Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENVERESP (Crosstalk between nuclear envelope and DNA Damage Response: Role of nucleoporin TPR in the maintenance of genomic integrity)
Période du rapport: 2016-04-01 au 2018-03-31
Nucleoporins, proteins localized at the nuclear envelope, have been linked to various human diseases such as neurological disorders, autoimmune dysfunctions, and cancer. Nucleoporin TPR (Translocated Promoter Region) was previously linked to cancer since its N- terminal domain has been found fused with the protein kinase domains of various proto- oncogenes such as RAF and MET resulting in solid human tumors. TPR expression level was found deregulated in many types of human tumors such as breast and liver cancer. Importantly, amplification of TPR gene is associated with shorter survival in cancer patients, e.g. those with pediatric ependymomas (3rd most common brain tumor in children). All these findings support a critical role for TPR in the mechanism of oncogenesis and provide the prospect for accurate diagnosis and targeted cancer therapy in the future.
Importantly, although nucleoporin TPR was previously identified as one of the proteins activated in response to DNA damage, its potential role in the maintenance of genomic integrity is unknown.
The overall aim of the project was to characterize molecular crosstalk mechanism between the DNA-damage response network and nuclear envelope, which contributes to the maintenance of genome stability and prevents cancer development.
Next, to understand the significance of TPR protein phosphorylation (= its activation or inactivation) upon DNA damage, we used in vitro mutagenesis to replace some of the phosphorylation sites with phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-mimicking variants.
To analyze the phenotype of TPR phosphorylation mutants, we used various experimental approaches and methods including immunofluorescence, Western blot, and electron microscopy. This approach allowed us to identify particular phosphorylation site in TPR protein, which plays a crucial role in the maintenance of genomic integrity.
Then we aimed to reveal whether phosphorylation of TPR sites regulates any protein interactions upon DNA damage. Therefore, we expressed TPR phosphorylation mutants and analyzed our samples using proteomic approaches. By comparison of cells expressing either phosphorylated or dephosphorylated versions of TPR protein, we identified proteins which interaction with TPR is regulated by phosphorylation of particular sites.
One of the main aims of the cancer research should be to improve the health of people. We believe that from work carried out within this project will benefit not only cancer patients and their families but also society as a whole since:
1. It provides new fundamental knowledge about the role of nuclear envelope-associated proteins in the maintenance of genomic stability and prevention of cancer development.
2. It contributes to our understanding of molecular principles of response to damaged DNA.
3. Data obtained in our project will allow to other scientists start new projects, which will develop our initial observations into further details. Therefore, our project benefit to future research in the field of tumor biology.
4. It opens new possibilities for innovation of existing cancer treatments and development of new molecular targeted therapies for cancer in the future.