Project description:Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) critically facilitates DNA damage response (DDR) that suppresses genomic instability. However, the physiological function of PARP1 in regulating genomic integrity is unclear. We investigated the Ewing’s sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWS) and found that it regulated the physiological function of PARP1. EWS was indispensable to dissociation of PARP1 from damaged DNA, promoting DDR and regulating DDR protein expression. Abnormal PARP1 accumulation due to EWS expression silencing, induced hyper-PARylation, which exhausted cellular NAD+ levels and caused cell death in in vitro and in vivo. Positively charged EWS arginine-glycine-glycine (Arg-Gly-Gly, RGG) domains directly interact with poly ADP-ribose (PAR) chains produced by PARP1 and are essential to dissociate PARP1 from damaged DNA. Consistently, Ewing’s sarcoma cells with defective EWS function accumulated PARP1 on chromatin and tissues from Ewing’s sarcoma patients, exhibiting high PARylation levels. Taken together, loss of EWS causes defects in PARP1 dissociation and results in genomic instability.
Project description:In this study, we characterize the fusion protein produced by the EPC1-PHF1 translocation in Low Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma (LG-ESS) and Ossifying FibroMyxoid Tumors (OFMT). We express the fusion protein and necessary controls in K562 Cells. The fusion protein assembles a mega-complex harboring both NuA4/TIP60 and PRC2 subunits and enzymatic activities and leads to mislocalization of chromatin marks in the genome, linked to aberrant gene expression.
Project description:In this study, we characterize the fusion protein produced by the EPC1-PHF1 translocation in Low Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma (LG-ESS) and Ossifying FibroMyxoid Tumors (OFMT). We express the fusion protein and necessary controls in K562 Cells. The fusion protein assembles a mega-complex harboring both NuA4/TIP60 and PRC2 subunits and enzymatic activities and leads to mislocalization of chromatin marks in the genome, linked to aberrant gene expression.
Project description:Ewing’s sarcoma is highly malignant bone tumor that involves childhood and adolescent, and its nature has not been well understood. To clarify its cellular origin and the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, we used ex vivo approach to create a murine model for Ewing’s sarcoma. The osteochondrogenic progenitors derived from the facial zone (FZ) of murine long bones at late gestation were purified by microdissection, introduced with EWS-FLI1 or EWS-ERG retroviruses and transplanted into nude mice. Ewing’s sarcoma-like small round cell sarcoma developed at 100% penetrance, whereas tumor induction was less effective when growth place (GP)-derived cells were used. The different response of gene expression to EWS-FLI1 between FZ and GP cells suggests importance of the specific cellular context for EWS-FLI1 to induce Ewing’s sarcoma. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in close relationship to the cellular context, with Dkk2 and Wipf1 as important downstream modulators. Furthermore, gene expression profiling revealed similarity between our models and human Ewing’s sarcoma. These results indicate that Ewing’s sarcoma originates from the embryonic osteochondrogenic progenitor.
Project description:In this study, we characterize the fusion protein produced by the EPC1-PHF1 translocation in Low Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma (LG-ESS) and Ossifying FibroMyxoid Tumors (OFMT). We express the fusion protein and necessary controls in K562 Cells. The fusion protein assembles a mega-complex harboring both NuA4/TIP60 and PRC2 subunits and enzymatic activities and leads to mislocalization of chromatin marks in the genome, linked to aberrant gene expression.
Project description:Ewing’s sarcoma is highly malignant bone tumor that involves childhood and adolescent, and its nature has not been well understood. To clarify its cellular origin and the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, we used ex vivo approach to create a murine model for Ewing’s sarcoma. The osteochondrogenic progenitors derived from the embryonic superficial zone (eSZ, designated as FZ in the data set) of murine long bones at late gestation were purified by microdissection, introduced with EWS-FLI1 or EWS-ERG retroviruses and transplanted into nude mice. Ewing’s sarcoma-like small round cell sarcoma developed at 100% penetrance, whereas tumor induction was less effective when growth place (GP)-derived cells were used. The different response of gene expression to EWS-FLI1 between eSZ and GP cells suggests importance of the specific cellular context for EWS-FLI1 to induce Ewing’s sarcoma. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in close relationship to the cellular context, with Dkk2 and Wipf1 as important downstream modulators. Furthermore, gene expression profiling revealed similarity between our models and human Ewing’s sarcoma. These results indicate that Ewing’s sarcoma originates from the embryonic osteochondrogenic progenitor.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.