Project description:We modified the actin gene in budding yeast and analyzed the cellular phenotypes of this modification. One important control is to verify the expression of actin binding proteins in these strains.
Project description:We have investigated the role of actin dynamics and the effect of actin cytoskeleton modifying agents on retinoid receptor-mediated transactivation. Using Nef, an actin modifying HIV-1 protein, the role of LMK1/CFL1-mediated actin dynamics in receptor function was studied. The effect of Nef expression on transcriptome was investigated following transfection of HEK293 cells with Nef-expressing plasmid. The array data identified Nef-induced inhibition of a number of genes that contain retinoid receptor binding sites in their promoters. The experiment was designed to study the effect of expression of HIV-1 Nef protein on gene expression levels in HEK293 cells. Cells were transfected in three different experiments (each time in duplicate) with Nef expressing plasmid and a plasmid that contained a non-expressing Nef construct (Nef/Stop) as control. The cells were harvested after 36 of transfection and processed for gene array.
Project description:Actin has important functions in both cytoplasm and nucleus of the cell, with active nuclear transport mechanisms maintaining the cellular actin balance. Nuclear actin levels are subject to regulation during many cellular processes from cell differentiation to cancer. Here we show that nuclear actin levels increase upon differentiation of PC6.3 cells towards neuron-like cells. Photobleaching experiments demonstrate that this increase is due to decreased nuclear export of actin during cell differentiation. Increased nuclear actin levels lead to decreased nuclear localization of MRTF-A, a well-established transcription cofactor of SRF. In line with MRTF-A localization, transcriptomics analysis reveals that MRTF/SRF target gene expression is first transiently activated, but then substantially downregulated during PC6.3 cell differentiation. This study therefore describes a novel cellular context, where regulation of nuclear actin is utilized to tune MRTF/SRF target gene expression during cell differentiation.
Project description:We have investigated the role of actin dynamics and the effect of actin cytoskeleton modifying agents on retinoid receptor-mediated transactivation. Using Nef, an actin modifying HIV-1 protein, the role of LMK1/CFL1-mediated actin dynamics in receptor function was studied. The effect of Nef expression on transcriptome was investigated following transfection of HEK293 cells with Nef-expressing plasmid. The array data identified Nef-induced inhibition of a number of genes that contain retinoid receptor binding sites in their promoters.
Project description:β-actin is a crucial component of several chromatin remodeling complexes which control chromatin structure and accessibility. The mammalian Brahma-associated factor (BAF) is one such complex that plays essential roles in development and differentiation by regulating the chromatin state of critical genes and opposing the repressive activity of polycomb repressive complexes. While previous work has shown that β-actin loss can lead to extensive changes in gene expression and heterochromatin organization, it is not known if changes in β-actin levels can directly influence chromatin remodeling activities of BAF and polycomb proteins. Here we conduct a comprehensive genomic analysis of β-actin knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) using ATAC-Seq, HiC-seq, RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq of various epigenetic marks. We demonstrate that β-actin levels can affect the complex interplay between chromatin remodelers such as BAF/BRG1 and EZH2 in a dosage-dependent manner. Our results show that changes in β-actin levels and associated chromatin remodeling activities can not only impact local chromatin accessibility but also induce reversable changes in 3D genome architecture. Our findings support a novel role for β-actin levels in shaping the chromatin landscape during development and differentiation.
Project description:ATAC-Seq analysis of beta actin knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts expressing NLS-tagged beta-actin to study impact of actin levels on chromatin accessibility
Project description:Nuclear actin participates in many essential cellular processes including gene transcription, chromatic remodelling and mRNA processing. Actin shuttles into and out the nucleus through the action of dedicated transport receptors importin-9 and exportin-6, but how this transport is regulated remains unclear. Here we show that RASSF1A is a novel regulator of actin nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and is required for the active maintenance of nuclear actin levels through supporting binding of exportin-6 (XPO6) to RAN GTPase. RASSF1A (Ras association domain family 1 isoform A) is a tumor suppressor gene frequently silenced by promoter hypermethylation in all major solid cancers. Specifically, we demonstrate that endogenous RASSF1A localizes to the nuclear envelope (NE) and is required for nucleo-cytoplasmic actin transport and the concomitant regulation of Myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTF-A), a coactivator of the transcription factor serum response factor (SRF). The RASSF1A/RAN/XPO6/nuclear actin pathway is aberrant in cancer cells where RASSF1A expression is lost and correlates with reduced MTRF/SRF activity leading to cell adhesion defects. Taken together, we have identified a previously unknown mechanism by which the nuclear actin pool is regulated and uncovered a previously unknown link of RASSF1A and MTRF/SRF in tumor suppression.
Project description:Nuclear actin has been demonstrated to be essential for optimal transcription, but the molecular mechanisms and direct binding partner for actin in the RNA polymerase complex have remained unknown. By using purified proteins in several biochemical assays, we demonstrate a direct and specific interaction between monomeric actin and Cdk9, the kinase subunit of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) required for RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pause-release. This interaction is not dependent on kinase activity of Cdk9 and is not involved with releasing P-TEFb from its inhibitor 7SK snRNP complex. Supporting the specific role for actin in the elongation phase of transcription, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) reveals that actin interacts with genes only upon their active transcription elongation. This study therefore provides novel insights into the mechanisms by which actin facilitates the transcription process.