Gem is a protein of the Ras superfamily that plays a role in regulating voltage-gated Ca2؉ channels and cytoskeletal reorganization. We now report that GTP-bound Gem interacts with the membrane-cytoskeleton linker protein Ezrin in its active state, and that Gem binds to active Ezrin in cells. The coexpression of Gem and Ezrin induces cell elongation accompanied by the disappearance of actin stress fibers and collapse of most focal adhesions. The same morphological effect is elicited when cells expressing Gem alone are stimulated with serum and requires the expression of ERM proteins. We show that endogenous Gem down-regulates the level of active RhoA and actin stress fibers. The effects of Gem downstream of Rho, i.e., ERM phosphorylation as well as disappearance of actin stress fibers and most focal adhesions, require the Rho-GAP partner of Gem, Gmip, a protein that is enriched in membranes under conditions in which Gem induced cell elongation. Our results suggest that Gem binds active Ezrin at the plasma membrane-cytoskeleton interface and acts via the Rho-GAP protein Gmip to down-regulate the processes dependent on the Rho pathway.

We describe a modification of the tandem affinity purification method for purification and analysis of multiprotein complexes, termed here DEF-TAP (for differential elution fractionation after tandem affinity purification). Its essential new feature is the use for last purification step of 6xHis-Ni(++) interaction, which is resistant to a variety of harsh washing conditions, including high ionic strength and the presence of organic solvents. This allows us to use various fractionation schemes before the protease digestion, which is expected to improve the coverage of the analyzed protein mixture and also to provide an additional insight into the structure of the purified macromolecular complex and the nature of protein-protein interactions involved. We illustrate our new approach by analysis of soluble nuclear complexes containing histone H4 purified from HeLa cells. In particular, we observed different fractionation patterns of HAT1 and RbAp46 proteins as compared with RbAp48 protein, all identified as interaction partners of H4 histone. In addition, we report all components of the licensing MCM2-7 complex and the apoptosis-related DAXX protein among the interaction partners of the soluble H4. Finally, we show that HAT1 requires N-terminal tail of H4 for its stable association with this histone.

The H3.3 histone variant has been a subject of increasing interest in the field of chromatin studies due to its two distinguishing features. First, its incorporation into chromatin is replication independent unlike the replication-coupled deposition of its canonical counterparts H3.1/2. Second, H3.3 has been consistently associated with an active state of chromatin. In accordance, this histone variant should be expected to be causally involved in the regulation of gene expression, or more generally, its incorporation should have downstream consequences for the structure and function of chromatin. This, however, leads to an apparent paradox: In cells that slowly replicate in the organism, H3.3 will accumulate with time, opening the way to aberrant effects on heterochromatin. Here, we review the indications that H3.3 is expected both to be incorporated in the heterochromatin of slowly replicating cells and to retain its functional downstream effects. Implications for organismal aging are discussed.

Epigenetics has captured the attention of scientists in the past differentiated cells can maintain their phenotypes for decades without undergoing division, which points out the limitation of the «heritability» criterion for a particular phenomenon to qualify as epigenetic. «Epigenetic stability» encompasses traits preservation in both dividing and non dividing cells. Likewise, the use of the term «epigenetic regulation» has been misleading as it overlaps with «regulation of gene expression», whereas «epigenetic information» clearly distinguishes epigenetic from genetic phenomena. Consequently, how could epigenetic information be transmitted and perpetuated? The term «epigenetic templating» has been proposed to refer to a general mechanism of perpetuation of epigenetic information that is based on the preferential activity of enzymes that deposit a particular epi

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