The Drosophila BEAF insulator protein interacts with the polybromo subunit of the PBAP chromatin remodeling complex.

The Drosophila Boundary Element-Associated Factor of 32 kDa (BEAF) binds in promoter regions of a few thousand mostly housekeeping genes. BEAF is implicated in both chromatin domain boundary activity and promoter function, although molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that BEAF physically interacts with the polybromo subunit (Pbro) of PBAP, a SWI/SNF-class chromatin remodeling complex. BEAF also shows genetic interactions with Pbro and other PBAP subunits. We examine the effect of this interaction on gene expression and chromatin structure using precision run-on sequencing and micrococcal nuclease sequencing after RNAi-mediated knockdown in cultured S2 cells. Our results are consistent with the interaction playing a subtle role in gene activation. Fewer than 5% of BEAF-associated genes were significantly affected after BEAF knockdown. Most were downregulated, accompanied by fill-in of the promoter nucleosome-depleted region and a slight upstream shift of the +1 nucleosome. Pbro knockdown caused downregulation of several hundred genes and showed a correlation with BEAF knockdown but a better correlation with promoter-proximal GAGA factor binding. Micrococcal nuclease sequencing supports that BEAF binds near housekeeping gene promoters while Pbro is more important at regulated genes. Yet there is a similar general but slight reduction of promoter-proximal pausing by RNA polymerase II and increase in nucleosome-depleted region nucleosome occupancy after knockdown of either protein. We discuss the possibility of redundant factors keeping BEAF-associated promoters active and masking the role of interactions between BEAF and the Pbro subunit of PBAP in S2 cells. We identify Facilitates Chromatin Transcription (FACT) and Nucleosome Remodeling Factor (NURF) as candidate redundant factors.

A Pilot Study of Medical Misinformation Perceptions and Training Among Practitioners in North Carolina (USA).

Medical misinformation (MM) is a problem for both medical practitioners and patients in the 21st century. Medical practitioners have anecdotally reported encounters with patient-held misinformation, but to date we lack evidence that quantifies this phenomenon. We surveyed licensed practitioners in the state of North Carolina to better understand how often patients mention MM in the clinical setting, and if medical practitioners are trained to engage with patients in these specific conversations. We administered an anonymous, online survey to physicians and physician assistants licensed to practice in the state of North Carolina. Questions focused on demographics, clinical encounters with MM, and training to discuss MM with patients. We received over 2800 responses and analyzed 2183 after removing ineligible responses. Our results showed that most respondents encountered MM from patients (94.2% (2047/2183)), with no significant differences between clinical specialty, time spent in practice, or community type. When asked about specific training, 18% (380/2081) reported formal experiences and 39% (807/289) reported informal experiences. MM has been salient due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it was present before and will remain after the pandemic. Given that MM is widespread but practitioners lack training on engaging patients in these conversations, a sustained effort to specifically train current and future practitioners on how to engage patients about MM would be an important step toward mitigating the spread of MM.

Función de los profesionales de la salud de rectificar la información errónea que tienen los pacientes más allá de corregir los hechos / Roles for Health Care Professionals in Addressing Patient-Held Misinformation Beyond Fact Correction

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Characterization of cis-regulatory elements controlling repo transcription in Drosophila melanogaster.

The glial cells missing (gcm) gene has been identified as a "master regulator" of glial cell fate in the fruit fly Drosophila. However, gcm is also expressed in and required for the development of larval macrophages and tendon cells. Thus, the Gcm protein activates the transcription of different sets of genes in different developmental contexts. How the Gcm protein regulates these different outcomes is not known. Our goal is to identify proteins that collaborate with Gcm to promote the transcriptional activation of Gcm target genes specifically in glial cells, or prevent their activation in the other tissues in which Gcm is expressed. To address this, we have focused on the transcriptional regulation of a well-characterized glial-specific Gcm target gene, the transcription factor reversed polarity (repo). We aim to understand how the transcription of the glial-specific Gcm target gene repo is regulated by Gcm and other factors. Previously we defined a 4.3 kb cis-regulatory DNA region that recapitulates the endogenous Repo expression pattern dependent on multiple Gcm binding sites. We proposed that there may be multiple cis-regulatory sub-regions that drive cell-specific expression independent of Gcm binding sites. Here, using lacZ reporter activity in transgenic lines, we have characterized three cis-regulatory elements: 1) a distal element that promotes expression in dorsolateral epidermis; 2) a repressor element that suppresses expression in the epidermis; and, 3) a proximal element that promotes expression in a subset of cell body glia. Most significantly, we have defined a minimal cis-regulatory element that recapitulates the endogenous repo expression pattern dependent on a single Gcm binding site.

SET nuclear oncogene associates with microcephalin/MCPH1 and regulates chromosome condensation.

Primary microcephaly is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by marked reduction in human brain size. Microcephalin (MCPH1), one of the genes mutated in primary microcephaly, plays an important role in DNA damage checkpoint control and mitotic entry. Additionally, MCPH1 ensures the proper temporal activation of chromosome condensation during mitosis, by acting as a negative regulator of the condensin II complex. We previously found that deletion of the of the MCPH1 N terminus leads to the premature chromosome condensation (PCC) phenotype. In the present study, we unexpectedly observed that a truncated form of MCPH1 appears to be expressed in MCPH1(S25X/S25X) patient cells. This likely results from utilization of an alternative translational start codon, which would produce a mutant MCPH1 protein with a small deletion of its N-terminal BRCT domain. Furthermore, missense mutations in the MCPH1 cluster at its N terminus, suggesting that intact function of this BRCT protein-interaction domain is required both for coordinating chromosome condensation and human brain development. Subsequently, we identified the SET nuclear oncogene as a direct binding partner of the MCPH1 N-terminal BRCT domain. Cells with SET knockdown exhibited abnormal condensed chromosomes similar to those observed in MCPH1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Condensin II knockdown rescued the abnormal chromosome condensation phenotype in SET-depleted cells. In addition, MCPH1 V50G/I51V missense mutations, impair binding to SET and fail to fully rescue the abnormal chromosome condensation phenotype in Mcph1(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Collectively, our findings suggest that SET is an important regulator of chromosome condensation/decondensation and that disruption of the MCPH1-SET interaction might be important for the pathogenesis of primary microcephaly.

Analysis of chick (Gallus gallus) middle ear columella formation.

BACKGROUND: The chick middle ear bone, the columella, provides an accessible model in which to study the tissue and molecular interactions necessary for induction and patterning of the columella, as well as associated multiple aspects of endochondral ossification. These include mesenchymal condensation, chondrogenesis, ossification of the medial footplate and shaft, and joint formation between the persistent cartilage of the extracolumella and ossified columella. Middle and external ear defects are responsible for approximately 10% of congenital hearing defects. Thus, understanding the morphogenesis and the molecular mechanisms of the formation of the middle ear is important to understanding normal and abnormal development of this essential component of the hearing apparatus. RESULTS: The columella, which arises from proximal ectomesenchyme of the second pharyngeal arch, is induced and patterned in a dynamic multi-step process. From the footplate, which inserts into the inner ear oval window, the shaft spans the pneumatic middle ear cavity, and the extracolumella inserts into the tympanic membrane. Through marker gene and immunolabeling analysis, we have determined the onset of each stage in the columella's development, from condensation to ossification. Significantly, a single condensation with the putative shaft and extracolumella arms already distinguishable is observed shortly before initiation of five separate chondrogenic centers within these structures. Ossification begins later, with periosteum formation in the shaft and, unexpectedly, a separate periosteum in the footplate. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented in this study document the spatiotemporal events leading to morphogenesis of the columella and middle ear structures and provide the first gene expression data for this region. These data identify candidate genes and facilitate future functional studies and elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of columella formation.

Defects in DNA ligase I trigger PCNA ubiquitylation at Lys 107.

In all eukaryotes, the ligation of newly synthesized DNA, also known as Okazaki fragments, is catalysed by DNA ligase I (ref. 1). An individual with a DNA ligase I deficiency exhibits growth retardation, sunlight sensitivity and severe immunosuppression, probably due to accumulation of DNA damage. Surprisingly, not much is known about the DNA damage response (DDR) in DNA ligase I-deficient cells. As DNA replication and DDR pathways are highly conserved in eukaryotes, we used Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to address this issue. We uncovered a new pathway, which facilitates ubiquitylation at Lys 107 of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Unlike ubiquitylation at Lys 164 of PCNA in response to UV irradiation, which triggers translesion synthesis, modification of Lys 107 is not dependent on the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (E2) Rad6 (ref. 4) nor the ubiquitin ligase (E3) Rad18 (ref. 5), but requires the E2 variant Mms2 (ref. 6) in conjunction with Ubc4 (ref. 7) and the E3 Rad5 (Refs 8, 9). Surprisingly, DNA ligase I-deficient S. cerevisiae cdc9-1 cells that carry a PCNAK107R mutation are inviable, because they cannot activate a robust DDR. Furthermore, we show that ubiquitylation of PCNA in response to DNA ligase I deficiency is conserved in humans, yet the lysine residue that is modified remains to be determined. We propose that PCNA ubiquitylation provides a 'DNA damage code' that allows cells to categorize different types of defects that arise during DNA replication.

DNA-damage checkpoints: location, location, location.

The DNA-damage response (DDR) is an evolutionarily conserved signaling cascade crucial for sensing DNA damage and activating cellular responses such as cell-cycle arrest, DNA repair, senescence and apoptosis. Excitingly, two recent studies describe activation of this checkpoint in the absence of DNA damage. These studies support the idea that accumulation of checkpoint proteins and changes in global-chromatin structure are important signaling intermediates for the activation of the DDR.

Aurora A is essential for early embryonic development and tumor suppression.

Aurora A is a serine/threonine kinase that functions in various stages of mitosis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that gene amplification and overexpression of Aurora A are linked to tumorigenesis, suggesting that Aurora A is an oncogene. In addition, Aurora A overexpression has been used as a negative prognostic marker, because it is associated with resistance to anti-mitotic agents commonly used for cancer therapy. To understand the physiological functions of Aurora A, we generated Aurora A knock-out mice. Aurora A null mice die early during embryonic development before the 16-cell stage. These Aurora A null embryos have defects in mitosis, particularly in spindle assembly, supporting critical functions of Aurora A during mitotic transitions. Interestingly, Aurora A heterozygosity results in a significantly increased tumor incidence in mice, suggesting that Aurora A may also act as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor. Consistently, Aurora A heterozygous mouse embryonic fibroblasts have higher rates of aneuploidy. We further discovered that VX-680, an Aurora kinase inhibitor currently in phase II clinical trials for cancer treatment, could induce aneuploidy in wild type mouse embryonic fibroblasts. We conclude that a balanced Aurora A level is critical for maintaining genomic stability and one needs to be fully aware of the potential side effects of anti-cancer therapy based on the use of Aurora A-specific inhibitors.

Polo-like kinase 1 is essential for early embryonic development and tumor suppression.

Polo-like kinases (Plks) are serine/threonine kinases that are highly conserved in organisms from yeasts to humans. Previous reports have shown that Plk1 is critical for all stages of mitosis and may play a role in DNA replication during S phase. While much work has focused on Plk1, little is known about the physiological function of Plk1 in vivo. To address this question, we generated Plk1 knockout mice. Plk1 homozygous null mice were embryonic lethal, and early Plk1(-/-) embryos failed to survive after the eight-cell stage. Immunocytochemistry studies revealed that Plk1-null embryos were arrested outside the mitotic phase, suggesting that Plk1 is important for proper cell cycle progression. It has been postulated that Plk1 is a potential oncogene, due to its overexpression in a variety of tumors and tumor cell lines. While the Plk1 heterozygotes were healthy at birth, the incidence of tumors in these animals was threefold greater than that in their wild-type counterparts, demonstrating that the loss of one Plk1 allele accelerates tumor formation. Collectively, our data support that Plk1 is important for early embryonic development and may function as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor.

Microcephalin/MCPH1 associates with the Condensin II complex to function in homologous recombination repair.

Microcephalin/MCPH1 is one of the causative genes responsible for the autosomal recessive disorder primary microcephaly. Patients with this disease present with mental retardation and dramatic reduction in head size, and cells derived from these patients contain abnormally condensed chromosomes. MCPH1 contains an N-terminal BRCT and tandem C-terminal BRCT domains. More recently, MCPH1 has been implicated in the cellular response to DNA damage; however, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report the identification Condensin II as a major MCPH1-interacting protein. MCPH1 and Condensin II interact in vivo, mediated by the CAPG2 subunit of Condensin II binding to a middle domain (residues 376-485) of MCPH1. Interestingly, while Condensin II is not required for the IR-induced G2/M checkpoint, Condensin II-depleted cells have a defect in HR repair, which is also present in MCPH1(-/-)MEFs. Moreover, the Condensin II binding region of MCPH1 is also required for HR function. Collectively, we have identified a novel function of MCPH1 to modulate HR repair through Condensin II, and thereby maintain genome integrity.

MCPH1 functions in an H2AX-dependent but MDC1-independent pathway in response to DNA damage.

Microcephalin (MCPH1) is one of the causative genes for the autosomal recessive disorder, primary microcephaly, characterized by dramatic reduction in brain size and mental retardation. MCPH1 also functions in the DNA damage response, participating in cell cycle checkpoint control. However, how MCPH1 is regulated in the DNA damage response still remains unknown. Here we report that the ability of MCPH1 to localize to the sites of DNA double-strand breaks depends on its C-terminal tandem BRCT domains. Although MCPH1 foci formation depends on H2AX phosphorylation after DNA damage, it can occur independently of MDC1. We also show that MCPH1 binds to a phospho-H2AX peptide in vitro with an affinity similar to that of MDC1, and overexpression of wild type, but not C-BRCT mutants of MCPH1, can interfere with the foci formation of MDC1 and 53BP1. Collectively, our data suggest MCPH1 is recruited to double-strand breaks via its interaction with gammaH2AX, which is mediated by MCPH1 C-terminal BRCT domains. These observations support that MCPH1 acts early in DNA damage responsive pathways.