In human cells, each rDNA unit consists of the ~13 kb long ribosomal part and ~30 kb long intergenic spacer (IGS). The ribosomal part, transcribed by RNA polymerase I (pol I), includes genes coding for 18S, 5.8S, and 28S RNAs of the ribosomal particles, as well as their four transcribed spacers. Being highly repetitive, intensively transcribed, and abundantly methylated, rDNA is a very fragile site of the genome, with high risk of instability leading to cancer. Multiple small mutations, considerable expansion or contraction of the rDNA locus, and abnormally enhanced pol I transcription are usual symptoms of transformation. Recently it was found that both IGS and the ribosomal part of the locus contain many functional/potentially functional regions producing non-coding RNAs, which participate in the pol I activity regulation, stress reactions, and development of the malignant phenotype. Thus, there are solid reasons to believe that rDNA locus plays crucial role in carcinogenesis. In this review we discuss the data concerning the human rDNA and its closely associated factors as both targets and drivers of the pathways essential for carcinogenesis. We also examine whether variability in the structure of the locus may be blamed for the malignant transformation. Additionally, we consider the prospects of therapy focused on the activity of rDNA.

• Klíčová slova
• IGS, cancer, copy number, human rDNA, non-coding RNA, ribosomal genes,
• MeSH
• genetická variace genetika   MeSH
• intergenová DNA genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace genetika   MeSH
• nádory genetika   patologie   MeSH
• nekódující RNA genetika   MeSH
• ribozomální DNA genetika   MeSH
• ribozomy genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• intergenová DNA MeSH
• nekódující RNA MeSH
• ribozomální DNA MeSH

The biosynthesis of ribosomes is a complex process that requires the coordinated action of many factors and a huge energy investment from the cell. Ribosomes are essential for protein production, and thus for cellular survival, growth and proliferation. Ribosome biogenesis is initiated in the nucleolus and includes: the synthesis and processing of ribosomal RNAs, assembly of ribosomal proteins, transport to the cytoplasm and association of ribosomal subunits. The disruption of ribosome biogenesis at various steps, with either increased or decreased expression of different ribosomal components, can promote cell cycle arrest, senescence or apoptosis. Additionally, interference with ribosomal biogenesis is often associated with cancer, aging and age-related degenerative diseases. Here, we review current knowledge on impaired ribosome biogenesis, discuss the main factors involved in stress responses under such circumstances and focus on examples with clinical relevance.

• Klíčová slova
• aging, cancer, p53, ribosome biogenesis, ribosomopathy,
• MeSH
• biogeneze organel MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory metabolismus   MeSH
• ribozomální proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• ribozomy metabolismus   MeSH
• stárnutí metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ribozomální proteiny MeSH

Ribosome biogenesis is an energy consuming process which takes place mainly in the nucleolus. By producing ribosomes to fuel protein synthesis, it is tightly connected with cell growth and cell cycle control. Perturbation of ribosome biogenesis leads to the activation of p53 tumor suppressor protein promoting processes like cell cycle arrest, apoptosis or senescence. This ribosome biogenesis stress pathway activates p53 through sequestration of MDM2 by a subset of ribosomal proteins (RPs), thereby stabilizing p53. Here, we identify human HEATR1, as a nucleolar protein which positively regulates ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis. Downregulation of HEATR1 resulted in cell cycle arrest in a manner dependent on p53. Moreover, depletion of HEATR1 also caused disruption of nucleolar structure and activated the ribosomal biogenesis stress pathway - RPL5 / RPL11 dependent stabilization and activation of p53. These findings reveal an important role for HEATR1 in ribosome biogenesis and further support the concept that perturbation of ribosome biosynthesis results in p53-dependent cell cycle checkpoint activation, with implications for human pathologies including cancer.

• Klíčová slova
• HEATR1, cancer, p53, ribosome biogenesis, ribosome biogenesis stress,
• MeSH
• biogeneze organel * MeSH
• fyziologický stres MeSH
• genetická transkripce * MeSH
• jaderné proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• kontrolní body buněčného cyklu MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádorový supresorový protein p53 metabolismus   MeSH
• proliferace buněk MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny c-mdm2 metabolismus   MeSH
• ribozomální proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• ribozomy metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA ribozomální biosyntéza   MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa I genetika   MeSH
• signální transdukce MeSH
• vedlejší histokompatibilní antigeny metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• HEATR1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• jaderné proteiny MeSH
• MDM2 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• nádorový supresorový protein p53 MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny c-mdm2 MeSH
• ribozomální proteiny MeSH
• RNA ribozomální MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa I MeSH
• vedlejší histokompatibilní antigeny MeSH

Cajal bodies (CBs) are important compartments containing accumulated proteins that preferentially regulate RNA-related nuclear events, including splicing. Here, we studied the nuclear distribution pattern of CBs in neurogenesis. In adult brains, coilin was present at a high density, but CB formation was absent in the nuclei of the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricles. Cells of the adult hippocampus were characterized by a crescent-like morphology of coilin protein. We additionally observed a 70 kDa splice variant of coilin in adult mouse brains, which was different to embryonic brains and mouse pluripotent embryonic stem cells (mESCs), characterized by the 80 kDa standard variant of coilin. Here, we also showed that depletion of coilin is induced during neural differentiation and HDAC1 deficiency in mESCs caused coilin accumulation inside the fibrillarin-positive region of the nucleoli. A similar distribution pattern was observed in adult brain hippocampi, characterized by lower levels of both coilin and HDAC1. In summary, we observed that neural differentiation and HDAC1 deficiency lead to coilin depletion and coilin accumulation in body-like structures inside the nucleoli.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The actin family members, consisting of actin and actin-related proteins (ARPs), are essential components of chromatin remodeling complexes. ARP6, one of the nuclear ARPs, is part of the Snf-2-related CREB-binding protein activator protein (SRCAP) chromatin remodeling complex, which promotes the deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z into the chromatin. In this study, we showed that ARP6 influences the structure and the function of the nucleolus. ARP6 is localized in the central region of the nucleolus, and its knockdown induced a morphological change in the nucleolus. We also found that in the presence of high concentrations of glucose ARP6 contributed to the maintenance of active ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription by placing H2A.Z into the chromatin. In contrast, under starvation, ARP6 was required for cell survival through the repression of rDNA transcription independently of H2A.Z. These findings reveal novel pleiotropic roles for the actin family in nuclear organization and metabolic homeostasis.

• Klíčová slova
• ARP6, Actin-related protein, Histone H2A.Z, Nucleolus, Wndchrm,
• MeSH
• adenosintrifosfatasy metabolismus   MeSH
• aktiny metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• buněčné jadérko metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• chromozomální proteiny, nehistonové metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• genetická transkripce fyziologie   MeSH
• glukosa metabolismus   MeSH
• HeLa buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ribozomální DNA genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ACTR6 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• adenosintrifosfatasy MeSH
• aktiny MeSH
• chromozomální proteiny, nehistonové MeSH
• glukosa MeSH
• ribozomální DNA MeSH
• SRCAP protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč

The nucleolus is a well-organized site of ribosomal gene transcription. Moreover, many DNA repair pathway proteins, including ATM, ATR kinases, MRE11, PARP1 and Ku70/80, localize to the nucleolus (Moore et al., 2011 ). We analyzed the consequences of DNA damage in nucleoli following ultraviolet A (UVA), C (UVC), or γ-irradiation in order to test whether and how radiation-mediated genome injury affects local motion and morphology of nucleoli. Because exposure to radiation sources can induce changes in the pattern of UBF1-positive nucleolar regions, we visualized nucleoli in living cells by GFP-UBF1 expression for subsequent morphological analyses and local motion studies. UVA radiation, but not 5 Gy of γ-rays, induced apoptosis as analyzed by an advanced computational method. In non-apoptotic cells, we observed that γ-radiation caused nucleolar re-positioning over time and changed several morphological parameters, including the size of the nucleolus and the area of individual UBF1-positive foci. Radiation-induced nucleoli re-arrangement was observed particularly in G2 phase of the cell cycle, indicating repair of ribosomal genes in G2 phase and implying that nucleoli are less stable, thus sensitive to radiation, in G2 phase.

• Klíčová slova
• DNA damage, UBF1, live cells, nucleolus, nuncleoli tracking,
• MeSH
• apoptóza účinky záření   MeSH
• buněčné jadérko účinky záření   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• buněčný cyklus účinky záření   MeSH
• G2 fáze účinky záření   MeSH
• genetická transkripce MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• poškození DNA účinky záření   MeSH
• transkripční iniciační komplex Pol1 - proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• ultrafialové záření MeSH
• výpočetní biologie MeSH
• záření gama škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• transcription factor UBF MeSH Prohlížeč
• transkripční iniciační komplex Pol1 - proteiny MeSH

BACKGROUND: The repair of spontaneous and induced DNA lesions is a multistep process. Depending on the type of injury, damaged DNA is recognized by many proteins specifically involved in distinct DNA repair pathways. RESULTS: We analyzed the DNA-damage response after ultraviolet A (UVA) and γ irradiation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts and focused on upstream binding factor 1 (UBF1), a key protein in the regulation of ribosomal gene transcription. We found that UBF1, but not nucleolar proteins RPA194, TCOF, or fibrillarin, was recruited to UVA-irradiated chromatin concurrently with an increase in heterochromatin protein 1β (HP1β) level. Moreover, Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) confirmed interaction between UBF1 and HP1β that was dependent on a functional chromo shadow domain of HP1β. Thus, overexpression of HP1β with a deleted chromo shadow domain had a dominant-negative effect on UBF1 recruitment to UVA-damaged chromatin. Transcription factor UBF1 also interacted directly with DNA inside the nucleolus but no interaction of UBF1 and DNA was confirmed outside the nucleolus, where UBF1 recruitment to DNA lesions appeared simultaneously with cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers; this occurrence was cell-cycle-independent. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the simultaneous presence and interaction of UBF1 and HP1β at DNA lesions is activated by the presence of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and mediated by the chromo shadow domain of HP1β. This might have functional significance for nucleotide excision repair.

• Klíčová slova
• DNA repair, DNA-damage response, Irradiation, Live-cell studies, Nucleolus, UBF1,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH