Search results for "Histone"

RNA as a carrier of epigenetic information

2017

Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells release into the extracellular matrix membrane-bound structures of different sizes, origin and composition, collectively called extracellular vesicles (EVs) [1]. Tumor cells, in particular, use EVs to transfer both nucleic acids and proteins to the surrounding normal cells, thus inducing in them transformed behaviours or killing them. G26/24 oligodendroglioma cells, for example, transfer by EVs pro-apoptotic proteins, such as TRAIL and Fas-Ligand [2], extracellular matrix remodelling proteases (such as ADAMTS) [3], and even the H1.0 histone protein [4]. Another tumour cell line, with a different tissue origin (A375 melanoma cells) releases into the medi…

Extracellular vesicles released from melanoma cells contain H1° mRNA-binding proteins, one of which is (probably) MYEF2.

2015

Release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a process conserved from prokaryotes to eucaryotes. Although EVs are produced from both normal and cancer cells, malignant cells release a much higher amount of EVs, which contain tumour-specific proteins and RNAs. We previously found that G26/24 oligodendroglioma cells shed EVs that contain the pro-apoptotic factors FasL and TRAIL and are able to inhibit neurite outgrowth, and induce apoptosis in about 75% of rat cortical neurons [1] and 40% of astrocytes [2] in culture. By labelling proteins synthesized in one cell type, we also demonstrated EV-mediated horizontal transfer of proteins among brain cells. Interestingly, G2624 release, via EVs, extr…

PCAF catalyzes tha acetylation of spermidine to N8-acetylspermidine and regulates its acetylating activity on histones

2011

Post-transcriptional histone acetylation is a well known process playing a crucial role in chromatin assembly and transcription. Here, we report that PCAF, a highly conserved histone acetyltransferase (HAT), can efficiently catalyze acetylation of spermidine to N8-acetylspermidine, at low concentration. Remarkably, we found that spermidine at higher concentration can also inhibit PCAF HAT activity directed against histone H3 in vitro, confirming the in vivo data referred by Eisenberg et al. on the spermidine induced inhibition of H3 acetylation. Surprisingly when we performed HAT assay experiments at low spermidine concentration we observed an activating effect on PCAF on H3 acetylation. Ou…

Functional antagonism between histone H3K4 demethylases in vivo

2011

Dynamic regulation of histone modifications is critical during development, and aberrant activity of chromatin-modifying enzymes has been associated with diseases such as cancer. Histone demethylases have been shown to play a key role in eukaryotic gene transcription; however, little is known about how their activities are coordinated in vivo to regulate specific biological processes. In Drosophila, two enzymes, dLsd1 (Drosophila ortholog of lysine-specific demethylase 1) and Lid (little imaginal discs), demethylate histone H3 at Lys 4 (H3K4), a residue whose methylation is associated with actively transcribed genes. Our studies show that compound mutation of Lid and dLsd1 results in increa…

The Expanding Constellation of Histone Post-Translational Modifications in the Epigenetic Landscape

2021

The emergence of a nucleosome-based chromatin structure accompanied the evolutionary transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. In this scenario, histones became the heart of the complex and precisely timed coordination between chromatin architecture and functions during adaptive responses to environmental influence by means of epigenetic mechanisms. Notably, such an epigenetic machinery involves an overwhelming number of post-translational modifications at multiple residues of core and linker histones. This review aims to comprehensively describe old and recent evidence in this exciting field of research. In particular, histone post-translational modification establishing/removal mechanism…

Enhancer, chromatin insulator, non-coding RNA and α-histone gene expression during embryogenesis of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

2009

Core promoters and chromatin insulators (ins) may direct a transcriptional enhancer (enh) to prefer a specific promoter in complex genetic loci. Enh and ins flank the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus α-histone H2A transcription unit in a tandem repeated cluster containing the five histone genes. In vivo competition assays of enh and ins functions reveal that the H2A enh-bound MBF-1 activator participates also in the expression of the H3 gene and that the sns5 ins buffers the downstream H1 promoter from the H2A enh. These results suggest that both the H2A enh and the sns5 ins may account for the diverse accumulation of the linker vs core nucleosomal histones during early development of the s…

The sea urchin histone H2A enhancer-binding protein MBF-1 is needed for maximal expression also for the H3 gene, while is buffered by the sns5 insula…

2009

Enhancers are DNA elements which increase the transcription of associated gene in a position and distance independent manner relative to the transcription initiation site. Molecular mechanisms must operate to direct enhancers to specific promoters in complex genetic loci. The sea urchin a-histone genes are organized in several hundred tandem repeated units, each containing one copy of the five histone genes in the order 5’-H4-H2B-H3-H2A-H1-3’. Transcription is limited to the early cleavage and reaches its maximum at morula stage. After hatching these genes are repressed and maintained in the silenced state for whole life cycle of the animal. In Paracentrotus lividus, the MBF-1 activator bin…

Epigenetic agents as an adjunct to active chemotherapy in hematological tumor cell lines

2012

Epigenetic therapy is a new promising area in cancer research that is based on the use of a series of molecules capable of affecting tumor cell growth, differentiation and death by modifying the cellular mechanisms underlying the control of gene expression. Significant enhancement of traditional anticancer drug effects has been also reported by several authors. Our recent research focused on the identification of new epigenetic agent-containing drug combinations to be employed in the therapy of leukemia. The results showed that the new combination of an histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor and the ribonucleotide reductase (RR) inhibitor 3’-methyl-adenosine (3’-Me-Ado) is endowed with a sign…

Cytotoxic effect of the HDAC3 inhibitor Pojamide and its variants on MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells

2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma treatment over sorafenib: epigenetics, microRNAs and microenvironment. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

2015

Introduction: Sorafenib is currently the only approved therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alternative first- and second-line treatments are a significant unmet medical need, and several biologic agents have been tested in recent years, with poor results. Therefore, angiogenic pathways and the cytokine cascade remain possible targets in HCC. Recent studies suggest a role of epigenetic processes, associated with the initiation and development of HCC. In this field, DNA methylation, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) and tumor microenvironment cells became a possible new target for HCC treatment. Areas covered: This review explains the possible role of DNA methylation and histone deacetylase inhibito…