14-3-3 proteins have been extensively studied from yeast to mammals, and are associated with multiple roles ranging from fundamental processes such as cell cycle, apoptosis and stress response to diseases such as neurodegeneration and cancer. Indeed, 14-3-3 proteins have been suggested as possible therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. There are seven 14-3-3 genes in mammals, whereas there are only two in Caenorhabditis elegans, ftt-2 and par-5. The ftt-2 gene is expressed only in somatic lineages, whereas par-5 expression is detected in both soma and germline. Although it is known that par-5 inactivation results in sterility, the role of this gene in germline development is poorly characterized. In the present study, we use a par-5 mutation and RNA interference to characterize par-5 functions in the germline. The lack of par-5 in germ cells causes cell cycle deregulation, the accumulation of endogenous DNA damage and genomic instability. Moreover, par-5 is required for checkpoint-induced cell cycle arrest in response to DNA-damaging agents. We propose a model whereby PAR-5 regulates CDK-1 phosphorylation to prevent premature mitotic entry. Even though mammalian 14-3-3 homologs have diverged into seven genes, we verified that the basic functions of 14-3-3 in cell cycle control have been conserved in C. elegans. Therefore, this study opens a new path to investigate molecular mechanisms of 14-3-3 proteins and establishes C. elegans as a suitable system to screen for genes (RNAi libraries or mutagenesis), and drugs which can modify 14-3-3 functions. / Las proteínas 14-3-3 han sido ampliamente estudiadas desde levadura hasta mamíferos y han sido asociadas con múltiples roles en procesos como ciclo celular, apoptosis y la respuesta al estrés. Así mismo estas proteínas se han visto involucradas en enfermedades neurodegenerativas y cáncer. De hecho, las proteínas 14-3-3 han sido propuestas como posibles agentes terapéuticos en el tratamiento contra el cáncer. En mamíferos existen 7 genes que codifican para proteínas 14-3-3, mientras en Caenorhabditis elegans solo hay dos, ftt-2 and par-5. El gen ftt-2 sólo es expresado en células somáticas, mientras par-5 se expresa tanto en células somáticas como en la línea germinal. Aunque se sabe que la inactivación de par-5 puede producir esterilidad, el rol de este gen en el desarrollo de la línea germinal no ha sido caracterizado. En este estudio, se usó una mutación de par-5 y RNA interferente para caracterizar la función de par-5 en la línea germinal. La falta de par-5 en la línea germinal causa una desregulación del ciclo celular, acumulación de daño genómico e inestabilidad genómica. Además, par-5 es requerido para el arresto celular inducido por el checkpoint en respuesta a los agentes que dañan el genoma. A partir de los resultados obtenidos, se propone un modelo según el cual PAR-5 regula la fosforilación de CDK-1 para prevenir la entrada prematura en mitosis. Aunque los homólogos de 14-3-3 en humanos han divergido en 7 genes, este estudio permitió verificar que las funciones básicas de las proteínas 14-3-3 en el control ciclo celular están conservadas en C. elegans. Por lo tanto, este estudio abre un nuevo camino para estudiar las funciones moleculares de las proteínas 14-3-3 y establece C. elegans como un modelo adecuado para la búsqueda de genes y/o drogas que modifiquen la función de las proteínas 14-3-3.

ABSTRACT Individuals that carry deleterious mutations in the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) have much more elevated risk to develop breast and/or ovarian cancer than the individuals from the general population. The BRCA1 gene product has been implicated in several aspects of the DNA damage response, but its biochemical function in these processes has remained elusive. In order to probe BRCA1 functions we conducted a yeast two-hybrid screening to identify interacting partners to a conserved motif (Motif 6) in the central region of BRCA1. In this dissertation, we report the identification of the actin-binding protein Filamin A (FLNA) as a BRCA1 partner and demonstrate that FLNA is required for the efficient regulation of DNA repair process at its early stages. Cells lacking FLNA display a diminished ionizing radiation (IR)-induced BRCA1 focus formation and a slow kinetics of Rad51 focus formation. In addition, our data demonstrate that FLNA is required to stabilize the interaction between DNA-PK holoenzyme components such as DNA-PKcs and Ku86 in a BRCA1-independent manner. Our data are consistent with a model in which the absence of FLNA compromises homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining. Our findings have implications for our understanding of the response to irradiation-induced DNA damage.

The goal of my research was to obtain a quantitative understanding of the mechanisms of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, and the activation of the tumor suppressor p53 in response to DSBs in human cells. In Chapter 2, we investigated how the kinetics of repair, and the balance between the alternate DSB repair pathways, nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR), change with cell cycle progression. We developed fluorescent reporters to quantify DSBs, HR and cell cycle phase in individual, living cells. We show that the rates of DSB repair depend on the cell cycle stage at the time of damage. We find that NHEJ is the dominant repair mechanism in G1 and in G2 cells even in the presence of a functional HR pathway. S and G2 cells use both NHEJ and HR, and higher use of HR strongly correlates with slower repair. Further, we demonstrate that the balance between NHEJ and HR changes gradually with cell cycle progression, with a maximal use of HR at the peak of active replication in mid-S. Our results establish that the presence of a sister chromatid does not affect the use of HR in human cells. Chapter 3 examines the sensitivity of the p53 pathway to DNA DSBs. We combined our fluorescent reporter for DSBs with a fluorescent reporter for p53, to quantify the level of damage and p53 activation in single cells. We find that the probability of inducing a p53 pulse increases linearly with the amount of damage. However, cancer cells do not have a distinct threshold of DSBs above which they uniformly induce p53 accumulation. We demonstrate that the decision to activate p53 is potentially controlled by cell-specific factors. Finally, we establish that the rates of DSB repair do not affect the decision to activate p53 or the dynamical properties of the p53 pulse. Collectively, this work emphasizes the importance of collecting quantitative dynamic information in single cells in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how different DNA damage response pathways function in a coordinated manner to maintain genomic integrity.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Microbiology, 2007. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-102).

The clearance of viruses is largely dependent upon the activation of T cells to generate a robust immune response. However, host responses are suppressed during chronic viral infections. In this thesis, we explored the role of Top2α in DNA topology in individuals with chronic HBV, HCV, and HIV infections. We found that Top2α protein expression and activity were low in T cells derived from chronically virus-infected individuals compared to healthy subjects. Using CD4+ T cells treated with Top2α inhibitor or poisoner as a model, we demonstrated that Top2α inhibition disrupts the DNA topology, suppresses DNA repair kinase (ATM), and telomere protein (TRF2) expression, and induces T cell dysfunction. These findings reveal that Top2α inhibition is a mechanism by which viruses evade the host responses and establish persistent infection, and thus, restoring Top2α levels could be a way of boosting immune responses during chronic viral infections.

In recent years, a great effort has been deployed towards a better understanding of the molecular changes in cells and in the bone marrow (BM) environment that contribute to the development and progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Among others, the aberrant hematopoietic stem cells in MDS often display increase in DNA double strand breaks, genomic instability with common loss or rearrangement of chromosomes and an ineffective response to DNA damage, a phenomenon that has been linked to the onset of cellular senescence. Additionally, the BM microenvironment can become more pro-inflammatory. In our effort to better understand the contribution of the BM microenvironment on MDS progression, we analyzed the expression profiles of cytokines in the BM microenvironment in all stages of MDS/AML and found several proinflammatory cytokines that increase with disease progression. Also, by repeated sampling of patients over the course of 5-azacytidine therapy, we were able to assess the changes in the proinflammatory cytokine milieu with the progression of the disease. Additionally, we aimed to identify the candidate markers for the improvement of MDS prognosis. We focused on naturally occurring germline polymorphism of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) gene (NQO1*2)...

CD4 T-cell depletion is a hallmark of HIV/AIDS, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. We have recently shown that ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) deficiency in CD4 T cells accelerates DNA damage, telomere erosion, and cell apoptosis in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Whether these alterations in ART-treated HIV subjects occur in vitro in HIV-infected CD4 T cells remains unknown. In this study, we employed a cellular model of HIV infection to characterize the mechanisms underlying CD4 T-cell destruction by analyzing the telomeric DNA damage response (DDR) and cellular apoptosis in highly permissive SupT1 cells, followed by the validation of our observations in primary CD4 T cells with active or drug-suppressed HIV infection. Specifically, we established an in vitro HIV T-cell culture system with viral replication and raltegravir (RAL; an integrase inhibitor) suppression, mimicking active and ART-controlled HIV infection in vivo. We demonstrated that HIV-induced, telomeric DDR plays a pivotal role in triggering telomere erosion, premature T-cell aging, and CD4 T-cell apoptosis or depletion via dysregulation of the PI3K/ATM pathways. This in vitro model provides a new tool to investigate HIV pathogenesis, and our results shed new light on the molecular mechanisms of telomeric DDR and CD4 T-cell homeostasis during HIV infection. IMPORTANCE The hallmark of HIV infection is a gradual depletion of CD4 T cells, with a progressive decline of host immunity. How CD4 T cells are depleted in individuals with active and virus-suppressed HIV infection remains unclear. In this study, we employed a cellular model of HIV infection to characterize the mechanisms underlying CD4 T-cell destruction by analyzing the chromosome end (telomere) DNA damage response (DDR) and cellular apoptosis in a T-cell line (highly permissive SupT1 cells), as well as in primary CD4 T cells with active or drug-suppressed HIV infection. We demonstrated that HIV-induced telomeric DDR plays a critical role in inducing telomere loss, premature cell aging, and CD4 T-cell apoptosis or depletion via dysregulation of the PI3K/ATM pathways. This study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms of telomeric DDR and its role in CD4 T-cell homeostasis during HIV infection.

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