PML2‐mediated thread‐like nuclear bodies mark late senescence in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome

Progerin accumulation disrupts nuclear lamina integrity and causes nuclear structure abnormalities, leading to premature aging, that is, Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). The roles of nuclear subcompartments, such as PML nuclear bodies (PML NBs), in HGPS pathogenesis, are unclear. Here, we show that classical dot‐like PML NBs are reorganized into thread‐like structures in HGPS patient fibroblasts and their presence is associated with late stage of senescence. By co‐immunoprecipitation analysis, we show that farnesylated Progerin interacts with human PML2, which accounts for the formation of thread‐like PML NBs. Specifically, human PML2 but not PML1 overexpression in HGPS cells promotes PML thread development and accelerates senescence. Further immunofluorescence microscopy, immuno‐TRAP, and deep sequencing data suggest that these irregular PML NBs might promote senescence by perturbing NB‐associated DNA repair and gene expression in HGPS cells. These data identify irregular structures of PML NBs in senescent HGPS cells and support that the thread‐like PML NBs might be a novel, morphological, and functional biomarker of late senescence.     

Requirement of PML SUMO Interacting Motif for RNF4- or Arsenic Trioxide-Induced Degradation of Nuclear PML Isoforms

PML, the organizer of nuclear bodies (NBs), is expressed in several isoforms designated PMLI to VII which differ in their C-terminal region due to alternative splicing of a single gene. This variability is important for the function of the different PML isoforms. PML NB formation requires the covalent linkage of SUMO to PML. Arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) enhances PML SUMOylation leading to an increase in PML NB size and promotes its interaction with RNF4, a poly-SUMO-dependent ubiquitin E3 ligase responsible for proteasome-mediated PML degradation. Furthermore, the presence of a bona fide SUMO Interacting Motif (SIM) within the C-terminal region of PML seems to be required for recruitment of other SUMOylated proteins within PML NBs. This motif is present in all PML isoforms, except in the nuclear PMLVI and in the cytoplasmic PMLVII. Using a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay in living cells, we found that As₂O₃ enhanced the SUMOylation and interaction with RNF4 of nuclear PML isoforms (I to VI). In addition, among the nuclear PML isoforms, only the one lacking the SIM sequence, PMLVI, was resistant to As₂O₃-induced PML degradation. Similarly, mutation of the SIM in PMLIII abrogated its sensitivity to As₂O₃-induced degradation. PMLVI and PMLIII-SIM mutant still interacted with RNF4. However, their resistance to the degradation process was due to their inability to be polyubiquitinated and to recruit efficiently the 20S core and the β regulatory subunit of the 11S complex of the proteasome in PML NBs. Such resistance of PMLVI to As₂O₃-induced degradation was alleviated by overexpression of RNF4. Our results demonstrate that the SIM of PML is dispensable for PML SUMOylation and interaction with RNF4 but is required for efficient PML ubiquitination, recruitment of proteasome components within NBs and proteasome-dependent degradation of PML in response to As₂O₃.     

Mitogen-activated protein kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 phosphorylates and promotes Pin1 protein-dependent promyelocytic leukemia protein turnover

The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein is a tumor suppressor that has an important role in several cellular processes, including apoptosis, viral infection, DNA damage repair, cell cycle regulation, and senescence. PML is an essential component of sub-nuclear structures called PML nuclear bodies (NBs). Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, Pin1, binds and targets PML for degradation in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. To further elucidate the mechanisms underlying Pin1-mediated PML degradation, we aimed to identify one or more factors that promote PML phosphorylation. Here we show that treatment with U0126, an inhibitor of the ERK2 upstream kinases MEK1/2, leads to an increase in PML protein accumulation and an inhibition of the interaction between Pin1 and PML in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Consistent with this observation, phosphorylated ERK2 partially co-localized with PML NBs. Although U0126 up-regulated exogenous wild-type PML levels, it did not have an effect on the steady-state level of a mutant form of PML that is defective in binding Pin1. In addition, exogenous wild-type, but not Pin1 binding-defective PML protein expression levels were decreased by overexpression of ERK2. In contrast, knockdown of ERK2 by siRNA resulted in an increase in PML protein levels and an increase in the formation of PML NBs. Using phospho-specific antibodies, we identified Ser-403 and Ser-505 as the ERK2 targets that promote Pin1-mediated PML degradation. Finally, we demonstrated that EGF induced activation of ERK and interaction between PML and phosphorylated ERK resulting in a decrease in PML protein levels. Taken together, our results support a model in which Pin1 promotes PML degradation in an ERK2-dependent manner.     

Disruption of PML nuclear bodies is mediated by ORF61 SUMO-interacting motifs and required for varicella-zoster virus pathogenesis in skin

Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) has antiviral functions and many viruses encode gene products that disrupt PML nuclear bodies (PML NBs). However, evidence of the relevance of PML NB modification for viral pathogenesis is limited and little is known about viral gene functions required for PML NB disruption in infected cells in vivo. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human alphaherpesvirus that causes cutaneous lesions during primary and recurrent infection. Here we show that VZV disrupts PML NBs in infected cells in human skin xenografts in SCID mice and that the disruption is achieved by open reading frame 61 (ORF61) protein via its SUMO-interacting motifs (SIMs). Three conserved SIMs mediated ORF61 binding to SUMO1 and were required for ORF61 association with and disruption of PML NBs. Mutation of the ORF61 SIMs in the VZV genome showed that these motifs were necessary for PML NB dispersal in VZV-infected cells in vitro. In vivo, PML NBs were highly abundant, especially in basal layer cells of uninfected skin, whereas their frequency was significantly decreased in VZV-infected cells. In contrast, mutation of the ORF61 SIMs reduced ORF61 association with PML NBs, most PML NBs remained intact and importantly, viral replication in skin was severely impaired. The ORF61 SIM mutant virus failed to cause the typical VZV lesions that penetrate across the basement membrane into the dermis and viral spread in the epidermis was limited. These experiments indicate that VZV pathogenesis in skin depends upon the ORF61-mediated disruption of PML NBs and that the ORF61 SUMO-binding function is necessary for this effect. More broadly, our study elucidates the importance of PML NBs for the innate control of a viral pathogen during infection of differentiated cells within their tissue microenvironment in vivo and the requirement for a viral protein with SUMO-binding capacity to counteract this intrinsic barrier.     

The Chicken Adenovirus Gam1 Protein,an Inhibitor of the Sumoylation Pathway,Partially Complements ICP0-Null Mutant Herpes Simplex Virus 1

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein ICP0 stimulates efficient infection via its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity that causes degradation of several cellular proteins, some of which are sumoylated. Chicken adenovirus Gam1 protein also interferes with the sumoylation pathway, and both proteins disrupt promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies (NBs). We report that Gam1 increases the infection efficiency of ICP0-null mutant HSV-1 by approximately 100-fold, thus strengthening the hypothesis that PML NB- and sumoylation-related mechanisms are important factors in the control of HSV-1 infection.     

The SUMO protease SENP6 is a direct regulator of PML nuclear bodies

Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is the core component of PML-nuclear bodies (PML NBs). The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) system (and, in particular, SUMOylation of PML) is a critical component in the formation and regulation of PML NBs. SUMO protease SENP6 has been shown previously to be specific for SUMO-2/3-modified substrates and shows preference for SUMO polymers. Here, we further investigate the substrate specificity of SENP6 and show that it is also capable of cleaving mixed chains of SUMO-1 and SUMO-2/3. Depletion of SENP6 results in accumulation of endogenous SUMO-2/3 and SUMO-1 conjugates, and immunofluorescence analysis shows accumulation of SUMO and PML in an increased number of PML NBs. Although SENP6 depletion drastically increases the size of PML NBs, the organizational structure of the body is not affected. Mutation of the catalytic cysteine of SENP6 results in its accumulation in PML NBs, and biochemical analysis indicates that SUMO-modified PML is a substrate of SENP6.     

The herpesvirus associated ubiquitin specific protease, USP7, is a negative regulator of PML proteins and PML nuclear bodies

The PML tumor suppressor is the founding component of the multiprotein nuclear structures known as PML nuclear bodies (PML-NBs), which control several cellular functions including apoptosis and antiviral effects. The ubiquitin specific protease USP7 (also called HAUSP) is known to associate with PML-NBs and to be a tight binding partner of two herpesvirus proteins that disrupt PML NBs. Here we investigated whether USP7 itself regulates PML-NBs. Silencing of USP7 was found to increase the number of PML-NBs, to increase the levels of PML protein and to inhibit PML polyubiquitylation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. This effect of USP7 was independent of p53 as PML loss was observed in p53-null cells. PML-NBs disruption was induced by USP7 overexpression independently of its catalytic activity and was induced by either of the protein interaction domains of USP7, each of which localized to PML-NBs. USP7 also disrupted NBs formed from some single PML isoforms, most notably isoforms I and IV. CK2α and RNF4, which are known regulators of PML, were dispensable for USP7-associated PML-NB disruption. The results are consistent with a novel model of PML regulation where a deubiquitylase disrupts PML-NBs through recruitment of another cellular protein(s) to PML NBs, independently of its catalytic activity.     

Implication of PMLIV in Both Intrinsic and Innate Immunity

PML/TRIM19, the organizer of nuclear bodies (NBs), has been implicated in the antiviral response to diverse RNA and DNA viruses. Several PML isoforms generated from a single PML gene by alternative splicing, share the same N-terminal region containing the RBCC/tripartite motif but differ in their C-terminal sequences. Recent studies of all the PML isoforms reveal the specific functions of each. The knockout of PML renders mice more sensitive to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Here we report that among PML isoforms (PMLI to PMLVIIb), only PMLIII and PMLIV confer resistance to VSV. Unlike PMLIII, whose anti-VSV activity is IFN-independent, PMLIV can act at two stages: it confers viral resistance directly in an IFN-independent manner and also specifically enhances IFN-β production via a higher activation of IRF3, thus protecting yet uninfected cells from oncoming infection. PMLIV SUMOylation is required for both activities. This demonstrates for the first time that PMLIV is implicated in innate immune response through enhanced IFN-β synthesis. Depletion of IRF3 further demonstrates the dual activity of PMLIV, since it abrogated PMLIV-induced IFN synthesis but not PMLIV-induced inhibition of viral proteins. Mechanistically, PMLIV enhances IFN-β synthesis by regulating the cellular distribution of Pin1 (peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase), inducing its recruitment to PML NBs where both proteins colocalize. The interaction of SUMOylated PMLIV with endogenous Pin1 and its recruitment within PML NBs prevents the degradation of activated IRF3, and thus potentiates IRF3-dependent production of IFN-β. Whereas the intrinsic antiviral activity of PMLIV is specific to VSV, its effect on IFN-β synthesis is much broader, since it affects a key actor of innate immune pathways. Our results show that, in addition to its intrinsic anti-VSV activity, PMLIV positively regulates IFN-β synthesis in response to different inducers, thus adding PML/TRIM19 to the growing list of TRIM proteins implicated in both intrinsic and innate immunity.