Dalila Bensaddek

Common genetic variation drives molecular heterogeneity in human iPSCs

Technology utilizing human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) has enormous potential to provide improved cellular models of human disease. However, variable genetic and phenotypic characterization of many existing iPS cell lines limits their potential use for research and therapy. Here we describe the systematic generation, genotyping and phenotyping of 711 iPS cell lines derived from 301 healthy individuals by the Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Initiative. Our study outlines the major sources of genetic and phenotypic variation in iPS cells and establishes their suitability as models of complex human traits and cancer. Through genome-wide profiling we find that 5–46% of the variation in different iPS cell phenotypes, including differentiation capacity and cellular morphology, arises from differences between individuals. Additionally, we assess the phenotypic consequences of genomic copy-number alterations that are repeatedly observed in iPS cells. In addition, we present a comprehensive map of common regulatory variants affecting the transcriptome of human pluripotent cells.

PHD1 Links Cell-Cycle Progression to Oxygen Sensing through Hydroxylation of the Centrosomal Protein Cep192

Summary PHD1 belongs to the family of prolyl-4-hydroxylases (PHDs) that is responsible for posttranslational modification of prolines on specific target proteins. Because PHD activity is sensitive to oxygen levels and certain byproducts of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, PHDs act as sensors of the cell’s metabolic state. Here, we identify PHD1 as a critical molecular link between oxygen sensing and cell-cycle control. We show that PHD1 function is required for centrosome duplication and maturation through modification of the critical centrosome component Cep192. Importantly, PHD1 is also required for primary cilia formation. Cep192 is hydroxylated by PHD1 on proline residue 1717. This hydroxylation is required for binding of the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFSkp2, which ubiquitinates Cep192, targeting it for proteasomal degradation. By modulating Cep192 levels, PHD1 thereby affects the processes of centriole duplication and centrosome maturation and contributes to the regulation of cell-cycle progression.

Micro‐proteomics with iterative data analysis: proteome analysis in C. elegans at the single worm level

Proteomics studies typically analyze proteins at a population level, using extracts prepared from tens of thousands to millions of cells. The resulting measurements correspond to average values across the cell population and can mask considerable variation in protein expression and function between individual cells or organisms. Here, we report the development of micro‐proteomics for the analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans, a eukaryote composed of 959 somatic cells and ∼1500 germ cells, measuring the worm proteome at a single organism level to a depth of ∼3000 proteins. This includes detection of proteins across a wide dynamic range of expression levels (>6 orders of magnitude), including many chromatin‐associated factors involved in chromosome structure and gene regulation. We apply the micro‐proteomics workflow to measure the global proteome response to heat‐shock in individual nematodes. This shows variation between individual animals in the magnitude of proteome response following heat‐shock, including variable induction of heat‐shock proteins. The micro‐proteomics pipeline thus facilitates the investigation of stochastic variation in protein expression between individuals within an isogenic population of C. elegans. All data described in this study are available online via the Encyclopedia of Proteome Dynamics (http://www.peptracker.com/epd), an open access, searchable database resource.

Targeted Knock-Down of miR21 Primary Transcripts Using snoMEN Vectors Induces Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cell Lines

We have previously reported an antisense technology, ‘snoMEN vectors’, for targeted knock-down of protein coding mRNAs using human snoRNAs manipulated to contain short regions of sequence complementarity with the mRNA target. Here we characterise the use of snoMEN vectors to target the knock-down of micro RNA primary transcripts. We document the specific knock-down of miR21 in HeLa cells using plasmid vectors expressing miR21-targeted snoMEN RNAs and show this induces apoptosis. Knock-down is dependent on the presence of complementary sequences in the snoMEN vector and the induction of apoptosis can be suppressed by over-expression of miR21. Furthermore, we have also developed lentiviral vectors for delivery of snoMEN RNAs and show this increases the efficiency of vector transduction in many human cell lines that are difficult to transfect with plasmid vectors. Transduction of lentiviral vectors expressing snoMEN targeted to pri-miR21 induces apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells, which express high levels of miR21, but not in human primary cells. We show that snoMEN-mediated suppression of miRNA expression is prevented by siRNA knock-down of Ago2, but not by knock-down of Ago1 or Upf1. snoMEN RNAs colocalise with Ago2 in cell nuclei and nucleoli and can be co-immunoprecipitated from nuclear extracts by antibodies specific for Ago2.

CDK-dependent phosphorylation of PHD1 on serine 130 alters its substrate preference in cells

ABSTRACT PHD1 (also known as EGLN2) belongs to a family of prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) that are involved in the control of the cellular response to hypoxia. PHD1 is also able to regulate mitotic progression through the regulation of the crucial centrosomal protein Cep192, establishing a link between the oxygen-sensing and the cell cycle machinery. Here, we demonstrate that PHD1 is phosphorylated by CDK2, CDK4 and CDK6 at S130. This phosphorylation fluctuates with the cell cycle and can be induced through oncogenic activation. Functionally, PHD1 phosphorylation leads to increased induction of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) protein levels and activity during hypoxia. PHD1 phosphorylation does not alter its intrinsic enzymatic activity, but instead decreases the interaction between PHD1 and HIF1α. Interestingly, although phosphorylation of PHD1 at S130 lowers its activity towards HIF1α, this modification increases the activity of PHD1 towards Cep192. These results establish a mechanism by which cell cycle mediators, such as CDKs, temporally control the activity of PHD1, directly altering the regulation of HIF1α and Cep192. Summary: CDK-mediated phosphorylation of PHD1 at serine 130 controls target specificity and confers cell cycle regulation of PHD1.

FMN2 is a novel regulator of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21

We have identified the human FMN2 gene as a novel target regulated by induction of p14ARF and by multiple other stress responses, including DNA damage and hypoxia, which have in common activation of cell cycle arrest. We showed that increased expression of the FMN2 gene following p14ARF induction is caused, at the transcriptional level, by relief of repression by RelA and E2F1, which, under non-induced conditions, bind the FMN2 promoter. Increased FMN2 protein levels promote cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the degradation of p21, and our data show that control of p21 stability is a key part of the mechanism that regulates p21 induction. Consistent with this model, we have shown that transient expression of exogenous FMN2 protein alone is sufficient to increase p21 protein levels in cells, without altering p21 mRNA levels. Here, we provide additional evidence for the role of the N terminus of FMN2 as being the important domain required for p21 stability. In addition, we also investigate the role of RelA’s threonine 505 residue in the control of FMN2. Our results identify FMN2 as a crucial protein involved in the control of p21.

The Chromatin Assembly Factor Complex 1 (CAF1) and 5-Azacytidine (5-AzaC) Affect Cell Motility in Src-transformed Human Epithelial Cells

Tumor invasion into surrounding stromal tissue is a hallmark of high grade, metastatic cancers. Oncogenic transformation of human epithelial cells in culture can be triggered by activation of v-Src kinase, resulting in increased cell motility, invasiveness, and tumorigenicity and provides a valuable model for studying how changes in gene expression cause cancer phenotypes. Here, we show that epithelial cells transformed by activated Src show increased levels of DNA methylation and that the methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) potently blocks the increased cell motility and invasiveness induced by Src activation. A proteomic screen for chromatin regulators acting downstream of activated Src identified the replication-dependent histone chaperone CAF1 as an important factor for Src-mediated increased cell motility and invasion. We show that Src causes a 5-AzaC-sensitive decrease in both mRNA and protein levels of the p150 (CHAF1A) and p60 (CHAF1B), subunits of CAF1. Depletion of CAF1 in untransformed epithelial cells using siRNA was sufficient to recapitulate the increased motility and invasive phenotypes characteristic of transformed cells without activation of Src. Maintaining high levels of CAF1 by exogenous expression suppressed the increased cell motility and invasiveness phenotypes when Src was activated. These data identify a critical role of CAF1 in the dysregulation of cell invasion and motility phenotypes seen in transformed cells and also highlight an important role for epigenetic remodeling through DNA methylation for Src-mediated induction of cancer phenotypes.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of the Human Nucleolus.

Recent years have witnessed spectacular progress in the field of mass spectrometry (MS)-based quantitative proteomics, including advances in instrumentation, chromatography, sample preparation methods, and experimental design for multidimensional analyses. It is now possible not only to identify most of the protein components of a cell proteome in a single experiment, but also to describe additional proteome dimensions, such as protein turnover rates, posttranslational modifications, and subcellular localization. Furthermore, by comparing the proteome at different time points, it is possible to create a time-lapse view of proteome dynamics. By combining high-throughput quantitative proteomics with detailed subcellular fractionation protocols and data analysis techniques it is also now possible to characterize in detail the proteomes of specific subcellular organelles, providing important insights into cell regulatory mechanisms and physiological responses. In this chapter we present a reliable workflow and protocol for MS-based analysis and quantitation of the proteome of nucleoli isolated from human cells. The protocol presented is based on a SILAC analysis of human MCF10A-Src-ER cells with analysis performed on a Q-Exactive Plus Orbitrap MS instrument (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The subsequent chapter describes how to process the resulting raw MS files from this experiment using MaxQuant software and data analysis procedures to evaluate the nucleolar proteome using customized R scripts.

Evaluating the use of HILIC in large-scale, multi dimensional proteomics: Horses for courses?

Graphical abstract

Comparative genetic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of C . elegans embryos with a focus on ham - 1 /STOX and pig - 1 /MELK in dopaminergic neuron development

Asymmetric cell divisions are required for cellular diversity and defects can lead to altered daughter cell fates and numbers. In a genetic screen for C. elegans mutants with defects in dopaminergic head neuron specification or differentiation, we isolated a new allele of the transcription factor HAM-1 [HSN (Hermaphrodite-Specific Neurons) Abnormal Migration]. Loss of both HAM-1 and its target, the kinase PIG-1 [PAR-1(I)-like Gene], leads to abnormal dopaminergic head neuron numbers. We identified discrete genetic relationships between ham-1, pig-1 and apoptosis pathway genes in dopaminergic head neurons. We used an unbiased, quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach to characterise direct and indirect protein targets and pathways that mediate the effects of PIG-1 kinase loss in C. elegans embryos. Proteins showing changes in either abundance, or phosphorylation levels, between wild-type and pig-1 mutant embryos are predominantly connected with processes including cell cycle, asymmetric cell division, apoptosis and actomyosin-regulation. Several of these proteins play important roles in C. elegans development. Our data provide an in-depth characterisation of the C. elegans wild-type embryo proteome and phosphoproteome and can be explored via the Encyclopedia of Proteome Dynamics (EPD) – an open access, searchable online database.