Project description:Our study defines the E3 ligase COP1 as a positive modulator of ERalpha-dependent gene transcription. We carried our RNA-Seq experiments with total RNAs from control or COP1-depleted MCF7 cells treated or not with estrogens and identified a signature of genes known to be regulated by estrogens whose transcription is deregulated upon COP1 deficiency.
Project description:In order to assess the physiological role of Cop1 in vivo we generated mice that do no longer express the protein. Cop1KO mice die at around E10.5 of embryonic development. In order to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms that cause the embryonic death we compared the genome-wide gene expression profile of E9.5 wild-tytpe and Cop1-null embryos. The data do not support a role for Cop1 in the regulation of the p53 pathway in vivo and highlight a role for Cop1 in cardiovascular development and/or angiogenesis. The abstract of the associated publication is as follows:Biochemical data have suggested conflicting roles for the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cop1 in tumourigenesis. Here we present the first in vivo investigation of the role of Cop1 in cancer aetiology. We used an innovative genetic approach to generate an allelic series of Cop1 and show that Cop1 hypomorphic mice spontaneously develop malignancy at a high frequency in their first year of life and are highly susceptible to radiation-induced lymphomagenesis. Biochemically, we show that Cop1 regulates c-Jun oncoprotein stability and modulates c-Jun/AP1 transcriptional activity in vivo. Cop1-deficiency stimulates cell proliferation in a c-Jun-dependent manner. We conclude that Cop1 is a tumour suppressor that antagonizes c-Jun oncogenic activity in vivo. RNA from 6 different control embryos (+/+ or +/-) were mixed and subdivided into control pool 1 and pool 2. RNA from 6 different Cop-null embryos were mixed and subdivided into KO pool 1 and pool 2.
Project description:Dysregulated microglia are intimately involved in neurodegeneration including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, but the mechanisms controlling pathogenic microglial gene expression remain poorly understood. The transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (c/EBPß) regulates pro-inflammatory genes in microglia and is upregulated in AD. We show expression of c/EBPß in microglia is regulated post-translationally by the ubiquitin ligase COP1 (also called RFWD2). Ubiquitination of c/EBPß by COP1 targets it for proteasomal degradation. In the absence of COP1, c/EBPß accumulates rapidly and drives a potent pro-inflammatory and ApoE gene-expression program, evidenced by increased neurotoxicity in microglia-neuronal co-cultures. Antibody blocking studies reveal that neurotoxicity is almost entirely attributable to complement. Remarkably, loss of a single allele of Cebpb prevented the pro-inflammatory phenotype. COP1-deficient microglia markedly accelerated tau-mediated neurodegeneration in a mouse model where elevated ApoE plays a deleterious role. Collectively, these results identify c/EBPß as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation-driven neurodegeneration.
Project description:In order to assess the physiological role of Cop1 in vivo we generated mice that do no longer express the protein. Cop1KO mice die at around E10.5 of embryonic development. In order to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms that cause the embryonic death we compared the genome-wide gene expression profile of E9.5 wild-tytpe and Cop1-null embryos. The data do not support a role for Cop1 in the regulation of the p53 pathway in vivo and highlight a role for Cop1 in cardiovascular development and/or angiogenesis. The abstract of the associated publication is as follows:Biochemical data have suggested conflicting roles for the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cop1 in tumourigenesis. Here we present the first in vivo investigation of the role of Cop1 in cancer aetiology. We used an innovative genetic approach to generate an allelic series of Cop1 and show that Cop1 hypomorphic mice spontaneously develop malignancy at a high frequency in their first year of life and are highly susceptible to radiation-induced lymphomagenesis. Biochemically, we show that Cop1 regulates c-Jun oncoprotein stability and modulates c-Jun/AP1 transcriptional activity in vivo. Cop1-deficiency stimulates cell proliferation in a c-Jun-dependent manner. We conclude that Cop1 is a tumour suppressor that antagonizes c-Jun oncogenic activity in vivo.
Project description:The budding yeast E3 SUMO ligase Mms21, a component of the Smc5-6 complex, regulates sister chromatid cohesion, DNA replication, and DNA repair. We identify a role for Mms21 in ribosome biogenesis. The mms21RINGD mutant exhibits reduced rRNA production, nuclear accumulation of 60S and 40S ribosomal proteins, and elevated Gcn4 translation. Genes involved in ribosome biogenesis and translation are down-regulated in the mms21RINGD mutant. Examining gene expression profile of mms21RINGD mutant compared to wild-type by RNA Seq using Ilumina sequencing
Project description:The Hace1 E3 ligase is a tumor suppressor in stressed cells. Through unknown mechanisms, Hace1 indirectly targets the cyclin D1 proto-oncogene for proteasomal degradation during nutrient depletion. We now show that Hace1 targets HIF1alpha for VHL-dependent degradation during hypoxia. To better understand these diverse actions we performed mass spectrometry to identify Hace1-interacting proteins. We show that Hace1 interacts with cullin-associated NEDD8-dissociated protein 1 (CAND1) under nutrient depletion and hypoxia. CAND1 binds cullins and prevents their entry into cullin ring E3 ligase (CRL) complexes, thus blocking CRL activity. Hace1 binding releases CUL1/2 from CAND1, facilitating assembly of CRL complexes to degrade cyclin D1 and HIF1alpha, respectively. These findings suggest a broad role for Hace1 in regulating tumor suppressive CRL E3 ligases. In this study, we used gene expression profiling to characterize how Hace1 overexpression affect the transcriptional response to hypoxic stress Using Affymetrix exon-level microarrays, we compared the expression profile of HEK293 cells overexpressing either Hace1 or MSCV vector alone, under hypoxia or normoxia
Project description:FBXW7 is and E3 ubiquitin ligase and is highly mutated in colorectal cancer. We used human colon organoids with engineered FBXW7 hotspot mutations to investigate novel targets of E3 ligase activity with a combined transcriptomic and proteomic approach uncovering the EGFR-MAPK pathway as highly regulated by the E3 ligase activity.
Project description:Cop1 regulates stability of transcription factors. We found that Cop1 can regulate the proteasomal degradation of Cebpd. We generated 4T1 breast cancer cells with CRISPR/Cas9 mediated Cop1 (gene symbol RFWD2) knockout. We used Cebpd antibody to pulldown the DNA fragments binding with Cebpd and did ChIP-seq.
Project description:It has been recognized that BRCA1, in the form of the BRCA1/BARD1 heterodimer, acting as an ubiquitin E3 ligase offered a possible mechanism to explain its pleiotrophic nature of BRCA1 activity. Our observation that mice lacking BRCA1 enzymatic activity are viable apart from male sterility was unexpected. Our results suggest that the E3 ligase activity of BRCA1 is largely dispensable for normal development and is not essential for all BRCA1 functions. Thus, many of the known and unknown functions of BRCA1 are likely to be mediated independent of its ability to catalyze ubiquitination. The genome copy number patterns were studied on the mice tumors that lacks E3 ubiqitin ligase activity of BRCA1 and were compared to copy number profile of mice lacking p53 and both brca1 and p53. Array CGH was performed using Agilent mouse CGH microarray 244K kit. Genomic DNA isolated from tumor tissue and its corresponding mouse tail were labelled with two different dyes and hybridized simultaneously on to microarray slides to perform comparitive genomic hybridization.