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Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brent De Wijngaert, Shemaila Sultana, Anupam Singh, Chhaya Dharia, Hans Vanbuel, Jiayu Shen, Daniel Vasilchuk, Sergio E. Martinez, Eaazhisai Kandiah, Smita S. Patel, Kalyan Das
Summary: The study presents structures of two intermediate states of yeast mtRNAP during transcription initiation, elucidating molecular mechanisms of different steps and explaining key processes of transcription initiation.
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Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dingwei He, Linlin You, Xiaoxian Wu, Jing Shi, Aijia Wen, Zhi Yan, Wenhui Mu, Chengli Fang, Yu Feng, Yu Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of SutA's action on RNAP. Cryo-EM structures reveal how SutA assists RNAP in unwinding the promoter DNA. These findings are significant for understanding the function of SutA and the transcription regulation mechanism during bacterial infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
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Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cunliang Li, Yuyu Guo, Lili Wang, Shunping Yan
Summary: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly toxic forms of DNA damage that pose a threat to genome stability. Homologous recombination is an error-free pathway for DSB repair, in which the evolutionarily conserved SMC5/6 complex plays crucial roles. It has been discovered that SMC5/6 recruits the PAF1 complex (PAF1C) to facilitate DSB repair in plants.
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Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benedict G. Tan, Christian D. Mutti, Yonghong Shi, Xie Xie, Xuefeng Zhu, Pedro Silva-Pinheiro, Katja E. Menger, Hector Diaz-Maldonado, Wei Wei, Thomas J. Nicholls, Patrick F. Chinnery, Michal Minczuk, Maria Falkenberg, Claes M. Gustafsson
Summary: The discovery of a second light strand promoter (LSP2) in the human mitochondrial genome expands our understanding of mitochondrial gene expression by allowing replication and gene expression to be orchestrated from two distinct sites.
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Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Angelica Zamudio-Ochoa, Yaroslav Morozov, Azadeh Sarfallah, Michael Anikin, Dmitry Temiakov
Summary: Recognition of mammalian mitochondrial promoters is achieved through the concerted action of mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) and transcription initiation factors TFAM and TFB2M. This study provides insights into the heterogeneity of mitochondrial transcripts and accurately identifies the transcription start sites (TSS) of mammalian and other vertebrate species. The divergent structure of mammalian promoters reveals new aspects of mtDNA evolution and the precise register of the DNA in the initiation complex. The findings also shed light on the molecular basis of promoter recognition and the role of mitochondrial transcription machinery in mitonuclear coevolution and speciation.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Benedict G. Tan, Claes M. Gustafsson, Maria Falkenberg
Summary: This review discusses the regulation of gene expression in mitochondria and the initiation of transcription and replication in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in human cells. The authors describe how different layers of regulation collaborate to fine-tune mtDNA transcription and replication, and how mtDNA packaging into nucleoids controls its accessibility and function.
NATURE REVIEWS MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
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Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Teppei Inatomi, Shigeru Matsuda, Takashi Ishiuchi, Yura Do, Masunari Nakayama, Shusaku Abe, Kazutoshi Kasho, Sjoerd Wanrooij, Kazuto Nakada, Kenji Ichiyanagi, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Takehiro Yasukawa, Dongchon Kang
Summary: TFB2M and POLRMT are crucial for the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in human cells, playing vital roles not only in strand-asynchronous replication but also in strand-coupled replication initiation.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Merve Nur Aydemir, Habes Bilal Aydemir, Mahir Budak, Birsel Kiziltepe, Melissa Safak Celebi, Ertan Mahir Korkmaz, Hasan Huseyin Basibuyuk
Summary: A novel sequence motif of 'WWWGHTW' which is commonly found in the intergenic regions of the nd4L- (X)-trnT gene cluster in bilaterian superphylums, particularly in Ecdysozoa, may serve as binding sites for specific interaction with transcription factors. This suggests that these intergenic regions may have functional and/or regulatory roles.
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Cell Biology
Wei He, Gerrik F. Verhees, Nikhil Bhagwat, Ye Yang, Dhananjaya S. Kulkarni, Zane Lombardo, Sudipta Lahiri, Pritha Roy, Jiaming Zhuo, Brian Dang, Andriana Snyder, Shashank Shastry, Michael Moezpoor, Lilly Alocozy, Kathy Gyehyun Lee, Daniel Painter, Ishita Mukerji, Neil Hunter
Summary: The study reveals the importance of SUMO protein modification in crossover control of Msh4, facilitating the formation of MutSg complex and ensuring at least one crossover for each pair of chromosomes. SUMOylation of Msh4 not only enhances the assembly of MutSg before JM formation, but may also play a role in downstream functions.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ruth M. Saecker, James Chen, Courtney E. Chiu, Brandon Malone, Johanna Sotiris, Mark Ebrahim, Laura Y. Yen, Edward T. Eng, Seth A. Darst
Summary: The initial step in gene expression requires opening the DNA duplex for RNA synthesis. Differences in DNA sequence and length upstream of the start site globally alter interactions between DNA and RNAP, impacting RPo lifetime and subsequent transcription steps. Limited sequence changes can trigger global alterations in the transcription bubble, modulating RPo lifetime and affecting the transcription cycle.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Yihu Xie, Shengyan Gao, Ke Zhang, Prasanna Bhat, Bradley P. Clarke, Kimberly Batten, Menghan Mei, Matthew Gazzara, Jerry W. Shay, Kristen W. Lynch, Alexia E. Angelos, Pate S. Hill, Austin L. Ivey, Beatriz M. A. Fontoura, Yi Ren
Summary: This study reveals the importance of the high-order SARNP/Tho1 complex interacting with DDX39B/RNA in mRNP assembly and export.
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Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kader Salifou, Callum Burnard, Poornima Basavarajaiah, Giuseppa Grasso, Marion Helsmoortel, Victor Mac, David Depierre, Celine Franckhauser, Emmanuelle Beyne, Xavier Contreras, Jerome Dejardin, Sylvie Rouquier, Olivier Cuvier, Rosemary Kiernan
Summary: MRN-MDC1 plays a central role in DNA damage response and repair, interacting with factors involved in gene expression and RNA processing, as well as DDR factors. Association of MRN with the transcriptional machinery scans active genes for transcription-induced DNA damage to preserve genome integrity.
Article
Cell Biology
C. Dilanka Fernando, W. Samantha N. Jayasekara, Chaitanya Inampudi, Maija R. J. Kohonen-Corish, Wendy A. Cooper, Traude H. Beilharz, Tracy M. Josephs, Daniel J. Garama, Daniel J. Gough
Summary: This study identifies a complex consisting of STAT3, LRPPRC, and SLIRP, which is required for the stability and transport of mature mito-chondrially encoded mRNAs to the mitochondrial ribosome. The complex is enriched in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and its deletion inhibits the growth of lung cancer.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dylan M. Plaskon, Kate L. Henderson, Lindsey C. Felth, Cristen M. Molzahn, Claire Evensen, Sarah Dyke, Irina A. Shkel, M. Thomas Record
Summary: Transcription initiation is tightly regulated by promoter sequence, transcription factors, and ligands. Known transcription inhibitors act during initiation. The study found that the productive initiation complex is I3 instead of RPO at all temperatures, and stepwise disruption of RNAP-strand contacts occurs as the hybrid grows and translocates.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhiyuan Zheng, Ya-nan Li, Shanfen Jia, Mengting Zhu, Lijuan Cao, Min Tao, Jingting Jiang, Shenghua Zhan, Yongjing Chen, Ping-Jin Gao, Weiguo Hu, Ying Wang, Changshun Shao, Yufang Shi
Summary: The study reveals that C3 protein in lung mesenchymal stromal cells promotes breast cancer cell metastasis to the lungs by facilitating neutrophil recruitment and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. The induction of C3 expression by Th2 cytokines and its dependency on STAT6 play a crucial role in this process.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)