Transcription poses a threat to genomic stability through the formation of R-loops that can obstruct progression of replication forks. R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures formed by an ...RNA-DNA hybrid with a displaced non-template DNA strand. We developed RNA-DNA Proximity Proteomics to map the R-loop proximal proteome of human cells using quantitative mass spectrometry. We implicate different cellular proteins in R-loop regulation and identify a role of the tumor suppressor DDX41 in opposing R-loop and double strand DNA break accumulation in promoters. DDX41 is enriched in promoter regions in vivo, and can unwind RNA-DNA hybrids in vitro. R-loop accumulation upon loss of DDX41 is accompanied with replication stress, an increase in the formation of double strand DNA breaks and transcriptome changes associated with the inflammatory response. Germline loss-of-function mutations in DDX41 lead to predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia in adulthood. We propose that R-loop accumulation and genomic instability-associated inflammatory response may contribute to the development of familial AML with mutated DDX41.
Selective autophagy of damaged mitochondria requires autophagy receptors optineurin (OPTN), NDP52 (CALCOCO2), TAX1BP1, and p62 (SQSTM1) linking ubiquitinated cargo to autophagic membranes. By using ...quantitative proteomics, we show that Tank-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) phosphorylates all four receptors on several autophagyrelevant sites, including the ubiquitin- and LC3-binding domains of OPTN and p62/SQSTM1 as well as the SKICH domains of NDP52 and TAX1BP1. Constitutive interaction of TBK1 with OPTN and the ability of OPTN to bind to ubiquitin chains are essential for TBK1 recruitment and kinase activation on mitochondria. TBK1 in turn phosphorylates OPTN’s UBAN domain at S473, thereby expanding the binding capacity of OPTN to diverse Ub chains. In combination with phosphorylation of S177 and S513, this posttranslational modification promotes recruitment and retention of OPTN/TBK1 on ubiquitinated, damaged mitochondria. Moreover, phosphorylation of OPTN on S473 enables binding to pS65 Ub chains and is also implicated in PINK1-driven and Parkin-independent mitophagy. Thus, TBK1-mediated phosphorylation of autophagy receptors creates a signal amplification loop operating in selective autophagy of damaged mitochondria.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Lysine acetylation is a frequently occurring posttranslational modification in bacteria; however, little is known about its origin and regulation. Using the model bacterium Escherichia coli ...(E. coli), we found that most acetylation occurred at a low level and accumulated in growth-arrested cells in a manner that depended on the formation of acetyl-phosphate (AcP) through glycolysis. Mutant cells unable to produce AcP had significantly reduced acetylation levels, while mutant cells unable to convert AcP to acetate had significantly elevated acetylation levels. We showed that AcP can chemically acetylate lysine residues in vitro and that AcP levels are correlated with acetylation levels in vivo, suggesting that AcP may acetylate proteins nonenzymatically in cells. These results uncover a critical role for AcP in bacterial acetylation and indicate that most acetylation in E. coli occurs at a low level and is dynamically affected by metabolism and cell proliferation in a global, uniform manner.
•Most acetylation in E. coli depends on the formation of acetyl-phosphate•Acetyl-phosphate links global acetylation levels to metabolism•Acetyl-phosphate can chemically acetylate proteins in vitro•CobB deacetylase suppresses acetylation at hundreds of sites
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Post-translational modification of proteins by ubiquitin is a fundamentally important regulatory mechanism. However, proteome-wide analysis of endogenous ubiquitylation remains a challenging task, ...and almost always has relied on cells expressing affinity tagged ubiquitin. Here we combine single-step immunoenrichment of ubiquitylated peptides with peptide fractionation and high-resolution mass spectrometry to investigate endogenous ubiquitylation sites. We precisely map 11,054 endogenous putative ubiquitylation sites (diglycine-modified lysines) on 4,273 human proteins. The presented data set covers 67% of the known ubiquitylation sites and contains 10,254 novel sites on proteins with diverse cellular functions including cell signaling, receptor endocytosis, DNA replication, DNA damage repair, and cell cycle progression. Our method enables site-specific quantification of ubiquitylation in response to cellular perturbations and is applicable to any cell type or tissue. Global quantification of ubiquitylation in cells treated with the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 discovers sites that are involved in proteasomal degradation, and suggests a nonproteasomal function for almost half of all sites. Surprisingly, ubiquitylation of about 15% of sites decreased more than twofold within four hours of MG-132 treatment, showing that inhibition of proteasomal function can dramatically reduce ubiquitylation on many sites with non-proteasomal functions. Comparison of ubiquitylation sites with acetylation sites reveals an extensive overlap between the lysine residues targeted by these two modifications. However, the crosstalk between these two post-translational modifications is significantly less frequent on sites that show increased ubiquitylation upon proteasome inhibition. Taken together, we report the largest site-specific ubiquitylation dataset in human cells, and for the first time demonstrate proteome-wide, site-specific quantification of endogenous putative ubiquitylation sites.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Lysine deacetylases inhibitors (KDACIs) are used in basic research, and many are being investigated in clinical trials for treatment of cancer and other diseases. However, their specificities in ...cells are incompletely characterized. Here we used quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) to obtain acetylation signatures for 19 different KDACIs, covering all 18 human lysine deacetylases. Most KDACIs increased acetylation of a small, specific subset of the acetylome, including sites on histones and other chromatin-associated proteins. Inhibitor treatment combined with genetic deletion showed that the effects of the pan-sirtuin inhibitor nicotinamide are primarily mediated by SIRT1 inhibition. Furthermore, we confirmed that the effects of tubacin and bufexamac on cytoplasmic proteins result from inhibition of HDAC6. Bufexamac also triggered an HDAC6-independent, hypoxia-like response by stabilizing HIF1-α, providing a possible mechanistic explanation of its adverse, pro-inflammatory effects. Our results offer a systems view of KDACI specificities, providing a framework for studying function of acetylation and deacetylases.
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IJS, NUK, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Over the past decades, there have been huge advances in understanding cellular responses to ionising radiation (IR) and DNA damage. These studies, however, were mostly executed with cell lines and ...mice using single or multiple acute doses of radiation. Hence, relatively little is known about how continuous exposure to low dose ionising radiation affects normal cells and organisms, even though our cells are constantly exposed to low levels of radiation. We addressed this issue by examining the consequences of exposing human primary cells to continuous ionising γ-radiation delivered at 6-20 mGy/h. Although these dose rates are estimated to inflict fewer than a single DNA double-strand break (DSB) per hour per cell, they still caused dose-dependent reductions in cell proliferation and increased cellular senescence. We concomitantly observed histone protein levels to reduce by up to 40%, which in contrast to previous observations, was not mainly due to protein degradation but instead correlated with reduced histone gene expression. Histone reductions were accompanied by enlarged nuclear size paralleled by an increase in global transcription, including that of pro-inflammatory genes. Thus, chronic irradiation, even at low dose-rates, can induce cell senescence and alter gene expression via a hitherto uncharacterised epigenetic route. These features of chronic radiation represent a new aspect of radiation biology.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Mutations in the ATM tumor suppressor gene confer hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents. To explore genetic resistance mechanisms, we performed genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens in ...cells treated with the DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan. Thus, we here establish that inactivating terminal components of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) machinery or of the BRCA1-A complex specifically confer topotecan resistance to ATM-deficient cells. We show that hypersensitivity of ATM-mutant cells to topotecan or the poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib reflects delayed engagement of homologous recombination at DNA-replication-fork associated single-ended double-strand breaks (DSBs), allowing some to be subject to toxic NHEJ. Preventing DSB ligation by NHEJ, or enhancing homologous recombination by BRCA1-A complex disruption, suppresses this toxicity, highlighting a crucial role for ATM in preventing toxic LIG4-mediated chromosome fusions. Notably, suppressor mutations in ATM-mutant backgrounds are different to those in BRCA1-mutant scenarios, suggesting new opportunities for patient stratification and additional therapeutic vulnerabilities for clinical exploitation.
Valosin‐containing protein (VCP) is an evolutionarily conserved ubiquitin‐dependent ATPase that mediates the degradation of proteins through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Despite the central role ...of VCP in the regulation of protein homeostasis, identity and nature of its cellular substrates remain poorly defined. Here, we combined chemical inhibition of VCP and quantitative ubiquitin remnant profiling to assess the effect of VCP inhibition on the ubiquitin‐modified proteome and to probe the substrate spectrum of VCP in human cells. We demonstrate that inhibition of VCP perturbs cellular ubiquitylation and increases ubiquitylation of a different subset of proteins compared to proteasome inhibition. VCP inhibition globally upregulates K6‐linked ubiquitylation that is dependent on the HECT‐type ubiquitin E3 ligase HUWE1. We report ~450 putative VCP substrates, many of which function in nuclear processes, including gene expression, DNA repair and cell cycle. Moreover, we identify that VCP regulates the level and activity of the transcription factor c‐Myc.
Synopsis
Mass spectrometry‐based proteomics identifies putative substrates of the ubiquitin‐dependent remodeler VCP in human cells and reveals its role in the regulation of the c‐Myc level and activity. Chemical inhibition of VCP increases cellular K6‐linked ubiquitylation that is dependent on the HECT‐type ubiquitin ligase HUWE1.
Ubiquitin remnant profiling after chemical inhibition of VCP identifies its putative substrates in human cells.
VCP interacts with and regulates the level and activity of the transcription factor c‐Myc.
Chemical inhibition of VCP increases cellular K6‐linked ubiquitylation that is dependent on the ubiquitin E3 ligase HUWE1.
Proteins modified with K6‐linked ubiquitylation are identified by K6‐linked ubiquitin‐specific affimer and quantitative mass spectrometry.
Mass spectrometry‐based proteomics identifies putative substrates of the ubiquitin‐dependent remodeler VCP in human cells and reveals its role in the regulation of the c‐Myc level and activity. Chemical inhibition of VCP increases cellular K6‐linked ubiquitylation that is dependent on the HECT‐type ubiquitin ligase HUWE1.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Ubiquitylation is crucial for proper cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). If unrepaired, these highly cytotoxic lesions cause genome instability, tumorigenesis, neurodegeneration or ...premature ageing. Here, we conduct a comprehensive, multilayered screen to systematically profile all human ubiquitin E2 enzymes for impacts on cellular DSB responses. With a widely applicable approach, we use an exemplary E2 family, UBE2Ds, to identify ubiquitylation-cascade components downstream of E2s. Thus, we uncover the nuclear E3 ligase RNF138 as a key homologous recombination (HR)-promoting factor that functions with UBE2Ds in cells. Mechanistically, UBE2Ds and RNF138 accumulate at DNA-damage sites and act at early resection stages by promoting CtIP ubiquitylation and accrual. This work supplies insights into regulation of DSB repair by HR. Moreover, it provides a rich information resource on E2s that can be exploited by follow-on studies.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1; CD56) is expressed in up to 20% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. NCAM1 is widely used as a marker of minimal residual disease; however, the biological ...function of NCAM1 in AML remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the impact of NCAM1 expression on leukemogenesis, drug resistance, and its role as a biomarker to guide therapy. Beside t(8;21) leukemia, NCAM1 expression was found in most molecular AML subgroups at highly heterogeneous expression levels. Using complementary genetic strategies, we demonstrated an essential role of NCAM1 in the regulation of cell survival and stress resistance. Perturbation of NCAM1 induced cell death or differentiation and sensitized leukemic blasts toward genotoxic agents in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, Ncam1 was highly expressed in leukemic progenitor cells in a murine leukemia model, and genetic depletion of Ncam1 prolonged disease latency and significantly reduced leukemia-initiating cells upon serial transplantation. To further analyze the mechanism of the NCAM1-associated phenotype, we performed phosphoproteomics and transcriptomics in different AML cell lines. NCAM1 expression strongly associated with constitutive activation of the MAPK-signaling pathway, regulation of apoptosis, or glycolysis. Pharmacological inhibition of MEK1/2 specifically inhibited proliferation and sensitized NCAM1+ AML cells to chemotherapy. In summary, our data demonstrate that aberrant expression of NCAM1 is involved in the maintenance of leukemic stem cells and confers stress resistance, likely due to activation of the MAPK pathway. Targeting MEK1/2 sensitizes AML blasts to genotoxic agents, indicating a role for NCAM1 as a biomarker to guide AML treatment.
•Aberrant NCAM1 expression confers drug resistance in AML.•Expression of NCAM1 activates the MAPK–extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway and renders cells sensitive to MEK inhibitors.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP