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N Dyson

Publications and source records attributed to N Dyson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Histone deacetylase-dependent transcriptional repression by pRB in yeast occurs independently of interaction through the LXCXE binding cleft.

We have developed a yeast model system to address transcriptional repression by the retinoblastoma protein (pRB). When fused to the DNA-binding domain of Gal4p (DB-pRB), pRB can repress transcription of reporter genes containing Gal4p binding sites; the histone deacetylase activity encoded by yeast RPD3 is required for DB-pRB repression. Mutation of the LXCXE binding cleft in pRB, a region reported to be required for histone deacetylase recruitment, does not interfere with pRB-mediated repression. From these findings based on yeast experiments, we surmise that the small pocket region of pRB must contain an additional domain that confers histone deacetylase-dependent transcriptional repression. This hypothesis was verified by experiments examining pRB-dependent histone deacetylase association in mammalian cells. In addition to RPD3, repression by pRB in yeast requires MSI1, an ortholog of RbAp48, but not SIN3 or SAP30. By comparing the genetic requirements of DB-pRB repression in yeast to those of other DB-repressor fusions, we can suggest a mechanism by which pRB recruits histone deacetylase activity.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2001

p107 and p130: versatile proteins with interesting pockets.

p107 and p130 were originally identified as targets of the transforming domains of viral oncoproteins encoded by small DNA tumor viruses. Together with pRB, the protein product of the retinoblastoma gene (Rb), p107 and p130 represent a family of closely related proteins that play critical roles in the regulation of cell proliferation. p107, p130, and pRB are transcriptional regulators whose activities are coupled to the cell cycle. Each of these proteins associates with E2F and is directly regulated by phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases. In vivo studies of p107 and p130 function have revealed that their roles overlap extensively with one another and with pRB. In addition, the analysis of mice (and cell lines derived from these animals) deficient in these proteins shows that the individual members of this family harbor distinct functions that, at present, are poorly understood. The characterization of tumor cells continues to emphasize the important and somewhat unique role of pRB in tumor suppression, and the evidence linking the specific inactivation of p107 or p130 to tumor development remains quite limited. In this review we summarize the biochemical and functional properties of p107 and p130, and we compare and contrast these properties to those of pRB.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

The large subunit of replication factor C promotes cell survival after DNA damage in an LxCxE motif- and Rb-dependent manner.

Retinoblastoma (Rb) protein promotes cell survival after DNA damage. We show here that the LxCxE binding site in Rb mediates both cell survival and cell-cycle arrest after DNA damage. Replication factor C (RF-C) complex plays an important role in DNA replication. We describe a novel function of the large subunit of RF-C in promoting cell survival after DNA damage. RF-Cp145 contains an LxCxE motif, and mutation of this motif abolishes the protective effect of RF-Cp145. The inability of wild-type RF-Cp145 to promote cell survival in Rb-null cells is rescued by Rb but not by Rb mutants defective in binding LxCxE proteins. RF-C thus enhances cell survival after DNA damage in an Rb-dependent manner.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2000

Nuclear organization of DNA replication in primary mammalian cells.

Using methods that conserve nuclear architecture, we have reanalyzed the spatial organization of the initiation of mammalian DNA synthesis. Contrary to the commonly held view that replication begins at hundreds of dispersed nuclear sites, primary fibroblasts initiate synthesis in a limited number of foci that contain replication proteins, surround the nucleolus, and overlap with previously identified internal lamin A/C structures. These foci are established in early G(1)-phase and also contain members of the retinoblastoma protein family. Later, in S-phase, DNA replication sites distribute to regions located throughout the nucleus. As this progression occurs, association with the lamin structure and pRB family members is lost. A similar temporal progression is found in all the primary cells we have examined but not in most established cell lines, indicating that the immortalization process modifies spatial control of DNA replication. These findings indicate that in normal mammalian cells, the onset of DNA synthesis is coordinately regulated at a small number of previously unrecognized perinucleolar sites that are selected in early G(1)-phase.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

A role for Ebi in neuronal cell cycle control.

Mutations in ebi were isolated as enhancers of an over-proliferation phenotype generated by elevated E2F/DP activity in the Drosophila eye. ebi alleles also strongly suppress a phenotype caused by the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, restoring S phases in the second mitotic wave of the developing eye disk. ebi mutant embryos display ectopic S phases within the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system at a time in development when neuronal precursor cells would normally begin to differentiate. Consistent with this, we find that ebi mutants have a reduced capacity to undergo neuronal differentiation, that Ebi physically interacts with Sina and phyllopod, and that Ebi promotes Ttk88 degradation in vitro and in S2 cells. Ectopic expression of Ttk88 inhibited differentiation in embryos and eye discs; however, this block to differentiation was insufficient to promote S phase entry in either of the situations where ebi mutations gave this effect. We conclude that Ebi has two distinct functions; it promotes the degradation of a repressor of neuronal differentiation (Ttk88), and has a second independent function that limits S phase entry.

Alleles↗
PubMed2000

E2F1 mediates death of B-amyloid-treated cortical neurons in a manner independent of p53 and dependent on Bax and caspase 3.

Although B-amyloid (AB) is suggested to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease, the mechanisms that control AB-evoked toxicity are unclear. We demonstrated previously that the cell cycle-related cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6/retinoblastoma protein pathway is required for AB-mediated death. However, the downstream target(s) of this pathway are unknown. We show here that neurons lacking E2F1, a transcription factor regulated by the retinoblastoma protein, are significantly protected from death evoked by AB. Moreover, p53 deficiency does not protect neurons from death, indicating that E2F1-mediated death occurs independently of p53. Neurons protected by E2F1 deficiency have reduced Bax-dependent caspase 3-like activity. However, protection afforded by E2F1, Bax, or caspase 3 deficiency is transient. In the case of E2F1, but not with Bax or caspase 3 deficiency, delayed death is accompanied by DEVD-AFC cleavage activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate the required role of E2F1, Bax, and caspase 3 in AB evoked death, but also suggest the participation of elements independent of these apoptosis regulators.

Amyloid beta-Peptides↗
PubMed2000

Towards a quantitative definition of perfection in chromatographic analyses.

The paper published by Ghaoui and Rothman [J. High Resolut. Chromatogr. 15 (1992) 36] and particularly its Fig. 5, is further considered here because it contains the germ of an idea of how to measure improvements to a chromatographic method, and how to define the goal of perfection in terms of "zero defects" as required by quality assurance schemes. From this, a new role emerges for signal averaging in capillary chromatography: a role to quantify and measure method improvements, and one which can be generally applied to measure improvements in instrument design too.

Chromatography↗
PubMed2000

Requirements for cell cycle arrest by p16INK4a.

Analysis of tumor-derived mutations has led to the suggestion that p16INK4a, cyclin D1, cdk4, and the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) are components of a regulatory pathway that is inactivated in most tumor cells. Cell cycle arrest induced by p16INK4a, an inhibitor of cyclin D-dependent kinases, requires pRB, and it has been proposed that this G1 arrest is mediated by pRB-E2F repressor complexes. By comparing the properties of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts specifically lacking pRB-family members, we find that pRB is insufficient for a p16INK4a-induced arrest. In addition to pRB, a second function provided by either p107 or p130, two pRB-related proteins, is required for p16INK4a to block DNA synthesis. We infer that p16INK4a-induced arrest is not mediated exclusively by pRB, but depends on the nonredundant functions of at least two pRB-family members.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The role of RBF in the introduction of G1 regulation during Drosophila embryogenesis.

The first appearance of G1 during Drosophila embryogenesis, at cell cycle 17, is accompanied by the down-regulation of E2F-dependent transcription. Mutant alleles of rbf were generated and analyzed to determine the role of RBF in this process. Embryos lacking both maternal and zygotic RBF products show constitutive expression of PCNA and RNR2, two E2F-regulated genes, indicating that RBF is required for their transcriptional repression. Despite the ubiquitous expression of E2F target genes, most epidermal cells enter G1 normally. Rather than pausing in G1 until the appropriate time for cell cycle progression, many of these cells enter an ectopic S-phase. These results indicate that the repression of E2F target genes by RBF is necessary for the maintenance but not the initiation of a G1 phase. The phenotype of RBF-deficient embryos suggests that rbf has a function that is complementary to the roles of dacapo and fizzy-related in the introduction of G1 during Drosophila embryogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

No effect of loss of E2F1 on liver regeneration or hepatocarcinogenesis in C57BL/6J or C3H/HeJ mice.

The E2F family of transcription factors regulates the expression of genes needed for DNA synthesis and cell-cycle control. However, the individual contributions of the different E2F family members in regulating proliferation in various tissues have not been well characterized. Mouse liver is an excellent system for investigating proliferation because its growth state can be experimentally manipulated. As observed in cell culture systems, E2F1 protein is present at low levels in the quiescent liver, with an increase in expression during proliferation. Therefore, we expected that E2F1 may play an important role in cell-growth control during periods of robust proliferation. Using E2F1-nullizygous mice, we performed partial hepatectomies to investigate the role of E2F1 in the synchronous proliferation of adult hepatocytes. We found that E2F1 deficiency resulted in only minor changes in gene expression and that the timing of liver regeneration was not altered in E2F1 nullizygous mice. E2F1 has displayed properties of both a tumor suppressor and an oncogene in different model systems. Therefore, we investigated the role of E2F1 in rapidly growing liver tumor cells in strains of mice that have high (C3H/HeJ) and low (C57BL/6J) rates of hepatocarcinogenesis. We observed no significant differences in the number of liver tumors that developed after diethylnitrosamine treatment of wild type versus E2F1-nullizygous mice. We suggest that abundant levels of E2F4 in the mouse liver compensate for loss of E2F1.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

A genetic screen for modifiers of E2F in Drosophila melanogaster.

The activity of the E2F transcription factor is regulated in part by pRB, the protein product of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene. Studies of tumor cells show that the p16(ink4a)/cdk4/cyclin D/pRB pathway is mutated in most forms of cancer, suggesting that the deregulation of E2F, and hence the cell cycle, is a common event in tumorigenesis. Extragenic mutations that enhance or suppress E2F activity are likely to alter cell-cycle control and may play a role in tumorigenesis. We used an E2F overexpression phenotype in the Drosophila eye to screen for modifiers of E2F activity. Coexpression of dE2F and its heterodimeric partner dDP in the fly eye induces S phases and cell death. We isolated 33 enhancer mutations of this phenotype by EMS and X-ray mutagenesis and by screening a deficiency library collection. The majority of these mutations sorted into six complementation groups, five of which have been identified as alleles of brahma (brm), moira (mor) osa, pointed (pnt), and polycephalon (poc). osa, brm, and mor encode proteins with homology to SWI1, SWI2, and SWI3, respectively, suggesting that the activity of a SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex has an important impact on E2F-dependent phenotypes. Mutations in poc also suppress phenotypes caused by p21(CIP1) expression, indicating an important role for polycephalon in cell-cycle control.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

pRB plays an essential role in cell cycle arrest induced by DNA damage.

To maintain genome stability, cells with damaged DNA must arrest to allow repair of mutations before replication. Although several key components required to elicit this arrest have been discovered, much of the pathway remains elusive. Here we report that pRB acts as a central mediator of the proliferative block induced by a diverse range of DNA damaging stimuli. Rb-/- mouse embryo fibroblasts are defective in arrest after gamma-irradiation, UV irradiation, and treatment with a variety of chemotherapeutic drugs. In contrast, the pRB related proteins p107 and p130 do not play an essential part in the DNA damage response. pRB is required specifically for the G1/S phase checkpoint induced by gamma-irradiation. Despite a defect in G1/S phase arrest, levels of p53 and p21 are increased normally in Rb-/- cells in response to gamma-irradiation. These results lead us to propose a model in which pRB acts as an essential downstream target of the DNA damage-induced arrest pathway. The ability of pRB to prevent replication of damaged DNA is likely to inhibit the propagation of carcinogenic mutations and may therefore contribute to its role as a tumor suppressor. Furthermore, because many cancer therapies act by damaging DNA, these findings also have implications for the treatment of tumors in which pRB is inactivated.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

pRB and p107/p130 are required for the regulated expression of different sets of E2F responsive genes.

The activity of the E2F transcription factor is controlled by physical association with the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and two related proteins, p107 and p130. The pRB family members are thought to control different aspects of E2F activity, but it has been unclear what the respective functions of these proteins might be. To dissect the specific functions of pRB, p107, and p130 we have investigated how the expression of E2F-regulated genes is changed in cultures of primary cells lacking each of these family members. Whereas no changes were found in the expression of E2F-target genes in cells lacking either p107 or p130, deregulated expression of E2F targets was seen in cells lacking pRB and in cells lacking both p107 and p130. Surprisingly, the genes that were disregulated in these two settings were completely different. These findings show that pRB and p107/p130 indeed provide different functions in E2F regulation and identify target genes that are dependent on pRB family proteins for their normal expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

E2F-induced S phase requires cyclin E.

Both the heterodimeric transcription factor, E2F, and the G1 cyclin, cyclin E, are required for the G1-S transition at the start of the metazoan cell cycle. It has been established that cyclin E can act as an upstream activator of E2F. In addition to this action, we show here that cyclin E has an essential role in DNA replication distinct from activating E2F. We have created transgenic Drosophila capable of inducible, ectopic production of E2F activity. Simultaneous overexpression of both Drosophila E2F subunits, dE2F and dDP, in embryos stimulated the expression of multiple E2F-target genes including cyclin E, and also caused the initiation of S phase. Mutation of cyclin E prevented the initiation of S phase after overexpression of dE2F/dDP without affecting induction of target gene expression. Thus, E2F-directed transcription cannot bypass loss of cyclin E in Drosophila embryos.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Requirements for dE2F function in proliferating cells and in post-mitotic differentiating cells.

The transcription factor E2F is a target of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRB) and may mediate pRB regulation of S phase entry in mammalian cells. The recent identification of mutant alleles of the Drosophila E2F gene (dE2F) has shown that dE2F is required for embryogenesis. dE2F-mutant embryos lack a co-ordinated program of gene expression which accompanies S phase entry and DNA synthesis declines to levels that are barely detectable. We have investigated the role of the dE2F gene at later stages of development. dE2F is expressed in several larval tissues and is required for cell proliferation in the eye imaginal disc. Surprisingly, dE2F expression persists in post-mitotic cells of the eye disc of third-instar larvae. The loss of dE2F function in these cells causes a novel phenotype, characterized by loss of photoreceptors and abnormal rhabdomere cell morphology. These results show that dE2F is required at multiple stages of development and suggest that E2F may have an important function in post-mitotic cells in addition to its role during cell proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Ectopic expression of dE2F and dDP induces cell proliferation and death in the Drosophila eye.

The deregulation of E2F activity is thought to contribute to the uncontrolled proliferation of many tumor cells. While the effects of overexpressing E2F genes have been studied extensively in tissue culture, the consequences of elevating E2F activity in vivo are unknown. To address this issue, transgenic lines of Drosophila were studied in which ectopic expression of dE2F and dDP was targeted to the developing eye. The co-expression of dDP or dE2F disrupted normal eye development, resulting in abnormal patterns of bristles, cone cells and photoreceptors. dE2F/dDP expression caused ectopic S phases in post-mitotic cells of the eye imaginal disc but did not disrupt the onset of neuronal differentiation. Most S phases were seen in uncommitted cells, although some cells that had initiated photo-receptor differentiation were also driven into the cell cycle. Elevated expression of dE2F and dDP caused apoptosis in the eye disc. The co-expression of baculovirus p35 protein, an inhibitor of cell death, strongly enhanced the dE2F/dDP-dependent phenotype. These results show that, in this in vivo system, the elevation of E2F activity caused post-mitotic cells to enter the cell cycle. However, these cells failed to proliferate unless rescued from apoptosis.

Animals↗