• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.583-595
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• 2015

DEAD/DExH-box RNA helicases catalyze the folding and remodeling of RNA molecules in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as in many viruses. They are characterized by the presence of the helicase domain with conserved motifs that are essential for ATP binding and hydrolysis, RNA interaction, and unwinding activities. Large families of DEAD/DExH-box proteins have been described in different organisms, and their role in all molecular processes involving RNA, from transcriptional regulation to mRNA decay, have been described. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about DEAD/DExH-box proteins in selected protozoan and nematode parasites of medical importance worldwide, such as Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Brugia malayi. We discuss the functional characterization of several proteins in an attempt to understand better the molecular mechanisms involving RNA in these pathogens. The current data also highlight that DEAD/DExH-box RNA helicases might represent feasible drug targets due to their vital role in parasite growth and development.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.125-135
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• 2022

Continuously renewing the proteome, translation is exquisitely controlled by a number of dedicated factors that interact with the ribosome. The RNA helicase DDX3 belonging to the DEAD box family has emerged as one of the critical regulators of translation, the failure of which is frequently observed in a wide range of proliferative, degenerative, and infectious diseases in humans. DDX3 unwinds double-stranded RNA molecules with coupled ATP hydrolysis and thereby remodels complex RNA structures present in various protein-coding and noncoding RNAs. By interacting with specific features on messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), DDX3 facilitates translation, while repressing it under certain conditions. We review recent findings underlying these properties of DDX3 in diverse modes of translation, such as cap-dependent and cap-independent translation initiation, usage of upstream open reading frames, and stress-induced ribonucleoprotein granule formation. We further discuss how disease-associated DDX3 variants alter the translation landscape in the cell.

• 유기물자원화
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.70-81
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• 2015

Helicase는 NTP 결합의 화학적 에너지를 이용하여 이중가닥의 DNA와 RNA를 단일가닥으로 분해하여 다양한 생체반응에 기여하는 단백질로 알려져 있으며, 이 중 DEAD-box의 단백질은 주로 RNA와 관련된 대부분의 생화학적 반응에 작용하는 ATP 의존성 helicase로 알려져 있다. 또한 이 단백질 부류에 속하는 DEAD-box3 (DDX3) gene은 척추동물뿐만 아니라 무척추동물에서의 유성 생식과 무성 생식에서 생식세포 발달 및 재생과정 중 줄기세포 분화에 중요한 역할을 하는 인자로 알려져 있다. 이에 본 연구는 강한 재생능력을 가진 것으로 알려져 있는 팔딱이 지렁이(Perionyx excavatus)에서 DDX3 gene을 동정하고 그 발현양상을 알아보고자 환대를 포함하는 성체 지렁이의 두부를 절단하여 total RNA를 추출하고, 이를 주형으로 RT-PCR을 수행하여 full length의 DDX3 gene인 Pe-DDX3를 검출하였다. Pe-DDX3는 607개 아미노산 서열로 이루어져 있으며, DEAD-box 단백질 그룹 내에서 특이적으로 보존되어 있는 9개의 motif가 존재하고 있다. 다른 분류군에 속하는 동물들과의 multiple alignment를 통해 서열 내에 보존되어 있는 아미노산 서열을 확인할 수 있었으며, 아미노산 차원에서의 계통수 분석을 통해 DDX3 (PL10) 하부그룹에 속하는 것을 알 수 있었으며, 또한, 같은 그룹에 속하는 동물 중 P. dumerilii의 PL10a, b 단백질과 가장 가까운 유연관계를 확인 할 수 있었다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권12호
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• pp.613-622
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• 2018

RNA helicases DDX5 and DDX17 are multitasking proteins that regulate gene expression in different biological contexts through diverse activities. Special attention has long been paid to their function as coregulators of transcription factors, providing insight about their functional association with a number of chromatin modifiers and remodelers. However, to date, the variety of described mechanisms has made it difficult to understand precisely how these proteins work at the molecular level, and the contribution of their ATPase domain to these mechanisms remains unclear as well. In light of their association with long noncoding RNAs that are key epigenetic regulators, an emerging view is that DDX5 and DDX17 may act through modulating the activity of various ribonucleoprotein complexes that could ensure their targeting to specific chromatin loci. This review will comprehensively describe the current knowledge on these different mechanisms. We will also discuss the potential roles of DDX5 and DDX17 on the 3D chromatin organization and how these could impact gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권5호
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• pp.357-364
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• 2014

Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, is a disease whose mechanisms are now beginning to be uncovered by high-throughput studies of somatic mutations, mRNA expression patterns, and epigenetic profiles of patient tumors. One emerging theme from studies that sequenced the tumor genomes of large cohorts of medulloblastoma patients is frequent mutation of RNA binding proteins. Proteins which bind multiple RNA targets can act as master regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level to co-ordinate cellular processes and alter the phenotype of the cell. Identification of the target genes of RNA binding proteins may highlight essential pathways of medulloblastomagenesis that cannot be detected by study of transcriptomics alone. Furthermore, a subset of RNA binding proteins are attractive drug targets. For example, compounds that are under development as anti-viral targets due to their ability to inhibit RNA helicases could also be tested in novel approaches to medulloblastoma therapy by targeting key RNA binding proteins. In this review, we discuss a number of RNA binding proteins, including Musashi1 (MSI1), DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box helicase 3 X-linked (DDX3X), DDX31, and cell division cycle and apoptosis regulator 1 (CCAR1), which play potentially critical roles in the growth and/or maintenance of medulloblastoma.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.1021-1030
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• 2024

Objective: R-loops are DNA:RNA triplex hybrids, and their metabolism is tightly regulated by transcriptional regulation, DNA damage response, and chromatin structure dynamics. R-loop homeostasis is dynamically regulated and closely associated with gene transcription in mouse zygotes. However, the factors responsible for regulating these dynamic changes in the R-loops of fertilized mouse eggs have not yet been investigated. This study examined the functions of candidate factors that interact with R-loops during zygotic gene activation. Methods: In this study, we used publicly available next-generation sequencing datasets, including low-input ribosome profiling analysis and polymerase II chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq), to identify potential regulators of R-loop dynamics in zygotes. These datasets were downloaded, reanalyzed, and compared with mass spectrometry data to identify candidate factors involved in regulating R-loop dynamics. To validate the functions of these candidate factors, we treated mouse zygotes with chemical inhibitors using in vitro fertilization. Immunofluorescence with an anti-R-loop antibody was then performed to quantify changes in R-loop metabolism. Results: We identified DEAD-box-5 (DDX5) and histone deacetylase-2 (HDAC2) as candidates that potentially regulate R-loop metabolism in oocytes, zygotes and two-cell embryos based on change of their gene translation. Our analysis revealed that the DDX5 inhibition of activity led to decreased R-loop accumulation in pronuclei, indicating its involvement in regulating R-loop dynamics. However, the inhibition of histone deacetylase-2 activity did not significantly affect R-loop levels in pronuclei. Conclusion: These findings suggest that dynamic changes in R-loops during mouse zygote development are likely regulated by RNA helicases, particularly DDX5, in conjunction with transcriptional processes. Our study provides compelling evidence for the involvement of these factors in regulating R-loop dynamics during early embryonic development.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.237-243
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• 2020

A novel psychrotolerant Psychrobacillus strain PB01, isolated from an Antarctic iceberg, was comparatively analyzed with five related strains. The complete genome of strain PB01 consists of a single circular chromosome (4.3 Mb) and a plasmid (19 Kb). As potential low-temperature adaptation strategies, strain PB01 has four genes encoding cold-shock proteins, two genes encoding DEAD-box RNA helicases, and eight genes encoding transporters for glycine betaine, which can serve as a cryoprotectant, on the genome. The pan-genome structure of the six Psychrobacillus strains suggests that strain PB01 might have evolved to adapt to extreme environments by changing its genome content to gain higher capacity for DNA repair, translation, and membrane transport. Notably, strain PB01 possesses a complete TCA cycle consisting of eight enzymes as well as three additional Helicobacter pylori-type enzymes: ferredoxin-dependent 2-oxoglutarate synthase, succinyl-CoA/acetoacetyl-CoA transferase, and malate/quinone oxidoreductase. The co-existence of the genes for TCA cycle enzymes has also been identified in the other five Psychrobacillus strains.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.200-207
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• 2018

높은 염분 농도에서 glycine betaine은 Bacillus subtilis 안으로 유입되어 세포 생장이 지속될 수 있게 한다. 뿐만 아니라 최근 연구 결과에 따르면 저온에서도 glycine betaine이 세포 생장을 지속시키는 것으로 알려져 있다. 저온에서 Bacillus subtilis의 생장을 저해시키는 세포 대사 활동으로는 세포막 운송과 단백질 합성을 들 수 있다. 세포막 구조와 관련하여 저온에서 세포막 운송에 영향을 주는 유전자들로는 bkdR과 des가 있고, 단백질 합성 과정에서 RNA helicase 유전자인 ydbR과 yqfR들은 저온 민감성을 보인다. 따라서 Bacillus subtilis 저온 민감성 유전자 결손 세포들에 대한 glycine betaine의 효과를 조사하여 저온에서의 glycine betaine 생리적 기능에 대해 알아보고자 하였다. 이 결과 glycine betaine의 존재 유무에 따라 야생형 Bacillus subtilis와 ydbR과 yqfR 결손 균주의 저온생장에 큰 차이를 보였다($T_d$차이 190~686 min). 반면에 bkdR이나 des 결손균주의 경우에는 glycine betaine 존재 유무에 따라 차이를 보이지 않았다. Glycine betaine의 전구체인 choline으로 대치하여도 저온에서의 생장은 같은 결과를 보였다. Glycine betaine의 영향이 세포막 구조와 관련이 있는 유전자 bkdR과 des 결손균주에 미치는 영향이 적은 것을 알아보기 위해 세포막에 영향을 주는 세제의 효과를 조사하였다. Triton X-100과 N-lauryl sarcosine 세제에 의해 bkdR 결손 균주가 야생형에 비해 더 영향 받는 것을 확인하였고 이는 bkdR 결손이 저온에서 막 구조를 변형하여 glycine betaine의 투과에 영향을 미치는 것으로 보인다.