Biomedical subjects

Grace Gill

Publications and source records attributed to Grace Gill.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

SUMO-specific proteases and the cell cycle. An essential role for SENP5 in cell proliferation.

Post-translational modification by SUMO is a dynamic and reversible process and several SUMO-specific proteases that remove SUMO from substrates have been identified. We have recently described the activities of a new SUMO-specific protease, SENP5. We found that SENP5 discriminates between SUMO-1 and SUMO-2/3 and cells depleted of SENP5 by RNAi failed to proliferate. Our findings support the idea that differential substrate selection by the mammalian SUMO-specific proteases underlies their regulation of distinct biological processes. Furthermore, our finding of a nonredundant function for SENP5 in cell proliferation provides further support for the model that, analogous to phosphorylation, cycles of SUMOylation and deSUMOylation regulate orderly progression through cell division.

Cell Cycle↗

PubMed2006

NXP-2 association with SUMO-2 depends on lysines required for transcriptional repression.

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification of transcription factors is generally associated with repression. Reverse genetic analysis of SUMO-1, and -2 conserved residues emphasized the importance of dual charge reversals in abrogating the critical role of SUMO-2 K33, K35, and K42 in repression. GST-SUMO-2-affinity chromatography followed by liquid chromatography (LC)-MS analysis identified proteins that appeared to bind preferentially to WT SUMO-2 versus SUMO-2 K33E and K35E. LSD1, NXP-2, KIAA0809 (ARIP4), SAE2, RanGAP1, PELP1, and SETDB1 bound to SUMO-2 and not to SUMO-2 K33E, K42E, or K35E and K42E. Although LSD1 is a histone lysine demethylase, and histone H3K4 was demethylated at a SUMO-2-repressed promoter, neither overexpression of a dominant-negative LSD1 nor LSD1 depletion with RNA interference affected SUMO-2-mediated repression, indicating that LSD1 is not essential for repression, in this context. When tethered to a promoter by fusion to Gal4, NXP-2 repressed transcription, consistent with a role for NXP-2 in SUMO-mediated repression. SUMO-2-associated proteins identified in this study may contribute to SUMO-dependent regulation of transcription or other processes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

The SUMO-specific protease SENP5 is required for cell division.

Posttranslational modification of substrates by the small ubiquitin-like modifier, SUMO, regulates diverse biological processes, including transcription, DNA repair, nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, and chromosome segregation. SUMOylation is reversible, and several mammalian homologs of the yeast SUMO-specific protease Ulp1, termed SENPs, have been identified. We demonstrate here that SENP5, a previously uncharacterized Ulp1 homolog, has SUMO C-terminal hydrolase and SUMO isopeptidase activities. In contrast to other SENPs, the C-terminal catalytic domain of SENP5 preferentially processed SUMO-3 compared to SUMO-1 precursors and preferentially removed SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 from SUMO-modified RanGAP1 in vitro. In cotransfection assays, SENP5 preferentially reduced high-molecular-weight conjugates of SUMO-2 compared to SUMO-1 in vivo. Full-length SENP5 localized to the nucleolus. Deletion of the noncatalytic N-terminal domain led to loss of nucleolar localization and increased de-SUMOylation activity in vivo. Knockdown of SENP5 by RNA interference resulted in increased levels of SUMO-1 and SUMO-2/3 conjugates, inhibition of cell proliferation, defects in nuclear morphology, and appearance of binucleate cells, revealing an essential role for SENP5 in mitosis and/or cytokinesis. These findings establish SENP5 as a SUMO-specific protease required for cell division and suggest that mechanisms involving both the catalytic and noncatalytic domains determine the distinct substrate specificities of the mammalian SUMO-specific proteases.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

The crystal structure of CREG, a secreted glycoprotein involved in cellular growth and differentiation.

The cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein that inhibits proliferation and enhances differentiation of human embryonal carcinoma cells. CREG binds to the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate (M6P)/insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2) receptor (IGF2R) (M6P/IGF2R), and this receptor has been shown to be required for CREG-induced growth suppression. To better understand CREG function in cellular growth and differentiation, we solved the 3D crystal structure of this protein to 1.9-A resolution. CREG forms a tight homodimeric complex, and CREG monomers display a beta-barrel fold. The three potential glycosylation sites on CREG map to a confined patch opposite the dimer interface. Thus, dimerization of glycosylated CREG likely presents a bivalent ligand for the M6P/IGF2R. Closely related structural homologs of CREG are FMN-binding split-barrel fold proteins that bind flavin mononucleotide. Our structure shows that the putative flavin mononucleotide-binding pocket in CREG is sterically blocked by a loop and several key bulky residues. A mutant of CREG lacking a part of this loop maintained overall structure and dimerization, as well as M6P/IGF2R binding, but lost the growth suppression activity of WT CREG. Thus, analysis of a structure-based mutant of CREG revealed that binding to M6P/IGF2R, while necessary, is not sufficient for CREG-induced growth suppression. These findings indicate that CREG utilizes a known fold for a previously undescribed function [corrected]

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

SUMO changes Sox for developmental diversity.

The finding that posttranslational modification of the SoxE transcription factors by SUMO regulates specific developmental programs (Taylor and LaBonne [2005], in the journal Developmental Cell) highlights the biological significance of SUMOylation in gene expression and underscores how much there is yet to learn about the function and regulation of this modification.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Something about SUMO inhibits transcription.

Many proteins that are important for regulated gene expression--including promoter-specific transcription factors, cofactors and chromatin-modifying enzymes--have been found to be reversibly modified by the small ubiquitin-related modifier, SUMO. Post-translational modification by SUMO has diverse effects on substrate activity, but, in most cases described to date, SUMOylation of transcriptional regulators correlates with inhibition of transcription. Recent studies provide new insights into the mechanisms by which SUMOylation regulates transcription and suggest that one consequence of SUMOylation is to promote the interaction of transcription factors with co-repressors. Histone deacetylase co-repressors have been found to function as substrates, effectors, and regulators of SUMOylation, suggesting that complex crosstalk between acetylation and SUMOylation is important for gene regulation.

Histone Deacetylases↗

PubMed2004

SUMO and ubiquitin in the nucleus: different functions, similar mechanisms?

The small ubiquitin-related modifier SUMO posttranslationally modifies many proteins with roles in diverse processes including regulation of transcription, chromatin structure, and DNA repair. Similar to nonproteolytic roles of ubiquitin, SUMO modification regulates protein localization and activity. Some proteins can be modified by SUMO and ubiquitin, but with distinct functional consequences. It is possible that the effects of ubiquitination and SUMOylation are both largely due to binding of proteins bearing specific interaction domains. Both modifications are reversible, and in some cases dynamic cycles of modification may be required for activity. Studies of SUMO and ubiquitin in the nucleus are yielding new insights into regulation of gene expression, genome maintenance, and signal transduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Specific and covalent targeting of conjugating and deconjugating enzymes of ubiquitin-like proteins.

Modification of proteins by ubiquitin (Ub)-like proteins (UBLs) plays an important role in many cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, nuclear transport, and autophagy. Protein modification occurs via UBL-conjugating and -deconjugating enzymes, which presumably exert a regulatory function by determining the conjugation status of the substrate proteins. To target and identify UBL-modifying enzymes, we produced Nedd8, ISG15, and SUMO-1 in Escherichia coli and equipped them with a C-terminal electrophilic trap (vinyl sulfone [VS]) via an intein-based method. These C-terminally modified UBL probes reacted with purified UBL-activating (E1), -conjugating (E2), and -deconjugating enzymes in a covalent fashion. Modified UBLs were radioiodinated and incubated with cell lysates prepared from mouse cell lines and tissues to allow visualization of polypeptides reactive with individual UBL probes. The cell type- and tissue-specific labeling patterns observed for the UBL probes reflect distinct expression profiles of active enzymes, indicating tissue-specific functions of UBLs. We identify Ub C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) and DEN1/NEDP1/SENP8, in addition to UCH-L3, as proteases with specificity for Nedd8. The Ub-specific protease isopeptidase T/USP5 is shown to react with ISG15-VS. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the desumoylation enzyme SuPr-1 can be modified by SUMO-1-VS, a modification that is dependent on the SuPr-1 active-site cysteine. The UBL probes described here will be valuable tools for the further characterization of the enzymatic pathways that govern modification by UBLs.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The secreted glycoprotein CREG inhibits cell growth dependent on the mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor.

Secreted proteins and their cognate receptors are implicated in a myriad of activities that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and development. CREG, a cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes, is a secreted glycoprotein that antagonizes cellular transformation by E1A and ras. We have previously shown that CREG expression is induced very early during differentiation of pluripotent cells and, even in the absence of other inducers, CREG promotes neuronal differentiation of human teratocarcinoma NTERA-2 cells. Here we show that ectopic expression of CREG in NTERA-2 cells results in a delay of the G1/S phase transition of the cell cycle and growth inhibition. We show that CREG binds directly to the mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (M6P/IGF2R) dependent on CREG glycosylation. The M6P/IGF2R is a tumor suppressor that functions to control cell growth through interactions with multiple ligands. By analysing CREG activity in cells lacking M6P/IGF2R expression, we show that this receptor is required for CREG-induced growth inhibition. These studies reveal that CREG inhibits cell growth dependent on the M6P/IGF2R and suggest that interactions between CREG and a well-characterized tumor suppressor may contribute to regulation of proliferation and differentiation in multiple lineages.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Post-translational modification by the small ubiquitin-related modifier SUMO has big effects on transcription factor activity.

Many of the dynamic changes in gene expression that occur in response to extracellular signals are mediated by post-translational modifications that regulate the activity of promoter-specific transcription factors. A number of transcription factors have been found to be modified by covalent attachment of the small ubiquitin-related modifier, SUMO. Several enzymes that promote either the addition or removal of SUMO have now been identified and shown to impact transcription factor activity. Recent studies provide new insights into how post-translational modification by SUMO regulates gene expression by altering transcription factor stability, localization, DNA binding, and activation.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

SUMO-1 modification represses Sp3 transcriptional activation and modulates its subnuclear localization.

The GC box binding transcription factor Sp3 both activates and represses transcription. We have found that Sp3 activity is regulated by SUMO-1 modification. Endogenous Sp3 is sumoylated and localized to the nuclear periphery and in nuclear dots. Removal of SUMO-1 from Sp3 by mutation of the SUMO acceptor lysines or expression of the SUMO-1 protease SuPr-1 converted Sp3 to a strong activator with a diffuse nuclear localization. Covalent attachment of SUMO-1 to Sp3 by gene fusion was sufficient to repress Sp3-dependent transcription and relocalize Sp3 to the nuclear periphery and nuclear dots. These studies reveal a direct effect of SUMO-1 modification on activity of a dual function transcription factor and provide a mechanism for functional specificity within the Sp transcription factor family.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2001

GC box-binding transcription factors control the neuronal specific transcription of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulator p35.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5)/p35 kinase activity is highest in post-mitotic neurons of the central nervous system and is critical for development and function of the brain. The neuronal specific activity of the cdk5/p35 kinase is achieved through the regulated expression of p35 mRNA. We have identified a small 200-bp fragment of the p35 promoter that is sufficient for high levels of neuronal specific expression. Mutational analysis of this TATA-less promoter has identified a 17-bp GC-rich element, present twice, that is both required for promoter activity and sufficient for neuronal specific transcription. A GC box within the 17-bp element is critical for both promoter activity and protein-DNA complex formation. The related transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 constitute most of the GC box DNA binding activity in neurons. We have found that both the relative contribution of the Sp family proteins to GC box binding and the transcriptional activity of these proteins is regulated during neuronal differentiation. Thus, our data show that the GC box-binding Sp proteins contribute to the regulation of p35 expression in neurons, suggesting changes in the Sp transcription factors level and activity may contribute to cell type-specific expression of many genes in the central nervous system.

Animals↗