Regulation of constitutive and alternative splicing by PRMT5 reveals a role for Mdm4 pre-mRNA in sensing defects in the spliceosomal machinery.

The tight control of gene expression at the level of both transcription and post-transcriptional RNA processing is essential for mammalian development. We here investigate the role of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), a putative splicing regulator and transcriptional cofactor, in mammalian development. We demonstrate that selective deletion of PRMT5 in neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) leads to postnatal death in mice. At the molecular level, the absence of PRMT5 results in reduced methylation of Sm proteins, aberrant constitutive splicing, and the alternative splicing of specific mRNAs with weak 5' donor sites. Intriguingly, the products of these mRNAs are, among others, several proteins regulating cell cycle progression. We identify Mdm4 as one of these key mRNAs that senses the defects in the spliceosomal machinery and transduces the signal to activate the p53 response, providing a mechanistic explanation of the phenotype observed in vivo. Our data demonstrate that PRMT5 is a master regulator of splicing in mammals and uncover a new role for the Mdm4 pre-mRNA, which could be exploited for anti-cancer therapy.

p53-Independent regulation of p21Waf1/Cip1 expression and senescence by PRMT6.

p21 is a potent cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that plays a role in promoting G1 cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence. Consistent with this role, p21 is a downstream target of several tumour suppressors and oncogenes, and it is downregulated in the majority of tumours, including breast cancer. Here, we report that protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6), a type I PRMT known to act as a transcriptional cofactor, directly represses the p21 promoter. PRMT6 knock-down (KD) results in a p21 derepression in breast cancer cells, which is p53-independent, and leads to cell cycle arrest, cellular senescence and reduced growth in soft agar assays and in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice for all the cancer lines examined. We finally show that bypassing the p21-mediated arrest rescues PRMT6 KD cells from senescence, and it restores their ability to grow on soft agar. We conclude that PRMT6 acts as an oncogene in breast cancer cells, promoting growth and preventing senescence, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy.

Polo-like kinase 1, a new therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To investigate the role of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) as a therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: PLK1 gene expression was evaluated in HCC tissue and HCC cell lines. Gene knockdown with short-interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to study PLK1 gene and protein expression using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, and cell proliferation using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) assays. Apoptosis was evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and caspase-inhibition assay. Huh-7 cells were transplanted into nude mice and co-cultured with PLK1 siRNA or control siRNA, and tumor progression was compared with controls. RESULTS: RT-PCR showed that PLK1 was overexpressed 12-fold in tumor samples compared with controls, and also was overexpressed in Huh-7 cells. siRNA against PLK1 showed a reduction in PLK1 gene and protein expression of up to 96% in Huh-7 cells, and a reduction in cell proliferation by 68% and 92% in MTS and BrdU cell proliferation assays, respectively. There was a 3-fold increase in apoptosis events, and TUNEL staining and caspase-3 assays suggested that this was caspase-independent. The pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK was unable to rescue the apoptotic cells. Immnofluorescence co-localized endonuclease-G to fragmented chromosomes, implicating it in apoptosis. Huh-7 cells transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice showed tumor regression in siPLK1-treated mice, but not in controls. CONCLUSION: Knockdown of PLK1 overexpression in HCC was shown to be a potential therapeutic target, leading to apoptosis through the endonuclease-G pathway.

Symmetric dimethylation of H3R2 is a newly identified histone mark that supports euchromatin maintenance.

The asymmetric dimethylation of histone H3 arginine 2 (H3R2me2a) acts as a repressive mark that antagonizes trimethylation of H3 lysine 4. Here we report that H3R2 is also symmetrically dimethylated (H3R2me2s) by PRMT5 and PRMT7 and present in euchromatic regions. Profiling of H3-tail interactors by SILAC MS revealed that H3R2me2s excludes binding of RBBP7, a central component of co-repressor complexes Sin3a, NURD and PRC2. Conversely H3R2me2s enhances binding of WDR5, a common component of the coactivator complexes MLL, SET1A, SET1B, NLS1 and ATAC. The interaction of histone H3 with WDR5 distinguishes H3R2me2s from H3R2me2a, which impedes the recruitment of WDR5 to chromatin. The crystallographic structure of WDR5 and the H3R2me2s peptide elucidates the molecular determinants of this high affinity interaction. Our findings identify H3R2me2s as a previously unknown mark that keeps genes poised in euchromatin for transcriptional activation upon cell-cycle withdrawal and differentiation in human cells.

Molecular and functional characterization of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporter expression in the novel spontaneously immortalized human hepatocyte line HC-04.

In toxicological research, immortalized human hepatocytes provide a useful alternative to primary hepatocytes because interindividual variability in the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters can largely be eliminated. However, it is essential that the cell line retain the original phenotype. The purpose of this study was to characterize a novel spontaneously immortalized human hepatocyte cell line, HC-04, with respect to the transcript and functional protein expression profile for the major drug-metabolizing enzymes and transmembrane transporters. HC-04 cells retained hepatocyte-specific function including albumin production and ornithine transcarbamoylase and glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Most of the major CYP forms were expressed at basal levels and responsive to inducing agents. In particular, CYP3A4 was expressed abundantly, and HC-04 cells were able to metabolize the CYP3A4 probe, midazolam, at a rate similar to primary human hepatocytes. Furthermore, the major human sulfotransferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase forms, as well as members of the ABC and SLC transporter superfamilies, nuclear receptors, and hepatic transcription factors were also expressed. HC-04 cells readily responded to standard hepatotoxicants that are dependent on CYP-mediated bioactivation, while another, tumor-derived cell line remained refractory to the drug challenge. Collectively, HC-04 cells provide a reliable, stable, and reproducible model for biomechanistic studies in drug toxicology.