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Scientific Reports Mar 2021Chemo-immunotherapy has improved survival in B-cell lymphoma patients, but refractory/relapsed diseases still represent a major challenge, urging for development of new...
Chemo-immunotherapy has improved survival in B-cell lymphoma patients, but refractory/relapsed diseases still represent a major challenge, urging for development of new therapeutics. Karonudib (TH1579) was developed to inhibit MTH1, an enzyme preventing oxidized dNTP-incorporation in DNA. MTH1 is highly upregulated in tumor biopsies from patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Burkitt lymphoma, hence confirming a rationale for targeting MTH1. Here, we tested the efficacy of karonudib in vitro and in preclinical B-cell lymphoma models. Using a range of B-cell lymphoma cell lines, karonudib strongly reduced viability at concentrations well tolerated by activated normal B cells. In B-cell lymphoma cells, karonudib increased incorporation of 8-oxo-dGTP into DNA, and prominently induced prometaphase arrest and apoptosis due to failure in spindle assembly. MTH1 knockout cell lines were less sensitive to karonudib-induced apoptosis, but were displaying cell cycle arrest phenotype similar to the wild type cells, indicating a dual inhibitory role of the drug. Karonudib was highly potent as single agent in two different lymphoma xenograft models, including an ABC DLBCL patient derived xenograft, leading to prolonged survival and fully controlled tumor growth. Together, our preclinical findings provide a rationale for further clinical testing of karonudib in B-cell lymphoma.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Burkitt Lymphoma; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; DNA; DNA Repair Enzymes; Deoxyguanine Nucleotides; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Lymphoma, B-Cell; Mice; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; Pyrimidines; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
PubMed: 33737576
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85613-8 -
Cells Jan 2023Conjugation with the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modulates protein interactions and localisation. The kinase Aurora B, a key regulator of mitosis, was...
Conjugation with the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modulates protein interactions and localisation. The kinase Aurora B, a key regulator of mitosis, was previously identified as a SUMOylation target in vitro and in assays with overexpressed components. However, where and when this modification genuinely occurs in human cells was not ascertained. Here, we have developed intramolecular Proximity Ligation Assays (PLA) to visualise SUMO-conjugated Aurora B in human cells in situ. We visualised Aurora B-SUMO products at centromeres in prometaphase and metaphase, which declined from anaphase onwards and became virtually undetectable at cytokinesis. In the mitotic window in which Aurora B/SUMO products are abundant, Aurora B co-localised and interacted with NUP358/RANBP2, a nucleoporin with SUMO ligase and SUMO-stabilising activity. Indeed, in addition to the requirement for the previously identified PIAS3 SUMO ligase, we found that NUP358/RANBP2 is also implicated in Aurora B-SUMO PLA product formation and centromere localisation. In summary, SUMOylation marks a distinctive window of Aurora B functions at centromeres in prometaphase and metaphase while being dispensable for functions exerted in cytokinesis, and RANBP2 contributes to this control, adding a novel layer to modulation of Aurora B functions during mitosis.
Topics: Humans; Centromere; Ligases; Mitosis; Molecular Chaperones; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins; Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT; Sumoylation
PubMed: 36766713
DOI: 10.3390/cells12030372 -
Molecular Biology of the Cell Nov 2018When untransformed human cells spend >1.5 h in prometaphase under standard culture conditions, all daughters arrest in G1 despite normal division of their mothers. We...
When untransformed human cells spend >1.5 h in prometaphase under standard culture conditions, all daughters arrest in G1 despite normal division of their mothers. We investigate what happens during prolonged prometaphase that leads to daughter cell arrest in the absence of DNA damage. We find that progressive loss of anti-apoptotic MCL-1 activity and oxidative stress act in concert to partially activate the apoptosis pathway, resulting in the delayed death of some daughters and senescence for the rest. At physiological oxygen levels, longer prometaphase durations are needed for all daughters to arrest. Partial activation of apoptosis during prolonged prometaphase leads to persistent caspase activity, which activates the kinase cascade mediating the post-mitotic activation of p38. This in turn activates p53, and the consequent expression of p21stops the cell cycle. This mechanism can prevent cells suffering intractable mitotic defects, which modestly prolong mitosis but allow its completion without DNA damage, from producing future cell generations that are susceptible to the evolution of a transformed phenotype.
Topics: Apoptosis; Caspase Inhibitors; Caspases; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation; Cellular Senescence; Enzyme Activation; Humans; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen; Prometaphase; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
PubMed: 30133342
DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E18-01-0026 -
Molecular Cell Dec 2021As cells enter mitosis, chromatin compacts to facilitate chromosome segregation yet remains transcribed. Transcription supercoils DNA to levels that can impede further...
As cells enter mitosis, chromatin compacts to facilitate chromosome segregation yet remains transcribed. Transcription supercoils DNA to levels that can impede further progression of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) unless it is removed by DNA topoisomerase 1 (TOP1). Using ChIP-seq on mitotic cells, we found that TOP1 is required for RNAPII translocation along genes. The stimulation of TOP1 activity by RNAPII during elongation allowed RNAPII clearance from genes in prometaphase and enabled chromosomal segregation. Disruption of the TOP1-RNAPII interaction impaired RNAPII spiking at promoters and triggered defects in the post-mitotic transcription program. This program includes factors necessary for cell growth, and cells with impaired TOP1-RNAPII interaction are more sensitive to inhibitors of mTOR signaling. We conclude that TOP1 is necessary for assisting transcription during mitosis with consequences for growth and gene expression long after mitosis is completed. In this sense, TOP1 ensures that cellular memory is preserved in subsequent generations.
Topics: Cell Proliferation; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing; Colorectal Neoplasms; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; G1 Phase; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; HCT116 Cells; Humans; MTOR Inhibitors; Mitosis; RNA Polymerase II; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 34767771
DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.10.015 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2018Faithful chromosome segregation is ensured by the establishment of bi-orientation; the attachment of sister kinetochores to the end of microtubules extending from...
Faithful chromosome segregation is ensured by the establishment of bi-orientation; the attachment of sister kinetochores to the end of microtubules extending from opposite spindle poles. In addition, kinetochores can also attach to lateral surfaces of microtubules; called lateral attachment, which plays a role in chromosome capture and transport. However, molecular basis and biological significance of lateral attachment are not fully understood. We have addressed these questions by focusing on the prometaphase rosette, a typical chromosome configuration in early prometaphase. We found that kinetochores form uniform lateral attachments in the prometaphase rosette. Many transient kinetochore components are maximally enriched, in an Aurora B activity-dependent manner, when the prometaphase rosette is formed. We revealed that rosette formation is driven by rapid poleward motion of dynein, but can occur even in its absence, through slow kinetochore movements caused by microtubule depolymerization that is supposedly dependent on kinetochore tethering at microtubule ends by CENP-E. We also found that chromosome connection to microtubules is extensively lost when lateral attachment is perturbed in cells defective in end-on attachment. Our findings demonstrate that lateral attachment is an important intermediate in bi-orientation establishment and chromosome alignment, playing a crucial role in incorporating chromosomes into the nascent spindle.
Topics: Chromosome Segregation; Dyneins; HeLa Cells; Humans; Kinetochores; Microtubules; Prometaphase; Rosette Formation; Spindle Apparatus
PubMed: 29497093
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22164-5 -
Cellular Signalling Apr 2021The Neuroepithelial transforming gene 1 (Net1) is a RhoA subfamily guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is overexpressed in a number of cancers and contributes to...
The Neuroepithelial transforming gene 1 (Net1) is a RhoA subfamily guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is overexpressed in a number of cancers and contributes to cancer cell motility and proliferation. Net1 also plays a Rho GTPase independent role in mitotic progression, where it promotes centrosomal activation of Aurora A and Pak2, and aids in chromosome alignment during prometaphase. To understand regulatory mechanisms controlling the mitotic function of Net1, we examined whether it was phosphorylated by the mitotic kinase Cdk1. We observed that Cdk1 phosphorylated Net1 on multiple sites in its N-terminal regulatory domain and C-terminus in vitro. By raising phospho-specific antibodies to two of these sites, we also demonstrated that both endogenous and transfected Net1 were phosphorylated by Cdk1 in cells. Substitution of the major Cdk1 phosphorylation sites with aliphatic or acidic residues inhibited the interaction of Net1 with RhoA, and treatment of metaphase cells with a Cdk1 inhibitor increased Net1 activity. Cdk1 inhibition also increased Net1 localization to the plasma membrane and stimulated cortical F-actin accumulation. Moreover, Net1 overexpression caused spindle polarity defects that were reduced in frequency by acidic substitution of the major Cdk1 phosphorylation sites. These data indicate that Cdk1 phosphorylates Net1 during mitosis and suggest that this negatively regulates its ability to signal to RhoA and alter actin cytoskeletal organization.
Topics: Actin Cytoskeleton; Actins; CDC2 Protein Kinase; Cell Membrane; HeLa Cells; Humans; Mitosis; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Oncogene Proteins; Phosphorylation; Protein Stability; RNA Interference; RNA, Small Interfering; Spindle Apparatus; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein
PubMed: 33465404
DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2021.109926 -
Nature Communications Jan 2020Lysosomes are membrane-surrounded cytoplasmic organelles filled with a powerful cocktail of hydrolases. Besides degrading cellular constituents inside the lysosomal...
Lysosomes are membrane-surrounded cytoplasmic organelles filled with a powerful cocktail of hydrolases. Besides degrading cellular constituents inside the lysosomal lumen, lysosomal hydrolases promote tissue remodeling when delivered to the extracellular space and cell death when released to the cytosol. Here, we show that spatially and temporally controlled lysosomal leakage contributes to the accurate chromosome segregation in normal mammalian cell division. One or more chromatin-proximal lysosomes leak in the majority of prometaphases, after which active cathepsin B (CTSB) localizes to the metaphase chromatin and cleaves a small subset of histone H3. Stabilization of lysosomal membranes or inhibition of CTSB activity during mitotic entry results in a significant increase in telomere-related chromosome segregation defects, whereas cells and tissues lacking CTSB and cells expressing CTSB-resistant histone H3 accumulate micronuclei and other nuclear defects. These data suggest that lysosomal leakage and chromatin-associated CTSB contribute to proper chromosome segregation and maintenance of genomic integrity.
Topics: Animals; Cathepsin B; Cell Line; Cell Nucleus; Chromatin; Chromosome Segregation; Female; Gene Silencing; Histones; Humans; Intracellular Membranes; Lysosomes; Metaphase; Mice; Mitosis; Permeability; Telomere
PubMed: 31932607
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14009-0 -
Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) Feb 2019PKCβI, a member of the classical protein kinase C family, plays key roles in regulating cell cycle transition. Here, we report the expression, localization and...
PKCβI, a member of the classical protein kinase C family, plays key roles in regulating cell cycle transition. Here, we report the expression, localization and functions of PKCβI in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. PKCβI and p-PKCβI (phosphor-PKCβI) were expressed from germinal vesicle (GV) stage to metaphase II (MII) stage. Confocal microscopy revealed that PKCβI was localized in the GV and evenly distributed in the cytoplasm after GV breakdown (GVBD), and it was concentrated at the midbody at telophase in meiotic oocytes. While, p-PKCβI was concentrated at the spindle poles at the metaphase stages and associated with midbody at telophase. Depletion of PKCβI by specific siRNA injection resulted in defective spindles, accompanied with spindle assembly checkpoint activation, metaphase I arrest and failure of first polar body (PB1) extrusion. Live cell imaging analysis also revealed that knockdown of PKCβI resulted in abnormal spindles, misaligned chromosomes, and meiotic arrest of oocytes arrest at the Pro-MI/MI stage. PKCβI depletion did not affect the G2/M transition, but its overexpression delayed the G2/M transition through regulating Cyclin B1 level and Cdc2 activity. Our findings reveal that PKCβI is a critical regulator of meiotic cell cycle progression in oocytes. Abbreviations: PKC, protein kinase C; COC, cumulus-oocyte complexes; GV, germinal vesicle; GVBD, germinal vesicle breakdown; Pro-MI, first pro-metaphase; MI, first metaphase; Tel I, telophase I; MII, second metaphase; PB1, first polar body; SAC, spindle assembly checkpoint.
Topics: Animals; CDC2 Protein Kinase; Chromosomes; Cyclin B1; Cytoplasm; Female; M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Metaphase; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microinjections; Plasmids; Polar Bodies; Protein Kinase C beta; RNA Interference; RNA, Messenger; RNA, Small Interfering; Spindle Apparatus; Telophase
PubMed: 30730241
DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2018.1564492 -
Current Biology : CB Mar 2024The outer corona plays an essential role at the onset of mitosis by expanding to maximize microtubule attachment to kinetochores. The low-density structure of the corona...
The outer corona plays an essential role at the onset of mitosis by expanding to maximize microtubule attachment to kinetochores. The low-density structure of the corona forms through the expansion of unattached kinetochores. It comprises the RZZ complex, the dynein adaptor Spindly, the plus-end directed microtubule motor centromere protein E (CENP-E), and the Mad1/Mad2 spindle-assembly checkpoint proteins. CENP-E specifically associates with unattached kinetochores to facilitate chromosome congression, interacting with BubR1 at the kinetochore through its C-terminal region (2091-2358). We recently showed that CENP-E recruitment to BubR1 at the kinetochores is both rapid and essential for correct chromosome alignment. However, CENP-E is also recruited to the outer corona by a second, slower pathway that is currently undefined. Here, we show that BubR1-independent localization of CENP-E is mediated by a conserved loop that is essential for outer-corona targeting. We provide a structural model of the entire CENP-E kinetochore-targeting domain combining X-ray crystallography and Alphafold2. We reveal that maximal recruitment of CENP-E to unattached kinetochores critically depends on BubR1 and the outer corona, including dynein. Ectopic expression of the CENP-E C-terminal domain recruits the RZZ complex, Mad1, and Spindly, and prevents kinetochore biorientation in cells. We propose that BubR1-recruited CENP-E, in addition to its essential role in chromosome alignment to the metaphase plate, contributes to the recruitment of outer corona proteins through interactions with the CENP-E corona-targeting domain to facilitate the rapid capture of microtubules for efficient chromosome alignment and mitotic progression.
Topics: Humans; Cell Cycle Proteins; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Kinetochores; Microtubules; Mad2 Proteins; Mitosis; Dyneins; Spindle Apparatus; HeLa Cells
PubMed: 38354735
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.042 -
The Journal of Cell Biology Jul 2018The two Condensin complexes in human cells are essential for mitotic chromosome structure. We used homozygous genome editing to fluorescently tag Condensin I and II...
The two Condensin complexes in human cells are essential for mitotic chromosome structure. We used homozygous genome editing to fluorescently tag Condensin I and II subunits and mapped their absolute abundance, spacing, and dynamic localization during mitosis by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FSC)-calibrated live-cell imaging and superresolution microscopy. Although ∼35,000 Condensin II complexes are stably bound to chromosomes throughout mitosis, ∼195,000 Condensin I complexes dynamically bind in two steps: prometaphase and early anaphase. The two Condensins rarely colocalize at the chromatid axis, where Condensin II is centrally confined, but Condensin I reaches ∼50% of the chromatid diameter from its center. Based on our comprehensive quantitative data, we propose a three-step hierarchical loop model of mitotic chromosome compaction: Condensin II initially fixes loops of a maximum size of ∼450 kb at the chromatid axis, whose size is then reduced by Condensin I binding to ∼90 kb in prometaphase and ∼70 kb in anaphase, achieving maximum chromosome compaction upon sister chromatid segregation.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Anaphase; Chromatids; Chromosome Segregation; Chromosomes; DNA-Binding Proteins; Gene Editing; Humans; Mitosis; Multiprotein Complexes
PubMed: 29632028
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201801048