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Biomedical subjects

A Dutta

Publications and source records attributed to A Dutta.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Architecture of the human origin recognition complex.

All the human homologs of the six subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae origin recognition complex have been reported so far. However, not much has been reported on the nature and the characteristics of the human origin recognition complex. In an attempt to purify recombinant human ORC from insect cells infected with baculoviruses expressing HsORC subunits, we found that human ORC2, -3, -4, and -5 form a core complex. HsORC1 and HsORC6 subunits did not enter into this core complex, suggesting that the interaction of these two subunits with the core ORC2-5 complex is extremely labile. We found that the C-terminal region of ORC2 interacts directly with the N-terminal region of ORC3. The C-terminal region of ORC3 was, however, necessary to bring ORC4 and ORC5 into the core complex. A fragment containing the N-terminal 200 residues of ORC3 (ORC3N) competitively inhibited the ORC2-ORC3 interaction. Overexpression of this fragment in U2OS cells blocked the cells in G(1), providing the first evidence that a mammalian ORC subunit is important for the G(1)-S transition in mammalian cells.

Animals↗

Multiple mechanisms regulate subcellular localization of human CDC6.

CDC6 is a protein essential for DNA replication, the expression and abundance of which are cell cycle-regulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have demonstrated previously that the subcellular localization of the human CDC6 homolog, HsCDC6, is cell cycle-dependent: nuclear during G(1) phase and cytoplasmic during S phase. Here we demonstrate that endogenous HsCDC6 is phosphorylated during the G(1)/S transition. The N-terminal region contains putative cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation sites adjoining nuclear localization sequences (NLSs) and a cyclin-docking motif, whereas the C-terminal region contains a nuclear export signal (NES). In addition, we show that the observed regulated subcellular localization depends on phosphorylation status, NLS, and NES. When the four putative substrate sites (serines 45, 54, 74, and 106) for cyclin-dependent kinases are mutated to alanines, the resulting HsCDC6A4 protein is localized predominantly to the nucleus. This localization depends upon two functional NLSs, because expression of HsCDC6 containing mutations in the two putative NLSs results in predominantly cytoplasmic distribution. Furthermore, mutation of the four serines to phosphate-mimicking aspartates (HsCDC6D4) results in strictly cytoplasmic localization. This cytoplasmic localization depends upon the C-terminal NES. Together these results demonstrate that HsCDC6 is phosphorylated at the G(1)/S phase of the cell cycle and that the phosphorylation status determines the subcellular localization.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Rvb1p and Rvb2p are essential components of a chromatin remodeling complex that regulates transcription of over 5% of yeast genes.

Eukaryotic Rvb1p and Rvb2p are two highly conserved proteins related to the helicase subset of the AAA+ family of ATPases. Conditional mutants in both genes show rapid changes in the transcription of over 5% of yeast genes, with a similar number of genes being repressed and activated. Both Rvb1p and Rvb2p are required for maintaining the induced state of many inducible promoters. ATP binding and hydrolysis by Rvb1p and Rvb2p is individually essential in vivo, and the two proteins are associated with each other in a high molecular weight complex that shows ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity in vitro. Our findings show that Rvb1p and Rvb2p are essential components of a chromatin remodeling complex and determine genes regulated by the complex.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Monitoring of irrigation fluid absorption during percutaneous nephrolithotripsy: the use of 1% ethanol as a marker.

This study was performed in 32 ASA I patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotripsy under general anaesthesia, using absorption of 1% ethanol as a marker to monitor irrigation fluid absorption. Various parameters of fluid absorption were studied and compared, including irrigation fluid volume, irrigation time, total volume of irrigation fluid absorbed and the rate of irrigation. The amount of irrigant used vs. the volume absorbed and the volume absorbed vs. total irrigation time were observed. Fluid absorption occurred in 78% of patients, and 28% absorbed volumes in excess of 1 l. The mean volume of fluid absorbed was 696.7 ml. The maximum fluid absorption was observed when the irrigation fluid volume, total irrigation time and irrigation rate exceeded 10 l, 30 min and 200 ml.min(-1), respectively. In conclusion, this study has shown 1% ethanol to be a safe, simple and cost-effective marker of fluid absorption during percutaneous nephrolithotripsy associated with minimal adverse effects.

Adult↗

Requirement of CDC45 for postimplantation mouse development.

CDC45 is required for the initiation of DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and functions as a DNA polymerase alpha loading factor in Xenopus, but its role in mammalian DNA replication is unknown. To investigate the genetic and physiological functions of CDC45, we used a gene targeting strategy to generate mice lacking a functional CDC45 gene. Homozygous mutant mice lacking a functional CDC45 gene underwent uterine implantation and induced uterine decidualization but did not develop substantially thereafter. Detailed analysis of CDC45 null embryos cultured in vitro revealed impaired proliferation of the inner cell mass. These findings make CDC45 the only putative replication factor experimentally proven to be essential for mammalian development. The CDC45 gene localizes to human chromosome 22q11.2 in the DiGeorge syndrome critical region (DGCR). Almost 90% of individuals with congenital cardiac and craniofacial defects have a monoallelic deletion in the DGCR that includes CDC45. We report here that heterozygous mutant mice develop into adulthood without any apparent abnormalities, so that it is unlikely that hemizygosity of CDC45 alone is responsible for the cardiac and craniofacial defects in the congenital syndromes.

Animals↗

Mutational analysis of the Cy motif from p21 reveals sequence degeneracy and specificity for different cyclin-dependent kinases.

Inhibitors, activators, and substrates of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) utilize a cyclin-binding sequence, known as a Cy or RXL motif, to bind directly to the cyclin subunit. Alanine scanning mutagenesis of the Cy motif of the cdk inhibitor p21 revealed that the conserved arginine or leucine (constituting the conserved RXL sequence) was important for p21's ability to inhibit cyclin E-cdk2 activity. Further analysis of mutant Cy motifs showed, however, that RXL was neither necessary nor sufficient for a functional cyclin-binding motif. Replacement of either of these two residues with small hydrophobic residues such as valine preserved p21's inhibitory activity on cyclin E-cdk2, while mutations in either polar or charged residues dramatically impaired p21's inhibitory activity. Expressing p21N with non-RXL Cy sequences inhibited growth of mammalian cells, providing in vivo confirmation that RXL was not necessary for a functional Cy motif. We also show that the variant Cy motifs identified in this study can effectively target substrates to cyclin-cdk complexes for phosphorylation, providing additional evidence that these non-RXL motifs are functional. Finally, binding studies using p21 Cy mutants demonstrated that the Cy motif was essential for the association of p21 with cyclin E-cdk2 but not with cyclin A-cdk2. Taking advantage of this differential specificity toward cyclin E versus cyclin A, we demonstrate that cell growth inhibition was absolutely dependent on the ability of a p21 derivative to inhibit cyclin E-cdk2.

Alanine↗

Inhibition of eukaryotic DNA replication by geminin binding to Cdt1.

In all eukaryotic organisms, inappropriate firing of replication origins during the G2 phase of the cell cycle is suppressed by cyclin-dependent kinases. Multicellular eukaryotes contain a second putative inhibitor of re-replication called geminin. Geminin is believed to block binding of the mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) complex to origins of replication, but the mechanism of this inhibition is unclear. Here we show that geminin interacts tightly with Cdt1, a recently identified replication initiation factor necessary for MCM loading. The inhibition of DNA replication by geminin that is observed in cell-free DNA replication extracts is reversed by the addition of excess Cdt1. In the normal cell cycle, Cdt1 is present only in G1 and S, whereas geminin is present in S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. Together, these results suggest that geminin inhibits inappropriate origin firing by targeting Cdt1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Proteasome inhibitors alter the orderly progression of DNA synthesis during S-phase in HeLa cells and lead to rereplication of DNA.

Replication of the mammalian genome occurs only once per cell cycle and is under strict spatiotemporal control. DNA synthesis first takes place in the inner nucleus and moves gradually to the area subjacent to the nuclear membrane as S-phase progresses. We found that proteasome inhibitors specifically reduce DNA synthesis from later replicating origins but not that from earlier replicating origins. When MG132 was added in mid S-phase and washed off in late S-phase, however, DNA synthesis resumed not at the nuclear periphery, where it was last seen, but back in the inner nucleus. Analysis of DNA from these cells showed that mid to late replicating genes were rereplicated resulting in the overreplication of DNA. Our results suggest the existence of proteasome-dependent mechanisms regulating the orderly progression of S-phase. The transient treatment of mid S-phase cells with MG132 resulted in overreplication of DNA providing an easy experimental method to perturb the "once per cell cycle" control of genome replication in mammalian cells.

Animals↗

Subsets of human origin recognition complex (ORC) subunits are expressed in non-proliferating cells and associate with non-ORC proteins.

The origin recognition complex (ORC) in yeast is a complex of six tightly associated subunits essential for the initiation of DNA replication. Human ORC subunits are nuclear in proliferating cells and in proliferative tissues like the testis, consistent with a role of human ORC in DNA replication. Orc2, Orc3, and Orc5 also are detected in non-proliferating cells like cardiac myocytes, adrenal cortical cells, and neurons, suggesting an additional role of these proteins in non-proliferating cells. Although Orc2-5 co-immunoprecipitate with each other under mild extraction conditions, a holo complex of the subunits is difficult to detect. When extracted under more stringent extraction conditions, several of the subunits co-immunoprecipitate with stoichiometric amounts of other unidentified proteins but not with any of the known ORC subunits. The variation in abundance of individual ORC subunits (relative to each other) in several tissues, expression of some subunits in non-proliferating tissues, and the absence of a stoichiometric complex of all the subunits in cell extracts indicate that subunits of human ORC in somatic cells might have activities independent of their role as a six subunit complex involved in replication initiation. Finally, all ORC subunits remain consistently nuclear, and Orc2 is consistently phosphorylated through all stages of the cell cycle, whereas Orc1 is selectively phosphorylated in mitosis.

Blotting, Northern↗

Identification and characterization of the human ORC6 homolog.

A new protein was cloned and identified as the sixth member of the human origin recognition complex (ORC). The newly identified 30-kDa protein hsORC6 is 28% identical and 49% similar to ORC6p from Drosophila melanogaster, which is consistent with the identities and similarities found among the other ORC members reported in the two species. The human ORC6 gene is located on chromosome 16q12. ORC6 protein level did not change through the cell cycle. Like ORC1, ORC6 did not co-immunoprecipitate with other ORC subunits but was localized in the nucleus along with the other ORC subunits. Several cellular proteins co-immunoprecipitated with ORC6, including a 65-kDa protein that was hyperphosphorylated in G(1) and dephosphorylated in mitosis. Therefore, unlike the tight stoichiometric association of six yeast ORC subunits in one holo-complex, only a small fraction of human ORC1 and ORC6 is likely to be associated with a subcomplex of ORC2, 3, 4, and 5, suggesting differences in the architecture and regulation of human ORC.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A bipartite substrate recognition motif for cyclin-dependent kinases.

Cy or RXL motifs have been previously shown to be cyclin binding motifs found in a wide range of cyclin-Cdk interacting proteins. We report the first kinetic analysis of the contribution of a Cy motif on a substrate to phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases. For both cyclin A-Cdk2 and cyclin E-Cdk2 enzymes, the presence of a Cy motif decreased the K(m(peptide)) 75-120-fold while the k(cat) remained unchanged. The large effect of the Cy motif on the K(m(peptide)) suggests that the Cy motif and (S/T)PX(K/R) together constitute a bipartite substrate recognition sequence for cyclin-dependent kinases. Systematic changes in the length of the linker between the Cy motif and the phosphoacceptor serine suggest that both sites are engaged simultaneously to the cyclin and the Cdk, respectively, and eliminate a "bind and release" mechanism to increase the local concentration of the substrate. PS100, a peptide containing a Cy motif, acts as a competitive inhibitor of cyclin-Cdk complexes with a 15-fold lower K(i) for cyclin E-Cdk2 than for cyclin A-Cdk2. These results provide kinetic proof that a Cy motif located a minimal distance from the SPXK is essential for optimal phosphorylation by Cdks and suggest that small chemicals that mimic the Cy motif would be specific inhibitors of substrate recognition by cyclin-dependent kinases.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Evaluation of cyclin expression in testicular germ cell tumors: cyclin E correlates with tumor type, advanced clinical stage, and pulmonary metastasis.

The measurement of proliferative index has yielded promising yet conflicting results in the evaluation of testicular tumors. We have examined the role of Ki-67, along with the cyclins A and E in testicular tumorigenesis. We compared the immunoreactivity of 20 pure seminomas with 20 mixed germ cell tumors composed predominantly of embryonal carcinoma with a variety of proliferation markers, including Ki-67, cyclin A, and cyclin E. All 40 tumors stained for Ki-67, and 19 of 20 (95%) seminomas and 18 of 20 (90%) embryonal carcinomas stained positively for cyclin A. Cyclin E stained 14 of 19 (74%) of the embryonal carcinomas and only 4 of 20 (20%) of the seminomas (Fisher's exact two-tailed test, P = .0012). There was a trend toward larger tumor size for cyclin E-positive seminomas (median, 5.92 cm versus 3.96 cm; P = .08), although the same correlation was not significant in embryonal carcinomas. For both seminomas and embryonal carcinomas, staining with cyclin E did not correlate with the presence of lymphovascular invasion or capsular invasion. However, patients who had cyclin E-positive tumors presented with higher clinical stage (P = .0015). In addition, pulmonary spread in embryonal carcinomas (four patients) and seminomas (one patient) occurred only in patients whose tumors were cyclin E positive (P = .014). Although Ki-67 and cyclin A offer little prognostic information in testicular germ cell tumors, cyclin E immunoreactivity correlates with tumor type and is strongly predictive of distant tumor spread.

Adult↗