POT1 mutations identify inferior outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and disrupted telomere biology function
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ABSTRACT: Telomere protection 1 (POT1) is an important subunit in the shelterin complex, considered the telomere protector. POT1 dysfunction may lead to telomere length dysregulation and genomic instability. Both germline and somatic POT1 mutations have been identified in CLL patients, suggesting the development of the disease. This study aimedto evaluate the occurrence of POT1 mutations throughout CLL's progression and determine their prognostic significance.
Project description:Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) in inherited bone marrow failure (BMF) is disease-specific but has been poorly characterized in telomere biology disorders (TBD).We studied the architecture, trajectories, and impact of CH in a cohort of 207 TBD patients and assessed the clinical relevance of molecular signatures linked to telomere dysfunction. Most patients (92%) had known germline mutations in TBD genes. CH was rare in asymptomatic but present in 46% of symptomatic patients, recurrently in PPM1D, POT1, TERT promoter (TERTp), and U2AF1. CH frequency increased with age and was significantly higher than in age- matched controls. CH in PPM1D/TERTp was enriched in TERT patients while CH in POT1 was enriched in TINF2 patients. CH in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)-related genes, most commonly splicing factors, was enriched in TERT/TERC patients. CH in TERTp, TP53 ̧ and MDS- related genes associated with poorer survival. Chromosome 1q (Chr1q) gain, and splicing factor gene (dominated by U2AF1S34/Q157R) or TP53 mutations increased the risk of MDS/acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development, regardless of allele burden. Trajectories with successive acquisition of MDS-related CH driven by U2AF1S34/Q157R were maladaptive, while adaptive CH involved branched POT1/PPM1D/TERTp trajectories. U2AF1S34/Q157R compensated aberrant TP53 and interferon-γ pathway activation that contribute to hematopoietic stem cell exhaustion in TBD.
Project description:The evolutionarily conserved POT1 protein binds the single stranded G-rich telomeric DNA and has been implicated in telomeric DNA maintenance and the suppression of DNA damage checkpoint signaling. Here, we explore human POT1 function through genetics and proteomics discovering that the complete absence of POT1 leads to severe telomere maintenance defects that had not been anticipated from previous depletion studies. We determine the telomeric proteome upon POT1-loss by implementing an improved telomeric chromatin isolation protocol. Using quantitative proteomics by tandem mass tags (TMT) we identified a large set of proteins involved in nucleic acid metabolism that engage with telomeres upon loss of POT1. Inactivation of the homology directed repair machinery suppresses POT1-loss mediated telomeric DNA defects. Our results unravel as major function of human POT1 the suppression of telomere instability induced by homology directed repair.
Project description:The localization of condensin along chromosomes is crucial for their accurate segregation in anaphase. Condensin is enriched at telomeres but how and for what purpose had remained elusive. Here we show that fission yeast condensin accumulates at telomere repeats through the balancing acts of Taz1, a core component of the shelterin complex that ensures telomeric functions, and Mit1, a nucleosome-remodeler associated with shelterin. We further show that condensin takes part in sister-telomere separation in anaphase, and that this event can be uncoupled from the prior separation of chromosomes arms, implying a telomere-specific separation mechanism. Consistent with a cis-acting process, increasing or decreasing condensin occupancy specifically at telomeres modifies accordingly the efficiency of their separation in anaphase. Genetic evidence suggests that condensin promotes sister-telomere separation by counteracting cohesin. Thus, our results reveal a shelterin-based mechanism that enriches condensin at telomeres to drive in cis their separation during mitosis.
Project description:Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures at the ends of linear chromosomes. In humans, they consist of TTAGGG repeats, which are bound by dedicated proteins such as the shelterin complex. This complex consists of six proteins (TRF1, TRF2, RAP1, POT1, TPP1 and TIN2) and blocks unwanted DNA damage repair at telomeres, e.g. by suppressing non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) through its subunit TRF2. While shelterin does not work autonomously, additional direct telomere binding proteins have been described to function in a supplementary role. We here describe ZNF524, a zinc finger protein that directly binds to telomeric repeats with nanomolar affinity and reveal the base-specific sequence recognition by co-crystallization with telomeric DNA. ZNF524 localizes to telomeres and specifically maintains the presence of the TRF2/RAP1 subcomplex at telomeres without affecting the other shelterin members. Loss of ZNF524 concomitantly results in an increase in DNA damage signaling and recombination events. Overall, we identified ZNF524 as a direct telomere binding protein and propose that ZNF524 is involved in the maintenance of telomere integrity by promoting TRF2/RAP1 subcomplex binding.
Project description:Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures at the ends of linear chromosomes. In humans, they consist of TTAGGG repeats, which are bound by dedicated proteins such as the shelterin complex. This complex consists of six proteins (TRF1, TRF2, RAP1, POT1, TPP1 and TIN2) and blocks unwanted DNA damage repair at telomeres, e.g. by suppressing non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) through its subunit TRF2. While shelterin does not work autonomously, additional direct telomere binding proteins have been described to function in a supplementary role. We here describe ZNF524, a zinc finger protein that directly binds to telomeric repeats with nanomolar affinity and reveal the base-specific sequence recognition by co-crystallization with telomeric DNA. ZNF524 localizes to telomeres and specifically maintains the presence of the TRF2/RAP1 subcomplex at telomeres without affecting the other shelterin members. Loss of ZNF524 concomitantly results in an increase in DNA damage signaling and recombination events. Overall, we identified ZNF524 as a direct telomere binding protein and propose that ZNF524 is involved in the maintenance of telomere integrity by promoting TRF2/RAP1 subcomplex binding.
Project description:Telomeres constitute the ends of linear chromosomes and together with the shelterin complex form a structure essential for genome maintenance and stability. In addition to the constitutive binding of the shelterin complex, other direct, yet more transient interactions are mediated by the CST complex and HOT1, while subtelomeric variant repeats are recognized by NR2C/F transcription factors. Recently, the Kruppel-like zinc finger protein ZBTB48 has been described as a novel telomere-associated factor in the vertebrate lineage. Here, we show that ZBTB48 binds directly both to telomeric as well as to subtelomeric variant repeat sequences. ZBTB48 is found at telomeres of human cancer cells regardless of the mode of telomere maintenance and it acts as a negative regulator of telomere length. In addition to its telomeric function, we demonstrate through a combination of RNAseq, ChIPseq and expression proteomics experiments that ZBTB48 acts as a transcriptional activator on a small set of target genes, including mitochondrial fission process 1 (MTFP1). This discovery places ZBTB48 at the interface of telomere length regulation, transcriptional control and mitochondrial metabolism.
Project description:Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures at the ends of linear chromosomes. In humans, they consist of TTAGGG repeats, which are bound by dedicated proteins such as the shelterin complex. This complex blocks unwanted DNA damage repair at telomeres, e.g. by suppressing non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) through its subunit TRF2. We here describe ZNF524, a zinc finger protein that directly binds telomeric repeats with nanomolar affinity and reveal the base-specific sequence recognition by co-crystallization with telomeric DNA. ZNF524 localizes to telomeres and specifically maintains the presence of the TRF2/RAP1 subcomplex at telomeres without affecting other shelterin members. Loss of ZNF524 concomitantly results in an increase in DNA damage signaling and recombination events. Overall, ZNF524 is a direct telomere-binding protein involved in the maintenance of telomere integrity.
Project description:Telomeres prevent ATM activation by sequestering chromosome termini within telomere loops (t-loops). Mitotic arrest promotes telomere linearity and a localized ATM-dependent telomere DNA damage response (DDR) through an unknown mechanism. Using unbiased interactomics, biochemical screening, molecular biology, and super-resolution imaging, we found that mitotic arrest-dependent (MAD) telomere deprotection requires the combined activities of the Chromosome passenger complex (CPC) on shelterin, and the BLM-TOP3A-RMI1/2 (BTR) complex on t-loops. During mitotic arrest, the CPC component Aurora Kinase B (AURKB) phosphorylated both the TRF1 hinge and TRF2 basic domains. Phosphorylation of the TRF1 hinge domain enhances CPC and TRF1 interaction through the CPC Survivin subunit. Meanwhile, phosphorylation of the TRF2 basic domain promotes telomere linearity, activates a telomere DDR dependent on BTR-mediated double Holliday junction dissolution, and leads to mitotic death. We identify that the TRF2 basic domain functions in mitosis-specific telomere protection and reveal a regulatory role for TRF1 in controlling a physiological ATM-dependent telomere DDR. The data demonstrate that MAD telomere deprotection is a sophisticated active mechanism that exposes telomere ends to signal mitotic stress.