• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.45 no.11
• /
• pp.820-832
• /
• 2022

As a potential candidate to generate an everlasting cell source to treat various diseases, embryonic stem cells are regarded as a promising therapeutic tool in the regenerative medicine field. Cohesin, a multi-functional complex that controls various cellular activities, plays roles not only in organizing chromosome dynamics but also in controlling transcriptional activities related to self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. Here, we report a novel role of the α-kleisin subunits of cohesin (RAD21 and REC8) in the maintenance of the balance between these two stem-cell processes. By knocking down REC8, RAD21, or the non-kleisin cohesin subunit SMC3 in mouse embryonic stem cells, we show that reduction in cohesin level impairs their self-renewal. Interestingly, the transcriptomic analysis revealed that knocking down each cohesin subunit enables the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into specific lineages. Specifically, embryonic stem cells in which cohesin subunit RAD21 were knocked down differentiated into cells expressing neural alongside germline lineage markers. Thus, we conclude that cohesin appears to control the fate determination of embryonic stem cells.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.299-310
• /
• 2014

Cohesin is a multi-protein complex composed of four core subunits (SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21, and either STAG1 or STAG2) that is responsible for the cohesion of sister chromatids following DNA replication until its cleavage during mitosis thereby enabling faithful segregation of sister chromatids into two daughter cells. Recent cancer genomics analyses have discovered a high frequency of somatic mutations in the genes encoding the core cohesin subunits as well as cohesin regulatory factors (e.g. NIPBL, PDS5B, ESPL1) in a select subset of human tumors including glioblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, urothelial carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. Herein we review these studies including discussion of the functional significance of cohesin inactivation in tumorigenesis and potential therapeutic mechanisms to selectively target cancers harboring cohesin mutations.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.108-113
• /
• 2023

Cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex that comprises the SMC1, SMC3, and α-kleisin proteins, STAG1/2/3 subunits, and auxiliary factors. Cohesin participates in chromatin remodeling, chromosome segregation, DNA replication, and gene expression regulation during the cell cycle. Mitosis-specific α-kleisin factor RAD21 and meiosis-specific α-kleisin factor REC8 are expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to maintain pluripotency. Here, we demonstrated that RAD21 and REC8 were involved in maintaining genomic stability and modulating chromatin modification in murine ESCs. When the kleisin subunits were depleted, DNA repair genes were downregulated, thereby reducing cell viability and causing replication protein A (RPA) accumulation. This finding suggested that the repair of exposed single-stranded DNA was inefficient. Furthermore, the depletion of kleisin subunits induced DNA hypermethylation by upregulating DNA methylation proteins. Thus, we proposed that the cohesin complex plays two distinct roles in chromatin remodeling and genomic integrity to ensure the maintenance of pluripotency in ESCs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.598-605
• /
• 2015

The cohesin complex holds sister chromatids together and prevents premature chromosome segregation until the onset of anaphase. Mcd1 (also known as Scc1), the α-kleisin subunit of cohesin, is a key regulatory subunit of the mitotic cohesin complex and is required for maintaining sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome organization, and DNA repair. We investigated the function of Mcd1 in meiosis by ectopically expressing Mcd1 during early meiotic prophase I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mcd1 partially regulated the progression of meiotic recombination, sister chromatid separation, and nuclear division. DNA physical analysis during meiotic recombination showed that Mcd1 induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) but negatively regulated homologous recombination during DSB repair; Mcd1 expression delayed post-DSB stages, leading to inefficiencies in the DSB-to-joint molecule (JM) transition and subsequent crossover formation. These findings indicate that meiotic cells undergo Mcd1-mediated DSB formation during prophase I, and that residual Mcd1 could regulate the progression of JM formation during meiotic recombination.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.114-122
• /
• 2017

It is becoming increasingly clear that eukaryotic genomes are subjected to higher-order chromatin organization by the CCCTC-binding factor/cohesin complex. Their dynamic interactions in three dimensions within the nucleus regulate gene transcription by changing the chromatin architecture. Such spatial genomic organization is functionally important for the spatial disposition of chromosomes to control cell fate during development and differentiation. Thus, the dysregulation of proper long-range chromatin interactions may influence the development of tumorigenesis and cancer progression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.9
• /
• pp.1178-1188
• /
• 2014

In this study, the yeast Pichia pastoris was genetically modified to assemble minicellulosomes on its cell surface by the heterologous expression of a truncated scaffoldin CipA from Clostridium acetobutylicum. Fluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis confirmed that CipA was targeted to the yeast cell surface and that NtEGD, the Nasutitermes takasagoensis endoglucanase that was fused with dockerin, interacted with CipA on the yeast cell surface, suggesting that the cohesin and dockerin domains and cellulose-binding module of C. acetobutylicum were functional in the yeasts. The enzymatic activities of the cellulases in the minicellulosomes that were displayed on the yeast cell surfaces increased dramatically following interaction with the cohesin-dockerin domains. Additionally, the hydrolysis efficiencies of NtEGD for carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystal cellulose, and filter paper increased up to 1.4-fold, 2.0-fold, and 3.2-fold, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the expression of C. acetobutylicum minicellulosomes in yeast and the incorporation of animal cellulases into cellulosomes. This strategy of heterologous cellulase incorporation lends novel insight into the process of cellulosome assembly. Potentially, the surface display of cellulosomes, such as that reported in this study, may be utilized in the engineering of S. cerevisiae for ethanol production from cellulose and additional future applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.8
• /
• pp.1183-1189
• /
• 2021

Autodisplay of a multimeric protein complex on a cell surface is limited by intrinsic factors such as the types and orientations of anchor modules. Moreover, improper folding of proteins to be displayed often hinders functional cell surface display. While overcoming these drawbacks, we ultimately extended the applicability of the autodisplay platform to the display of a protein complex. We designed and constructed a cell surface attachment (CSA) system that uses a non-covalent protein-protein interaction. We employed the high-affinity interaction mediated by an orthogonal cohesin-dockerin (Coh-Doc) pair from Archaeoglobus fulgidus to build the CSA system. Then, we validated the orthogonal Coh-Doc binding by attaching a monomeric red fluorescent protein to the cell surface. In addition, we evaluated the functional anchoring of proteins fused with the Doc module to the autodisplayed Coh module on the surface of Escherichia coli. The designed CSA system was applied to create a functional attachment of dimeric α-neoagarobiose hydrolase to the surface of E. coli cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.1782-1788
• /
• 2007

Cellulosomes in Clostridium cellulovorans are assembled by the interaction between the repeated cohesin domains of a scaffolding protein (CbpA) and the dockerin domain of enzyme components. In this study, we determined the synergistic effects on cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates by three different recombinant mini-cellulosomes containing either endoglucanase EngB or endoxylanase XynA bound to mini-CbpA with one cohesin domain (mini-CbpAl), two cohesins (mini-CbpA12), or four cohesins (mini-CbpAl234). The assembly of EngB or XynA with mini-CbpA increased the activity against carboxymethyl cellulose, acid-swollen cellulose, Avicel, xylan, and com fiber 1.1-1.8-fold compared with that for the corresponding enzyme alone. A most distinct improvement was shown with com fiber, a natural substrate containing xylan, arabinan, and cellulose. However, there was little difference in activity between the three different mini-cellulosomes when the cellulosomal enzyme concentration was held constant regardless of the copy number of cohesins in the cellulosome. A synergistic effect was observed when the enzyme concentration was increased to be proportional to the number of cohesins in the mini-cellulosome. The highest degree of synergy was observed with mini-CbpAl234 (1.8-fold) and then mini-CbpAl2 (1.3-fold), and the lowest synergy was observed with mini-CbpAl (1.2-fold) when Avicel was used as the substrate. As the copy number of cohesin was increased, there was more synergy. These results indicate that the clustering effect (physical enzyme proximity) of the enzyme within the mini-cellulosome is one of the important factors for efficient degradation of plant cell walls.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.482-493
• /
• 2005

Biomass is originally photosynthesized from inorgainic compounds such as $CO_2$, minerals, water and solar energy. Recent studies have shown that anaerobic bacteria have the ability to convert recalcitrant biomass such as cellullosic or chitinoic materials to useful compounds. The biomass containing agricultural waste, unutilized wood and other garbage is expected to utilize as feed, food and fuel by microbial degradation and other metabolic functions. In this study we isolated several anaerobic, cellulolytic and chitinolytic bacteria from rumen fluid, compost and soil to study their related enzymes and genes. The anaerobic and cellulolytic bacteria, Clostridium thermocellum, Clostridium stercorarium, and Clostridium josui, were isolated from compost and the chitinolytic Clostridium paraputrificum from beach soil and Ruminococcus albus was isolated from cow rumen. After isolation, novel cellulase and xylanase genes from these anaerobes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The properties of the cloned enzymes showed that some of them were the components of the enzyme (cellulase) complex, i.e., cellulosome, which is known to form complexes by binding cohesin domains on the cellulase integrating protein (Cip: or core protein) and dockerin domains on the enzymes. Several dockerin and cohesin polypeptides were independently produced by E. coli and their binding properties were specified with BIAcore by measuring surface plasmon resonance. Three pairs of cohesin-dockerin with differing binding specificities were selected. Two of their genes encoding their respective cohesin polypeptides were combined to one gene and expressed in E. coli as a chimeric core protein, on which two dockerin-dehydrogenase chimeras, the dockerin-formaldehyde dehydrogenase and the dockerin-NADH dehydrogenase are planning to bind for catalyzing $CO_2$ reduction to formic acid by feeding NADH. This reaction may represent a novel strategy for the reduction of the green house gases. Enzymes from the anaerobes were also expressed in tobacco and rice plants. The activity of a xylanase from C. stercorarium was detected in leaves, stems, and rice grain under the control of CaMV35S promoter. The digestibility of transgenic rice leaves in goat rumen was slightly accelerated. C. paraputrificum was found to solubilize shrimp shells and chitin to generate hydrogen gas. Hydrogen productivity (1.7 mol $H_2/mol$ glucos) of the organism was improved up to 1.8 times by additional expression of the own hydrogenase gene in C. paraputrficum using a modified vector of Clostridiu, perfringens. The hydrygen producing microflora from soil, garbage and dried pelletted garbage, known as refuse derived fuel(RDF), were also found to be effective in converting biomass waste to hydrogen gas.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.11-15
• /
• 2006

The aim of this study is to identify hRad21-binding sites in human chromosome, the core component of cohesin complex that held sister chromatids together. After chromatin immunoprecipitation with an hRad21 antibody, it was cloned the recovered DNA and sequenced 30 independent clones. Among them, 20 clones (67%) contained repetitive elements including short interspersed transposable elements (SINE or Alu elements), long terminal repeat (LTR) and long interspersed transposable elements (LINE), fourteen of these twenty (70%) repeats clones had Alu elements, which could be categorized as the old and the young Alu Subfamily, eleven of the fourteen (73%) Alu elements belonged to the old Alu Subfamily, and only three Alu elements were categorized as young Alu subfamily. There is no CpG island within these selected clones. Association of hRad21 with Alu was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR using conserved Alu primers. The primers were designed in the flanking region of Alu, and the specific Alu element was shown in the selected clone. From these experiments, it was demonstrated that hRad21 could bind to SINE, LTRs, and LINE as well as Alu.