Biomolecular Condensates and Cancer Boija, Ann; Klein, Isaac A.; Young, Richard A.
Cancer cell,
02/2021, Letnik:
39, Številka:
2
Journal Article
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Malignant transformation is characterized by dysregulation of diverse cellular processes that have been the subject of detailed genetic, biochemical, and structural studies, but only recently has ...evidence emerged that many of these processes occur in the context of biomolecular condensates. Condensates are membrane-less bodies, often formed by liquid-liquid phase separation, that compartmentalize protein and RNA molecules with related functions. New insights from condensate studies portend a profound transformation in our understanding of cellular dysregulation in cancer. Here we summarize key features of biomolecular condensates, note where they have been implicated—or will likely be implicated—in oncogenesis, describe evidence that the pharmacodynamics of cancer therapeutics can be greatly influenced by condensates, and discuss some of the questions that must be addressed to further advance our understanding and treatment of cancer.
Malignant transformation is characterized by dysregulation of diverse cellular processes that have been the subject of detailed genetic, biochemical, and structural studies, but only recently has evidence emerged that many of these processes occur in the context of biomolecular condensates. Condensates are membrane-less bodies, often formed by liquid-liquid phase separation, that compartmentalize protein and RNA molecules with related functions. New insights from condensate studies portend a profound transformation in our understanding of cellular dysregulation in cancer. Here we summarize key features of biomolecular condensates, note where they have been implicated—or will likely be implicated—in oncogenesis, describe evidence that the pharmacodynamics of cancer therapeutics can be greatly influenced by condensates, and discuss some of the questions that must be addressed to further advance our understanding and treatment of cancer.
Chromosomal rearrangements, including translocations, require formation and joining of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). These events disrupt the integrity of the genome and are frequently involved in ...producing leukemias, lymphomas and sarcomas. Despite the importance of these events, current understanding of their genesis is limited. To examine the origins of chromosomal rearrangements we developed Translocation Capture Sequencing (TC-Seq), a method to document chromosomal rearrangements genome-wide, in primary cells. We examined over 180,000 rearrangements obtained from 400 million B lymphocytes, revealing that proximity between DSBs, transcriptional activity and chromosome territories are key determinants of genome rearrangement. Specifically, rearrangements tend to occur in
cis and to transcribed genes. Finally, we find that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) induces the rearrangement of many genes found as translocation partners in mature B cell lymphoma.
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► A new genome-wide mapping method identifies translocations in primary cells ► Transcription favors chromosome rearrangement ► Rearrangements define chromosome territories in B cells ► AID-mediated translocations are found in many genes, including protooncogenes
Identification of chromosomal rearrangements on a genome-wide scale highlights the relative contributions of 3D-chromosomal organization, active transcription, and AID-activity to oncogenic translocations.
53BP1 is a DNA damage protein that forms phosphorylated H2AX (γ-H2AX) dependent foci in a 1 Mb region surrounding DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In addition, 53BP1 promotes genomic stability by ...regulating the metabolism of DNA ends. We have compared the joining rates of paired DSBs separated by 1.2 kb to 27 Mb on chromosome 12 in the presence or absence of 53BP1. 53BP1 facilitates joining of intrachromosomal DSBs but only at distances corresponding to γ-H2AX spreading. In contrast, DNA end protection by 53BP1 is distance independent. Furthermore, analysis of 53BP1 mutants shows that chromatin association, oligomerization, and N-terminal ATM phosphorylation are all required for DNA end protection and joining as measured by immunoglobulin class switch recombination. These data elucidate the molecular events that are required for 53BP1 to maintain genomic stability and point to a model wherein 53BP1 and H2AX cooperate to repress resection of DSBs.
► 53BP1 facilitates the joining of DSBs depending on the distance between breaks ► 53BP1 prevents DNA end resection independent of the distance between breaks ► In the absence of H2AX, 53BP1 is chromatin associated but does not block resection ► Multiple functions of 53BP1 are needed for end protection and Ig class switching
Super-enhancers (SEs) are clusters of enhancers that cooperatively assemble a high density of the transcriptional apparatus to drive robust expression of genes with prominent roles in cell identity. ...Here we demonstrate that the SE-enriched transcriptional coactivators BRD4 and MED1 form nuclear puncta at SEs that exhibit properties of liquid-like condensates and are disrupted by chemicals that perturb condensates. The intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of BRD4 and MED1 can form phase-separated droplets, and MED1-IDR droplets can compartmentalize and concentrate the transcription apparatus from nuclear extracts. These results support the idea that coactivators form phase-separated condensates at SEs that compartmentalize and concentrate the transcription apparatus, suggest a role for coactivator IDRs in this process, and offer insights into mechanisms involved in the control of key cell-identity genes.
Enhancers are DNA elements that are bound by transcription factors (TFs), which recruit coactivators and the transcriptional machinery to genes. Phase-separated condensates of TFs and coactivators ...have been implicated in assembling the transcription machinery at particular enhancers, yet the role of DNA sequence in this process has not been explored. We show that DNA sequences encoding TF binding site number, density, and affinity above sharply defined thresholds drive condensation of TFs and coactivators. A combination of specific structured (TF-DNA) and weak multivalent (TF-coactivator) interactions allows for condensates to form at particular genomic loci determined by the DNA sequence and the complement of expressed TFs. DNA features found to drive condensation promote enhancer activity and transcription in cells. Our study provides a framework to understand how the genome can scaffold transcriptional condensates at specific loci and how the universal phenomenon of phase separation might regulate this process.
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•Transcription machinery forms condensates localized to specific DNA elements•Combination of structured and dynamic interactions enables localized condensation•DNA encoding binding site features above threshold values drive condensation•DNA features that drive condensation promote enhancer activity in cells
Shrinivas et al. demonstrate that specific types of motif compositions encoded in DNA drive localized formation of transcriptional condensates. These findings explain how phase separation can occur at specific genomic locations and shed light on why only some genomic loci become highly active enhancers.
Gene expression is controlled by transcription factors (TFs) that consist of DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and activation domains (ADs). The DBDs have been well characterized, but little is known about ...the mechanisms by which ADs effect gene activation. Here, we report that diverse ADs form phase-separated condensates with the Mediator coactivator. For the OCT4 and GCN4 TFs, we show that the ability to form phase-separated droplets with Mediator in vitro and the ability to activate genes in vivo are dependent on the same amino acid residues. For the estrogen receptor (ER), a ligand-dependent activator, we show that estrogen enhances phase separation with Mediator, again linking phase separation with gene activation. These results suggest that diverse TFs can interact with Mediator through the phase-separating capacity of their ADs and that formation of condensates with Mediator is involved in gene activation.
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•Transcription factors (TFs) form phase-separated condensates with Mediator•Phase separation of activation domains is a general property of TFs•Phase-separation capacity of TFs is associated with gene activation•TF condensates incorporate dynamic and structured interactions
Activation domains from a diverse array of mammalian and yeast transcription factors form phase-separated condensates with Mediator to activate gene expression.
Cooperation between DNA, RNA and protein regulates gene expression and controls differentiation through interactions that connect regions of nucleic acids and protein domains and through the assembly ...of biomolecular condensates. Here, we report that endoderm differentiation is regulated by the interaction between the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DIGIT and the bromodomain and extraterminal domain protein BRD3. BRD3 forms phase-separated condensates of which the formation is promoted by DIGIT, occupies enhancers of endoderm transcription factors and is required for endoderm differentiation. BRD3 binds to histone H3 acetylated at lysine 18 (H3K18ac) in vitro and co-occupies the genome with H3K18ac. DIGIT is also enriched in regions of H3K18ac, and the depletion of DIGIT results in decreased recruitment of BRD3 to these regions. Our findings show that cooperation between DIGIT and BRD3 at regions of H3K18ac regulates the transcription factors that drive endoderm differentiation and suggest that protein-lncRNA phase-separated condensates have a broader role as regulators of transcription.
The gene expression programs that define the identity of each cell are controlled by master transcription factors (TFs) that bind cell-type-specific enhancers, as well as signaling factors, which ...bring extracellular stimuli to these enhancers. Recent studies have revealed that master TFs form phase-separated condensates with the Mediator coactivator at super-enhancers. Here, we present evidence that signaling factors for the WNT, TGF-β, and JAK/STAT pathways use their intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) to enter and concentrate in Mediator condensates at super-enhancers. We show that the WNT coactivator β-catenin interacts both with components of condensates and DNA-binding factors to selectively occupy super-enhancer-associated genes. We propose that the cell-type specificity of the response to signaling is mediated in part by the IDRs of the signaling factors, which cause these factors to partition into condensates established by the master TFs and Mediator at genes with prominent roles in cell identity.
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•Signaling factors incorporate into Mediator condensates at super-enhancers•β-Catenin IDRs are required for both phase separation and target gene activation•Both condensate interactions and TF interactions contribute to β-catenin localization
Zamudio et al. demonstrate that components of the WNT, TGF-β, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways use their intrinsically disordered regions to condense with Mediator and to target specific genes. These findings provide a model for how context-dependent transcriptional responses can be achieved in cell signaling.
The discovery of biomolecular condensates transformed our understanding of intracellular compartmentalization of molecules. To integrate interdisciplinary scientific knowledge about the function and ...composition of biomolecular condensates, we developed the crowdsourcing condensate database and encyclopedia ( cd-code.org ). CD-CODE is a community-editable platform, which includes a database of biomolecular condensates based on the literature, an encyclopedia of relevant scientific terms and a crowdsourcing web application. Our platform will accelerate the discovery and validation of biomolecular condensates, and facilitate efforts to understand their role in disease and as therapeutic targets.
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