Increased risk of lung cancer associated with a functionally impaired polymorphic variant of the human DNA glycosylase NEIL2

Human NEIL2, one of five oxidized base-specific DNA glycosylases, is unique in preferentially repairing oxidative damage in transcribed genes. Here we show that depletion of NEIL2 causes a 6-7-fold increase in spontaneous mutation frequency in the HPRT gene of the V79 Chinese hamster lung cell line. This prompted us to screen for NEIL2 variants in lung cancer patients' genomic DNA. We identified several polymorphic variants, among which R103Q and R257L were frequently observed in lung cancer patients. We then characterized these variants biochemically, and observed a modest decrease in DNA glycosylase activity relative to the wild type (WT) only with the R257L mutant protein. However, in reconstituted repair assays containing WT NEIL2 or its R257L and R103Q variants together with other DNA base excision repair (BER) proteins (PNKP, Polβ, Lig IIIα and XRCC1) or using NEIL2-FLAG immunocomplexes, an ~5-fold decrease in repair was observed with the R257L variant compared to WT or R103Q NEIL2, apparently due to the R257L mutant's lower affinity for other repair proteins, particularly Polβ. Notably, increased endogenous DNA damage was observed in NEIL2 variant (R257L)-expressing cells relative to WT cells. Taken together, our results suggest that the decreased DNA repair capacity of the R257L variant can induce mutations that lead to lung cancer development.     

Epigenetic repression of microRNA-129-2 leads to overexpression of SOX4 in gastric cancer

High levels of SOX4 expression have been found in a variety of human cancers, such as lung, brain and breast cancers. However, the expression of SOX4 in gastric tissues remains unknown. The SOX4 expression was detected using immunohistochemical staining and semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and our results showed that SOX4 was up-regulated in gastric cancer compared to benign gastric tissues. To further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying up-regulation of SOX4 in gastric cancers, we analyzed the expression of microRNA-129-2 (miR-129-2) gene, the epigenetic repression of which leads to overexpression of SOX4 in endometrial cancer. We found that up-regulation of SOX4 was inversely associated with the epigenetic silencing of miR-129-2 in gastric cancer, and restoration of miR-129-2 down-regulated SOX4 expression. We also found that inactivation of SOX4 by siRNA and restoration of miR-129-2 induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells.     

Selenium-containing 15-mer peptides with high glutathione peroxidase-like activity

Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) is one of the most crucial antioxidant enzymes in a variety of organisms. Here we described a new strategy for generating a novel GPX mimic by combination of a phage-displayed random 15-mer peptide library followed by computer-aided rational design and chemical mutation. The novel GPX mimic is a homodimer consisting of a 15-mer selenopeptide with an appropriate catalytic center, a specific binding site for substrates, and high catalytic efficiency. Its steady state kinetics was also studied, and the values of k(cat)/K(m)(GSH) and k(cat)/ K(mH(2)O(2)) were found to be similar to that of native GPX and the highest among the existing GPX mimics. Moreover, the novel GPX mimic was confirmed to have a strong antioxidant ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation by measuring the content of malondialdehyde, cell viability, and lactate dehydrogenase activity. Importantly, the novel GPX mimic can penetrate into the cell membrane because of its small molecular size. These characteristics endue the novel mimic with potential perspective for pharmaceutical applications.     

Repeated horizontal gene transfer of GALactose metabolism genes violates Dollo’s law of irreversible loss

Dollo’s law posits that evolutionary losses are irreversible, thereby narrowing the potential paths of evolutionary change. While phenotypic reversals to ancestral states have been observed, little is known about their underlying genetic causes. The genomes of budding yeasts have been shaped by extensive reductive evolution, such as reduced genome sizes and the losses of metabolic capabilities. However, the extent and mechanisms of trait reacquisition after gene loss in yeasts have not been thoroughly studied. Here, through phylogenomic analyses, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the yeast galactose utilization pathway and observed widespread and repeated losses of the ability to utilize galactose, which occurred concurrently with the losses of GALactose (GAL) utilization genes. Unexpectedly, we detected multiple galactose-utilizing lineages that were deeply embedded within clades that underwent ancient losses of galactose utilization. We show that at least two, and possibly three, lineages reacquired the GAL pathway via yeast-to-yeast horizontal gene transfer. Our results show how trait reacquisition can occur tens of millions of years after an initial loss via horizontal gene transfer from distant relatives. These findings demonstrate that the losses of complex traits and even whole pathways are not always evolutionary dead-ends, highlighting how reversals to ancestral states can occur.