Molecular genetics of biotin metabolism: old vitamin, new science.

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that participates as a cofactor in gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis and branched chain amino acid catabolism. It functions as the carboxyl carrier for biotin-dependent carboxylases. Its covalent attachment to carboxylases is catalyzed by holocarboxylase synthetase. Our interest in biotin has been through the genetic disease, "biotin-responsive multiple carboxylase deficiency," caused by deficient activity of holocarboxylase synthetase. As part of these studies, we made the unexpected findings that the enzyme also targets to the nucleus and that it catalyzes the attachment of biotin to histones. We found that patients with holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency have a much reduced level of biotinylated histones, yet the importance of this process is unknown. The dual nature of biotin, as the carboxyl-carrier cofactor of carboxylases and as a ligand of unknown function attached to histones, is an enigma that suggests a much more involved role for biotin than anticipated. It may change our outlook on the optimal nutritional intake of biotin and its importance in biological processes such as development, cellular homeostasis and regulation.

Structural and functional protection of photoreceptors from MNU-induced retinal degeneration by the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the neuroprotective effects of adenoassociated virus delivery of XIAP in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced retinal degeneration in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subretinally with recombinant adenoassociated virus (rAAV) encoding either XIAP or green fluorescent protein (GFP; injection control). Six weeks after injection, the animals received an intraperitoneal injection of MNU, a DNA methylating agent, at a dose of 60 mg/kg. Electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours and 1 week after MNU. The rats were killed after the ERG was performed and were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde. Eyes were then enucleated and embedded for cryosectioning. Eye sections were analyzed by TUNEL and histologic techniques. Real-time PCR and Western analysis were performed to confirm the overexpression of XIAP in injected eyes. RESULTS: Real-time PCR and Western analysis confirmed the overexpression of XIAP in virus-injected eyes in comparison to uninjected control eyes. At 24 hours after MNU injection, fewer cells had undergone apoptosis in the XIAP-treated eyes in comparison with GFP-injected or uninjected eyes. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that the uninjected and GFP-injected photoreceptors were destroyed by 72 hours after injection of MNU, whereas the AAV-XIAP-injected eyes showed structural protection of the photoreceptors at all time points throughout the 1-week sampling period. ERGs showed functional protection up to 1 week after MNU injection in the AAV-XIAP-injected eye, whereas no response was observed in the control eye. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that XIAP is protective against this potent chemotoxic agent and holds promise as a therapeutic agent in gene therapy approaches to treating retinitis pigmentosa.

An in vivo comparative study of sonic, desert and Indian hedgehog reveals that hedgehog pathway activity regulates epidermal stem cell homeostasis.

Despite the well-characterised role of sonic hedgehog (Shh) in promoting interfollicular basal cell proliferation and hair follicle downgrowth, the role of hedgehog signalling during epidermal stem cell fate remains largely uncharacterised. In order to determine whether the three vertebrate hedgehog molecules play a role in regulating epidermal renewal we overexpressed sonic (Shh), desert (Dhh) and Indian (Ihh) hedgehog in the basal cells of mouse skin under the control of the human keratin 14 promoter. We observed no overt epidermal morphogenesis phenotype in response to Ihh overexpression, however Dhh overexpression resulted in a range of embryonic and adult skin manifestations indistinguishable from Shh overexpression. Two distinct novel phenotypes were observed amongst Shh and Dhh transgenics, one exhibiting epidermal progenitor cell hyperplasia with the other displaying a complete loss of epidermal tissue renewal indicating deregulation of stem cell activity. These data suggest that correct temporal regulation of hedgehog activity is a key factor in ensuring epidermal stem cell maintenance. In addition, we observed Shh and Dhh transgenic skin from both phenotypes developed lesions reminiscent of human basal cell carcinoma (BCC), indicating that BCCs can be generated despite the loss of much of the proliferative (basal) compartment. These data suggest the intriguing possibility that BCC can arise outside the stem cell population. Thus the elucidation of Shh (and Dhh) target gene activation in the skin will likely identify those genes responsible for increasing the proliferative potential of epidermal basal cells and the mechanisms involved in regulating epidermal stem cell fate.

Reduced histone biotinylation in multiple carboxylase deficiency patients: a nuclear role for holocarboxylase synthetase.

The attachment of biotin to apocarboxylases is catalyzed by holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS). An inherited deficiency of HCS results in the disorder 'multiple carboxylase deficiency', which is characterized by reduced activity of all biotin-dependent carboxylases. Here we show that the majority of HCS localizes to the nucleus rather than the cytoplasm based on immunofluorescence studies with antibodies to peptides and full length HCS and on the expression of recombinant HCS. Subnuclear fractionations indicate that HCS is associated with chromatin and the nuclear lamina, the latter in a discontinuous distribution in high salt-extracted nuclear membranes. During mitosis, HCS resolves into ring-like particles which co-localize with lamin B. Nuclear HCS retains its biotinylating activity and was shown to biotinylate purified histones in vitro. Significantly, fibroblasts from patients with HCS deficiency are severely deficient in histone biotinylation in addition to the deficiency of carboxylase activities. We propose that the role of HCS in histone modification may be linked to the participation of biotin in the regulation of gene expression or cell division and that affected patients may have additional disease beyond that due to the effect on carboxylases.

Identification of the gene responsible for the cblB complementation group of vitamin B12-dependent methylmalonic aciduria.

The methylmalonic acidurias are metabolic disorders resulting from deficient methylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity, a vitamin B(12)-dependent enzyme. We have cloned the gene for the cblB complementation group caused by deficient activity of a cob(I)alamin adenosyltransferase. This was accomplished by searching bacterial genomes for genes in close proximity to the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase gene that might encode a protein with the properties of an adenosyltransferase. A candidate was identified in the Archaeoglobus fulgidus genome and was used to probe the human genome database. It yielded a gene on chromosome 12q24 that encodes a predicted protein of 250 amino acids with 45% similarity to PduO in Salmonella enterica, a characterized cob(I)alamin adenosyltransferase. A northern blot revealed an RNA species of 1.1 kb predominating in liver and skeletal muscle. The gene was evaluated for deleterious mutations in cblB patient cell lines. Several mutations were identified including a 5 bp deletion (5del572gggcc576), two splice site mutations (IVS2-1G>T, IVS3-1G>A), andt several point mutations (A135T, R186W, R191W and E193K). Two additional amino acid substitutions (R19Q and M239K) were found in several patient cell lines but were found to be common polymorphisms (36% and 46%) in control alleles. The R186W mutation, which we suggest is disease-linked, is present in four of the six patient cell lines examined (homoallelic in two) and in 4 of 240 alleles in control samples. These data confirm that the identified gene, MMAB, corresponds to the cblB complementation group and has the appearance of a cob(I)alamin adenosyltransferase, as predicted from biochemical data.

Patched 1 conditional null allele in mice.

The patched gene (Ptc) is a member of the hedgehog signaling pathway which plays a central role in the development of many invertebrate and vertebrate tissues. In addition, Ptc and a number of other pathway members are mutated in some common human cancers. Patched is the receptor for the hedgehog ligand and in the mouse ablation of the Ptc gene leads to developmental defects and an embryonic lethal phenotype. Here we describe a conditional Ptc allele in mice which will have utility for the temporospatial ablation of Ptc function.