Project description:We studied SOS mutator effect mediated by recA730 and changes in the dNTP pool. We found that established dNTP pool changes resulting from deficiencies in the ndk or dcd genes, had a strongly suppressive effect on the recA730 mutator effect. To investigate whether the observed reduction in SOS mutator effect is due to lowered expression of the entire SOS regulon, we performed microarray analysis of gene expression profiles in each of the single ndk, dcd, and recA730 strains, as well as the double recA730 ndk and recA730 dcd strains.
Project description:We studied SOS mutator effect mediated by recA730 and changes in the dNTP pool. We found that established dNTP pool changes resulting from deficiencies in the ndk or dcd genes, had a strongly suppressive effect on the recA730 mutator effect. To investigate whether the observed reduction in SOS mutator effect is due to lowered expression of the entire SOS regulon, we performed microarray analysis of gene expression profiles in each of the single ndk, dcd, and recA730 strains, as well as the double recA730 ndk and recA730 dcd strains. Comparison of transcriptomes of the bacterium Escherichia coli six strains: wt, dcd, ndk, recA730, recA730 dcd and recA730 ndk. All strains were derivatives of the MC4100 strain, carrying a sulA366 allele (?(argF-lac)169 sulA366). dcd and ndk alleles used were dcd::kan and ndk::cam, respectively. Strains were compared in pairs: wt vs dcd, wt vs ndk, wt vs recA730, recA730 vs recA730 dcd and recA730 vs recA730 ndk. Two or three biological replicates for each strain were used. Each biological replicate had two technical replicates with dye swapping.
Project description:piRNAs play a critical role in the regulation of transposons and other germline genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, silencing of piRNA target genes is mediated by the Mutator complex, which synthesizes high levels of siRNAs through the activity of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. However, how mRNAs recognized by the piRNA pathway are handed off to the Mutator pathway is unclear. Here, we identify the Tudor domain-containing protein, SIMR-1, as a key mediator of this handoff. Interestingly, SIMR-1 also localizes to distinct subcellular foci adjacent to P granules and Mutator foci, two phase-separated condensates that are the sites of piRNA-dependent mRNA recognition and Mutator complex-dependent siRNA amplification, respectively. Thus, our data suggests a role for multiple perinuclear condensates in organizing the piRNA pathway and promoting silencing by the Mutator complex.
Project description:We created a mutator protein. The mutator, was prepared by fusing a PmCDA1 (Petromyzon marinus Cytidine DeAminase) and E.coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit(EcoRNAP alpha). After 120 cycles, whole genome sequencing was performed on the wild type and evolved sample. After characterization of the mutation capacity of our mutator, we evolved a sucrose utilization strain and we sequenced Suc strain.
Project description:Aberrant Ras signaling is linked to a wide spectrum of hyperproliferative diseases, and components of the signaling pathway, including Ras, have been the subject of intense and ongoing drug discovery efforts. The cellular activity of Ras is modulated by its association with the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sos, and the high-resolution crystal structure of the Ras-Sos complex provides a basis for the rational design of orthosteric Ras ligands. We constructed a synthetic Sos protein mimic that engages the wild-type and oncogenic forms of nucleotide-bound Ras and modulates downstream kinase signaling. The Sos mimic was designed to capture the conformation of the Sos helix-loop-helix motif that makes critical contacts with Ras in its switch region. Chemoproteomics studies illustrate that the proteomimetic engages Ras and other cellular GTPases. The synthetic proteomimetic resists proteolytic degradation and enters cells through macropinocytosis. As such, it is selectively toxic to cancer cells with upregulated macropinocytosis, including those that feature oncogenic Ras mutations.
Project description:Bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems (TASs) are thought to respond to various stresses, often inducing growth-arrested (persistent) sub-populations of cells whose housekeeping functions are inhibited. However, it is not always clear whether specific targets of orthologous RNAse toxins are responsible for their phenotypic effect, which has made it difficult to accurately place the multitude of TASs within cellular and adaptive regulatory networks. Here we show that the TAS HigBA can promote and inhibit bacterial growth dependent on the dosage of HigB, a toxin regulated by the DNA damage (SOS) repressor LexA in addition to its antitoxin HigA, and the target selectivity of HigBâs mRNA cleavage activity. HigB reduced the expression of an efflux pump that is toxic to a polarity control mutant, cripples the growth of cells lacking LexA and targets the cell cycle circuitry. Thus, TASs can have outcome switching activity in bacterial adaptive (stress) and systemic (cell cycle) networks. DNA binding of the antitoxin HigA and the SOS regulator LexA was analysed by chromatin immunoprecipitation-deep sequencing, and found to overlap at only one locus, the HigBA TA system promoter
Project description:The Piwi-piRNA pathway represents a germline specific transposon-defense system. C. elegans Piwi, prg-1, is a non-essential gene and triggers a secondary RNAi response that depends on so-called mutator genes, endo-siRNAs (22G-RNAs) and at least one 22G-RNA-binding Argonaute protein, HRDE-1. Interestingly, through a poorly understood mechanism, silencing of PRG-1 targets can become PRG-1 independent. This state, also known as RNAe, is heritable and depends on mutator genes and HRDE-1. We studied how the transgenerational memory of RNAe and the piRNA pathway interact. We find that maternally provided PRG-1 is required for the de-novo establishment of 22G-RNA populations, especially those targeting transposons. Strikingly, attempts to re-establish 22G-RNAs in absence of both PRG-1 and RNAe memory result in severe germline proliferation defects. This is accompanied by a disturbed balance between gene-activating and -repressing 22G-RNA pathways. We propose a model in which CSR-1 prevents the loading of HRDE-1 and that both PRG-1 and HRDE-1 help to keep mutator activity focused on the proper targets.
Project description:Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in aging and aging-related disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases and stroke. To study the effects of progressive mitochondrial dysfunction, a homozygous knock-in mouse expressing a proof-reading deficient version of the nucleus-encoded catalytic subunit of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymerase (PolgA) has been developed. In the mtDNA mutator mouse the proofreading activity of PolgA has been abolished by a single amino acid change. PolgA is the catalytic subunit of the polymerase gamma, which is involved in replicating and proofreading the mitochondrial DNA. As a result, mtDNA mutator mice develop high levels of point mutations and linear deletions, which lead to several human-like phenotypes associated with aging, including reduced lifespan (42-44 weeks), weight loss, alopecia, anemia, kyphosis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, loss of subcutaneous fat, and reduced fertility. We investigate the molecular mechanism through which exercise may improve the phenotype of the mtDNA mutator mouse, which is a model of premature aging induced by mitochondrial dysfunction. Remarkably, forced endurance exercise has been shown to rescue the progeroid aging phenotypes of the mtDNA mutator mice, and to induce systemic mitochondrial rejuvenation. Here, using voluntary, rather than forced exercise, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying such a dramatic improvement, and also assess the effect of exercise on brain tissues, such as cortex and striatum in our model. The complete proteome of key tissues (muscle, brain cortex, brain striatum) from exercising and sedentary mtDNA mutator mice as well as exercising and sedentary wild type mice is quantified using peptide high-resolution isoelectric focusing (HiRIEF) coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with an isobaric tag (TMT10plex) strategy.
Project description:microarray experiment to test the gene expression in long term lines of mutator and non-mutator yeast. Here we use an experimental evolution approach to investigate the conditions required for evolution of a reduction in mutation rate and the mechanisms by which populations tolerate the accumulation of deleterious mutations. We find that after ~6700 generations four out of eight experimental mutator lines had evolved a decreased mutation rate. 2 condition experiment, derived experimental evolution strains compared to their ancestor strain. We compared the expression profile of one of the mutator lines (m8) after 6700 generations with its mutator ancestor, and as a control, an evolved non mutator after 6700 generations was compared to to its non-mutator ancestor. In order to prepare cells for expression microarray, glass tubes containing 3 ml of YPD were inoculated from overnight cultures, and grown until the OD600 was approximately 0.3.