Proteome-wide identification of WRN-interacting proteins in untreated and nuclease-treated samples.

Werner syndrome (WS) is characterized by the premature onset of several age-associated pathologies. The protein defective in WS patients (WRN) is a helicase/exonuclease involved in DNA repair, replication, telomere maintenance, and transcription. Here, we present the results of a large-scale proteome analysis to determine protein partners of WRN. We expressed fluorescent tagged-WRN (eYFP-WRN) in human 293 embryonic kidney cells and detected interacting proteins by co-immunoprecipitation from cell extract. We identified by mass spectrometry 220 nuclear proteins that complexed with WRN. This number was reduced to 40 when broad-spectrum nucleases were added to the lysate. We consider these 40 proteins as directly interacting with WRN. Some of these proteins have previously been shown to interact with WRN, whereas most are new partners. Among the top 15 hits, we find the new interactors TMPO, HNRNPU, RPS3, RALY, RPS9 DDX21, and HNRNPM. These proteins are likely important components in understanding the function of WRN in preventing premature aging and deserve further investigation. We have confirmed endogenous WRN interaction with endogenous RPS3, a ribosomal protein with endonuclease activities involved in oxidative DNA damage recognition. Our results suggest that the use of nucleases during cell lysis severely restricts interacting protein partners and thus enhances specificity.

Resveratrol improves insulin resistance hyperglycemia and hepatosteatosis but not hypertriglyceridemia, inflammation, and life span in a mouse model for Werner syndrome.

Werner syndrome is a premature aging disorder caused by mutations in a RecQ-like DNA helicase. Mice lacking the helicase domain of the WRN homologue exhibit many features of Werner syndrome, including a pro-oxidant status and a shorter mean life span. Here, we show that resveratrol supplementation improved the hyperglycemia and the insulin resistance phenotype in these Wrn mutant mice. In addition, resveratrol reversed liver steatosis, lipid peroxidaton, and the defenestration phenotypes observed in such mice. Resveratrol, however, did not improve the hypertriglyceridemia, inflammatory stress, nor extend the mean life span of these mutant mice. Microarray and biologic pathway enrichment analyses on liver tissues revealed that resveratrol mainly decreased lipidogenesis and increased genes involved in the insulin signaling pathway and the glutathione metabolism in Wrn mutant mice. Finally, resveratrol-treated mutant mice exhibited an increase in the frequency of lymphoma and of several solid tumors. These results indicate that resveratrol supplementation might exert at least metabolic benefits for Werner syndrome patients.