Directory
2016
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Splicing misregulation of SCN5A contributes to cardiac-conduction delay and heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy
- Journal : Nat Commun
- 2016
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Splicing misregulation of SCN5A contributes to cardiac-conduction delay and heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy.
- Journal : Nat Commun
- 2016
- Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is caused by the expression of mutant RNAs containing expanded CUG repeats that sequester muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins, leading toalternative splicing changes. Cardiac alterations, characterized by conduction delays and arrhythmia, are the second most common cause of death in DM. Using RNA sequencing, here we identify novel splicing alterations in DM heart samples, including a switch from adult exon 6B towards fetal exon 6A in the cardiac sodium channel, SCN5A. We find that MBNL1 regulates alternative splicing of SCN5A mRNA and that the splicing variant of SCN5A produced in DM presents a reduced excitability compared with the control adult isoform. Importantly, reproducing splicing alteration of Scn5a in mice is sufficient to promote heart arrhythmia and cardiac-conduction delay, two predominant features of myotonic dystrophy. Inconclusion, misregulation of the alternative splicing of SCN5A may contribute toa subset of the cardiac dysfunctions observed in myotonic dystrophy.
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The actin cable is dispensable in directing dorsal closure dynamics but neutralizes mechanical stress to prevent scarring in the Drosophila embryo.
- Journal : Nat Cell Biol
- 2016
- The actin cable is a supracellular structure that embryonic epithelia produce toclose gaps. However, the action of the cable remains debated. Here, we address the function of the cable using Drosophila dorsal closure, a paradigm to understand wound healing. First, we show that the actin cytoskeleton protein Zasp52 is specifically required for actin cable formation. Next, we used Zasp52 loss of function to dissect the mechanism of action of the cable. Surprisingly, closure dynamics are perfect in Zasp52 mutants: the cable is therefore dispensable for closure, even in the absence of the amnioserosa. Conversely, we observed that the cable protects cellular geometries from robust morphogenetic forces that otherwise interfere with closure: the absence of cable results in defects in epithelial organization that lead to morphogenetic scarring. We propose that the cable prevents morphogenetic scarring by stabilizing cellular interactions rather than by acting on closure dynamics.
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The Drosophila chromosomal protein Mst77F is processed to generate an essential component of mature sperm chromatin.
- Journal : Open Biol
- 2016
- In most animals, the bulk of sperm DNA is packaged with sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs), a diverse group of highly basic chromosomal proteins notably comprising mammalian protamines. The replacement of histones with SNBPs during spermiogenesis allows sperm DNA to reach an extreme level of compaction, but little is known about how SNBPs actually function in vivo Mst77F is a DrosophilaSNBP with unique DNA condensation properties in vitro, but its role during spermiogenesis remains unclear. Here, we show that Mst77F is required for the compaction of sperm DNA and the production of mature sperm, through its cooperation with protamine-like proteins Mst35Ba/b. We demonstrate that Mst77F is incorporated in spermatid chromatin as a precursor protein, which is subsequently processed through the proteolysis of its N-terminus. The cleavage of Mst77F is very similar to the processing of protamine P2 during human spermiogenesis and notably leaves the cysteine residues in the mature protein intact, suggesting that they participate in the formation of disulfide cross-links. Despite the rapid evolution of SNBPs, sperm chromatin condensation thus involves remarkably convergent mechanisms in distantly related animals.
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The folding landscape of the epigenome.
- Journal : Phys Biol
- 2016
- The role of the spatial organization of chromatin in gene regulation is a long-standing but still open question. Experimentally it has been shown that thegenome is segmented into epigenomic chromatin domains that are organized into hierarchical sub-nuclear spatial compartments. However, whether this non-random spatial organization only reflects or indeed contributes-and how-to the regulation of genome function remains to be elucidated. To address this question, we recently proposed a quantitative description of the folding properties of thefly genome as a function of its epigenomic landscape using a polymer model with epigenomic-driven attractions. We propose in this article, to characterize more deeply the physical properties of the 3D epigenome folding. Using an efficient lattice version of the original block copolymer model, we study the structural and dynamical properties of chromatin and show that the size of epigenomic domains and asymmetries in sizes and in interaction strengths play a critical role in the chromatin organization. Finally, we discuss the biological implications of our findings. In particular, our predictions are quantitatively compatible with experimental data and suggest a different mean of self-interaction in euchromatin versus heterochromatin domains.
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The genome of the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis, a model for animal development, regeneration, immunity and lignocellulose digestion.
- Journal : Elife
- 2016
- The amphipod crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis is a blossoming model system for studies of developmental mechanisms and more recently regeneration. We have sequenced the genome allowing annotation of all key signaling pathways, transcription factors, and non-coding RNAs that will enhance ongoing functional studies. Parhyale is a member of the Malacostraca clade, which includes crustacean food crop species. We analysed the immunity related genes of Parhyaleas an important comparative system for these species, where immunity related aquaculture problems have increased as farming has intensified. We also find that Parhyale and other species within Multicrustacea contain the enzyme sets necessary to perform lignocellulose digestion ('wood eating'), suggesting this ability may predate the diversification of this lineage. Our data provide an essential resource for further development of Parhyale as an experimental model.The first malacostracan genome will underpin ongoing comparative work in food crop species and research investigating lignocellulose as an energy source.
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The multiple functions of RNA helicases as drivers and regulators of gene expression
- Journal : Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol
- 2016
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The proto-oncogenic protein TAL1 controls TGF-β1 signaling through interaction with SMAD3
- Journal : Biochim Open
- 2016
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Unlocking sperm chromatin at fertilization requires a dedicated egg thioredoxin in Drosophila.
- Journal : Nat Commun
- 2016
- In most animals, the extreme compaction of sperm DNA is achieved after the massive replacement of histones with sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs), such as protamines. In some species, the ultracompact sperm chromatin is stabilized by a network of disulfide bonds connecting cysteine residues present in SNBPs. Studies in mammals have established that the reduction of these disulfide crosslinks at fertilization is required for sperm nuclear decondensation and theformation of the male pronucleus. Here, we show that the Drosophila maternal thioredoxin Deadhead (DHD) is specifically required to unlock sperm chromatin atfertilization. In dhd mutant eggs, the sperm nucleus fails to decondense and thereplacement of SNBPs with maternally-provided histones is severely delayed, thuspreventing the participation of paternal chromosomes in embryo development. We demonstrate that DHD localizes to the sperm nucleus to reduce its disulfide targets and is then rapidly degraded after fertilization.
Link to PubMed entry