFE2水平相应降低而K562细胞增殖能力随之升高。结论 本文鉴定了调控人NFE2基因转录的3个增强子元件和一条增强子lncRNA转录本,并验证了该lncRNA对NFE2转录的正调控作用以及对K562细胞增殖能力具有抑制作用。     

Regulatory potential of S/MAR elements in transient expression

S/MARs (scaffold/matrix attachment regions) are the DNA regions that are involved in the interaction with the nuclear matrix and are identified by in vitro methods. According to the available information, S/MARs possess an insulating activity, i.e., the ability to block the interaction between the enhancer and promoter in vivo, and are, probably, intact insulators or their fragments. Nevertheless, there is still no direct proof for this correspondence. To obtain additional information on the insulator activity of S/MARs, we selected five DNA fragments of different lengths and affinities for the nuclear matrix from a previously constructed library of S/MARs and tested their ability to serve as insulators. Two of five elements exhibited an insulator (enhancer blocking) activity upon the transient transfection of CHO cells. None of the S/MARs displayed either promoter or enhancer/silencer activities in these cells.Translated from Bioorganicheskaya Khimiya, Vol. 31, No. 1, 2005, pp. 77–81.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Sass, Ruda, Akopov, Snezhkov, Nikolaev, Sverdlov.     

Crystal structure of the N-terminal region of human Ash2L shows a winged-helix motif involved in DNA binding

Ash2L is a core component of the MLL family histone methyltransferases and has an important role in regulating the methylation of histone H3 on lysine 4. Here, we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of Ash2L and reveal a new function of Ash2L. The structure shows that Ash2L contains an atypical PHD finger that does not have histone tail-binding activity. Unexpectedly, the structure shows a previously unrecognized winged-helix motif that directly binds to DNA. The DNA-binding-deficient mutants of Ash2L reduced Ash2L localization to the HOX locus. Strikingly, a single mutation in Ash2L(WH) (K131A) breaks the chromatin domain boundary, suggesting that Ash2L also has a role in chromosome demarcation.     

转录因子C／EBPβ的研究进展

C／EBPs增强子结合蛋白是核转录因子,其作用范围广泛,既参与正常的生理代谢过程,又与多种疾病的发生和发展相关,其作用方式多样,对转录有正、负调控作用。C／EBPβ是其第二位成员主要通过对靶细胞基因转录的调节,参与细胞的增殖与分化、肿瘤的发生与凋亡等重要生命活动;其功能受到蛋白酶降解、磷酸化、蛋白质相互作用等多种途径的调控。本文就C／EBPs的调控机理及其与肿瘤的关系综述如下。