N"alpha"-Acetylierung, eine der häufigsten eukaryontischen Proteinmodifikationen, wird von N-terminalen Acetyltransferasen (NATs) katalysiert. NatA, die bedeutendste NAT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, besteht aus den Untereinheiten Nat1, Ard1 und Nat5, und ist am silencing, d.h. am Aufbau repressiver Chromatinstrukturen an Telomeren und den Paarungstyp-Loci HML und HMR beteiligt. Die vorliegende Arbeit demonstriert eine Rolle von NatA auch beim rDNA-silencing, und zeigt erstmals, dass die silencing-Faktoren Orc1 und Sir3 funktionell von der N"alpha"-Acetylierung durch NatA abhängen. Orc1, die größte Untereinheit des origin recognition complex (ORC), wurde in vivo durch NatA N"alpha"-acetyliert. Mutationen, die dies verhinderten, bewirkten eine starke telomerische Derepression. NatA wirkte genetisch über die ORC Bindungsstelle des HMR-E-silencers. Die artifizielle Bindung von Orc1 an HMR-E machte HMR-silencing NatA-unabhängig. Auch die synthetische Letalität von nat1"DELTA" orc2-1 Doppelmutanten wies auf eine funktionelle Verbindung zwischen NatA und ORC hin. Als weiteres NatA-Substrat wurde Sir3 identifiziert, dessen zelluläre Lokalisierung von NAT1 abhing. Die schwächeren silencing-Defekte der unacetylierten orc1 sir3 Doppelmutante im Vergleich zu nat1"DELTA" implizierten allerdings, dass noch weitere silencing-Proteine die N"alpha"-Acetylierung für ihre Funktion bedürfen. Weitere Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit belegen eine Funktion N-terminalen 100 Aminosäuren von Orc1 im silencing. Deletionen innerhalb dieses Bereichs erzeugten silencing-Defekte. Das Fehlen von 51 Aminosäuren vom N-Terminus von Orc1 unterbrach die Interaktion mit Sir1, verstärkte aber auch den silencing-Defekt von sir1"DELTA". Dies ergibt ein Model, in dem Orc1 neben Sir1 ein weiteres silencing-Protein rekrutiert, das zu seiner Bindung einen intakten, acetylierten N-Terminus von Orc1 benötigt. Zusammenfassend sprechen die Ergebnisse für eine Rolle der N"alpha"-Acetylierung durch NatA bei der Modellierung der Chromatinstruktur. / N"alpha"-acetylation, one of the most abundant eukaryotic protein modifications, is catalyzed by N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs). NatA, the major NAT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, consists of the subunits Nat1, Ard1 and Nat5 and is necessary for the assembly of repressive chromatin structures at the silent mating type loci and telomeres. This thesis shows that NatA also acts in rDNA repression and it provides the first direct evidence for the functional regulation of the silencing factors Orc1 and Sir3 by NatA-dependent N"alpha"-acetylation.Orc1, the large subunit of the origin recognition complex (ORC), was N"alpha"-acetylated in vivo by NatA. Mutations that abrogated this acetylation caused strong telomeric derepression. NatA functioned genetically through the ORC binding site of the HMR-E silencer. Direct tethering of Orc1 to HMR-E circumvented the requirement for NatA in silencing. The synthetic lethality of nat1"DELTA" orc2-1 double mutants further supported a functional link between NatA and ORC.Sir3 was also indentified as a NatA substrate. Its localization to perinuclear foci was NAT1 dependent. Unacetylated sir3 orc1 double mutants did not resemble the nat1"DELTA" silencing phenotype. Thus, we suggest that further silencing components require NatA-dependent N"alpha"-acetylation for their function. We further identified the N-terminal 100 amino acids of Orc1 to be important for silencing, since truncations within this region impaired silencing. The deletion of 51 amino acids from the Orc1 N-terminus interrupted the interaction with Sir1 and also reduced silencing in sir1"DELTA" strains. We thus propose that the silencing function of Orc1 is not restricted to Sir1 recruitment, but also comprises the interaction with another protein. The silencing function of this hypothesized interaction partner may depend on the N"alpha"-acetylation and integrity of the N-terminus of Orc1.In summary, we propose that N"alpha"-acetylation by NatA represents a protein modification that modulates chromatin structure in yeast.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医科学) / 甲第20286号 / 医科博第77号 / 新制||医科||5(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医科学専攻 / (主査)教授 斎藤 通紀, 教授 篠原 隆司, 教授 戸口田 淳也 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

The Fragile X-related mental retardation 1 (FXR1) is an N6-Methyladenosine reader involved in mRNAs metabolism like mRNA splicing, stability, transport, and miRNA regulation. It is also important in transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation, translation, polysome assembly and stress granule assembly. The protein is present in all eukaryotic cells, but so far it has been specifically essential for correct neural function. Until now, FXR1 has not been investigated in the concept of Human Adenovirus infection but we have observed an upregulation of FXR1 during the late phase of the Human Adenovirus 5 (HAdV-5) infection and an upregulation of some late HAdV-5 proteins in HeLa cells overexpressing FXR1. Our results furthermore showed that a FXR1 knockdown resulted in a reduced level of some HAdV-5 proteins at the same time as HAdV-5 mRNA were stabilized, indicating that FXR1 might be involved in translation of HAdV-5 late genes. Further investigation of the mechanism behind FXR1 mediated translation, a Death-associated protein 5 (DAP5) was founded to have an overall effect on the translation of HAdV-5 late proteins. / Part of a post-doctoral research

Die genetischen Polymorphismen der humanen Biotransformationsenzyme Glutathion-S-Transferase Theta 1 (GSTT1-1) und Arylamin-N-Acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) wurden zu Beginn der neunziger Jahre entdeckt. Es besteht derzeit ein großes Interesse an Untersuchungen zur Häufigkeit der Allele, zu deren phänotypischen Konsequenzen und pharmakologisch-toxikologischer Relevanz. Für die Untersuchungen in dieser Arbeit standen die Blutproben von 314 gesunden, deutschen Probanden mit bekanntem GSTT1- und/oder NAT1-Genotyp zur Verfügung. Es wurden Methoden etabliert und validiert, um im Hämolysat die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeiten bei der Umsetzung des GSTT1-1-spezifischen Substrats Dichlormethan sowie des NAT1-spezifischen Substrats p-Aminobenzoesäure mit vertretbarem Laboraufwand zu bestimmen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde eine vollständige Übereinstimmung zwischen der homozygoten GSTT1-Gendeletion und dem defizienten Phänotyp bei 19,3% der Individuen gefunden. Bei 80,7% der Probanden war durch Genotypisierung mindestens ein GSTT1*A-Allel identifiziert worden. Mit Hilfe der Phänotypisierung konnten in dieser Gruppe zwei Phänotypen, der intermediäre und der hoch aktive Phänotyp, voneinander abgegrenzt werden. Damit bestand der Vorteil der Phänotypisierung darin, eine trimodale Verteilung der GSTT1-1-Aktivität nachweisen zu können. Dies wurde in der vorliegenden Arbeit erstmalig in einer größeren deutschen Population gezeigt. Weiterhin wurden in dieser Arbeit untersucht, ob zwei Phosphonsäurediester des Glutathions, die sich als kompetitive bzw. nicht-kompetitive Hemmstoffe anderer GST-Isoenzyme erwiesen hatten, sowie der Arzneistoff Tactin, ein Medikament zur Behandlung des Mobus Alzheimer eine Hemmwirkung auf die GSTT1-1-vermittelte Umsetzung von Dichlormethan besitzen. Gegenwärtig sind 24 verschiedene NAT1-Allele bekannt, wobei einige davon sehr selten auftreten. In der hier verwendeten deutschen Population waren sechs NAT1-Allele identifiziert worden. In den Blutproben der 105 Probanden wurde die funktionelle Konsequenz dieser Allele bestimmt. In vorliegender Arbeit wurde erstmalig für einen homozygoten Träger des NAT1*15-Allels das Fehlen jeglicher Enzymaktivität nachgewiesen. Bezüglich der Häufigkeit der GSTT1-Gendefizienz sowie des NAT1*11-Allels wurden in vorliegender Arbeit zwischen europäischen, d.h. einander ethnisch nahestehenden Bevölkerungsgruppen statistisch signifikante Unterschiede gefunden. / The genetic polymorphisms of the glutathione S-transferase theta 1-1 (GSTT1-1) and the arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) were found in the beginning of the 90's. There is a great interest in genotype-phenotype relations in individuals and in pharmacological and toxicological consequences of the polymorphisms. In this work, hemolysate of 314 healthy German volunteers was used for several genotyping and phenotyping methods. A concordance between the homozygous GSTT1 gene deletion and the enzyme deficiency in 27 of 140 individuals (19,3%)was found. In 80,7% of the volunteers a discrimination between intermediate and rapid metabolizers was possible in a German population for the first time. In addition it was proved, if the ex-vivo metabolism of dichloromethane, catalyzed by GSTT1-1, is inhibited by phosphono-analoga of glutathione or tacrine, a drug for treatment of Alzheimers' disease. The NAT1 polymorphism is characterized by several point mutations and deletions or insertions of oligonucleotides. 24 NAT1 alleles are known so far. In this work, the functional consequences of various NAT1 allele combinations in the genotypes of 105 individuals were determinated. There were found interethnic differences in the frequency of the NAT1*11 allele and the frequency of the homozygous gene deletion between the German and other Caucasien populations.

Magister Scientiae - MSc (Medical BioSciences) / Despite attempts to develop new drugs to reduce the worldwide mortality rate attributable to tuberculosis (TB), the illness remains a threat. Isoniazid (INH) has been used as a frontline drug for decades. However, several resistant strains of the organism - Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) - still emerge. The drug is mainly metabolised by a family of enzymes, arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NAT). The three human NAT genes - NAT1, NAT2 and the pseudogene, NATP - are found on chromosome 18p22. NAT1 and NAT2 are isoenzymes which differ at certain amino acid positions. Subsequently, the differences affect substrate specificity. NAT1 shows specificity to p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and paminosalicylate (PAS). Previously, computer algorithms were used to predict the efficacy of the enzyme with regard to the acetylation phenotype it confers. The two which were focused on, Sorting Intolerant From Tolerant (SIFT) program and Polymorphism phenotyping version 2 program (PolyPhen-2), showed conflicting results for the effect of SNPs on the acetylation rate and subsequent enzyme function. Further structural prediction methods were used to test the effect of V231G on the structure and consequent function of the native protein, NAT1.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) is critical in determining the duration of action and pharmacokinetics of amine-containing drugs such as para-aminosalicylic acid and para-aminobenzoyl glutamate used in clinical therapy of tuberculosis (TB), as well as influencing the balance between detoxification and metabolic activation of these drugs. SNPs in this enzyme are continuously being detected and indicate inter-ethnic and inter-individual variation in the enzyme function. The effect of nsSNPs on the structure and function of proteins are routinely analyzed using SIFT and POLYPHEN-2 prediction algorithms. The false-negative rate of these two algorithms results in as much as 25% of nsSNPs. This study aimed to explore the use of homology modeling including residue interactions, Gibbs free energy change and solvent accessibility as additional evidence for predicting nsSNP effects on enzyme function.This study evaluated the functional effects of 14 nsSNPs identified in a South African mixed ancestry population of which 3 nsSNPs were previously identified in Caucasians. The SNPs were evaluated using structural analysis that included homology modeling, residue interactions, relative solvent accessibility,Gibbs free energy change and sequence conservation in addition to the routinely used nsSNP function prediction algorithms, SIFT and POLYPHEN-2. The structural analysis implemented in this study showed a loss of hydrogen bonds for S259R thereby affecting protein function which contradicts predictions obtained from SIFT and POLYPHEN-2 algorithms. The variant N245I was shown to be neutral but contradicted the predictions from SIFT and POLYPHEN-2. Structural analysis predicted that variant R242M would affect protein stability and therefore NAT1 function in agreement with POLYPHEN-2 predictions but contradicting predictions from SIFT. No structural changes were expected for variant E264K in agreement with predictions obtained from POLYPHEN-2 but contradicting results from SIFT. The functions of the remaining 10 nsSNPs were consistent with those predicted by SIFT and POLYPHEN-2 namely that four variants R117T, E167Q, T193S and T240S do not affect the NAT1 function whereas R166T, F202V, Q210P, D229H, V231G and V235A could affect the enzyme function.This study provided the first evaluation of the functional effects of 11 newly characterized nsSNPs on the NAT1 tuberculosis drug-metabolizing enzyme. The six functionally important nsSNPs predicted by all three methods and the four SNPs with contradictory results will be tested experimentally by creating a SNP construct that will be cloned into an expression vector. These combined computational and experimental studies will advance our understanding of NAT1 structure-function relationships and allow us to interpret the NAT1 genetic polymorphisms in individuals who are slow or fast acetylators. The results, albeit a small dataset demonstrate that the routinely used algorithms are not without flaws and that improvements in functional prediction of nsSNPs can be obtained by close scrutiny of the molecular interactions of wild type and variant amino acids.