Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) Interactions in Solution Studied by NMR

PCNA is an essential factor for DNA replication and repair. It forms a ring shaped structure of 86 kDa by the symmetric association of three identical protomers. The ring encircles the DNA and acts as a docking platform for other proteins, most of them containing the PCNA Interaction Protein sequence (PIP-box). We have used NMR to characterize the interactions of PCNA with several other proteins and fragments in solution. The binding of the PIP-box peptide of the cell cycle inhibitor p21 to PCNA is consistent with the crystal structure of the complex. A shorter p21 peptide binds with reduced affinity but retains most of the molecular recognition determinants. However the binding of the corresponding peptide of the tumor suppressor ING1 is extremely weak, indicating that slight deviations from the consensus PIP-box sequence dramatically reduce the affinity for PCNA, in contrast with a proposed less stringent PIP-box sequence requirement. We could not detect any binding between PCNA and the MCL-1 or the CDK2 protein, reported to interact with PCNA in biochemical assays. This suggests that they do not bind directly to PCNA, or they do but very weakly, with additional unidentified factors stabilizing the interactions in the cell. Backbone dynamics measurements show three PCNA regions with high relative flexibility, including the interdomain connector loop (IDCL) and the C-terminus, both of them involved in the interaction with the PIP-box. Our work provides the basis for high resolution studies of direct ligand binding to PCNA in solution.     

增殖细胞核抗原蛋白在Spodoptera frugiperda昆虫细胞中的表达及纯化

目的:利用昆虫细胞表达系统生产重组的人增殖细胞核抗原(proliferating cell nuclear antigen,PCNA),并进行纯化和抗体结合特性鉴定。方法:以HeLa细胞逆转录的cDNA为模板,扩增人PCNA基因,并插入杆状病毒载体AcMNPV。利用昆虫细胞得到PCNA基因的重组杆状病毒。病毒感染细胞表达蛋白,联合镍柱亲和层析和离子交换层析获得高纯度的重组人PCNA蛋白。ELISA法测定抗体结合特异性。结果:以HeLa细胞cDNA为模板得到的基因序列同GenBank的人PCNA基因序列一致。草地贪夜蛾细胞(Spodoptera frugiperda,Sf9)表达重组人PCNA(recombinant human PCNA,rPCNA)的最佳感染值(MOI)和感染时间分别为0.05h和144h。rPCNA的产量高达110mg/L细胞,纯度95%。间接ELISA法检测抗体结合特性,rPCNA的敏感性和特异性分别为93.3%和85.0%。结论:建立了rPCNA的表达和纯化方法,获得了高效表达、高度抗体结合特异性的PCNA蛋白,该蛋白质能进一步开发为PCNA相关疾病的体外诊断试剂盒,具较大的应用价值。     

Crystal Structure of SUMO-Modified Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

Eukaryotic proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a replication accessory protein that functions in DNA replication, repair, and recombination. The various functions of PCNA are regulated by posttranslational modifications including mono-ubiquitylation, which promotes translesion synthesis, and sumoylation, which inhibits recombination. To understand how SUMO modification regulates PCNA, we generated a split SUMO-modified PCNA protein and showed that it supports cell viability and stimulates DNA polymerase δ activity. We then determined its X-ray crystal structure and found that SUMO occupies a position on the back face of the PCNA ring, which is distinct from the position occupied by ubiquitin in the structure of ubiquitin-modified PCNA. We propose that the back of PCNA has evolved to be a site of regulation that can be easily modified without disrupting ongoing reactions on the front of PCNA, such as normal DNA replication. Moreover, these modifications likely allow PCNA to function as a tool belt, whereby proteins can be recruited to the replication machinery via the back of PCNA and be held in reserve until needed.     

Functional Interactions of a Homolog of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen with DNA Polymerases in Archaea

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is an essential component of the DNA replication and repair machinery in the domain Eucarya. We cloned the gene encoding a PCNA homolog (PfuPCNA) from an euryarchaeote, Pyrococcus furiosus, expressed it in Escherichia coli, and characterized the biochemical properties of the gene product. The protein PfuPCNA stimulated the in vitro primer extension abilities of polymerase (Pol) I and Pol II, which are the two DNA polymerases identified in this organism to date. An immunological experiment showed that PfuPCNA interacts with both Pol I and Pol II. Pol I is a single polypeptide with a sequence similar to that of family B (alpha-like) DNA polymerases, while Pol II is a heterodimer. PfuPCNA interacted with DP2, the catalytic subunit of the heterodimeric complex. These results strongly support the idea that the PCNA homolog works as a sliding clamp of DNA polymerases in P. furiosus, and the basic mechanism for the processive DNA synthesis is conserved in the domains Bacteria, Eucarya, and Archaea. The stimulatory effect of PfuPCNA on the DNA synthesis was observed by using a circular DNA template without the clamp loader (replication factor C [RFC]) in both Pol I and Pol II reactions in contrast to the case of eukaryotic organisms, which are known to require the RFC to open the ring structure of PCNA prior to loading onto a circular DNA. Because RFC homologs have been found in the archaeal genomes, they may permit more efficient stimulation of DNA synthesis by archaeal DNA polymerases in the presence of PCNA. This is the first stage in elucidating the archaeal DNA replication mechanism.     

Overexpression and Rapid Purification of Biologically Active Yeast Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

Yeast proliferating cell nuclear antigen (yPCNA) is a cell-cycle-regulated protein that has been shown to be required for the efficient elongation of primed DNA templates by DNA polymerase δin vitro.We have expressed yPCNA to a high level (≥30% of the total cellular protein) with and without a six-residue histidine tag at its amino-terminus. Both forms of the recombinant protein were found to be biologically active and no significant differences were observed between the two forms. In this report we describe an efficient method of extraction of DNA binding proteins, such as yPCNA, overexpressed inEscherichia coli.The presence of a (His)₆tag on the polypeptide permitted rapid and high-yield single-step purification of the protein (60 mg of purified yPCNA per liter of induced cell culture) by immobilized metal affinity chromatography using an imidazole gradient elution procedure. The purified yPCNA was used to characterize the biological activity and tertiary structure of the protein. Chemical crosslinking and size-exclusion FPLC studies indicated that both forms of the protein have a trimeric–oligomeric structure in solution. Taken together these results indicate that both forms of the recombinant yPCNA were similar to the endogenous protein in their biochemical properties. The strategies presented here are designed to maximize the yield of recombinant protein and should prove useful to the purification of other recombinant DNA binding proteins.     

PCNA、P27蛋白在老年胃癌中的表达及其临床意义

目的：探讨增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）和P27蛋白（P27）在老年胃癌中表达及其临床意义。方法：采用免疫组织化学SP法检测58例老年胃癌组织中PCNA、P27蛋白表达情况,分析它们与老年胃癌临床生物学行为的关系。结果：PCNA在老年胃癌组中的阳性表达率明显高于对照组的阳性表达率,P27在老年胃癌组中的阳性表达率明显低于对照组的阳性表达率。PCNA蛋白阳性表达与老年胃癌是否有浆膜浸润、组织分化程度、淋巴结转移以及TNM分期密切相关（P〈0.01）,而P27蛋白阳性表达与老年胃癌类型、是否有浆膜浸润、组织分化程度、淋巴结转移以及TNM分期密切相关（P〈0.01）。老年胃癌组织中PCNA、P27的表达呈负相关（r=-0.536,P〈0.05）。结论：P27表达下调、PCNA表达增强在老年胃癌的发生、发展过程中具有重要的作用,且两者具有相互作用。     

重组人PCNA突变体的克隆与稳定表达

目的:构建重组人PCNA突变体(mutant PCNA,mPCNA)的真核表达质粒,并建立稳定高表达该目的蛋白的宫颈癌细胞系Hela.为进一步研究PCNA在DNA损伤修复中重要的生物学功能奠定基础.方法:将舍有定点突变的PCNA cDNA序列克隆到T载体中,然后再亚克隆到真核表达栽体pCDNA3.1/V5-His A上,构建真核表达载体质粒pCDNA3.1/V5-His A-mPCNA,稳定转染到Hela细胞中;Western Blotting法检测蛋白的表达情况;白细胞记数法测定细胞的生长速率.结果:真核表达质粒pCDNA3.1/V5-His A-mPCNA经酶切、测序分析与实验设计的序列完全一致;稳定建系后,Western Blotting结果显示在相应位置可见清楚的目的条带;稳定高表达mPCNA的细胞系与野生型细胞相比两者的生长速率基本一致.结论:成功构建了真核表达质粒pCDNA3.1/V5-His A-mPCNA;建立了稳定高表达该突变体的Hela细胞系;PCNA突变体的高表达不影响Hela细胞的正常生长.     

Targeting Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Partially Contributes to Bufalin-Induced Cell Death in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Despite recent pharmaceutical advancements in therapeutic drugs, multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease. Recently, ploy(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) has been shown as a potentially promising target for MM therapy. A previous report suggested bufalin, a component of traditional Chinese medicine (“Chan Su”), might target PARP1. However, this hypothesis has not been verified. We here showed that bufalin could inhibit PARP1 activity in vitro and reduce DNA–damage-induced poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in MM cells. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the active site of bufalin interaction is within the catalytic domain of PAPR1. Thus, PARP1 is a putative target of bufalin. Furthermore, we showed, for the first time that the proliferation of MM cell lines (NCI-H929, U266, RPMI8226 and MM.1S) and primary CD138⁺ MM cells could be inhibited by bufalin, mainly via apoptosis and G₂-M phase cell cycle arrest. MM cell apoptosis was confirmed by apoptotic cell morphology, Annexin-V positive cells, and the caspase3 activation. We further evaluated the role of PARP1 in bufalin-induced apoptosis, discovering that PARP1 overexpression partially suppressed bufalin-induced cell death. Moreover, bufalin can act as chemosensitizer to enhance the cell growth-inhibitory effects of topotecan, camptothecin, etoposide and vorinostat in MM cells. Collectively, our data suggest that bufalin is a novel PARP1 inhibitor and a potentially promising therapeutic agent against MM alone or in combination with other drugs.     

Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Uses Two Distinct Modes to Move along DNA

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) plays an important role in eukaryotic genomic maintenance by topologically binding DNA and recruiting replication and repair proteins. The ring-shaped protein forms a closed circle around double-stranded DNA and is able to move along the DNA in a random walk. The molecular nature of this diffusion process is poorly understood. We use single-molecule imaging to visualize the movement of individual, fluorescently labeled PCNA molecules along stretched DNA. Measurements of diffusional properties as a function of viscosity and protein size suggest that PCNA moves along DNA using two different sliding modes. Most of the time, the clamp moves while rotationally tracking the helical pitch of the DNA duplex. In a less frequently used second mode of diffusion, the movement of the protein is uncoupled from the helical pitch, and the clamp diffuses at much higher rates.     

Detection of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen in Tissues of Three Small Fish Species

An immunohistochemical assay for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) identifies cells in all active phases of the cell cycle. In this study, PCNA methodology, which was developed primarily for mammalian tissues, was adapted to three small fish species, medaka (Ory-zias latipes), guppy (Poecilia reticulata), and western mosquitofish (Gambusia affiinis) that are used in carcinogenesis bioassays and environmental sentinel studies. Our study showed that PCNA can be identified in routinely processed, paraffin embedded specimens of these fishes. Optimum staining conditions were dependent on fixative, primary antibody, antigen retrieval processing. and protein blocking reagent. Best results were achieved using 10% neutral buffered formalin as the fixative, clone PC10 as the primary antibody, and a combination of powdered milk and bovine serum albumin as a protein block. Except for medaka specimens, antigen retrieval was not required for specimens preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin. but was required for the other fixatives tested. In whole fish specimens, PCNA marked cells in normally proliferating tissues such as testis. ovary, primary filament epithelium of the gill, hematopoietic tissues, thymus, retina and alimentary tract. The study demonstrated the successful application of mammalian-based PCNA technology to these aquatic species. Further applications of the assay will aid in understanding the role of cell proliferation in normal, diseased, and toxicant-affected tissues of aquatic animals.     

HCV核心蛋白诱导Cos-7细胞凋亡

将丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)核心蛋白(Core)基因的全长序列插入到真核表达载体pCDNA3 CMV启动子下游,构建真核表达载体pCDNA3-Core,用脂质体LipoVecTM转染Cos-7细胞系进行瞬时表达;DNA转染24h后用免疫斑点试验检测在细胞中表达的Core蛋白;转染72h后用Hoechst染色和DNA Ladder检测Cos-7细胞的凋亡情况;荧光染色观察到了细胞凋亡核碎裂,琼脂糖凝胶电泳也呈现出180-200bp整数倍的梯形带,呈现典型的细胞凋亡特征.这些结果表明HCV Core蛋白的表达能引起Cos-7细胞凋亡,Core蛋白的这种功能可能在HCV的持续感染过程中起着一定的作用.     

HCV核心蛋白诱导Cos—7细胞凋亡

将丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)核心蛋白(Core)基因的全长序列插入到真核表达载体pCDNA3 CMV启动子下游,构建真核表达载体pCDNA3—Core,用脂质体LipoVec^TM转染Cos—7细胞系进行瞬时表达;DNA转染24h后用免疫斑点试验检测在细胞中表达的Core蛋白;转染72h后用Hoechst染色和DNA Ladder检测Cos—7细胞的凋亡情况;荧光染色观察到了细胞凋亡核碎裂,琼脂糖凝胶电泳也呈现出180—200bp整数倍的梯形带,呈现典型的细胞凋亡特征。这些结果表明HCV Core蛋白的表达能引起Cos—7细胞凋亡,Core蛋白的这种功能可能在HCV的持续感染过程中起着一定的作用。