Iron drives anabolic metabolism through active histone demethylation and mTORC1.

All eukaryotic cells require a minimal iron threshold to sustain anabolic metabolism. However, the mechanisms by which cells sense iron to regulate anabolic processes are unclear. Here we report a previously undescribed eukaryotic pathway for iron sensing in which molecular iron is required to sustain active histone demethylation and maintain the expression of critical components of the pro-anabolic mTORC1 pathway. Specifically, we identify the iron-binding histone-demethylase KDM3B as an intrinsic iron sensor that regulates mTORC1 activity by demethylating H3K9me2 at enhancers of a high-affinity leucine transporter, LAT3, and RPTOR. By directly suppressing leucine availability and RAPTOR levels, iron deficiency supersedes other nutrient inputs into mTORC1. This process occurs in vivo and is not an indirect effect by canonical iron-utilizing pathways. Because ancestral eukaryotes share homologues of KDMs and mTORC1 core components, this pathway probably pre-dated the emergence of the other kingdom-specific nutrient sensors for mTORC1.

Christopher T. Walsh (1944-2023).

A luminous scholar and mentor at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine.

Zinc dynamics regulate early ovarian follicle development.

Zinc fluctuations regulate key steps in late oocyte and preimplantation embryo development; however, roles for zinc in preceding stages in early ovarian follicle development, when cooperative interactions exist between the oocyte and somatic cells, are unknown. To understand the roles of zinc during early follicle development, we applied single cell X-ray fluorescence microscopy, a radioactive zinc tracer, and a labile zinc probe to measure zinc in individual mouse oocytes and associated somatic cells within early follicles. Here, we report a significant stage-specific increase and compartmental redistribution in oocyte zinc content upon the initiation of early follicle growth. The increase in zinc correlates with the increased expression of specific zinc transporters, including two that are essential in oocyte maturation. While oocytes in follicles exhibit high tolerance to pronounced changes in zinc availability, somatic survival and proliferation are significantly more sensitive to zinc chelation or supplementation. Finally, transcriptomic, proteomic, and zinc loading analyses reveal enrichment of zinc targets in the ubiquitination pathway. Overall, these results demonstrate that distinct cell type-specific zinc regulations are required for follicle growth and indicate that physiological fluctuation in the localization and availability of this inorganic cofactor has fundamental functions in early gamete development.

Zur and zinc increase expression of E. coli ribosomal protein L31 through RNA-mediated repression of the repressor L31p.

Bacteria can adapt in response to numerous stress conditions. One such stress condition is zinc depletion. The zinc-sensing transcription factor Zur regulates the way numerous bacterial species respond to severe changes in zinc availability. Under zinc sufficient conditions, Zn-loaded Zur (Zn2-Zur) is well-known to repress transcription of genes encoding zinc uptake transporters and paralogues of a few ribosomal proteins. Here, we report the discovery and mechanistic basis for the ability of Zur to up-regulate expression of the ribosomal protein L31 in response to zinc in E. coli. Through genetic mutations and reporter gene assays, we find that Zur achieves the up-regulation of L31 through a double repression cascade by which Zur first represses the transcription of L31p, a zinc-lacking paralogue of L31, which in turn represses the translation of L31. Mutational analyses show that translational repression by L31p requires an RNA hairpin structure within the l31 mRNA and involves the N-terminus of the L31p protein. This work uncovers a new genetic network that allows bacteria to respond to host-induced nutrient limiting conditions through a sophisticated ribosomal protein switching mechanism.

Chemical-Shift Standards for 199Hg NMR Spectroscopy, 25 Years Later.

While 199Hg NMR is a well-established tool for elucidating details of coordination chemistry in biochemical and inorganic complexes, historically the technique has been associated with the use of an extremely toxic chemical, dimethylmercury [Me2Hg or (CH3)2Hg], as a reference standard. In the 25 years since an accidental exposure to Me2Hg led to the tragic death of Dr. Karen Wetterhahn, the community has learned a great deal about the insidious neurotoxicity of this compound as well as more appropriate ways to avoid exposure. Here, we track the general shift toward the use of alternative mercury reference standards and away from Me2Hg.

A zinc chaperone mediates the flow of an inorganic commodity to an important cellular client.

Zinc is an essential element in living organisms, yet little is known about how cells ensure that zinc is allocated to the correct metalloproteins. Papers in Cell and Cell Reports demonstrate that the ZNG1 family of GTPases have metallochaperone functions: they directly transfer zinc to, and thereby activate, methionine aminopeptidases that are crucial for protein modification during or after translation.

Quantitative imaging approaches to understanding biological processing of metal ions.

Faster, more sensitive, and higher resolution quantitative instrumentation are aiding a deeper understanding of how inorganic chemistry regulates key biological processes. Researchers can now image and quantify metals with subcellular resolution, leading to a vast array of new discoveries in organismal development, pathology, and disease. Metals have recently been implicated in several diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimers, ischemic stroke, and colorectal cancer that would not be possible without these advancements. In this review, instead of focusing on instrumentation we focus on recent applications of label-free elemental imaging and quantification and how these tools can lead to a broader understanding of metals role in systems biology and human pathology.

Zinc transporters ZIPT-2.4 and ZIPT-15 are required for normal C. elegans fecundity.

PURPOSE: The requirement of zinc for the development and maturation of germ lines and reproductive systems is deeply conserved across evolution. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans offers a tractable platform to study the complex system of distributing zinc to the germ line. We investigated several zinc importers to investigate how zinc transporters play a role in the reproductive system in nematodes, as well as establish a platform to study zinc transporter biology in germline and reproductive development. METHODS: Previous high throughput transcriptional datasets as well as phylogenetic analysis identified several putative zinc transporters that have a function in reproduction in worms. Phenotypic analysis of CRISPR-generated knockouts and tags included characterization of offspring output, gonad development, and protein localization. Light and immunofluorescence microscopy allowed for visualization of physiological and molecular effects of zinc transporter mutations. RESULTS: Disruption of two zinc transporters, ZIPT-2.4 and ZIPT-15, was shown to lead to defects in reproductive output. A mutation in zipt-2.4 has subtle effects on reproduction, while a mutation in zipt-15 has a clear impact on gonad and germline development that translates into a more pronounced defect in fecundity. Both transporters have germline expression, as well as additional expression in other cell types. CONCLUSIONS: Two ZIP-family zinc transporter orthologs of human ZIP6/10 and ZIP1/2/3 proteins are important for full reproductive fecundity and participate in development of the gonad. Notably, these zinc transporters are present in gut and reproductive tissues in addition to the germ line, consistent with a complex zinc trafficking network important for reproductive success.

Dynamic zinc fluxes regulate meiotic progression in Caenorhabditis elegans†.

Zinc influx and efflux events are essential for meiotic progression in oocytes of several mammalian and amphibian species, but it is less clear whether this evolutionary conservation of zinc signals is also important in late-stage germline development in invertebrates. Using quantitative, single cell elemental mapping methods, we find that Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes undergo significant stage-dependent fluctuations in total zinc content, rising by over sevenfold from Prophase I through the beginning of mitotic divisions in the embryo. Live imaging of the rapid cell cycle progression in C. elegans enables us to follow changes in labile zinc pools across meiosis and mitosis in single embryo. We find a dynamic increase in labile zinc prior to fertilization that then decreases from Anaphase II through pronuclear fusion and relocalizes to the eggshell. Disruption of these zinc fluxes blocks extrusion of the second polar body, leading to a range of mitotic defects. We conclude that spatial temporal zinc fluxes are necessary for meiotic progression in C. elegans and are a conserved feature of germ cell development in a broad cross section of metazoa.

Iodide Analogs of Arsenoplatins-Potential Drug Candidates for Triple Negative Breast Cancers.

Patients with triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs)-highly aggressive tumors that do not express estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors-have limited treatment options. Fewer than 30% of women with metastatic TNBC survive five years after their diagnosis, with a mortality rate within three months after a recurrence of 75%. Although TNBCs show a higher response to platinum therapy compared to other breast cancers, drug resistance remains a major obstacle; thus, platinum drugs with novel mechanisms are urgently needed. Arsenoplatins (APs) represent a novel class of anticancer agents designed to contain the pharmacophores of the two FDA approved drugs cisplatin and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) as one molecular entity. Here, we present the syntheses, crystal structures, DFT calculations, and antiproliferative activity of iodide analogs of AP-1 and AP-2, i.e., AP-5 and AP-4, respectively. Antiproliferative studies in TNBC cell lines reveal that all AP family members are more potent than cisplatin and As2O3 alone. DFT calculations demonstrate there is a low energy barrier for hydrolysis of the platinum-halide bonds in arsenoplatins, possibly contributing to their higher cytotoxicities compared to cisplatin.

Metal ion fluxes controlling amphibian fertilization.

Mammalian oocytes undergo major changes in zinc content and localization to be fertilized, the most striking being the rapid exocytosis of over 10 billion zinc ions in what are known as zinc sparks. Here, we report that fertilization of amphibian Xenopus laevis eggs also initiates a zinc spark that progresses across the cell surface in coordination with dynamic calcium waves. This zinc exocytosis is accompanied by a newly recognized loss of intracellular manganese. Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence and analytical electron microscopy reveal that zinc and manganese are sequestered in a system of cortical granules that are abundant at the animal pole. Through electron-nuclear double-resonance studies, we rule out Mn2+ complexation with phosphate or nitrogenous ligands in intact eggs, but the data are consistent with a carboxylate coordination environment. Our observations suggest that zinc and manganese fluxes are a conserved feature of fertilization in vertebrates and that they function as part of a physiological block to polyspermy.

X-ray fluorescence microscopy scanning of Drosophila oocytes and eggs.

X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) is a powerful tool for mapping and quantifying the spatial distribution of elemental composition of biological samples. Recently, it was reported that transition metal fluctuations occur during Drosophila reproduction, analogous to what is seen in mammals and nematodes, and may contribute to Drosophila female fertility. To further support XFM studies on Drosophila reproduction, we describe procedures for isolating oocytes and activated eggs and examining their elemental composition by XFM scanning and analysis. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hu et al. (2020).

CueR activates transcription through a DNA distortion mechanism.

The MerR-family transcription factors (TFs) are a large group of bacterial proteins responding to cellular metal ions and multiple antibiotics by binding within central RNA polymerase-binding regions of a promoter. While most TFs alter transcription through protein-protein interactions, MerR TFs are capable of reshaping promoter DNA. To address the question of which mechanism prevails, we determined two cryo-EM structures of transcription activation complexes (TAC) comprising Escherichia coli CueR (a prototype MerR TF), RNAP holoenzyme and promoter DNA. The structures reveal that this TF promotes productive promoter-polymerase association without canonical protein-protein contacts seen between other activator proteins and RNAP. Instead, CueR realigns the key promoter elements in the transcription activation complex by clamp-like protein-DNA interactions: these induce four distinct kinks that ultimately position the -10 element for formation of the transcription bubble. These structural and biochemical results provide strong support for the DNA distortion paradigm of allosteric transcriptional control by MerR TFs.

The bacterial multidrug resistance regulator BmrR distorts promoter DNA to activate transcription.

The MerR-family proteins represent a unique family of bacteria transcription factors (TFs), which activate transcription in a manner distinct from canonical ones. Here, we report a cryo-EM structure of a B. subtilis transcription activation complex comprising B. subtilis six-subunit (2αßß'ωε) RNA Polymerase (RNAP) core enzyme, σA, a promoter DNA, and the ligand-bound B. subtilis BmrR, a prototype of MerR-family TFs. The structure reveals that RNAP and BmrR recognize the upstream promoter DNA from opposite faces and induce four significant kinks from the -35 element to the -10 element of the promoter DNA in a cooperative manner, which restores otherwise inactive promoter activity by shortening the length of promoter non-optimal -35/-10 spacer. Our structure supports a DNA-distortion and RNAP-non-contact paradigm of transcriptional activation by MerR TFs.

Zinc Dynamics during Drosophila Oocyte Maturation and Egg Activation.

Temporal fluctuations in zinc concentration are essential signals, including during oogenesis and early embryogenesis. In mammals, zinc accumulation and release are required for oocyte maturation and egg activation, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that zinc flux occurs in Drosophila oocytes and activated eggs, and that zinc is required for female fertility. Our synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy reveals zinc as the most abundant transition metal in Drosophila oocytes. Its levels increase during oocyte maturation, accompanied by the appearance of zinc-enriched intracellular granules in the oocyte, which depend on transporters. Subsequently, in egg activation, which mediates the transition from oocyte to embryo, oocyte zinc levels decrease significantly, as does the number of zinc-enriched granules. This pattern of zinc dynamics in Drosophila oocytes follows a similar trajectory to that in mammals, extending the parallels in female gamete processes between Drosophila and mammals and establishing Drosophila as a model for dissecting reproductive roles of zinc.

Zinc exocytosis is sensitive to myosin light chain kinase inhibition in mouse and human eggs.

Zinc dynamics are essential for oocyte meiotic maturation, egg activation, and preimplantation embryo development. During fertilisation and egg activation, the egg releases billions of zinc atoms (Zn2+) in an exocytotic event termed the 'zinc spark'. We hypothesised that this zinc transport and exocytosis is dependent upon the intracellular trafficking of cortical granules (CG) which requires myosin-actin-dependent motors. Treatment of mature mouse and human eggs with ML-7, a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor (MLCK), resulted in an 80% reduction in zinc spark intensity compared to untreated controls when activated with ionomycin. Moreover, CG migration towards the plasma membrane was significantly decreased in ML-7-treated eggs compared with controls when activated parthenogenetically with ionomycin. In sperm-induced fertilisation via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), ML-7-treated mouse eggs exhibited decreased labile zinc intensity and cortical CG staining. Collectively, these data demonstrate that ML-7 treatment impairs zinc release from both murine and human eggs after activation, demonstrating that zinc exocytosis requires myosin light chain kinase activity. Further, these results provide additional support that zinc is likely stored and released from CGs. These data underscore the importance of intracellular zinc trafficking as a crucial component of egg maturation necessary for egg activation and early embryo development.

Interrogating Intracellular Zinc Chemistry with a Long Stokes Shift Zinc Probe ZincBY-4.

Previous work has shown that fluctuations in zinc content and subcellular localization play key roles in regulating cell cycle progression; however, a deep mechanistic understanding requires the determination of when, where, and how labile zinc pools are concentrated into or released from stores. Labile zinc ions can be difficult to detect with probes that require hydrolysis of toxic protecting groups or application at high concentrations that negatively impact cell function. We previously reported a BODIPY-based zinc probe, ZincBY-1, that can be used at working concentrations that are 20-200-fold lower than concentrations employed with other probes. To better understand how zinc pools can be visualized at such low probe concentrations, we modulated the photophysical properties via changes at the 5-position of the BODIPY core. One of these, ZincBY-4, exhibits an order of magnitude higher affinity for zinc, an 8-fold increase in brightness in response to zinc, and a 100 nm Stokes shift within cells. The larger Stokes shift of ZincBY-4 presents a unique opportunity for simultaneous imaging with GFP or fluorescein sensors upon single excitation. Finally, by creating a proxy for the cellular environment in spectrometer experiments, we show that the ZincBY series are highly effective at 50 nM because they can pass membranes and accumulate in regions of high zinc concentration within a cell. These features of the ZincBY probe class have widespread applications in imaging and for understanding the regulatory roles of zinc fluxes in live cells.

Arsenoplatin-1 Is a Dual Pharmacophore Anticancer Agent.

Arsenoplatins are adducts of two chemically important anticancer drugs, cisplatin and arsenic trioxide, that have a Pt(II) bond to an As(III) hydroxide center. Screens of the NCI-60 human tumor cell lines reveal that arsenoplatin-1 (AP-1), [Pt(µ-NHC(CH3)O)2ClAs(OH)2], the first representative of this novel class of anticancer agents, displays a superior activity profile relative to the parent drugs As2O3 or cisplatin in a majority of cancer cell lines tested. These activity profiles are important because the success of arsenic trioxide in blood cancers (such as APL) has not been seen in solid tumors due to the rapid clearance of arsenous acid from the body. To understand the biological chemistry of these compounds, we evaluated interactions of AP-1 with the two important classes of biomolecules-proteins and DNA. The first structural studies of AP-1 bound to model proteins reveal that platinum(II) binds the Nε of His in a manner that preserves the Pt-As bond. We find that AP-1 readily enters cells and binds to DNA with an intact Pt-As bond (Pt:As ratio of 1). At longer incubation times, however, the Pt:As ratio in DNA samples increases, suggesting that the Pt-As bond breaks and releases the As(OH)2 moiety. We conclude that arsenoplatin-1 has the potential to deliver both Pt and As species to a variety of hematological and solid cancers.

Bovine eggs release zinc in response to parthenogenetic and sperm-induced egg activation.

Upon fertilization or parthenogenesis, zinc is released into the extracellular space through a series of exocytic events termed zinc sparks, which are tightly coordinated with intracellular calcium transients. The zinc spark reduces the total amount of intracellular zinc, and this reduction is necessary and sufficient to induce egg activation even in the absence of calcium transients. In addition, this zinc release contributes to the block to polyspermy through modification of the zona pellucida. The zinc spark has been documented in all organisms examined to date including the mouse, two species of nonhuman primates, and human. Here we determined whether zinc sparks occur in the bovine, an important model of gamete development in mono-ovulatory mammalian species. We obtained metaphase II-arrested (MII) bovine eggs following in vitro maturation. Total zinc, assessed in single cells using X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy, was significantly more abundant in the bovine egg compared to iron and copper. Studies with intracellular fluorescent probes revealed that labile zinc pools are localized to discrete cytoplasmic punctae enriched at the cortex. To determine whether zinc undergoes dynamic fluxes during egg activation, we parthenogenetically activated bovine eggs using two approaches: ionomycin or bovine phospholipase C zeta (bPlcζ). Both these methods induced zinc sparks coordinately with intracellular calcium transients. The zinc spark was also observed in bovine eggs following intracytoplasmic sperm injection. These results establish that zinc is the most abundant transition metal in the bovine egg, and zinc flux during egg activation - induced by chemical activation or sperm - is a highly conserved event across mammalian species.

Beyond Cisplatin: Combination Therapy with Arsenic Trioxide.

Platinum drugs (cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and carboplatin) and arsenic trioxide are the only commercial inorganic non-radioactive anticancer drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Numerous efforts are underway to take advantage of the synergy between the anticancer activity of cisplatin and arsenic trioxide - two drugs with strikingly different mechanisms of action. These include co-encapsulation of the two drugs in novel nanoscale delivery systems as well as the development of small molecule agents that combine the activity of these two inorganic materials. Several of these new molecular entities containing Pt-As bonds have broad anticancer activity, are robust in physiological buffer solutions, and form stable complexes with biopolymers. This review summarizes results from a number of preclinical studies involving the combination of cisplatin and As2O3, co-encapsulation and nanoformulation efforts, and the chemistry and cytotoxicity of the first member of platinum anticancer agents with an arsenous acid moiety bound to the platinum(II) center: arsenoplatins.