Molecular basis for the reversible ADP-ribosylation of guanosine bases.

Modification of nucleic acids by ADP-ribosylation is catalyzed by various ADP-ribosyltransferases, including the DarT enzyme. The latter is part of the bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) system DarTG, which was shown to provide control of DNA replication and bacterial growth as well as protection against bacteriophages. Two subfamilies have been identified, DarTG1 and DarTG2, which are distinguished by their associated antitoxins. While DarTG2 catalyzes reversible ADP-ribosylation of thymidine bases employing a macrodomain as antitoxin, the DNA ADP-ribosylation activity of DarTG1 and the biochemical function of its antitoxin, a NADAR domain, are as yet unknown. Using structural and biochemical approaches, we show that DarT1-NADAR is a TA system for reversible ADP-ribosylation of guanosine bases. DarT1 evolved the ability to link ADP-ribose to the guanine amino group, which is specifically hydrolyzed by NADAR. We show that guanine de-ADP-ribosylation is also conserved among eukaryotic and non-DarT-associated NADAR members, indicating a wide distribution of reversible guanine modifications beyond DarTG systems.

The atypical CDK activator RingoA/Spy1 regulates exit from quiescence in neural stem cells.

In the adult mammalian brain, most neural stem cells (NSCs) are held in a reversible state of quiescence, which is essential to avoid NSC exhaustion and determine the appropriate neurogenesis rate. NSCs of the mouse adult subependymal niche provide neurons for olfactory circuits and can be found at different depths of quiescence, but very little is known on how their quiescence-to-activation transition is controlled. Here, we identify the atypical cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activator RingoA as a regulator of this process. We show that the expression of RingoA increases the levels of CDK activity and facilitates cell cycle entry of a subset of NSCs that divide slowly. Accordingly, RingoA-deficient mice exhibit reduced olfactory neurogenesis with an accumulation of quiescent NSCs. Our results indicate that RingoA plays an important role in setting the threshold of CDK activity required for adult NSCs to exit quiescence and may represent a dormancy regulator in adult mammalian tissues.

Streptomyces coelicolor macrodomain hydrolase SCO6735 cleaves thymidine-linked ADP-ribosylation of DNA.

ADP-ribosylation is an ancient, highly conserved, and reversible covalent modification critical for a variety of endogenous processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. ADP-ribosylation targets proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules (including antibiotics). ADP-ribosylation signalling involves enzymes that add ADP-ribose to the target molecule, the (ADP-ribosyl)transferases; and those that remove it, the (ADP-ribosyl)hydrolases. Recently, the toxin/antitoxin pair DarT/DarG composed of a DNA ADP-ribosylating toxin, DarT, and (ADP-ribosyl)hydrolase antitoxin, DarG, was described. DarT modifies thymidine in single-stranded DNA in a sequence-specific manner while DarG reverses this modification, thereby rescuing cells from DarT toxicity. We studied the DarG homologue SCO6735 which is highly conserved in all Streptomyces species and known to be associated with antibiotic production in the bacterium S. coelicolor. SCO6735 shares a high structural similarity with the bacterial DarG and human TARG1. Like DarG and TARG1, SCO6735 can also readily reverse thymidine-linked ADP-ribosylation catalysed by DarT in vitro and in cells. SCO6735 active site analysis including molecular dynamic simulations of its complex with ADP-ribosylated thymidine suggests a novel catalytic mechanism of DNA-(ADP-ribose) hydrolysis. Moreover, a comparison of SCO6735 structure with ALC1-like homologues revealed an evolutionarily conserved feature characteristic for this subclass of macrodomain hydrolases.

ADP-ribosylation systems in bacteria and viruses.

ADP-ribosylation is an ancient posttranslational modification present in all kingdoms of life. The system likely originated in bacteria where it functions in inter- and intra-species conflict, stress response and pathogenicity. It was repeatedly adopted via lateral transfer by eukaryotes, including humans, where it has a pivotal role in epigenetics, DNA-damage repair, apoptosis, and other crucial pathways including the immune response to pathogenic bacteria and viruses. In other words, the same ammunition used by pathogens is adapted by eukaryotes to fight back. While we know quite a lot about the eukaryotic system, expanding rather patchy knowledge on bacterial and viral ADP-ribosylation would give us not only a better understanding of the system as a whole but a fighting advantage in this constant arms race. By writing this review we hope to put into focus the available information and give a perspective on how this system works and can be exploited in the search for therapeutic targets in the future. The relevance of the subject is especially highlighted by the current situation of being amid the world pandemic caused by a virus harbouring and dependent on a representative of such a system.

Reversible ADP-ribosylation of RNA.

ADP-ribosylation is a reversible chemical modification catalysed by ADP-ribosyltransferases such as PARPs that utilize nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a cofactor to transfer monomer or polymers of ADP-ribose nucleotide onto macromolecular targets such as proteins and DNA. ADP-ribosylation plays an important role in several biological processes such as DNA repair, transcription, chromatin remodelling, host-virus interactions, cellular stress response and many more. Using biochemical methods we identify RNA as a novel target of reversible mono-ADP-ribosylation. We demonstrate that the human PARPs - PARP10, PARP11 and PARP15 as well as a highly diverged PARP homologue TRPT1, ADP-ribosylate phosphorylated ends of RNA. We further reveal that ADP-ribosylation of RNA mediated by PARP10 and TRPT1 can be efficiently reversed by several cellular ADP-ribosylhydrolases (PARG, TARG1, MACROD1, MACROD2 and ARH3), as well as by MACROD-like hydrolases from VEEV and SARS viruses. Finally, we show that TRPT1 and MACROD homologues in bacteria possess activities equivalent to the human proteins. Our data suggest that RNA ADP-ribosylation may represent a widespread and physiologically relevant form of reversible ADP-ribosylation signalling.

ADP-ribosylation signalling and human disease.

ADP-ribosylation (ADPr) is a reversible post-translational modification of proteins, which controls major cellular and biological processes, including DNA damage repair, cell proliferation and differentiation, metabolism, stress and immune responses. In order to maintain the cellular homeostasis, diverse ADP-ribosyl transferases and hydrolases are involved in the fine-tuning of ADPr systems. The control of ADPr network is vital, and dysregulation of enzymes involved in the regulation of ADPr signalling has been linked to a number of inherited and acquired human diseases, such as several neurological disorders and in cancer. Conversely, the therapeutic manipulation of ADPr has been shown to ameliorate several disorders in both human and animal models. These include cardiovascular, inflammatory, autoimmune and neurological disorders. Herein, we summarize the recent findings in the field of ADPr, which support the impact of this modification in human pathophysiology and highlight the curative potential of targeting ADPr for translational and molecular medicine.

Essential role of the Cdk2 activator RingoA in meiotic telomere tethering to the nuclear envelope.

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play key roles in cell cycle regulation. Genetic analysis in mice has revealed an essential role for Cdk2 in meiosis, which renders Cdk2 knockout (KO) mice sterile. Here we show that mice deficient in RingoA, an atypical activator of Cdk1 and Cdk2 that has no amino acid sequence homology to cyclins, are sterile and display meiotic defects virtually identical to those observed in Cdk2 KO mice including non-homologous chromosome pairing, unrepaired double-strand breaks, undetectable sex-body and pachytene arrest. Interestingly, RingoA is required for Cdk2 targeting to telomeres and RingoA KO spermatocytes display severely affected telomere tethering as well as impaired distribution of Sun1, a protein essential for the attachment of telomeres to the nuclear envelope. Our results identify RingoA as an important activator of Cdk2 at meiotic telomeres, and provide genetic evidence for a physiological function of mammalian Cdk2 that is not dependent on cyclins.

Orphan kinases turn eccentric: a new class of cyclin Y-activated, membrane-targeted CDKs.

PCTAIRE kinases (PCTK) are a highly conserved, but poorly characterized, subgroup of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK). They are characterized by a conserved catalytic domain flanked by N- and C-terminal extensions that are involved in cyclin binding. Vertebrate genomes contain three highly similar PCTAIRE kinases (PCTK1,2,3, a.k.a., CDK16,17,18), which are most abundant in post-mitotic cells in brain and testis. Consistent with this restricted expression pattern, PCTK1 (CDK16) has recently been shown to be essential for spermatogenesis. PCTAIREs are activated by cyclin Y (CCNY), a highly conserved single cyclin fold protein. By binding to N-myristoylated CCNY, CDK16 is targeted to the plasma membrane. Unlike conventional cyclin-CDK interactions, binding of CCNY to CDK16 not only requires the catalytic domain, but also domains within the N-terminal extension. Interestingly, phosphorylation within this domain blocks CCNY binding, providing a novel means of cyclin-CDK regulation. By using these functional characteristics, we analyzed "PCTAIRE" sequence containing protein kinase genes in genomes of various organisms and found that CCNY and CCNY-dependent kinases are restricted to eumetazoa and possibly evolved along with development of a central nervous system. Here, we focus on the structure and regulation of PCTAIREs and discuss their established functions.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 16/PCTAIRE kinase 1 is activated by cyclin Y and is essential for spermatogenesis.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 16 (CDK16, PCTK1) is a poorly characterized protein kinase, highly expressed in the testis and the brain. Here, we report that CDK16 is activated by membrane-associated cyclin Y (CCNY). Treatment of transfected human cells with the protein kinase A (PKA) activator forskolin blocked, while kinase inhibition promoted, CCNY-dependent targeting of CDK16-green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the cell membrane. CCNY binding to CDK16 required a region upstream of the kinase domain and was found to be inhibited by phosphorylation of serine 153, a potential PKA phosphorylation site. Thus, in contrast to other CDKs, CDK16 is regulated by phosphorylation-controlled cyclin binding. CDK16 isolated from murine testis was unphosphorylated, interacted with CCNY, and exhibited kinase activity. To investigate the function of CDK16 in vivo, we established a conditional knockout allele. Mice lacking CDK16 developed normally, but male mice were infertile. Spermatozoa isolated from their epididymis displayed thinning and elongation of the annulus region, adopted a bent shape, and showed impaired motility. Moreover, CDK16-deficient spermatozoa had malformed heads and excess residual cytoplasm, suggesting a role of CDK16 in spermiation. Thus, CDK16 is a membrane-targeted CDK essential for spermatogenesis.

Spindly/CCDC99 is required for efficient chromosome congression and mitotic checkpoint regulation.

Spindly recruits a fraction of cytoplasmic dynein to kinetochores for poleward movement of chromosomes and control of mitotic checkpoint signaling. Here we show that human Spindly is a cell cycle-regulated mitotic phosphoprotein that interacts with the Rod/ZW10/Zwilch (RZZ) complex. The kinetochore levels of Spindly are regulated by microtubule attachment and biorientation induced tension. Deletion mutants lacking the N-terminal half of the protein (NDelta253), or the conserved Spindly box (DeltaSB), strongly localized to kinetochores and failed to respond to attachment or tension. In addition, these mutants prevented the removal of the RZZ complex and that of MAD2 from bioriented chromosomes and caused cells to arrest at metaphase, showing that RZZ-Spindly has to be removed from kinetochores to terminate mitotic checkpoint signaling. Depletion of Spindly by RNAi, however, caused cells to arrest in prometaphase because of a delay in microtubule attachment. Surprisingly, this defect was alleviated by codepletion of ZW10. Thus, Spindly is not only required for kinetochore localization of dynein but is a functional component of a mechanism that couples dynein-dependent poleward movement of chromosomes to their efficient attachment to microtubules.