The MMS22L–TONSL heterodimer directly promotes RAD51‐dependent recombination upon replication stress

Homologous recombination (HR) is a key pathway that repairs DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) and helps to restart stalled or collapsed replication forks. How HR supports replication upon genotoxic stress is not understood. Using in vivo and in vitro approaches, we show that the MMS22L–TONSL heterodimer localizes to replication forks under unperturbed conditions and its recruitment is increased during replication stress in human cells. MMS22L–TONSL associates with replication protein A (RPA)‐coated ssDNA, and the MMS22L subunit directly interacts with the strand exchange protein RAD51. MMS22L is required for proper RAD51 assembly at DNA damage sites in vivo, and HR‐mediated repair of stalled forks is abrogated in cells expressing a MMS22L mutant deficient in RAD51 interaction. Similar to the recombination mediator BRCA2, recombinant MMS22L–TONSL limits the assembly of RAD51 on dsDNA, which stimulates RAD51‐ssDNA nucleoprotein filament formation and RAD51‐dependent strand exchange activity in vitro. Thus, by specifically regulating RAD51 activity at uncoupled replication forks, MMS22L–TONSL stabilizes perturbed replication forks by promoting replication fork reversal and stimulating their HR‐mediated restart in vivo.     

Effects of EDTA treatment upon the protein subunit composition and mechanical properties of mammalian single skeletal muscle fibers

Considerable interest has been focused on the role of myosin light chain LC(2) in the contraction of vertebrate striated muscle. A study was undertaken to further our investigations (Moss, R.L., G.G. Giulian, and M.L. Greaser, 1981, J. Biol. Chem., 257:8588-8591) of the effects of LC(2) removal upon contraction in skinned fibers from rabbit psoas muscles. Isometric tension and maximum velocity of shortening, V(max), were measured in fiber segments prior to LC(2) removal. The segments were then bathed at 30 degrees C for up to 240 min in a buffer solution containing 20 mM EDTA in order to extract up to 60 percent of the LC(2). Troponin C (TnC) was also partially removed by this procedure. Mechanical measurements were done following the EDTA extraction and the readditions of first TnC and then LC(2) to the segments. The protein subunit compositions of the same fiber segments were determined following each of these procedures by SDS PAGE of small pieces of the fiber. V(max) was found to decrease as the LC(2) content of the fiber segments was reduced by increasing the duration of extraction. EDTA treatment also resulted in substantial reductions in tension due mainly to the loss of TnC, though smaller reductions due to the extraction of LC(2) were also observed. Reversal of the order of recombination of LC(2) and TnC indicated that the reduction in V(max) following EDTA treatment was a specific effect of LC(2) removal. These results strongly suggest that LC(2) may have roles in determining the kinetics and extent of interaction between myosin and actin.     

Enzymatic methylation of sulfide, selenide, and organic thiols by Tetrahymena thermophila

Cell extracts from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila catalyzed the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation of sulfide. The product of the reaction, methanethiol, was detected by a radiometric assay and by a gas-chromatographic assay coupled to a sulfur-selective chemiluminescence detector. Extracts also catalyzed the methylation of selenide, and the product was shown by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to be methaneselenol. The sulfide and selenide methyltransferase activities copurified with the aromatic thiol methyltransferase previously characterized from this organism (A.-M. Drotar and R. Fall, Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 25:396-406, 1986), but heat inactivation experiments suggested the involvement of distinct sulfide and selenide methyltransferases. Short-term toxicity tests were carried out for sulfide, selenide, and their methylated derivatives; the monomethylated forms were somewhat more toxic than the nonmethylated or dimethylated compounds. Cell suspensions of T. thermophila exposed to sulfide, methanethiol, or their selenium analogs emitted methylated derivatives into the headspace. These results suggest that this freshwater protozoan is capable of the stepwise methylation of sulfide and selenide, leading to the release of volatile methylated sulfur or selenium gases.     

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the lemur beta-globin gene family: evidence for major rate fluctuations in globin polypeptide evolution

Lemur beta-related globin genes have been isolated and sequenced. Orthology of prosimian and human epsilon-, gamma-, and beta-related globin genes was established by dot-matrix analysis. All of these lemur globin genes potentially encode functional beta-related globin polypeptides, though precisely when the gamma-globin gene is expressed remains unknown. The organization of the 18-kb brown lemur beta-globin gene cluster (5' epsilon-gamma-[psi eta-delta]-beta 3') is consistent with its evolution by contraction via unequal crossing-over from the putative ancestral mammalian beta-globin gene cluster (5' epsilon-gamma- eta-delta-beta 3'). The dwarf lemur nonadult globin genes are arranged as in the brown lemur. Similar levels of synonymous (silent) nucleotide substitutions and noncoding DNA sequence differences have accumulated between species in all of these genes, suggesting a uniform rate of noncoding DNA divergence throughout primate beta-globin gene clusters. These differences are comparable with those observed in the nonfunctional psi eta pseudogene and have therefore accumulated at the presumably maximal neutral rate. In contrast, nonsynonymous (replacement) nucleotide substitutions show a significant heterogeneity in distribution for both the same gene in different lineages and different genes in the same lineage. These major fluctuations in replacement but not silent substitution rates cannot be attributed to changes in mutation rate, suggesting that changes in the rate of globin polypeptide evolution in primates is not governed solely by variable mutation rates.      

The physiological basis of seed dormancy in Avena fatua. II. On the involvement of alternative respiration in the stimulation of germination by sodium azide

Chromatography on DEAE-cellulose of an extract from etiolated leaves of sorghum ( Sorghum vulgare Pers. cv. INRA 450), a C₄ plant, gave only one form of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase with functional and regulatory properties of a C₃ type plant enzyme. Greening of the leaves resulted in a significant increase in activity. This increase was due to the appearance of a new form of the enzyme, which eluted at lower ionic strength and exhibited new properties. This form was glucose-6-P activated and showed a sigmoidal curve response to the concentration of the substrate phosphoerralpyruvate. These kinetic properties are typical of a C₄ plant enzyme.     

Enzymatic methylation of sulfide, selenide, and organic thiols by Tetrahymena thermophila.

Cell extracts from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila catalyzed the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation of sulfide. The product of the reaction, methanethiol, was detected by a radiometric assay and by a gas-chromatographic assay coupled to a sulfur-selective chemiluminescence detector. Extracts also catalyzed the methylation of selenide, and the product was shown by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to be methaneselenol. The sulfide and selenide methyltransferase activities copurified with the aromatic thiol methyltransferase previously characterized from this organism (A.-M. Drotar and R. Fall, Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 25:396-406, 1986), but heat inactivation experiments suggested the involvement of distinct sulfide and selenide methyltransferases. Short-term toxicity tests were carried out for sulfide, selenide, and their methylated derivatives; the monomethylated forms were somewhat more toxic than the nonmethylated or dimethylated compounds. Cell suspensions of T. thermophila exposed to sulfide, methanethiol, or their selenium analogs emitted methylated derivatives into the headspace. These results suggest that this freshwater protozoan is capable of the stepwise methylation of sulfide and selenide, leading to the release of volatile methylated sulfur or selenium gases.     

Widespread occurrence of bacterial thiol methyltransferases and the biogenic emission of methylated sulfur gases.

A majority of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from soil, water, sediment, vegetation, and marine algae cultures methylated sulfide, producing methanethiol. This was demonstrated with intact cells by measuring the emission of methanethiol with a sulfur-selective chemiluminescence detector, and in cell extracts by detection of sulfide-dependent thiol methyltransferase activity. Extracts of two Pseudomonas isolates were fractionated by gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatography, and with sulfide as the substrate a single peak of thiol methyltransferase activity was seen in each case. Extracts of several bacterial strains also contained thiol methyltransferase activity with organic thiols as substrates. Thus, S-adenosylmethionine-dependent thiol methyltransferase activities are widespread in bacteria and may contribute to biogenic emissions of methylated sulfur gases and to the production of methyl thioethers.     

Molecular population genetics of ref(2)P, a locus which confers viral resistance in Drosophila

The ref(2)P locus (2-54.2) is polymorphic for two allelic forms in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster, ref(2)Po and ref(2)Pp. The latter allele confers resistance to the rhabdovirus sigma infecting wild populations. Previous work, based on a small sample of prescreened restrictive (resistant) and permissive (susceptible) alleles, identified a large number of amino acid replacement changes (7) relative to synonymous changes (1). Such protein variability could be the result of variation-enhancing selection. To further test the selection hypothesis, we have examined the DNA sequences of ten randomly chosen lines of D. melanogaster and one line of D. simulans. Nine of the ten lines are permissive; D. simulans does not harbor the virus. The melanogaster alleles contain 4 synonymous changes, 19 noncoding changes, and 13 amino acid replacement changes, indicating a relatively high level of polymorphism. Three sequenced restrictive alleles have nearly identical sequences, indicating that they are relatively young. Compared to the permissive alleles, they share only a complex deletion at codon 34, CAG-AAT to GGA, which our analysis indicates to be the site conferring the restrictive phenotype. Patterns of polymorphism and divergence differ from neutral predictions by several criteria for the amino terminal region, which contains the complex deletion (codons 1-91), but not the remainder of the protein (codons 92-599). We find a higher rate of evolution on the D. melanogaster lineage than on the D. simulans lineage. The relatively large amount of both replacement and silent polymorphism in the permissive alleles and the lack of divergence between permissive and restrictive alleles suggests that the sigma virus and ref(2)P may be engaged in an evolutionary race in which new restrictive alleles are continually arising but are relatively short-lived.      

Sequelae after AF ablation: Efficacy and Safety go Hand in Hand

Although nowadays performed on a routine basis, catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is associated with the potential for major complications. Improving the safety remains therefore an important challenge. This article summarizes the different types of complications associated with AF ablation grouping them into clinically overt major complications, subclinical injury and permanent injury. Furthermore, it describes the potential predictors for complications and highlights the dynamic interplay between efficacy and safety.