Latest Articles
Research Article | SpotlightMLL3/MLL4-Associated PAGR1 Regulates Adipogenesis by Controlling Induction of C/EBPβ and C/EBPδTranscription factors C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ are induced within hours after initiation of adipogenesis in culture. They directly promote the expression of master adipogenic transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and C/EBPα and are required for adipogenesis in vivo. However, the mechanism that controls the induction of C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ remains elusive. We previously showed that histone...
Research ArticleRecQ DNA Helicase Rqh1 Promotes Rad3ATR Kinase Signaling in the DNA Replication Checkpoint Pathway of Fission YeastRad3 is the orthologue of ATR and the sensor kinase of the DNA replication checkpoint in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Under replication stress, it initiates checkpoint signaling at the forks necessary for maintaining genome stability and cell survival. To better understand the checkpoint initiation process, we have carried out a genetic screen in fission yeast by random...
MinireviewA Fresh Look at the Structure, Regulation, and Functions of FodrinFodrin and its erythroid cell-specific isoform spectrin are actin-associated fibrous proteins that play crucial roles in the maintenance of structural integrity in mammalian cells, which is necessary for proper cell function. Normal cell morphology is altered in diseases such as various cancers and certain neuronal disorders. Fodrin and spectrin are two-chain (αβ) molecules that are encoded by paralogous genes and share many features...
Research Article | SpotlightImmunoglobulin Class Switch Recombination Is Initiated by Rare Cytosine Deamination Events at Switch RegionsActivation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR), somatic hypermutation (SHM), and gene conversion by converting DNA cytosines to uracils at specific genomic regions. In this study, we examined AID footprints across the entire length of an engineered switch region in cells ablated for uracil repair. We found that AID deamination occurs predominantly at WRC hot spots (where W is A...
Research ArticleIsc10, an Inhibitor That Links the Anaphase-Promoting Complex to a Meiosis-Specific Mitogen-Activated Protein KinaseSmk1 is a meiosis-specific mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in yeast that controls spore differentiation. It is activated by a MAPK binding protein, Ssp2, upon completion of the meiotic divisions. The activation of Smk1 by Ssp2 is positively regulated by a meiosis-specific coactivator of the anaphase promoting complex (APC/C) E3 ubiquitin ligase, Ama1. Here, we identify Isc10 as an inhibitor that links APC/CAma1 to...
Research Article | SpotlightHuman Insulin Growth Factor 2 mRNA Binding Protein 2 Increases MicroRNA 33a/b Inhibition of Liver ABCA1 Expression and Alters Low-Density Apolipoprotein Levels in MiceGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have linked IGF2BP2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Mice overexpressing mIGF2BP2 have elevated cholesterol levels when fed a diet that induces hepatic steatosis. These and other studies suggest an important role for insulin growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) in the initiation and progression of several metabolic disorders. The...
Research Article | SpotlightSpt5 Phosphorylation and the Rtf1 Plus3 Domain Promote Rtf1 Function through Distinct MechanismsRtf1 is a conserved RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) elongation factor that promotes cotranscriptional histone modification, RNAPII transcript elongation, and mRNA processing. Rtf1 function requires the phosphorylation of Spt5, an essential RNAPII processivity factor. Spt5 is phosphorylated within its C-terminal domain (CTD) by cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9), the catalytic component of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb)....
