Yoshinobu Harada

Location of the mouse complement factor H gene (cfh) by FISH analysis and replication R-banding

A technique for replication R- and G-banding of mouse lymphocyte chromosomes was developed, and the replication R-banding pattern was analyzed. Optimal banding patterns were obtained with thymidine- and BrdU-treatment of lymphocytes in the same cell cycle. This produced replication R-band patterns that were the complete reverse of the G-band patterns on all chromosomes. Replication R-banding methods can be used in conjunction with nonisotopic, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to localize cloned probes to specific chromosomal bands on mouse chromosomes. with these methods the mouse complement factor H gene (cfh) was localized to the terminal portion of the F region of Chromosome 1. Q-banding patterns were also obtained by the replication R-banding method and may be useful for rapid identification of each chromosome.

Postnatal Growth Failure, Short Life Span, and Early Onset of Cellular Senescence and Subsequent Immortalization in Mice Lacking the Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group G Gene

ABSTRACT The xeroderma pigmentosum group G (XP-G) gene (XPG) encodes a structure-specific DNA endonuclease that functions in nucleotide excision repair (NER). XP-G patients show various symptoms, ranging from mild cutaneous abnormalities to severe dermatological impairments. In some cases, patients exhibit growth failure and life-shortening and neurological dysfunctions, which are characteristics of Cockayne syndrome (CS). The known XPG protein function as the 3′ nuclease in NER, however, cannot explain the development of CS in certain XP-G patients. To gain an insight into the functions of the XPG protein, we have generated and examined mice lacking xpg (the mouse counterpart of the humanXPG gene) alleles. The xpg-deficient mice exhibited postnatal growth failure and underwent premature death. SinceXPA-deficient mice, which are totally defective in NER, do not show such symptoms, our data indicate that XPG performs an additional function(s) besides its role in NER. Our in vitro studies showed that primary embryonic fibroblasts isolated from thexpg-deficient mice underwent premature senescence and exhibited the early onset of immortalization and accumulation of p53.

Identification of the XPG Region That Causes the Onset of Cockayne Syndrome by Using Xpg Mutant Mice Generated by the cDNA-Mediated Knock-In Method

ABSTRACT In addition to xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), mutations in the human XPG gene cause early onset of Cockayne syndrome (CS) in some patients (XPG/CS). The CS-causing mutations in such patients all produce truncated XPG proteins. To test the hypothesis that the CS phenotype, with characteristics such as growth retardation and a short life span in XPG/CS patients, results from C-terminal truncations, we constructed mutants with C-terminal truncations in mouse XPG (Xpg) (from residue D811 to the stop codon [XpgD811stop] and deletion of exon 15 [XpgΔex15]). In the XpgD811stop and XpgΔex15 mutations, the last 360 and 183 amino acids of the protein were deleted, respectively. To generate Xpg mutant mice, we devised the shortcut knock-in method by replacing genomic DNA with a mutated cDNA fragment (cDNA-mediated knock in). The control mice, in which one-half of Xpg genomic DNA fragment was replaced with a normal Xpg cDNA fragment, had a normal growth rate, a normal life span, normal sensitivity to UV light, and normal DNA repair ability, indicating that the Xpg gene partially replaced with the normal cDNA fragment retained normal functions. The XpgD811stop homozygous mice exhibited growth retardation and a short life span, but the XpgΔex15 homozygous mice did not, indicating that deletion of the last 360 amino acids results in the CS phenotype but deletion of the last 183 amino acids does not. The XpgD811stop homozygous mice, however, exhibited a slightly milder CS phenotype than did the Xpg null mutant mice, indicating that the XpgD811stop protein still retains some Xpg function that affects the severity of the CS phenotype.

Knockdown of COPA, identified by loss-of-function screen, induces apoptosis and suppresses tumor growth in mesothelioma mouse model.

Malignant mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor arising from serosal surfaces of the pleura and is triggered by past exposure to asbestos. Currently, there is no widely accepted treatment for mesothelioma. Development of effective drug treatments for human cancers requires identification of therapeutic molecular targets. We therefore conducted a large-scale functional screening of mesothelioma cells using a genome-wide small interfering RNA library. We determined that knockdown of 39 genes suppressed mesothelioma cell proliferation. At least seven of the 39 genes-COPA, COPB2, EIF3D, POLR2A, PSMA6, RBM8A, and RPL18A-would be involved in anti-apoptotic function. In particular, the COPA protein was highly expressed in some mesothelioma cell lines but not in a pleural mesothelial cell line. COPA knockdown induced apoptosis and suppressed tumor growth in a mesothelioma mouse model. Therefore, COPA may have the potential of a therapeutic target and a new diagnostic marker of mesothelioma.

An ERCC5 gene with homology to yeast RAD2 is involved in group G xeroderma pigmentosum

We have isolated a human excision repair gene ERCC5 which complements the defect of the mouse UV-sensitive mutant XL216 (rodent complementation group 5). Here we report cDNA cloning of human and mouse ERCC5 genes using an exon containing an ERCC5 fragment as a probe. The ERCC5 cDNA encodes a predicted 133-kDa nuclear protein that shares some homology with the product of the yeast DNA repair gene RAD2. Transfection with mouse ERCC5 cDNA restored normal levels of UV resistance to XL216 cells. Microinjection of ERCC5 cDNA specifically restored the defect of xeroderma pigmentosum group G cells (XP-G) as measured by unscheduled DNA synthesis, and XP-G cells stably transformed with ERCC5 cDNA showed nearly normal UV resistance.

Purkinje cell degeneration in mice lacking the xeroderma pigmentosum group G gene

Laboratory mice carrying the nonfunctional xeroderma pigmentosum group G gene (the mouse counterpart of the human XPG gene) alleles have been generated by using gene‐targeting and embryonic stem cell technology. Homozygote animals of this autosomal recessive disease exhibited signs and symptoms, such as postnatal growth retardation, reduced levels of activity, progressive ataxia and premature death, similar to the clinical manifestations of Cockayne syndrome (CS). Histological analysis of the cerebellum revealed multiple pyknotic cells in the Purkinje cell layer of the xpg homozygotes, which had atrophic cell bodies and shrunken nuclei. Further examination by an immunohistochemistry for calbindin‐D 28k (CaBP) showed that a large number of immunoreactive Purkinje cells were atrophic and their dendritic trees were smaller and shorter than in wild‐type littermates. These results indicated a marked degeneration of Purkinje cells in the xpg mutant cerebellum. Study by in situ detection of DNA fragmentation in the cerebellar cortex demonstrated that some deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)‐mediated dUTP‐biotin in situ nick labeling (TUNEL)‐positive cells appeared in the granule layer of the mutant mice, but few cell deaths were confirmed in the Purkinje layer. These results suggested Purkinje cell degeneration in the mutant cerebellum was underway, in which much Purkinje cell death had not appeared, and the appearance of some abnormal cerebellar symptoms in the xpg‐deficient mice was not only due to a marked Purkinje cell degeneration, but also to damage of other cells. J. Neurosci. Res. 64:348–354, 2001.

Rodent complementation group 8 (ERCC8) corresponds to Cockayne syndrome complementation group A.

US31 is a UV-sensitive mutant cell line (rodent complementation group 8) derived from a mouse T cell line L5178Y. We analyzed removal kinetics for UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts in US31 cells using monoclonal antibodies against these photoproducts. While nearly all (6-4) photoproducts were repaired within 6 h after UV-irradiation, more than 70% of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers remained unrepaired even 24 h after UV-irradiation. These kinetics resembled those of Cockayne syndrome (CS) cells. Since US31 cells had a low efficiency of cell fusion and transfection, which hampered both complementation tests and gene cloning, we constructed fibroblastic complementation group 8 cell line 6L1030 by fusion of US31 cells with X-irradiated normal mouse fibroblastic LTA cells. Complementation tests by cell fusion and transfection using 6L1030 cells revealed that rodent complementation group 8 corresponded to CS complementation group A.

Sequence tagged sites of microclones obtained by microdissection of a human chromosomal region 11q23 and isolation of yeast artificial chromosomes

SummaryA human chromosomal region 11q23-specific DNA library has been constructed by means of microdissection-microcloning method with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique (Seki et al., Genomics16: 1993). DNA sequences were determined for 25 microclones that contained approximately 300–500 bp insert and gave a unique (single copy) signal in Southern blot analysis. The sequence tagged site (STS) was designed and appropriate condition for PCR was determined for each unique microclone. Twelve STSs were established and used for PCR-screening of human genomic libraries constructed with yeast artificial chromosome (YAC). Thirteen YAC clones have been isolated from eight STSs. These chromosomal region-specific STSs and YAC clones will be useful in the positional cloning of disease-related genes localized to the q23 region of chromosome 11.

Animal Models of Xeroderma Pigmentosum

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal disorder characterized by hypersensitivity of the skin to sunlight specifically to ultraviolet (UV) which can lead to high rate of susceptibility to skin cancer and other kinds of neurodegenerative problems. Compared to normal individuals, XP patients have a more than 1000-fold increased risk of developing skin cancer on sun-exposed areas of their body. Genetic and molecular analyses have revealed that the repair of UV-induced DNA damage is impaired in XP patients owing to mutations in genes that form part of a DNA-repair pathway known as nucleotide excision repair (NER). XP is, therefore, regarded as a convincing human example of the link between DNA repair deficiency and cancer risk. However, this relationship has not been examined in detail in humans due to the limited number of XP patients and their frequent early death due to skin cancer and neurological problems. For these reasons are required the generation of equivalent animal models to determine their exact molecular mechanisms.

Developmental characteristics of mice lacking the DNA excision repair gene XPG

A new mutant mice that carried the nonfunctional xeroderma pigmentosum group G gene (the mouse counterpart of the human XPG gene) alleles have been generated through a gene-targeting and embryonic stem cell technology. The developmental characteristics of the -/- homozygous mice identified by PCR and Northern blotting were studied. Body size of mutants was clearly smaller than normal littermates from the age of 6 days. Such postnatal growth failure became more and more obvious with developmental proceeding. By postnatal day 23, all of the mutants died after showing great weakness and emaciation. These symptoms in the mutants were similar to the clinical phenotypes of Cockayne syndrome. Moreover, some progressive neurological signs also appeared in the homozygous mice around 2 weeks after birth. When compared development of brains at postnatal day 19, both cerebrum and cerebellum of the xpg-mutants were smaller and significant difference from the wild-types. Their weights only accounted for 79.5% and 66.9% of those in the wild-types, respectively. Such microcephaly and progressive neurological signs mimicked the clinical phenotype of the patients with XPG. We believe that the xpg null mice will be an animal model for studying mechanisms concerning the clinic symptoms and Cockayne syndrome in XPG patients.