27 results on '"Abigail J. Smith"'
Search Results
2. From peptides to proteins: coiled-coil tetramers to single-chain 4-helix bundles
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Elise A. Naudin, Katherine I. Albanese, Abigail J. Smith, Bram Mylemans, Emily G. Baker, Orion D. Weiner, David M. Andrews, Natalie Tigue, Nigel J. Savery, and Derek N. Woolfson
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Max Planck Bristol ,Bristol BioDesign Institute ,BrisSynBio ,General Chemistry - Abstract
The design of completely synthetic proteins from first principles—de novo protein design—is challenging. This is because, despite recent advances in computational protein-structure prediction and design, we do not understand fully the sequence-to-structure relationships for protein folding, assembly, and stabilization. Antiparallel 4-helix bundles are amongst the most studied scaffolds for de novo protein design. We set out to re-examine this target, and to determine clear sequence-to-structure relationships, or design rules, for the structure. Our aim was to determine a common and robust sequence background for designing multiple de novo 4-helix bundles, which, in turn, could be used in chemical and synthetic biology to direct protein-protein interactions and as scaffolds for functional protein design. Our approach starts by analyzing known antiparallel 4-helix coiled-coil structures to deduce design rules. In terms of the heptad repeat, abcdefg—i.e., the sequence signature of many helical bundles—the key features that we identify are: a = Leu, d = Ile, e = Ala, g = Gln, and the use of complementary charged residues at b and c. Next, we implement these rules in the rational design of synthetic peptides to form antiparallel homo- and heterotetramers. Finally, we use the sequence of the homotetramer to derive a single-chain 4-helix-bundle protein for recombinant production in E. coli. All of the assembled designs are confirmed in aqueous solution using biophysical methods, and ultimately by determining high-resolution X-ray crystal structures. Our route from peptides to proteins provides an understanding of the role of each residue in each design.
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- 2022
3. De Novo Designed Protein-Interaction Modules for In-Cell Applications
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Abigail J Smith, Caitlin L Edgell, Joseph L. Beesley, Derek N. Woolfson, and Nigel J. Savery
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0106 biological sciences ,Biomedical Engineering ,Artificial transcription factor ,Transcription Repression ,BrisSynBio ,Computational biology ,Lac repressor ,Antiparallel (biochemistry) ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) ,03 medical and health sciences ,010608 biotechnology ,de novo protein design ,Transcriptional regulation ,030304 developmental biology ,Coiled coil ,0303 health sciences ,coiled coil ,Chemistry ,Bristol BioDesign Institute ,General Medicine ,Heterotetramer ,artificial transcription factor ,transcriptional control ,Homotetramer - Abstract
Protein–protein interactions control a wide variety of natural biological processes. α-Helical coiled coils frequently mediate such protein–protein interactions. Due to the relative simplicity of their sequences and structures and the ease with which properties such as strength and specificity of interaction can be controlled, coiled coils can be designed de novo to deliver a variety of non-natural protein–protein interaction domains. Herein, several de novo designed coiled coils are tested for their ability to mediate protein–protein interactions in Escherichia coli cells. The set includes a parallel homodimer, a parallel homotetramer, an antiparallel homotetramer, and a newly designed heterotetramer, all of which have been characterized in vitro by biophysical and structural methods. Using a transcription repression assay based on reconstituting the Lac repressor, we find that the modules behave as designed in the cellular environment. Each design imparts a different property to the resulting Lac repressor-coiled coil complexes, resulting in the benefit of being able to reconfigure the system in multiple ways. Modification of the system also allows the interactions to be controlled: assembly can be tuned by controlling the expression of the constituent components, and complexes can be disrupted through helix sequestration. The small and straightforward de novo designed components that we deliver are highly versatile and have considerable potential as protein–protein interaction domains in synthetic biology where proteins must be assembled in highly specific ways. The relative simplicity of the designs makes them amenable to future modifications to introduce finer control over their assembly and to adapt them for different contexts.
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- 2020
4. PROTOCOL: The association between whole‐grain dietary intake and noncommunicable diseases: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
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Abigail J Smith, Gavin B. Stewart, Chris J. Seal, Linda Errington, and Wasim A Iqbal
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business.industry ,Dietary intake ,General Social Sciences ,Social Sciences ,Type 2 diabetes ,Disease ,medicine.disease ,Obesity ,Whole grains ,Meta-analysis ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Biomarker (medicine) ,business - Abstract
Our primary research questions are: (1) What is the association between whole grains (WG) intake and the prevalence of NCDs (i.e., type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, mortality) and their biomarkers? (2) Which biomarker(s) has/have the greatest association with WG intake when combining multiple biomarkers together in the same analysis? Our secondary research question is: (3) Are there dose–response relationships between WG intake and biomarkers and prevalence of NCDs which could help inform a universal recommendation for WG intake?
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- 2021
5. A genetic basis for friendship? Homophily for membrane-associated PDE11A-cAMP-CREB signaling in CA1 of hippocampus dictates mutual social preference in male and female mice
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Reagan Farmer, Abigail J. Smith, Michy P. Kelly, Katy Pilarzyk, and Latarsha Porcher
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Male ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Hippocampus ,Friends ,Biology ,CREB ,Social preferences ,Homophily ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Mice ,3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases ,Animals ,Humans ,Cyclic adenosine monophosphate ,Allele ,Molecular Biology ,media_common ,Phosphodiesterase ,Social Behavior Disorders ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Friendship ,chemistry ,biology.protein ,Female ,Neuroscience - Abstract
Although the physical and mental benefits of friendships are clear, the neurobiological mechanisms driving mutual social preferences are not well understood. Studies in humans suggest friends are more genetically similar, particularly for targets within the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) cascade. Unfortunately, human studies can not provide conclusive evidence for such a biological driver of friendship given that other genetically related factors tend to co-segregate with friendship (e.g., geographical proximity). As such, here we use mice under controlled conditions to test the hypothesis that homophily in the cAMP-degrading enzyme phosphodiesterase 11A4 (PDE11A4) can dictate mutual social preference. Using C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice in two different behavioral assays, we showed that mice with two intact alleles of Pde11a prefer to interact with Pde11 wild-type (WT) mice of the same genetic background over knockout (KO) mice or novel objects; whereas, Pde11 KO mice prefer to interact with Pde11 KO mice over WT mice or novel objects. This mutual social preference was seen in both adult and adolescent mice, and social preference could be eliminated or artificially elicited by strengthening or weakening PDE11A homodimerization, respectively. Stereotactic delivery of an isolated PDE11A GAF-B domain to the mouse hippocampus revealed the membrane-associated pool of PDE11A-cAMP-CREB signaling specifically within the CA1 subfield of hippocampus is most critical for regulating social preference. Our study here not only identifies PDE11A homophily as a key driver of mutual social preference across the lifespan, it offers a paradigm in which other mechanisms can be identified in a controlled fashion.
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- 2021
6. The conserved C-terminus of the PcrA/UvrD helicase interacts directly with RNA polymerase.
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Emma J Gwynn, Abigail J Smith, Colin P Guy, Nigel J Savery, Peter McGlynn, and Mark S Dillingham
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
UvrD-like helicases play diverse roles in DNA replication, repair and recombination pathways. An emerging body of evidence suggests that their different cellular functions are directed by interactions with partner proteins that target unwinding activity to appropriate substrates. Recent studies in E. coli have shown that UvrD can act as an accessory replicative helicase that resolves conflicts between the replisome and transcription complexes, but the mechanism is not understood. Here we show that the UvrD homologue PcrA interacts physically with B. subtilis RNA polymerase, and that an equivalent interaction is conserved in E. coli where UvrD, but not the closely related helicase Rep, also interacts with RNA polymerase. The PcrA-RNAP interaction is direct and independent of nucleic acids or additional mediator proteins. A disordered but highly conserved C-terminal region of PcrA, which distinguishes PcrA/UvrD from otherwise related enzymes such as Rep, is both necessary and sufficient for interaction with RNA polymerase.
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- 2013
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7. Phosphodiesterases PDE2A and PDE10A both change mRNA expression in the human brain with age, but only PDE2A changes in a region-specific manner with psychiatric disease
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Neema S. Patel, Reagan Farmer, Angelo Sarmiento, Michy P. Kelly, Steven D. Burbano, and Abigail J. Smith
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0301 basic medicine ,Cingulate cortex ,Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Aging ,Bipolar Disorder ,Hippocampus ,Striatum ,Biology ,Amygdala ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,Superior temporal gyrus ,Mice ,0302 clinical medicine ,Internal medicine ,Cortex (anatomy) ,mental disorders ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,RNA, Messenger ,Depressive Disorder, Major ,Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases ,Brain ,Cell Biology ,Human brain ,Middle Aged ,Entorhinal cortex ,Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 2 ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Endocrinology ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Case-Control Studies ,Schizophrenia ,Female ,Biomarkers - Abstract
Many studies implicate altered cyclic nucleotide signaling in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BPD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). As such, we explored how phosphodiesterases 2A (PDE2A) and 10A (PDE10A)-enzymes that break down cyclic nucleotides-may be altered in brains of these patients. Using autoradiographic in situ hybridization on postmortem brain tissue from the Stanley Foundation Neuropathology Consortium, we measured expression of PDE2 and PDE10 mRNA in multiple brain regions implicated in psychiatric pathophysiology, including cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex (OFC), superior temporal gyrus, hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex, amygdala, and the striatum. We also assessed how PDE2A and PDE10A expression changes in these brain regions across development using the Allen Institute for Brain Science Brainspan database. Compared to controls, patients with SCZ, MDD and BPD all showed reduced PDE2A mRNA in the amygdala. In contrast, PDE2A expression changes in frontal cortical regions were only significant in patients with SCZ, while those in caudal entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, and the striatum were most pronounced in patients with BPD. PDE10A expression was only detected in striatum and did not differ by disease group; however, all groups showed significantly less PDE10A mRNA expression in ventral versus dorsal striatum. Across development, PDE2A mRNA increased in these brain regions; whereas, PDE10A mRNA expression decreased in all regions except striatum. Thus, PDE2A mRNA expression changes in both a disorder- and brain region-specific manner, potentially implicating PDE2A as a novel diagnostic and/or patient-selection biomarker or therapeutic target.
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- 2020
8. Loss of function of phosphodiesterase 11A4 shows that recent and remote long term memories can be uncoupled
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Abigail J. Smith, Latarsha Porcher, Jennifer Klett, Edsel A. Peña, Michy P. Kelly, and Katy Pilarzyk
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0301 basic medicine ,Male ,animal structures ,Memory, Long-Term ,Hippocampus ,Biology ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Mice ,0302 clinical medicine ,3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases ,Cortex (anatomy) ,medicine ,Animals ,Cyclic adenosine monophosphate ,Prefrontal cortex ,Anterior cingulate cortex ,Mice, Knockout ,Neurons ,Memory Disorders ,Arc (protein) ,fungi ,Subiculum ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,nervous system ,Memory consolidation ,Female ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Neuroscience ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,psychological phenomena and processes - Abstract
Summary Systems consolidation is a process by which memories initially require the hippocampus for recent long-term memory (LTM) but then become increasingly independent of the hippocampus and more dependent on the cortex for remote LTM. Here, we study the role of phosphodiesterase 11A4 (PDE11A4) in systems consolidation. PDE11A4, which degrades cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), is preferentially expressed in neurons of CA1, the subiculum, and the adjacently connected amygdalohippocampal region. In male and female mice, deletion of PDE11A enhances remote LTM for social odor recognition and social transmission of food preference (STFP) despite eliminating or silencing recent LTM for those same social events. Measurement of a surrogate marker of neuronal activation (i.e., Arc mRNA) suggests the recent LTM deficits observed in Pde11 knockout mice correspond with decreased activation of ventral CA1 relative to wild-type littermates. In contrast, the enhanced remote LTM observed in Pde11a knockout mice corresponds with increased activation and altered functional connectivity of anterior cingulate cortex, frontal association cortex, parasubiculum, and the superficial layer of medial entorhinal cortex. The apparent increased neural activation observed in prefrontal cortex of Pde11a knockout mice during remote LTM retrieval may be related to an upregulation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits NR1 and NR2A. Viral restoration of PDE11A4 to vCA1 alone is sufficient to rescue both the LTM phenotypes and upregulation of NR1 exhibited by Pde11a knockout mice. Together, our findings suggest remote LTM can be decoupled from recent LTM, which may have relevance for cognitive deficits associated with aging, temporal lobe epilepsy, or transient global amnesia.
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- 2019
9. Guiding Biomolecular Interactions in Cells Using de Novo Protein-Protein Interfaces
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Deborah K. Shoemark, Abigail J Smith, Franziska Thomas, Nigel J. Savery, and Derek N. Woolfson
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0106 biological sciences ,Transcription, Genetic ,protein−protein interaction ,DNA−protein interaction ,Protein design ,Biomedical Engineering ,BrisSynBio ,Protein Engineering ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) ,Protein Structure, Secondary ,Protein–protein interaction ,03 medical and health sciences ,Synthetic biology ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,α-helical coiled coil ,TAL effectors ,Transcription (biology) ,010608 biotechnology ,RNA polymerase ,de novo protein design ,Protein–DNA interaction ,Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs ,030304 developmental biology ,Regulation of gene expression ,0303 health sciences ,Binding Sites ,Bacteria ,Chemistry ,Bristol BioDesign Institute ,Rational design ,Proteins ,General Medicine ,DNA ,Cell biology ,SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ,transcriptional control - Abstract
An improved ability to direct and control biomolecular interactions in living cells would have an impact on synthetic biology. A key issue is the need to introduce interacting components that act orthogonally to endogenous proteomes and interactomes. Here, we show that low-complexity, de novo designed protein–protein interaction (PPI) domains can substitute for natural PPIs and guide engineered protein–DNA interactions in Escherichia coli. Specifically, we use de novo homo- and heterodimeric coiled coils to reconstitute a cytoplasmic split adenylate cyclase, recruit RNA polymerase to a promoter and activate gene expression, and oligomerize both natural and designed DNA-binding domains to repress transcription. Moreover, the stabilities of the heterodimeric coiled coils can be modulated by rational design and, thus, adjust the levels of gene activation and repression in vivo. These experiments demonstrate the possibilities for using designed proteins and interactions to control biomolecular systems such as enzyme cascades and circuits in cells.
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- 2019
10. Guiding biomolecular interactions in cells using de novo protein-protein interfaces
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Deborah K. Shoemark, Franziska Thomas, Nigel J. Savery, Abigail J Smith, and Derek N. Woolfson
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Regulation of gene expression ,0303 health sciences ,Rational design ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Cell biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Synthetic biology ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Transcription (biology) ,RNA polymerase ,Gene expression ,Proteome ,Psychological repression ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
An improved ability to direct and control biomolecular interactions in living cells would impact on synthetic biology. A key issue is the need to introduce interacting components that act orthogonally to endogenous proteomes and interactomes. Here we show that low-complexity, de novo designed protein-protein-interaction (PPI) domains can substitute for natural PPIs and guide engineered protein-DNA interactions in Escherichia coli. Specifically, we use de novo homo- and hetero-dimeric coiled coils to reconstitute a cytoplasmic split adenylate cyclase; to recruit RNA polymerase to a promoter and activate gene expression; and to oligomerize both natural and designed DNA-binding domains to repress transcription. Moreover, the stabilities of the heterodimeric coiled coils can be modulated by rational design and, thus, adjust the levels of gene activation and repression in vivo. These experiments demonstrate the possibilities for using designed proteins and interactions to control biomolecular systems such as enzyme cascades and circuits in cells.
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- 2018
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11. ZnCl2 Capture Promotes Ethylene Polymerization by a Salicylaldiminato Ni Complex Bearing a Pendent 2,2′-Bipyridine Group
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Eric D. Kalkman, Zachary W. Gilbert, Abigail J. Smith, and Ian A. Tonks
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chemistry.chemical_classification ,010405 organic chemistry ,Organic Chemistry ,Imine ,Polymer ,010402 general chemistry ,Photochemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Scavenger (chemistry) ,2,2'-Bipyridine ,0104 chemical sciences ,Catalysis ,Inorganic Chemistry ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Group (periodic table) ,Polymer chemistry ,Pyridine ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Bimetallic strip - Abstract
The effect of ZnCl2 additives on a series of (salicylaldiminato)Ni ethylene polymerization catalysts is reported. While ZnCl2 acts solely as a pyridine scavenger for simple imine catalyst frameworks such as the biphenylimine 4, in the case of complexes containing a 2,2′-bipyridine pendent group such as 5, ZnCl2 can coordinate to generate a bimetallic Ni/Zn active species that produces a polymer with significantly higher Mn value. 5 is not catalytically active in the absence of ZnCl2, and control experiments indicate that Zn coordination of the bpy pocket to generate a heterobimetallic Ni/Zn complex is critical for productive catalysis to occur. A heterobimetallic Ni/ZnCl2 precatalyst 7 has also been synthesized and structurally characterized and shows activity similar to that of the in situ bimetallic generated from 5 + ZnCl2.
- Published
- 2016
12. Protocol: The effect of whole-grain dietary intake on non-communicable diseases: A systematic review, multivariate meta-analysis and dose-response of prospective cohorts, cross-sectional, case-control and intervention studies
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Chris J. Seal, Gavin B. Stewart, Abigail J Smith, and Wasim A Iqbal
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Protocol (science) ,Multivariate statistics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Public health ,Type 2 diabetes ,Non-communicable disease ,medicine.disease ,Obesity ,Whole grains ,Environmental health ,Meta-analysis ,Medicine ,business - Abstract
The proposed protocol is for a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of whole-grains (WG) on non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity. The primary objectives is to explore the mechanisms of WG intake on multiple biomarkers of NCDs such as fasting glucose, fasting insulin and many others. The secondary objective will look at the dose-response relationship between these various mechanisms. The protocol outlines the motive and scope for the review, and methodology including the risk of bias, statistical analysis, screening and study criteria.
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- 2018
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13. Enhanced Remote Long-Term Social Memory Despite an Absence of Any Recent Long-Term Memory for That Same Event
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Jennifer Klett, Abigail J. Smith, Michy P. Kelly, Latarsha Porcher, and Katy Pilarzyk
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Arc (protein) ,Long-term memory ,fungi ,Subiculum ,Hippocampus ,Biology ,Temporal lobe ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,nervous system ,Cortex (anatomy) ,medicine ,Prefrontal cortex ,Neuroscience ,psychological phenomena and processes ,Anterior cingulate cortex - Abstract
System consolidation (SC) is a process by which memories initially require the hippocampus for recent long-term memory (LTM) but then become increasingly independent of the hippocampus and more dependent on the cortex for remote LTM. Here we study the role of phosphodiesterase 11A4 (PDE11A4) in SC. PDE11A4; which degrades cAMP/cGMP and regulates glutamate signaling and protein synthesis; is preferentially expressed in neurons of CA1; the subiculum; and the adjacently connected amygdalohippocampal region. Deletion of PDE11A enhances remote LTM for social odor recognition and social transmission of food preference (STFP) despite eliminating/silencing recent LTM for those same social events. Measurement of Arc mRNA; a surrogate marker of neuronal activation; suggests the impaired recent LTM for STFP observed in Pde11 KO mice corresponds with decreased activation of ventral CA1 relative to wild-type (WT) littermates; whereas; the enhanced remote LTM for STFP observed in Pde11a KO mice corresponds with increased activation and altered functional connectivity of anterior cingulate cortex; frontal association cortex; parasubiculum; and the superficial layer of medial entorhinal cortex. The apparent increased neural activation observed in prefrontal cortex of Pde11a KO mice may be related to an upregulation of the NMDA receptor subunits NR1 and NR2A. Viral restoration of PDE11A4 to vCA1 alone is sufficient to reverse both the LTM phenotypes and upregulation of NR1 exhibited by Pde11a KO mice. Together our findings suggest remote LTM can be decoupled from recent LTM and may have relevance for cognitive deficits associated with temporal lobe epilepsy or transient global amnesia.
- Published
- 2018
14. Multipartite control of the DNA translocase, Mfd
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Christian Pernstich, Nigel J. Savery, and Abigail J Smith
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Transcription, Genetic ,Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Protein structure ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,Genetics ,Translocase ,Transcription factor ,030304 developmental biology ,Adenosine Triphosphatases ,0303 health sciences ,Nucleic Acid Enzymes ,RNA ,Helicase ,DNA ,Protein Structure, Tertiary ,Cell biology ,Biochemistry ,chemistry ,Mutation ,Proteolysis ,Nucleic acid ,biology.protein ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
ATP-dependent nucleic acid helicases and translocases play essential roles in many aspects of DNA and RNA biology. In order to ensure that these proteins act only in specific contexts, their activity is often regulated by intramolecular contacts and interaction with partner proteins. We have studied the bacterial Mfd protein, which is an ATP-dependent DNA translocase that relocates or displaces transcription ECs in a variety of cellular contexts. When bound to RNAP, Mfd exhibits robust ATPase and DNA translocase activities, but when released from its substrate these activities are repressed by autoinhibitory interdomain contacts. In this work, we have identified an interface within the Mfd protein that is important for regulating the activity of the protein, and whose disruption permits Mfd to act indiscriminately at transcription complexes that lack the usual determinants of Mfd specificity. Our results indicate that regulation of Mfd occurs through multiple nodes, and that activation of Mfd may be a multi-stage process.
- Published
- 2012
15. Initiation of transcription-coupled repair characterized at single-molecule resolution
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Abigail J Smith, Lars F. Westblade, Kévin Howan, Wilfried Grange, Terence R. Strick, Nigel J. Savery, Sylvain Zorman, Seth A. Darst, Nicolas Joly, Institut Jacques Monod (IJM (UMR_7592)), Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, University of Bristol [Bristol], Rockefeller University [New York], Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC grant BB/I003142/1 ) , Frontieres Interdisciplinaires du Vivant Doctoral Program and the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, National Institutes of Health grant GM073829, University of Paris Diderot, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, and The Rockefeller University
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Transcription Elongation, Genetic ,DNA Repair ,Transcription, Genetic ,DNA repair ,DNA damage ,[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-BIO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Biological Physics [physics.bio-ph] ,Biology ,DNA polymerase delta ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Adenosine Triphosphate ,0302 clinical medicine ,Bacterial Proteins ,Escherichia coli ,Promoter Regions, Genetic ,Replication protein A ,[SDV.BDD]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology ,Transcription Initiation, Genetic ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,Multidisciplinary ,Hydrolysis ,[SDV.BID.EVO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE] ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Cell biology ,Proliferating cell nuclear antigen ,Kinetics ,chemistry ,Biochemistry ,Pyrimidine Dimers ,Transcription Termination, Genetic ,Biocatalysis ,biology.protein ,DNA mismatch repair ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,DNA ,DNA Damage ,Transcription Factors ,Nucleotide excision repair - Abstract
International audience; Transcription-coupled DNA repair uses components of the transcription machinery to identify DNA lesions and initiate their repair. These repair pathways are complex, so their mechanistic features remain poorly understood. Bacterial transcription-coupled repair is initiated when RNA polymerase stalled at a DNA lesion is removed by Mfd, an ATP-dependent DNA translocase. Here we use single-molecule DNA nanomanipulation to observe the dynamic interactions of Escherichia coli Mfd with RNA polymerase elongation complexes stalled by a cyclopyrimidine dimer or by nucleotide starvation. We show that Mfd acts by catalysing two irreversible, ATP-dependent transitions with different structural, kinetic and mechanistic features. Mfd remains bound to the DNA in a long-lived complex that could act as a marker for sites of DNA damage, directing assembly of subsequent DNA repair factors. These results provide a framework for considering the kinetics of transcription-coupled repair in vivo, and open the way to reconstruction of complete DNA repair pathways at single-molecule resolution.
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- 2012
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16. Lysophosphatidic acid and calcitriol co-operate to promote human osteoblastogenesis: Requirement of albumin-bound LPA
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M. Pabbruwe, M. Nowghani, I. C. Paterson, Ashley W Blom, Jason P. Mansell, and Abigail J Smith
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Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Bone Regeneration ,Stromal cell ,Calcitriol ,Physiology ,Gene Expression ,Bone Marrow Cells ,Bone healing ,Biochemistry ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Internal medicine ,Lysophosphatidic acid ,medicine ,Humans ,Receptors, Lysophosphatidic Acid ,Cells, Cultured ,Serum Albumin ,Aged ,Cell Proliferation ,Cholecalciferol ,Enzyme Assays ,Pharmacology ,Bone growth ,Drug Carriers ,Osteoblasts ,Mesenchymal stem cell ,Cell Differentiation ,Osteoblast ,Cell Biology ,Middle Aged ,Alkaline Phosphatase ,Cell biology ,Adult Stem Cells ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Female ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Lysophospholipids ,Stem cell ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a pleiotropic signalling lipid is assuming growing significance in osteoblast biology. Although committed osteoblasts from several mammalian species are receptive to LPA far less is known about the potential for LPA to influence osteoblast formation from their mesenchymal progenitors. An essential factor for both bone development and post-natal bone growth and homeostasis is the active metabolite of vitamin D3, calcitriol (D3). Previously we reported how a combination of LPA and D3 synergistically co-operated to enhance the differentiation of immature human osteoblasts. Herein we provide evidence for the formation of human osteoblasts from multiple, primary human bone marrow derived stromal (stem) cells (hBMSCs). Importantly osteoblast development from hBMSCs only occurred when LPA was administered as a complex with albumin, its natural carrier. Collectively our findings support a co-operative role of LPA and D3 in osteoblastogenesis, findings which may aid the development of novel treatment strategies for bone repair.
- Published
- 2011
17. Regulation and Rate Enhancement during Transcription-Coupled DNA Repair
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Young-In T. Kim, Rachel M. Smith, Laura Manelyte, Abigail J Smith, and Nigel J. Savery
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DNA, Bacterial ,DNA Repair ,Transcription, Genetic ,DNA repair ,DNA damage ,Biology ,Models, Biological ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,RNA polymerase ,Molecular Biology ,Transcription factor ,030304 developmental biology ,Adenosine Triphosphatases ,0303 health sciences ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,030302 biochemistry & molecular biology ,T-cell receptor ,DNA Helicases ,Cell Biology ,Molecular biology ,3. Good health ,DNA-Binding Proteins ,chemistry ,DNA ,Nucleotide excision repair ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
Summary Transcription-coupled DNA repair (TCR) is a subpathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER) that is triggered when RNA polymerase is stalled by DNA damage. Lesions targeted by TCR are repaired more quickly than lesions repaired by the transcription-independent “global” NER pathway, but the mechanism underlying this rate enhancement is not understood. Damage recognition during bacterial NER depends upon UvrA, which binds to the damage and loads UvrB onto the DNA. Bacterial TCR additionally requires the Mfd protein, a DNA translocase that removes the stalled transcription complexes. We have determined the properties of Mfd, UvrA, and UvrB that are required for the elevated rate of repair observed during TCR. We show that TCR and global NER differ in their requirements for damage recognition by UvrA, indicating that Mfd acts at the very earliest stage of the repair process and extending the functional similarities between TCR in bacteria and eukaryotes., Highlights ► Bacterial TCR bypasses the need for damage recognition by UvrA ► The UvrB homology module of Mfd is responsible for strand-specific repair ► The insertion domain of E. coli UvrA is involved in damage recognition ► Interdomain contacts regulate the activity of Mfd
- Published
- 2010
18. Effects of the bacterial transcription-repair coupling factor during transcription of DNA containing non-bulky lesions
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Nigel J. Savery and Abigail J Smith
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DNA, Bacterial ,Guanine ,Transcription, Genetic ,RNA polymerase II ,Biochemistry ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,RNA polymerase ,Escherichia coli ,DNA Breaks, Single-Stranded ,Uracil ,Molecular Biology ,RNA polymerase II holoenzyme ,Polymerase ,Transcription bubble ,biology ,General transcription factor ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Templates, Genetic ,Cell Biology ,Molecular biology ,chemistry ,biology.protein ,Mutant Proteins ,Transcription factor II B ,DNA Damage ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
Transcription-coupled DNA repair is a mechanism by which bulky DNA lesions that block transcription by RNA polymerase are prioritised for removal by the nucleotide excision repair apparatus. The trigger is thought to be the presence of an irreversibly blocked transcription complex, which is recognised by a transcription-repair coupling factor. Many common DNA lesions do not block transcription, but are bypassed with varying degrees of efficiency and with potentially mutagenic effects on the RNA transcripts that are produced. The effect of the bacterial transcription-repair coupling factor, Mfd, at such lesions is not known: it has been suggested that Mfd may promote mutagenesis by increasing the efficiency with which RNA polymerase bypasses non-bulky lesions, but it has also been reported that 8-oxoguanine, a major product of oxidative DNA damage that is efficiently bypassed by RNA polymerase, is subject to Mfd-dependent transcription-coupled repair in Escherichia coli. We have investigated the effect of Mfd during transcription of templates containing 8-oxoguanine, and various other non-bulky lesions. We show that an 8-oxoguanine in the template strand induces a transient pause in transcription, and that Mfd neither increases nor decreases the efficiency with which RNA polymerase bypasses the lesion. We also show that Mfd can displace a transcription complex stalled at a single strand nick, and that it decreases the efficiency with which RNA polymerase bypasses an abasic site. These activities are not affected by transcription rate, as similar results were obtained using "fast" and "slow" mutant RNA polymerases. Our findings suggest that 8-oxoguanine is unlikely to be directly targeted by the transcription-coupled repair pathway, and identify a potential role for Mfd in reducing the level of transcriptional mutagenesis caused by abasic sites.
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- 2008
19. Controlling the motor activity of a transcription-repair coupling factor: autoinhibition and the role of RNA polymerase
- Author
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Mark D. Szczelkun, Nigel J. Savery, and Abigail J Smith
- Subjects
Models, Molecular ,Motor protein ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,RNA polymerase ,Genetics ,Homeostasis ,Transcription factor ,030304 developmental biology ,Sequence Deletion ,Adenosine Triphosphatases ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Oligonucleotide ,Nucleic Acid Enzymes ,030302 biochemistry & molecular biology ,Helicase ,Biological Transport ,DNA ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Cell biology ,Protein Structure, Tertiary ,chemistry ,Biochemistry ,Transcription preinitiation complex ,biology.protein ,Transcriptional Elongation Factors ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
Motor proteins that couple ATP hydrolysis to movement along nucleic acids play a variety of essential roles in DNA metabolism. Often these enzymes function as components of macromolecular complexes, and DNA translocation by the motor protein drives movement of other components of the complex. In order to understand how the activity of motor proteins is regulated within multi-protein complexes we have studied the bacterial transcription-repair coupling factor, Mfd, which is a helicase superfamily 2 member that binds to RNA polymerase (RNAP) and removes stalled transcription complexes from DNA. Using an oligonucleotide displacement assay that monitors protein movement on double-stranded DNA we show that Mfd has little motor activity in isolation, but exhibits efficient oligonucleotide displacement activity when bound to a stalled transcription complex. Deletion of the C-terminal domain of Mfd increases the ATPase activity of the protein and allows efficient oligo-displacement in the absence of RNAP. Our results suggest that an autoinhibitory domain ensures the motor activity of Mfd is only functional within the correct macromolecular context: recruitment of Mfd to a stalled transcription complex relieves the autoinhibition and unmasks the motor activity.
- Published
- 2007
20. Structural Basis for Bacterial Transcription-Coupled DNA Repair
- Author
-
Ann Hochschild, Nigel J. Savery, Seth A. Darst, Bryce E. Nickels, Anna L Chambers, Abigail J Smith, and Alexandra M. Deaconescu
- Subjects
Models, Molecular ,DNA Repair ,Transcription, Genetic ,Protein Conformation ,DNA repair ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Biology ,Crystallography, X-Ray ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Protein structure ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,Bacterial transcription ,RNA polymerase ,Escherichia coli ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Transcription factor ,030304 developmental biology ,Genetics ,0303 health sciences ,Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all) ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,030302 biochemistry & molecular biology ,DNA Helicases ,Protein Structure, Tertiary ,Cell biology ,chemistry ,DNA ,Transcription Factors ,Nucleotide excision repair - Abstract
SummaryCoupling of transcription and DNA repair in bacteria is mediated by transcription-repair coupling factor (TRCF, the product of the mfd gene), which removes transcription elongation complexes stalled at DNA lesions and recruits the nucleotide excision repair machinery to the site. Here we describe the 3.2 Å-resolution X-ray crystal structure of Escherichia coli TRCF. The structure consists of a compact arrangement of eight domains, including a translocation module similar to the SF2 ATPase RecG, and a region of structural similarity to UvrB. Biochemical and genetic experiments establish that another domain with structural similarity to the Tudor-like domain of the transcription elongation factor NusG plays a critical role in TRCF/RNA polymerase interactions. Comparison with the translocation module of RecG as well as other structural features indicate that TRCF function involves large-scale conformational changes. These data, along with a structural model for the interaction of TRCF with the transcription elongation complex, provide mechanistic insights into TRCF function.
- Published
- 2006
21. Subnuclear Localization and Cajal Body Targeting of Transcription Elongation Factor TFIIS in Amphibian Oocytes
- Author
-
Yan Ling, Abigail J. Smith, and Garry T. Morgan
- Subjects
Transcription, Genetic ,Xenopus ,Coiled Bodies ,RNA polymerase II ,Biology ,Article ,Xenopus laevis ,Transcription (biology) ,medicine ,Animals ,Protein Isoforms ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Molecular Biology ,Cell Nucleus ,Cell Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Molecular biology ,Cell biology ,Elongation factor ,Protein Transport ,Cell nucleus ,Lampbrush chromosome ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Cajal body ,Cytoplasm ,Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ,Oocytes ,biology.protein ,Transcription Factors, General ,Transcriptional Elongation Factors - Abstract
We have examined the localization and targeting of the RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription elongation factor TFIIS in amphibian oocyte nuclei by immunofluorescence. Using a novel antibody against Xenopus TFIIS the major sites of immunostaining were found to be Cajal bodies, nuclear organelles that also contain pol II. Small granular structures attached to lampbrush chromosomes were also specifically stained but the transcriptionally active loops were not. Similar localization patterns were found for the newly synthesizedmyc-tagged TFIIS produced after injection of synthetic transcripts into the cytoplasm. The basis of the rapid and preferential targeting of TFIIS to Cajal bodies was investigated by examining the effects of deletion and site-specific mutations. Multiple regions of TFIIS contributed to efficient targeting including the domain required for its binding to pol II. The localization of TFIIS in Cajal bodies, and in particular the apparent involvement of pol II binding in achieving it, offer further support for a model in which Cajal bodies function in the preassembly of the transcriptional machinery. Although our findings are therefore consistent with TFIIS playing a role in early events of the transcription cycle, they also suggest that this elongation factor is not generally required during transcription in oocytes.
- Published
- 2003
22. Stalled transcription complexes promote DNA repair at a distance
- Author
-
Young-In T. Kim, Abigail J Smith, Nigel J. Savery, and Nia M Haines
- Subjects
DNA Repair ,Transcription, Genetic ,DNA repair ,RNA polymerase II ,Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Bacterial Proteins ,RNA polymerase ,Commentaries ,Escherichia coli ,Replication protein A ,Transcription bubble ,DNA Primers ,Multidisciplinary ,biology ,General transcription factor ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Molecular biology ,enzymes and coenzymes (carbohydrates) ,chemistry ,Coding strand ,biology.protein ,Genome, Bacterial ,Nucleotide excision repair ,Plasmids ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
Transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TCR) accelerates the removal of noncoding lesions from the template strand of active genes, and hence contributes to genome-wide variations in mutation frequency. Current models for TCR suppose that a lesion must cause RNA polymerase (RNAP) to stall if it is to be a substrate for accelerated repair. We have examined the substrate requirements for TCR using a system in which transcription stalling and damage location can be uncoupled. We show that Mfd-dependent TCR in bacteria involves the formation of a damage search complex that can detect lesions downstream of a stalled RNAP, and that the strand specificity of the accelerated repair pathway is independent of the requirement for a lesion to stall RNAP. We also show that an ops (operon polarity suppressor) transcription pause site, which causes backtracking of RNAP, can promote the repair of downstream lesions when those lesions do not themselves cause the polymerase to stall. Our findings indicate that the transcription-repair coupling factor Mfd, which is an ATP-dependent superfamily 2 helicase that binds to RNAP, continues to translocate along DNA after RNAP has been displaced until a lesion in the template strand is located. The discovery that pause sites can promote the repair of nonstalling lesions suggests that TCR pathways may play a wider role in modulating mutation frequencies in different parts of the genome than has previously been suspected.
- Published
- 2014
23. Structural basis for transcription repair coupling in bacteria
- Author
-
Bryce E. Nickels, Ann Hochschild, Anna L Chambers, Abigail J Smith, Alexandra M. Deaconescu, Nigel J. Savery, and Seth A. Darst
- Subjects
biology ,Transcription (biology) ,Genetics ,biology.organism_classification ,Molecular Biology ,Biochemistry ,Bacteria ,Biotechnology ,Cell biology ,Microbiology - Published
- 2008
24. Transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair in Escherichia coli can be affected by changing the arginine at position 529 of the beta subunit of RNA polymerase
- Author
-
Philip C. Hanawalt, Portia Zamos, Nigel J. Savery, Abigail J Smith, and Ann K. Ganesan
- Subjects
DNA Repair ,Transcription, Genetic ,DNA repair ,genetic processes ,lac operon ,Pyrimidine dimer ,Biology ,Arginine ,Biochemistry ,Article ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,RNA polymerase ,Escherichia coli ,Molecular Biology ,Alanine ,T-cell receptor ,Cell Biology ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Molecular biology ,enzymes and coenzymes (carbohydrates) ,chemistry ,health occupations ,bacteria ,DNA ,Nucleotide excision repair ,DNA Damage - Abstract
The proposed mechanism for transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TCR) invokes RNA polymerase (RNAP) blocked at a DNA lesion as a signal to initiate repair. In Escherichia coli, TCR requires the interaction of RNAP with a transcription-repair coupling factor encoded by the mfd gene. The interaction between RNAP and Mfd depends upon amino acids 117, 118, and 119 of the β subunit of RNAP; changing any one of these to alanine diminishes the interaction [1] . Using direct assays for TCR, and the lac operon of E. coli containing UV induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) as substrate, we have found that a change from arginine to cysteine at amino acid 529 of the β subunit of the RNAP inactivates TCR, but does not prevent the interaction of RNAP with Mfd. Our results suggest that this interaction may be necessary but not sufficient to facilitate TCR.
- Published
- 2006
25. A sequence motif conserved in diverse nuclear proteins identifies a protein interaction domain utilised for nuclear targeting by human TFIIS
- Author
-
Abigail J. Smith, Garry T. Morgan, and Yan Ling
- Subjects
Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Proteins ,Amino Acid Motifs ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Nuclear Localization Signals ,Active Transport, Cell Nucleus ,Sequence alignment ,Biology ,Article ,Conserved sequence ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Protein Interaction Mapping ,Genetics ,NLS ,Humans ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Nuclear protein ,Peptide sequence ,Conserved Sequence ,030304 developmental biology ,Cell Nucleus ,0303 health sciences ,Nuclear Proteins ,Proteins ,RNA-Binding Proteins ,Cell biology ,Protein Structure, Tertiary ,Nuclear transport ,Transcriptional Elongation Factors ,Sequence motif ,Sequence Alignment ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Nuclear localization sequence ,HeLa Cells ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
The three structural domains of transcription elongation factor TFIIS are conserved from yeast to human. Although the N-terminal domain is not needed for transcriptional activity, a similar sequence has been identified previously in other transcription factors. We found this conserved sequence, the LW motif, in another three human proteins that are predominantly nuclear localized. We investigated two examples to determine whether the LW motif is actually a dedicated nuclear targeting signal. However, in one of the newly identified proteins, hIWS1 (human Iws1), a region containing classic nuclear localization signals (NLS) rather than the LW motif was necessary and sufficient for nuclear targeting in HeLa cells. In contrast, human TFIIS does not possess an NLS and only constructs containing the LW motif were efficiently targeted to nuclei. Moreover, mutations in the motif could cause cytoplasmic accumulation of TFIIS and enabled a structure/function assay for the domain based on the efficiency of nuclear targeting. Finally, GST pull-down assays showed that the LW motif is part of a protein-binding domain. We suggest that the targeting role the LW motif plays in TFIIS arises from its more general function as a protein interaction domain, enabling TFIIS to bind a carrier protein(s) that accomplishes nuclear import.
- Published
- 2006
26. RNA polymerase mutants defective in the initiation of transcription-coupled DNA repair
- Author
-
Nigel J. Savery and Abigail J Smith
- Subjects
DNA Repair ,Transcription, Genetic ,DNA repair ,Mutant ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Biology ,Article ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Protein structure ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,RNA polymerase ,Genetics ,Escherichia coli ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Transcription factor ,Peptide sequence ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Molecular biology ,Protein Structure, Tertiary ,enzymes and coenzymes (carbohydrates) ,chemistry ,Amino Acid Substitution ,Mutation ,bacteria ,DNA ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
The bacterial Mfd protein is a transcription-repair coupling factor that performs two key functions during transcription-coupled DNA repair. The first is to remove RNA polymerase (RNAP) complexes that have been stalled by a DNA lesion from the site of damage, and the second is to mediate the recruitment of DNA repair proteins. Mfd also displaces transcription complexes that have been stalled by protein roadblocks, and catalyses the reactivation of transcription complexes that have become 'backtracked'. We have identified amino acid substitutions in the beta subunit of Escherichia coli RNAP that disrupt a direct interaction between Mfd and RNAP. These substitutions prevent Mfd displacing stalled RNAP from DNA in vivo and in vitro. They define a highly conserved surface-exposed patch on the beta1 domain of RNAP that is required by Mfd for the initial step of transcription-coupled repair, the enhancement of roadblock repression and the reactivation of backtracked transcription complexes.
- Published
- 2005
27. A DNA translocation motif in the bacterial transcription--repair coupling factor, Mfd
- Author
-
Nigel J. Savery, Anna L Chambers, and Abigail J Smith
- Subjects
Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ,DNA, Bacterial ,Transcription, Genetic ,DNA damage ,Amino Acid Motifs ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Adenosine Triphosphate ,Bacterial Proteins ,Transcription (biology) ,Bacterial transcription ,RNA polymerase ,Genetics ,Holliday junction ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Binding Sites ,biology ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,Helicase ,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ,Articles ,Cell biology ,Biochemistry ,chemistry ,Amino Acid Substitution ,Transcription preinitiation complex ,Mutation ,biology.protein ,DNA ,Protein Binding ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
The bacterial transcription–repair coupling factor, Mfd, is a superfamily II helicase that releases transcription elongation complexes stalled by DNA damage or other obstacles. Transcription complex displacement is an ATP-dependent reaction that is thought to involve DNA translocation without the strand separation associated with classical helicase activity. We have identified single amino acid substitutions within Mfd that disrupt the ability of Mfd to displace RNA polymerase but do not prevent ATP hydrolysis or binding to DNA. These substitutions, or deletion of the C-terminal 209 residues of Mfd, abrogate the ability of Mfd to increase the efficiency of roadblock repression in vivo. The substitutions fall in a region of Mfd that is homologous to the ‘TRG’ motif of RecG, a protein that catalyses ATP-dependent translocation of Holliday junctions. Our results define a translocation motif in Mfd and suggest that Mfd and RecG couple ATP hydrolysis to translocation of DNA in a similar manner.
- Published
- 2003
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