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1.
Oncologist ; 29(5): e672-e680, 2024 May 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38297976

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Evidence has demonstrated that monitoring of the variable, diversity, and joining gene segments (VDJ) rearrangement of the immunoglobulin (Ig) genes in the circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is of value in predicting the outcomes of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In this study, we investigated the role of VDJ rearrangement proportion in ctDNA for predicting DLBCL progression. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with newly diagnosed DLBCL were included in this study. The VDJ sequences of IgH were detected using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and/or peripheral blood. The clonotype of the highest proportion in the peripheral blood was defined as the "dominant circulating clonotype," whilst the clonotype of the highest proportion in matched tissue that is detected in peripheral blood was defined as the "dominant tissue-matched clonotype." The decision tree, a machine learning-based methodology, was used to establish a progression-predicting model through a combination of "dominant tissue-matched clonotype" proportion or "dominant circulating clonotype" proportion, and the clinicopathological information, including age, sex, cell of origin, stage, international prognostic index, lactate dehydrogenase, number of extranodal involvements and ß2-microglobulin. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients with eligible sequencing data were used for prognosis analysis, among which 36 patients had matched tissue samples. The concordance rate of "dominant circulating clonotype" and "dominant tissue-matched clonotype" was 19.44% (7/36). The decision tree model showed that the combination of extranodal involvement event and "dominant circulating clonotype" proportion (≥37%) had a clinical value in predicting the prognosis of DLBCL following combined chemotherapy (sensitivity, 0.63; specificity, 0.81; positive prediction value (PPV), 0.59; negative prediction value, 0.83; kappa value, 0.42). Noticeably, the combination of the "dominant tissue-matched clonotype" and extranodal involvement event showed a higher value in predicting the progression (sensitivity, 0.85; specificity, 0.78; PPV, 0.69; kappa value, 0.64). CONCLUSION: IgH proportion detected in the ctDNA samples traced from tissue samples has a high clinical value in predicting the progression of DLBCL.


Subject(s)
Circulating Tumor DNA , Disease Progression , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse , Humans , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/pathology , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/blood , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/drug therapy , Male , Female , Circulating Tumor DNA/genetics , Circulating Tumor DNA/blood , Middle Aged , Aged , Adult , Prognosis , Aged, 80 and over , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/genetics , Gene Rearrangement
2.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol ; 150(2): 77, 2024 Feb 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38315228

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) is used for the detection of pulmonary nodules, but the ambiguous risk evaluation causes overdiagnosis. Here, we explored the significance of the DNA methylation of 7 genes including TAC1, CDO1, HOXA9, ZFP42, SOX17, RASSF1A and SHOX2 in the blood cfDNA samples in distinguishing lung cancer from benign nodules and healthy individuals. METHOD: A total of 149 lung cancer patients [72 mass and 77 ground-glass nodules (GGNs)], 5 benign and 48 healthy individuals were tested and analyzed in this study. The lasso-logistic regression model was built for distinguishing cancer and control/healthy individuals or IA lung cancer and non-IA lung cancer cases. RESULTS: The positive rates of methylation of 7 genes were higher in the cancer group as compared with the healthy group. We constructed a model using age, sex and the ΔCt value of 7 gene methylation to distinguish lung cancer from benign and healthy individuals. The sensitivity, specificity and AUC (area under the curve) were 86.7%, 81.4% and 0.891, respectively. Also, we assessed the significance of 7 gene methylation together with patients' age and sex in distinguishing of GGNs type from the mass type. The sensitivity, specificity and AUC were 77.1%, 65.8% and 0.753, respectively. Furthermore, the methylation positive rates of CDO1 and SHOX2 were different between I-IV stages of lung cancer. Specifically, the positive rate of CDO1 methylation was higher in the non-IA group as compared with the IA group. CONCLUSION: Collectively, this study reveals that the methylation of 7 genes has a big significance in the diagnosis of lung cancer with high sensitivity and specificity. Also, the 7 genes present with certain significance in distinguishing the GGN type lung cancer, as well as different stages.


Subject(s)
Lung Neoplasms , Multiple Pulmonary Nodules , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Lung Neoplasms/genetics , DNA Methylation , Early Detection of Cancer/methods
3.
Am J Surg Pathol ; 48(4): 406-416, 2024 Apr 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38287746

ABSTRACT

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive nodal T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma is a rare neoplasm of cytotoxic T-cell or NK-cell lineage. Here, we report 26 cases affecting 14 men and 12 women with a median age of 52 years. All patients presented with disease involving multiple lymph nodes, and 20 of 22 (91%) fully staged patients had advanced Ann Arbor stage disease. Spleen, liver, and bone marrow were involved in 70%, 50%, and 52% of cases, respectively. These patients had a dismal prognosis with a median survival of 30 days. Histologically, lymph nodes were replaced by lymphoma in a diffuse pattern. Lymphoma cells were variable in size and large cell morphology was seen in 62% of cases. The neoplastic cells were CD4-/CD8- in 14 (54%) cases and CD4-/CD8+ in 12 (46%) cases. CD56 was positive in 14 (54%) cases. CD30 was positive in 20 (77%) cases; a strong and diffuse pattern was observed in 14 (54%) cases, mimicking, in part, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). CD30 expression was associated with younger age and large cell morphology. In summary, EBV+ nodal T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. These neoplasms are heterogeneous at the morphologic and immunophenotypic levels. Diffuse and strong expression of CD30 could potentially lead to a misdiagnosis of ALCL if EBV evaluation is not performed. Distinguishing between EBV+ nodal T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma from ALCL is important because treatment strategy and prognosis differ. CD30 expression offers a potential therapeutic target for patients with this aggressive disease.


Subject(s)
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections , Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic , Male , Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic/pathology , Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/pathology , Killer Cells, Natural/pathology , Lymph Nodes/pathology
4.
Pathol Res Pract ; 248: 154644, 2023 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37441867

ABSTRACT

This report describes a case of extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (ENMZL) of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma that transformed to diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in a 39-year-old female patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). The patient presented with MALT lymphoma in the thyroid tissue and DLBCL in the multiple site invasions, including the ovary, breast, and lymph nodes. We assessed the Ig gene rearrangement and mutation profile in lymphoma involved tissues and the collected stem cells. V(D)J sequence of the tumor clonotype detected in thyroid, ovary, and breast was identical, revealing a shared origin of the malignant lymphoma. Noticeably, a small percentage of tumor clonotype (the highest-ranking clonotype in tumor tissues) was detected in the stem cell sample, suggesting the malignant cells was residual in the stem cells, likely conferred disease relapse following ASCT. This patient recieved BTK inhibitor combined with radiotherapy to eradicate the residual tumor cells based on the V(D)J sequence monitoring after ASCT. Now the patient remains in complete remission following 12 months of ASCT.


Subject(s)
Hashimoto Disease , Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse , Female , Humans , Adult , Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/genetics , Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/therapy , Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/pathology , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/pathology , Gene Rearrangement , Recurrence
5.
Nat Immunol ; 22(10): 1219-1230, 2021 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34556881

ABSTRACT

Blind mole rats (BMRs) are small rodents, characterized by an exceptionally long lifespan (>21 years) and resistance to both spontaneous and induced tumorigenesis. Here we report that cancer resistance in the BMR is mediated by retrotransposable elements (RTEs). Cells and tissues of BMRs express very low levels of DNA methyltransferase 1. Following cell hyperplasia, the BMR genome DNA loses methylation, resulting in the activation of RTEs. Upregulated RTEs form cytoplasmic RNA-DNA hybrids, which activate the cGAS-STING pathway to induce cell death. Although this mechanism is enhanced in the BMR, we show that it functions in mice and humans. We propose that RTEs were co-opted to serve as tumor suppressors that monitor cell proliferation and are activated in premalignant cells to trigger cell death via activation of the innate immune response. Activation of RTEs is a double-edged sword, serving as a tumor suppressor but contributing to aging in late life via the induction of sterile inflammation.


Subject(s)
DNA Transposable Elements/immunology , Immunity, Innate/immunology , Mole Rats/immunology , Neoplasms/immunology , Animals , Carcinogenesis/immunology , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/physiology , Cells, Cultured , DNA/immunology , HeLa Cells , Humans , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Nude , Rats , Signal Transduction/immunology
6.
J Exp Med ; 218(6)2021 06 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33857288

ABSTRACT

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are capable of entering the cell cycle to replenish the blood system in response to inflammatory cues; however, excessive proliferation in response to chronic inflammation can lead to either HSC attrition or expansion. The mechanism(s) that limit HSC proliferation and expansion triggered by inflammatory signals are poorly defined. Here, we show that long-term HSCs (HSCLT) rapidly repress protein synthesis and cell cycle genes following treatment with the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1. This gene program is associated with activation of the transcription factor PU.1 and direct PU.1 binding at repressed target genes. Notably, PU.1 is required to repress cell cycle and protein synthesis genes, and IL-1 exposure triggers aberrant protein synthesis and cell cycle activity in PU.1-deficient HSCs. These features are associated with expansion of phenotypic PU.1-deficient HSCs. Thus, we identify a PU.1-dependent mechanism triggered by innate immune stimulation that limits HSC proliferation and pool size. These findings provide insight into how HSCs maintain homeostasis during inflammatory stress.


Subject(s)
Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism , Inflammation/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism , Stress, Physiological/physiology , Trans-Activators/metabolism , Animals , Cell Cycle/physiology , Cell Differentiation/physiology , Cell Proliferation/physiology , Homeostasis/physiology , Immunity, Innate/physiology , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL
7.
Aging Cell ; 19(11): e13255, 2020 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33112509

ABSTRACT

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent disabling disease, affecting quality of life and contributing to morbidity, particularly during aging. Current treatments for OA are limited to palliation: pain management and surgery for end-stage disease. Innovative approaches and animal models are needed to develop curative treatments for OA. Here, we investigated the naked mole-rat (NMR) as a potential model of OA resistance. NMR is a small rodent with the maximum lifespan of over 30 years, resistant to a wide range of age-related diseases. NMR tissues accumulate large quantities of unique, very high molecular weight, hyaluronan (HA). HA is a major component of cartilage and synovial fluid. Importantly, both HA molecular weight and cartilage stiffness decline with age and progression of OA. As increased polymer length is known to result in stiffer material, we hypothesized that NMR high molecular weight HA contributes to stiffer cartilage. Our analysis of biomechanical properties of NMR cartilage revealed that it is significantly stiffer than mouse cartilage. Furthermore, NMR chondrocytes were highly resistant to traumatic damage. In vivo experiments using an injury-induced model of OA revealed that NMRs were highly resistant to OA. While similarly treated mice developed severe cartilage degeneration, NMRs did not show any signs of OA. Our study shows that NMRs are remarkably resistant to OA, and this resistance is likely conferred by high molecular weight HA. This work suggests that NMR is a useful model to study OA resistance and NMR high molecular weight HA may hold therapeutic potential for OA treatment.


Subject(s)
Osteoarthritis/physiopathology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Mole Rats
8.
NPJ Aging Mech Dis ; 6: 9, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32864160

ABSTRACT

Calorie restriction (CR) improves health, reduces cancer incidence and extends lifespan in multiple organisms including mice. CR was shown to enhance base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair pathways of DNA repair, however, whether CR improves repair of DNA double-strand breaks has not been examined in in vivo system. Here we utilize non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) reporter mice to show that short-term CR strongly enhances DNA repair by NHEJ, which is associated with elevated levels of DNA-PK and SIRT6.

9.
JCI Insight ; 5(6)2020 03 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32154790

ABSTRACT

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential is prevalent in elderly individuals and associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease. However, mouse models to study the dynamics of clonal hematopoiesis and its consequences on the cardiovascular system under homeostatic conditions are lacking. We developed a model of clonal hematopoiesis using adoptive transfer of unfractionated ten-eleven translocation 2-mutant (Tet2-mutant) bone marrow cells into nonirradiated mice. Consistent with age-related clonal hematopoiesis observed in humans, these mice displayed a progressive expansion of Tet2-deficient cells in multiple hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell fractions and blood cell lineages. The expansion of the Tet2-mutant fraction was also observed in bone marrow-derived CCR2+ myeloid cell populations within the heart, but there was a negligible impact on the yolk sac-derived CCR2- cardiac-resident macrophage population. Transcriptome profiling revealed an enhanced inflammatory signature in the donor-derived macrophages isolated from the heart. Mice receiving Tet2-deficient bone marrow cells spontaneously developed age-related cardiac dysfunction characterized by greater hypertrophy and fibrosis. Altogether, we show that Tet2-mediated hematopoiesis contributes to cardiac dysfunction in a nonconditioned setting that faithfully models human clonal hematopoiesis in unperturbed bone marrow. Our data support clinical findings that clonal hematopoiesis per se may contribute to diminished health span.


Subject(s)
Clonal Hematopoiesis/physiology , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Heart Diseases , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism , Adoptive Transfer , Aging/pathology , Animals , Dioxygenases , Hematopoietic Stem Cells , Macrophages , Mice
10.
Cell Metab ; 29(4): 871-885.e5, 2019 04 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30853213

ABSTRACT

Mice deficient for SIRT6 exhibit a severely shortened lifespan, growth retardation, and highly elevated LINE1 (L1) activity. Here we report that SIRT6-deficient cells and tissues accumulate abundant cytoplasmic L1 cDNA, which triggers strong type I interferon response via activation of cGAS. Remarkably, nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), which inhibit L1 retrotransposition, significantly improved health and lifespan of SIRT6 knockout mice and completely rescued type I interferon response. In tissue culture, inhibition of L1 with siRNA or NRTIs abrogated type I interferon response, in addition to a significant reduction of DNA damage markers. These results indicate that L1 activation contributes to the pathologies of SIRT6 knockout mice. Similarly, L1 transcription, cytoplasmic cDNA copy number, and type I interferons were elevated in the wild-type aged mice. As sterile inflammation is a hallmark of aging, we propose that modulating L1 activity may be an important strategy for attenuating age-related pathologies.


Subject(s)
Inflammation/metabolism , RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Sirtuins/metabolism , Age Factors , Animals , Dideoxynucleotides/administration & dosage , Dideoxynucleotides/pharmacology , Female , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred Strains , Mice, Knockout , RNA-Binding Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Sirtuins/deficiency , Stavudine/administration & dosage , Stavudine/pharmacology , Thymine Nucleotides/administration & dosage , Thymine Nucleotides/pharmacology , Zidovudine/administration & dosage , Zidovudine/analogs & derivatives , Zidovudine/pharmacology
12.
Stem Cell Reports ; 9(5): 1721-1734, 2017 11 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29107597

ABSTRACT

Naked mole rat (NMR) is a valuable model for aging and cancer research due to its exceptional longevity and cancer resistance. We observed that the reprogramming efficiency of NMR fibroblasts in response to OSKM was drastically lower than that of mouse fibroblasts. Expression of SV40 LargeT antigen (LT) dramatically improved reprogramming of NMR fibroblasts. Inactivation of Rb alone, but not p53, was sufficient to improve reprogramming efficiency, suggesting that NMR chromatin may be refractory to reprogramming. Analysis of the global histone landscape revealed that NMR had higher levels of repressive H3K27 methylation marks and lower levels of activating H3K27 acetylation marks than mouse. ATAC-seq revealed that in NMR, promoters of reprogramming genes were more closed than mouse promoters, while expression of LT led to massive opening of the NMR promoters. These results suggest that NMR displays a more stable epigenome that resists de-differentiation, contributing to the cancer resistance and longevity of this species.


Subject(s)
Animals, Genetically Modified/genetics , Cellular Reprogramming , Chimera/genetics , Epigenesis, Genetic , Histone Code , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism , Animals , Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming/genetics , Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming/metabolism , Chimera/embryology , Chromatin/genetics , Chromatin/metabolism , Fibroblasts/cytology , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Genome , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology , Mice , Mole Rats
13.
Aging Cell ; 16(5): 988-993, 2017 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28707419

ABSTRACT

Whether errors in protein synthesis play a role in aging has been a subject of intense debate. It has been suggested that rare mistakes in protein synthesis in young organisms may result in errors in the protein synthesis machinery, eventually leading to an increasing cascade of errors as organisms age. Studies that followed generally failed to identify a dramatic increase in translation errors with aging. However, whether translation fidelity plays a role in aging remained an open question. To address this issue, we examined the relationship between translation fidelity and maximum lifespan across 17 rodent species with diverse lifespans. To measure translation fidelity, we utilized sensitive luciferase-based reporter constructs with mutations in an amino acid residue critical to luciferase activity, wherein misincorporation of amino acids at this mutated codon re-activated the luciferase. The frequency of amino acid misincorporation at the first and second codon positions showed strong negative correlation with maximum lifespan. This correlation remained significant after phylogenetic correction, indicating that translation fidelity coevolves with longevity. These results give new life to the role of protein synthesis errors in aging: Although the error rate may not significantly change with age, the basal rate of translation errors is important in defining lifespan across mammals.


Subject(s)
Longevity/genetics , Mutation , Protein Biosynthesis , Rodentia/genetics , Animals , Body Weight , Genes, Reporter , Genetic Code , Luciferases/genetics , Luciferases/metabolism , Phylogeny , Rodentia/anatomy & histology , Rodentia/classification , Species Specificity
14.
Gen Comp Endocrinol ; 236: 9-16, 2016 09 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27340040

ABSTRACT

Flatfishes with more body height after metamorphosis should be better adapted to a benthic lifestyle. In this study, we quantified the changes in body height during metamorphosis in two flatfish species, Paralichthys olivaceus and Platichthys stellatus. The specific pattern of cell proliferation along the dorsal and ventral edge of the body to allow fast growth along the dorsal/ventral axis might be related to the change of body height. Thyroid hormone (T4 and T3) and its receptors showed distribution or gene expression patterns similar to those seen for the cell proliferation. 2-Mercapto-1-methylimidazole, an inhibitor of endogenous thyroid hormone synthesis, inhibited cell proliferation and decreased body height, suggesting that the change in body shape was dependent on the local concentration of thyroid hormone to induce cell proliferation. In addition, after treatment with 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole, zebrafish larvae were also shown to develop a slimmer body shape. These findings enrich our knowledge of the role of thyroid hormone during flatfish metamorphosis, and the role of thyroid hormone during the change of body height during post-hatching development should help us to understand better the biology of metamorphosis in fishes.


Subject(s)
Body Height , Metamorphosis, Biological/genetics , Receptors, Thyroid Hormone/metabolism , Thyroid Hormones/metabolism , Animals , Flatfishes , Humans , Zebrafish
15.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 112(4): 1053-8, 2015 Jan 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25550505

ABSTRACT

The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a long-lived and tumor-resistant rodent. Tumor resistance in the naked mole rat is mediated by the extracellular matrix component hyaluronan of very high molecular weight (HMW-HA). HMW-HA triggers hypersensitivity of naked mole rat cells to contact inhibition, which is associated with induction of the INK4 (inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinase 4) locus leading to cell-cycle arrest. The INK4a/b locus is among the most frequently mutated in human cancer. This locus encodes three distinct tumor suppressors: p15(INK4b), p16(INK4a), and ARF (alternate reading frame). Although p15(INK4b) has its own ORF, p16(INK4a) and ARF share common second and third exons with alternative reading frames. Here, we show that, in the naked mole rat, the INK4a/b locus encodes an additional product that consists of p15(INK4b) exon 1 joined to p16(INK4a) exons 2 and 3. We have named this isoform pALT(INK4a/b) (for alternative splicing). We show that pALT(INK4a/b) is present in both cultured cells and naked mole rat tissues but is absent in human and mouse cells. Additionally, we demonstrate that pALT(INK4a/b) expression is induced during early contact inhibition and upon a variety of stresses such as UV, gamma irradiation-induced senescence, loss of substrate attachment, and expression of oncogenes. When overexpressed in naked mole rat or human cells, pALT(INK4a/b) has stronger ability to induce cell-cycle arrest than either p15(INK4b) or p16(INK4a). We hypothesize that the presence of the fourth product, pALT(INK4a/b) of the INK4a/b locus in the naked mole rat, contributes to the increased resistance to tumorigenesis of this species.


Subject(s)
Alternative Splicing/physiology , Cell Cycle Checkpoints/physiology , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p15/biosynthesis , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/biosynthesis , Genetic Loci/physiology , Animals , Cell Line , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism , Cellular Senescence/physiology , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p15/genetics , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/genetics , Humans , Mice , Mole Rats , Rats , Species Specificity
16.
Curr Biol ; 24(13): 1485-91, 2014 Jul 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24930966

ABSTRACT

Assembly of DNA into chromatin requires a delicate balancing act, as both dearth and excess of histones severely disrupt chromatin function [1-3]. In particular, cells need to carefully control histone stoichiometry: if different types of histones are incorporated into chromatin in an imbalanced manner, it can lead to altered gene expression, mitotic errors, and death [4-6]. Both the balance between individual core histones and the balance between core histones and histone variants are critical [5, 7]. Here, we find that in early Drosophila embryos, histone balance in the nuclei is regulated by lipid droplets, cytoplasmic fat-storage organelles [8]. Lipid droplets were previously known to function in long-term histone storage: newly laid embryos contain large amounts of excess histones generated during oogenesis [9], and the maternal supplies of core histone H2A and the histone variant H2Av are anchored to lipid droplets via the novel protein Jabba [3]. We find that in these embryos, synthesis of new H2A and H2Av is imbalanced, and that newly produced H2Av can be recruited to lipid droplets. When droplet sequestration is disrupted by mutating Jabba, embryos display an elevated H2Av/H2A ratio in nuclei as well as mitotic defects, reduced viability, and hypersensitivity to H2Av overexpression. We propose that in Drosophila embryos, lipid droplets serve as a histone buffer, not only storing maternal histones to support the early cell cycles but also transiently sequestering H2Av produced in excess and thus ensuring proper histone balance in the nucleus.


Subject(s)
Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/physiology , Drosophila/embryology , Histones/metabolism , Lipid Droplets/metabolism , Animals , Blotting, Western , Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Drosophila Proteins/metabolism , Models, Biological
17.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci ; 53(1): 89-91, 2014 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24411785

ABSTRACT

The naked mole rat (NMR) is a small eusocial rodent. Because of its remarkable longevity (maximal lifespan, 32 y) and resistance to cancer, the NMR has emerged as a valuable model for aging and cancer research. However, breeding NMR can be difficult. Here, we report the successful introduction and acceptance of pups into a foreign colony with existing pups of different ages. Among the 7 NMR colonies in our satellite facility, one had a consistently poor record of pup viability, with nearly 100% preweaning mortality in multiple litters born over the course of 2 y. The queen of this colony gave birth to 18 pups in January 2013; by 2 d after parturition, it was evident that the pups were not receiving sufficient nourishment. To salvage the litter, the most vigorous pups were cross-fostered to another queen that had recently given birth. On postparturition day 1 (PD1), two pups from the poorly nourished donor litter were bathed with warm water, rolled in recipient colony bedding, and transferred to the recipient colony, which included 8 PD14 pups. The new pups were accepted by the recipient queen, who continued to produce milk in response to suckling by the donor pups well past the weaning of her own litter. This case report provides evidence of successful cross-fostering of NMR pups despite age differences between donor pups and those in the recipient litter; this technique may prove beneficial to researchers struggling with NMR breeding issues.


Subject(s)
Mole Rats/physiology , Aging , Animals , Animals, Suckling , Breeding , Female , Longevity , Rats , Weaning
18.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 110(43): 17350-5, 2013 Oct 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24082110

ABSTRACT

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a subterranean eusocial rodent with a markedly long lifespan and resistance to tumorigenesis. Multiple data implicate modulation of protein translation in longevity. Here we report that 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of the naked mole-rat is processed into two smaller fragments of unequal size. The two breakpoints are located in the 28S rRNA divergent region 6 and excise a fragment of 263 nt. The excised fragment is unique to the naked mole-rat rRNA and does not show homology to other genomic regions. Because this hidden break site could alter ribosome structure, we investigated whether translation rate and amino acid incorporation fidelity were altered. We report that naked mole-rat fibroblasts have significantly increased translational fidelity despite having comparable translation rates with mouse fibroblasts. Although we cannot directly test whether the unique 28S rRNA structure contributes to the increased fidelity of translation, we speculate that it may change the folding or dynamics of the large ribosomal subunit, altering the rate of GTP hydrolysis and/or interaction of the large subunit with tRNA during accommodation, thus affecting the fidelity of protein synthesis. In summary, our results show that naked mole-rat cells produce fewer aberrant proteins, supporting the hypothesis that the more stable proteome of the naked mole-rat contributes to its longevity.


Subject(s)
Fibroblasts/metabolism , Protein Biosynthesis/genetics , RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics , RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/metabolism , Actins/metabolism , Animals , Base Sequence , Blotting, Western , Cells, Cultured , Electrophoresis, Agar Gel , Fibroblasts/cytology , Longevity/genetics , Luciferases/genetics , Luciferases/metabolism , Mole Rats , Molecular Sequence Data , Mutation , Mutation Rate , Proteome/genetics , Proteome/metabolism , Rats , Ribosomal Protein S6/metabolism , Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
19.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 109(29): 11800-5, 2012 Jul 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22753495

ABSTRACT

Genomic instability is a hallmark of aging tissues. Genomic instability may arise from the inefficient or aberrant function of DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair. DSBs are repaired by homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ). HR is a precise pathway, whereas NHEJ frequently leads to deletions or insertions at the repair site. Here, we used normal human fibroblasts with a chromosomally integrated HR reporter cassette to examine the changes in HR efficiency as cells progress to replicative senescence. We show that HR declines sharply with increasing replicative age, with an up to 38-fold decrease in efficiency in presenescent cells relative to young cells. This decline is not explained by a reduction of the number of cells in S/G(2)/M stage as presenescent cells are actively dividing. Expression of proteins involved in HR such as Rad51, Rad51C, Rad52, NBS1, and Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) diminished with cellular senescence. Supplementation of Rad51, Rad51C, Rad52, and NBS1 proteins, either individually or in combination, did not rescue the senescence-related decline of HR. However, overexpression of SIRT6 in "middle-aged" and presenescent cells strongly stimulated HR repair, and this effect was dependent on mono-ADP ribosylation activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1). These results suggest that in aging cells, the precise HR pathway becomes repressed giving way to a more error-prone NHEJ pathway. These changes in the processing of DSBs may contribute to age-related genomic instability and a higher incidence of cancer with age. SIRT6 activation provides a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent the decline in genome maintenance.


Subject(s)
Cellular Senescence/physiology , DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded , Genomic Instability , Homologous Recombination/physiology , Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases/metabolism , Sirtuins/metabolism , Age Factors , Cell Line , Fibroblasts , Flow Cytometry , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Homologous Recombination/genetics , Humans , Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 , Polymerase Chain Reaction
20.
Comp Funct Genomics ; 2011: 256038, 2011.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21584274

ABSTRACT

Flatfish is famous for the asymmetric transformation during metamorphosis. The molecular mechanism behind the asymmetric development has been speculated over a century and is still not well understood. To date, none of the metamorphosis-related genes has been identified in flatfish. As the first step to screen metamorphosis-related gene, we constructed a whole-body cDNA library and a whole-body miRNA library in this study and identified 1051 unique ESTs, 23 unique miRNAs, and 4 snoRNAs in premetamorphosing and prometamorphosing Paralichthys olivaceus. 1005 of the ESTs were novel, suggesting that there was a special gene expression profile at metamorphic stage. Four miRNAs (pol-miR-20c, pol-miR-23c, pol-miR-130d, and pol-miR-181e) were novel to P. olivaceus; they were characterized as highly preserved homologies of published miRNAs but with at least one nucleotide differed. Representative 24 mRNAs and 23 miRNAs were quantified during metamorphosis of P. olivaceus by using quantitative RT PCR or stem-loop qRT PCR. Our results showed that 20 of mRNAs might be associated with early metamorphic events, 10 of mRNAs might be related with later metamorphic events, and 16 of miRNAs might be involved in the regulation of metamorphosis. The data provided in this study would be helpful for further identifying metamorphosis-related gene in P. olivaceus.

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