RESUMO
Human ALT cancers show high mutation rates in ATRX and DAXX. Although it is well known that the absence of ATRX/DAXX disrupts H3.3 deposition at heterochromatin, its impact on H3.3 deposition and post-translational modification in the global genome remains unclear. Here, we explore the dynamics of phosphorylated H3.3 serine 31 (H3.3S31ph) in human ALT cancer cells. While H3.3S31ph is found only at pericentric satellite DNA repeats during mitosis in most somatic human cells, a high level of H3.3S31ph is detected on the entire chromosome in ALT cells, attributable to an elevated CHK1 activity in these cells. Drug inhibition of CHK1 activity during mitosis and expression of mutant H3.3S31A in these ALT cells result in a decrease in H3.3S31ph levels accompanied with increased levels of phosphorylated H2AX serine 139 on chromosome arms and at the telomeres. Furthermore, the inhibition of CHK1 activity in these cells also reduces cell viability. Our findings suggest a novel role of CHK1 as an H3.3S31 kinase, and that CHK1-mediated H3.3S31ph plays an important role in the maintenance of chromatin integrity and cell survival in ALT cancer cells.
Assuntos
Montagem e Desmontagem da Cromatina , Cromatina/metabolismo , Histonas/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinases/metabolismo , Western Blotting , Linhagem Celular Transformada , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sobrevivência Celular/genética , Quinase 1 do Ponto de Checagem , Cromatina/genética , DNA Helicases/genética , DNA Helicases/metabolismo , Células HT29 , Células HeLa , Histonas/genética , Humanos , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Mutação , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Neoplasias/patologia , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Fosforilação , Proteínas Quinases/genética , Interferência de RNA , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Serina/genética , Serina/metabolismo , Telômero/genética , Telômero/metabolismo , Proteína Nuclear Ligada ao XRESUMO
In addition to being a hallmark at active genes, histone variant H3.3 is deposited by ATRX at repressive chromatin regions, including the telomeres. It is unclear how H3.3 promotes heterochromatin assembly. We show that H3.3 is targeted for K9 trimethylation to establish a heterochromatic state enriched in trimethylated H3.3K9 at telomeres. In H3f3a(-/-) and H3f3b(-/-) mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), H3.3 deficiency results in reduced levels of H3K9me3, H4K20me3 and ATRX at telomeres. The H3f3b(-/-) cells show increased levels of telomeric damage and sister chromatid exchange (t-SCE) activity when telomeres are compromised by treatment with a G-quadruplex (G4) DNA binding ligand or by ASF1 depletion. Overexpression of wild-type H3.3 (but not a H3.3K9 mutant) in H3f3b(-/-) cells increases H3K9 trimethylation level at telomeres and represses t-SCE activity induced by a G4 ligand. This study demonstrates the importance of H3.3K9 trimethylation in heterochromatin formation at telomeres. It provides insights into H3.3 function in maintaining integrity of mammalian constitutive heterochromatin, adding to its role in mediating transcription memory in the genome.