PML, a multifunctional protein, is crucial for forming PML-nuclear bodies involved in stress responses. Under specific conditions, PML associates with nucleolar caps formed after RNA polymerase I (RNAPI) inhibition, leading to PML-nucleolar associations (PNAs). This study investigates PNAs-inducing stimuli by exposing cells to various genotoxic stresses. We found that the most potent inducers of PNAs introduced topological stress and inhibited RNAPI. Doxorubicin, the most effective compound, induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the rDNA locus. PNAs co-localized with damaged rDNA, segregating it from active nucleoli. Cleaving the rDNA locus with I-PpoI confirmed rDNA damage as a genuine stimulus for PNAs. Inhibition of ATM, ATR kinases, and RAD51 reduced I-PpoI-induced PNAs, highlighting the importance of ATM/ATR-dependent nucleolar cap formation and homologous recombination (HR) in their triggering. I-PpoI-induced PNAs co-localized with rDNA DSBs positive for RPA32-pS33 but deficient in RAD51, indicating resected DNA unable to complete HR repair. Our findings suggest that PNAs form in response to persistent rDNA damage within the nucleolar cap, highlighting the interplay between PML/PNAs and rDNA alterations due to topological stress, RNAPI inhibition, and rDNA DSBs destined for HR. Cells with persistent PNAs undergo senescence, suggesting PNAs help avoid rDNA instability, with implications for tumorigenesis and aging.

• Klíčová slova
• PML, aberrant DNA topology, cancer biology, cell biology, cellular senescence, genome maintenance, human, persistent rDNA damage,
• MeSH
• buněčné jadérko * metabolismus   MeSH
• dvouřetězcové zlomy DNA MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• poškození DNA MeSH
• protein promyelocytické leukemie * metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• ribozomální DNA * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa I metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• PML protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein promyelocytické leukemie * MeSH
• ribozomální DNA * MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa I MeSH

Diverse stress insults trigger interactions of PML with nucleolus, however, the function of these PML nucleolar associations (PNAs) remains unclear. Here we show that during induction of DNA damage-induced senescence in human non-cancerous cells, PML accumulates at the nucleolar periphery simultaneously with inactivation of RNA polymerase I (RNAP I) and nucleolar segregation. Using time-lapse and high-resolution microscopy, we followed the genesis, structural transitions and destiny of PNAs to show that: 1) the dynamic structural changes of the PML-nucleolar interaction are tightly associated with inactivation and reactivation of RNAP I-mediated transcription, respectively; 2) the PML-nucleolar compartment develops sequentially under stress and, upon stress termination, it culminates in either of two fates: disappearance or persistence; 3) all PNAs stages can associate with DNA damage markers; 4) the persistent, commonly long-lasting PML multi-protein nucleolar structures (PML-NDS) associate with markers of DNA damage, indicating a role of PNAs in persistent DNA damage response characteristic for senescent cells. Given the emerging evidence implicating PML in homologous recombination-directed DNA repair, we propose that PNAs contribute to sequestration and faithful repair of the highly unstable ribosomal DNA repeats, a fundamental process to maintain a precise balance between DNA repair mechanisms, with implications for genomic integrity and aging.

• Klíčová slova
• DNA damage, nucleolar segregation, rDNA loci, super-resolution microscopy, time-lapse imaging,
• MeSH
• buněčné jadérko metabolismus   MeSH
• doxorubicin MeSH
• fyziologický stres MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• poškození DNA * MeSH
• protein promyelocytické leukemie metabolismus   MeSH
• stárnutí buněk * MeSH
• zobrazování trojrozměrné MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• doxorubicin MeSH
• PML protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein promyelocytické leukemie MeSH

BACKGROUND: Senescence is a fundamental biological process implicated in various pathologies, including cancer. Regarding carcinogenesis, senescence signifies, at least in its initial phases, an anti-tumor response that needs to be circumvented for cancer to progress. Micro-RNAs, a subclass of regulatory, non-coding RNAs, participate in senescence regulation. At the subcellular level micro-RNAs, similar to proteins, have been shown to traffic between organelles influencing cellular behavior. The differential function of micro-RNAs relative to their subcellular localization and their role in senescence biology raises concurrent in situ analysis of coding and non-coding gene products in senescent cells as a necessity. However, technical challenges have rendered in situ co-detection unfeasible until now. METHODS: In the present report we describe a methodology that bypasses these technical limitations achieving for the first time simultaneous detection of both a micro-RNA and a protein in the biological context of cellular senescence, utilizing the new commercially available SenTraGorTM compound. The method was applied in a prototypical human non-malignant epithelial model of oncogene-induced senescence that we generated for the purposes of the study. For the characterization of this novel system, we applied a wide range of cellular and molecular techniques, as well as high-throughput analysis of the transcriptome and micro-RNAs. RESULTS: This experimental setting has three advantages that are presented and discussed: i) it covers a "gap" in the molecular carcinogenesis field, as almost all corresponding in vitro models are fibroblast-based, even though the majority of neoplasms have epithelial origin, ii) it recapitulates the precancerous and cancerous phases of epithelial tumorigenesis within a short time frame under the light of natural selection and iii) it uses as an oncogenic signal, the replication licensing factor CDC6, implicated in both DNA replication and transcription when over-expressed, a characteristic that can be exploited to monitor RNA dynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, we demonstrate that our model is optimal for studying the molecular basis of epithelial carcinogenesis shedding light on the tumor-initiating events. The latter may reveal novel molecular targets with clinical benefit. Besides, since this method can be incorporated in a wide range of low, medium or high-throughput image-based approaches, we expect it to be broadly applicable.

• Klíčová slova
• CDC6, Cancer, DNA damage response, In situ hybridization, Micro-RNAs, Oncogene-induced senescence, R loops, Replication stress, SenTraGorTM, rDNA,
• MeSH
• epitelové buňky metabolismus   MeSH
• genom MeSH
• jaderné proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• karcinogeneze MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikro RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• nádory glandulární a epitelové genetika   patologie   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• onkogeny * MeSH
• proteiny buněčného cyklu metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• stárnutí buněk genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• CDC6 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• jaderné proteiny MeSH
• mikro RNA MeSH
• proteiny buněčného cyklu MeSH
• proteiny MeSH

DNA damage response (DDR) in ribosomal genes and mechanisms of DNA repair in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are less explored nuclear events. DDR in ESCs should be unique due to their high proliferation rate, expression of pluripotency factors, and specific chromatin signature. Given short population doubling time and fast progress through G1 phase, ESCs require a sustained production of rRNA, which leads to the formation of large and prominent nucleoli. Although transcription of rRNA in the nucleolus is relatively well understood, little is known about DDR in this nuclear compartment. Here, we directed formation of double-strand breaks in rRNA genes with I- PpoI endonuclease, and we studied nucleolar morphology, DDR, and chromatin modifications. We observed a pronounced formation of I- PpoI-induced nucleolar caps, positive on BRCA1, NBS1, MDC1, γH2AX, and UBF1 proteins. We showed interaction of nucleolar protein TCOF1 with HDAC1 and TCOF1 with CARM1 after DNA injury. Moreover, H3R17me2a modification mediated by CARM1 was found in I- PpoI-induced nucleolar caps. Finally, we report that heterochromatin protein 1 is not involved in DNA repair of nucleolar caps.

• Klíčová slova
• CARM1, DNA repair, HDAC1, NBS1, PpoI, chromatin, nucleolus,
• MeSH
• acetylace MeSH
• arginin metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčné jadérko genetika   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• dvouřetězcové zlomy DNA * MeSH
• embryonální kmenové buňky metabolismus   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• fosfoproteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• geny rRNA MeSH
• histondeacetylasa 1 metabolismus   MeSH
• histony metabolismus   MeSH
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH
• jaderné proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• metylace MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oprava DNA MeSH
• proteinarginin-N-methyltransferasy metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA ribozomální genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• arginin MeSH
• coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 MeSH Prohlížeč
• fosfoproteiny MeSH
• Hdac1 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• histondeacetylasa 1 MeSH
• histony MeSH
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH
• jaderné proteiny MeSH
• proteinarginin-N-methyltransferasy MeSH
• RNA ribozomální MeSH
• Tcof1 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč