Elevation of the DNA-unwinding helicase RECQL4, which participates in various DNA repair pathways, has been suggested to contribute to the pathogenicity of various human cancers, including gastric cancer. In this study, we addressed the prognostic and chemotherapeutic significance of RECQL4 in human gastric cancer, which has yet to be determined. We observed significant increases in RECQL4 mRNA or protein in >70% of three independent sets of human gastric cancer specimens examined, relative to normal gastric tissues. Strikingly, high RECQL4 expression in primary tumors correlated well with poor survival and gastric cancer lines with high RECQL4 expression displayed increased resistance to cisplatin treatment. Mechanistic investigations revealed a novel role for RECQL4 in transcriptional regulation of the multidrug resistance gene MDR1, through a physical interaction with the transcription factor YB1. Notably, ectopic expression of RECQL4 in cisplatin-sensitive gastric cancer cells with low endogenous RECQL4 was sufficient to render them resistant to cisplatin, in a manner associated with YB1 elevation and MDR1 activation. Conversely, RECQL4 silencing in cisplatinresistant gastric cancer cells with high endogenous RECQL4 suppressed YB1 phosphorylation, reduced MDR1 expression, and resensitized cells to cisplatin. In establishing RECQL4 as a critical mediator of cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer cells, our findings provide a therapeutic rationale to target RECQL4 or the downstream AKT-YB1-MDR1 axis to improve gastric cancer treatment.

Breast cancer occur both in hereditary and sporadic forms, and the later one comprises an overwhelming majority of breast cancer cases among women. Numerical and structural alterations involving chromosome 8, with loss of short arm (8p) and gain of long arm (8q), are frequently observed in breast cancer cells and tissues. In this study, we show that most of the human breast tumor cell lines examined display an over representation of 8q24, a chromosomal locus RecQL4 is regionally mapped to, and consequently, a markedly elevated level of RecQL4 expression. An increased RecQL4 mRNA level was also observed in a majority of clinical breast tumor samples (38/43) examined. shRNA-mediated RecQL4 suppression in MDA-MB453 breast cancer cells not only significantly inhibit the in vitro clonogenic survival and in vivo tumorigenicity. Further studies demonstrate that RecQL4 physically interacts with a major survival factor-survivin and its protein level affects survivin expression. Although loss of RecQL4 function due to gene mutations causally linked to occurrence of human RTS with features of premature aging and cancer predisposition, our studies provide the evidence that overexpression of RecQL4 due to gene amplification play a critical role in human breast tumor progression.

Xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD/ERCC2) encodes an ATP-dependent helicase that plays essential roles in both transcription and nucleotide excision repair of nuclear DNA, however, whether or not XPD exerts similar functions in mitochondria remains elusive. In this study, we provide the first evidence that XPD is localized in the inner membrane of mitochondria, and cells under oxidative stress showed an enhanced recruitment of XPD into mitochondrial compartment. Furthermore, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and levels of oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) common deletion were significantly elevated, whereas capacity for oxidative damage repair of mtDNA was markedly reduced in both XPD-suppressed human osteosarcoma (U2OS) cells and XPD-deficient human fibroblasts. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analysis was used to identify interacting factor(s) with XPD and TUFM, a mitochondrial Tu translation elongation factor was detected to be physically interacted with XPD. Similar to the findings in XPD-deficient cells, mitochondrial common deletion and oxidative damage repair capacity in U2OS cells were found to be significantly altered after TUFM knock-down. Our findings clearly demonstrate that XPD plays crucial role(s) in protecting mitochondrial genome stability by facilitating an efficient repair of oxidative DNA damage in mitochondria.

The efficient, stable delivery of siRNA into cells, and the appropriate controls for non-specific off-target effects of siRNA are major limitations to functional studies using siRNA technology. To overcome these drawbacks, we have developed a single lentiviral vector that can concurrently deplete endogenous gene expression while expressing an epitope-tagged siRNA-resistant target gene in the same cell. To demonstrate the functional utility of this system, we performed RNAi-depleted α-actinin-1 (α-ACTN1) expression in human T cells. α-ACTN1 RNAi resulted in inhibited chemotaxis to SDF-1α, but it can be completely rescued by concurrent expression of RNAi-resistant α-ACTN1 (rr-α-ACTN1) in the same cell. The presence of a GFP tag on rr-α-ACTN1 allowed for detection of appropriate subcellular localization of rr-α-ACTN1. This system provides not only an internal control for RNAi off-target effects, but also the potential tool for rapid structure-function analyses and gene therapy.

RecQL4, one of the five human RecQ helicases, is crucial for genomic stability and RecQL4 when mutated leads to premature aging phenotypes in humans. Unlike other human RecQ helicases, RecQL4 is found both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. While the nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the retention domain at the N-terminus are responsible for the nuclear localization of RecQL4, the signal for its cytoplasmic localization is essentially unknown. In this study, two functional nuclear exporting signals (NESs; pNES2 and pNES3) were identified at the C-terminus of RecQL4. Deletion of pNES2 drastically diminished the cytoplasmic localization of RecQL4. Strikingly, addition of ubiquitination tail at the C-terminus of RecQL4 substantially enriched the cytoplasmic fraction of RecQL4 only in the presence of functional pNES2. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that the cytoplasmic RecQL4 was localized in mitochondria. Consistent with its mitochondrial localization, a regulatory role for RecQL4 in the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number was demonstrated. Elevation of ectopic expression of RecQL4 increased the mtDNA copy number in HEK293 cells while RecQL4 knock down markedly decreased the mtDNA copy number in U2OS cells. Additionally, a substantially increased level of mitochondrial superoxide production, and a markedly decreased repair capacity for oxidative DNA damage were observed in the mitochondria of both RecQL4 deficient human fibroblasts and RecQL4-suppressed cancer cells. These data strongly suggest a regulatory role for RecQL4 in mitochondrial stability and function. Collectively, our study demonstrates that NES-mediated RecQL4 export to the cytoplasm is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial genome stability.

Veneridae is a diverse, commercially important, and cosmopolitan family. Here we present the complete mitochondrial genome of the clam Meretrix petechialis (Bivalvia: Veneridae). The genome is 19,567 bp in length, and contains 36 genes including 12 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, and 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs). All genes are encoded on the same strand. In contrast to the typical animal mitochondrial genomes, it lacks the protein-coding gene atp8. The other distinct features of the mitochondrial genome are that it has only one copy of trnS and a duplication of the trnQ gene. Mitochondrial gene orders are most highly rearranged in the class Bivalvia. Comparing the gene arrangements between M. petechialis and Venerupis philippinarum, we observe that they share four completely identical gene blocks, two large gene blocks cox1-L1-nad1-nad2-nad4L-I and cox2-P-cytb-rrnL-nad4-H-E-S2-atp6-nad3-nad5, and two small gene blocks containing tRNA genes only. After excluding tRNAs from the comparison, the gene arrangements between M. petechialis and V. philippinarum are the same except for translocations of the genes rrnS and cox3. We also present comparisons of gene arrangements between other molluscan species.

Vascular endothelial injury caused by post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return is an important manifestation during refractory hemorrhagic shock. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and transcriptome analysis, this study sought to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the adverse effect of PHSML on vascular endothelium. Post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph was collected from male rats after they underwent hemorrhagic shock and following resuscitation, while normal mesenteric lymph (NML) was harvested from sham rats. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with the culture medium containing either 10% phosphate buffered saline (Control), NML, or PHSML for 3 h, and then were harvested for RNA sequencing. In comparison with NML treated cells, 37 genes were differentially expressed in PHSML-treated HUVECs, including 32 upregulated genes and five downregulated genes. These differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in inflammatory pathways, including signaling pathways for activation of the NOD-like receptors, NF-κB, and TNF. Furthermore, we found that CC motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) was increased significantly after PHSML treatment, and Bindarit, a CCL2 production inhibitor, attenuated the damage of HUVECs induced by PHSML. The results provide molecular evidence on vascular endothelium damage caused by PHSML. CC motif chemokine ligand 2 might represent a new target for reducing vascular injury after severe hemorrhagic shock.

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