Role of nuclear glutathione as a key regulator of cell proliferation
MOLECULAR ASPECTS OF MEDICINE
Authors: Pallardo, Federico V.; Markovic, Jelena; Luis Garcia, Jose; Vina, Jose
Abstract
Glutathione (GSH) is essential for survival of eukaryotic but not in prokaryotic cells. Its functions in nucleated cells are far from being known. In fact GSH plays an important role in cell proliferation. The purpose of the present review is to summarize the relationship between glutathione and the important events that take place in the nucleus during the cell cycle. Most GSH co-localizes with nuclear DNA when cells are proliferating. However, when cells were confluent no differences between nucleus and cytoplasm could be seen. A number of relevant nuclear proteins are strictly dependent on nuclear redox status. For instance, we found that telomerase is regulated by shifts in glutathione redox potential within values similar to those found in vivo, and alterations in telomerase activity are coordinated with changes in critical cell cycle proteins, particularly Id2 and E2F4. More studies are required to establish the role of nuclear glutathione in the epigenetic control of histone function. The information provided in the present review suggests an important role of nuclear glutathione as a key regulator of epigenetic events that may be critical in the regulation of cell proliferation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dynamic site-specific recruitment of RBP2 by pocket protein p130 modulates H3K4 methylation on E2F-responsive promoters
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
Authors: Zargar, Zaffer Ullah; Kimidi, Mallikharjuna Rao; Tyagi, Shweta
Abstract
The Histone 3 lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me3) mark closely correlates with active transcription. E2F-responsive promoters display dynamic changes in H3K4 methylation during the course of cell cycle progression. However, how and when these marks are reset, is not known. Here we show that the retinoblastoma binding protein RBP2/KDM5A, capable of removing tri-methylation marks on H3K4, associates with the E2F4 transcription factor via the pocket protein-p130-in a cell-cycle-stage specific manner. The association of RBP2 with p130 is LxCxE motif dependent. RNAi experiments reveal that p130 recruits RBP2 to E2F-responsive promoters in early G1 phase to bring about H3K4 demethylation and gene repression. A point mutation in LxCxE motif of RBP2 renders it incapable of p130-interaction and hence, repression of E2F-regulated gene promoters. We also examine how RBP2 may be recruited to non-E2F responsive promoters. Our studies provide insight into how the chromatin landscape needs to be adjusted rapidly and periodically during cell-cycle progression, concomitantly with temporal transcription, to bring about expression/repression of specific gene sets.