Cell cycle dependent localization of the telomeric PARP, tankyrase, to nuclear pore complexes and centrosomes. (1/92)

Tankyrase is a human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase that was initially identified through its interaction with the telomeric protein TRF1, a negative regulator of telomere length. In vitro poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by tankyrase inhibits TRF1 binding to telomeric DNA suggesting a role for tankyrase in telomere function. We previously demonstrated that tankyrase co-localizes with TRF1 at the ends of human chromosomes in metaphase. Here we show that tankyrase localizes to additional subcellular sites in a cell cycle dependent manner. In interphase, tankyrase co-localized with TRF1 to telomeres, but in addition was found to reside at nuclear pore complexes, as evidenced by indirect immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation and immunoelectron microscopy. At mitosis, concomitant with nuclear envelope breakdown and nuclear pore complex disassembly, tankyrase was found to relocate around the pericentriolar matrix of mitotic centrosomes. This complex staining pattern along with the observation that tankyrase did not contain a nuclear localization signal suggested that its telomeric localization might be regulated, perhaps by TRF1. Indeed, localization of exogenously-expressed tankyrase to telomeres was dependent upon co-transfection with TRF1. These data indicate that the subcellular localization of tankyrase can be regulated by both the cell cycle and TRF1.  (+info)

Tankyrase is a golgi-associated mitogen-activated protein kinase substrate that interacts with IRAP in GLUT4 vesicles. (2/92)

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase tankyrase was originally described as a telomeric protein whose catalytic activity was proposed to regulate telomere function. Subsequent studies revealed that most tankyrase is actually extranuclear, but a discordant pattern of cytoplasmic targeting was reported. Here we used fractionation and immunofluorescence to show in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts that tankyrase is a peripheral membrane protein associated with the Golgi. We further colocalized tankyrase with GLUT4 storage vesicles in the juxtanuclear region of adipocytes. Consistent with this colocalization, we found that tankyrase binds specifically to a resident protein of GLUT4 vesicles, IRAP (insulin-responsive amino peptidase). The binding of tankyrase to IRAP involves the ankyrin repeats of tankyrase and a defined sequence ((96)RQSPDG(101)) in the IRAP cytosolic domain (IRAP(1-109)). Tankyrase is a novel signaling target of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); it is stoichiometrically phosphorylated upon insulin stimulation. Phosphorylation enhances the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity of tankyrase but apparently does not mediate the acute effect of insulin on GLUT4 targeting. Taken together, tankyrase is a novel target of MAPK signaling in the Golgi, where it is tethered to GLUT4 vesicles by binding to IRAP. We speculate that tankyrase may be involved in the long term effect of the MAPK cascade on the metabolism of GLUT4 vesicles.  (+info)

Tankyrase promotes telomere elongation in human cells. (3/92)

Human telomeres are maintained by telomerase, a reverse transcriptase that adds telomeric repeats to chromosome ends [1,2]. In human tumors and immortalized cells, telomeres are often maintained at a constant length setting [3,4], indicating that telomerase-mediated telomere elongation is tightly regulated. Tankyrase, a telomeric poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) [5], was identified through its interaction with TRF1 [6], a negative regulator of telomere extension by telomerase [7]. Tankyrase-mediated ADP-ribosylation inhibits binding of TRF1 to telomeric repeats in vitro [5], suggesting that tankyrase might regulate TRF1 and therefore control telomere dynamics in vivo. Here, we present evidence that tankyrase acts as a positive regulator of telomere elongation in vivo, apparently by inhibiting TRF1. Overexpression of tankyrase in the nucleus diminished the level of unmodified TRF1 in immunoblots and led to reduced immunofluorescence of TRF1 at interphase telomeres. Long-term overexpression of tankyrase in telomerase-positive human cells resulted in a gradual and progressive elongation of telomeres. A PARP-deficient form of tankyrase failed to affect TRF1 and did not alter telomere length dynamics, consistent with ADP-ribosylation of TRF1 as the main cause of altered telomere homeostasis. Our results indicate that tankyrase can induce telomere elongation in human cells. We propose that tankyrase-mediated ADP-ribosylation of TRF1 opens the telomeric complex, allowing access to telomerase.  (+info)

Mammalian meiotic telomeres: protein composition and redistribution in relation to nuclear pores. (4/92)

Mammalian telomeres consist of TTAGGG repeats, telomeric repeat binding factor (TRF), and other proteins, resulting in a protective structure at chromosome ends. Although structure and function of the somatic telomeric complex has been elucidated in some detail, the protein composition of mammalian meiotic telomeres is undetermined. Here we show, by indirect immunofluorescence (IF), that the meiotic telomere complex is similar to its somatic counterpart and contains significant amounts of TRF1, TRF2, and hRap1, while tankyrase, a poly-(ADP-ribose)polymerase at somatic telomeres and nuclear pores, forms small signals at ends of human meiotic chromosome cores. Analysis of rodent spermatocytes reveals Trf1 at mouse, TRF2 at rat, and mammalian Rap1 at meiotic telomeres of both rodents. Moreover, we demonstrate that telomere repositioning during meiotic prophase occurs in sectors of the nuclear envelope that are distinct from nuclear pore-dense areas. The latter form during preleptotene/leptotene and are present during entire prophase I.  (+info)

Novel tankyrase-related gene detected with meningioma-specific sera. (5/92)

In many meningiomas, alterations of chromosome 22 can be found, and the NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2) gene, in particular, is of great interest as a putative gene involved in meningioma. Because the NF2 gene is not mutated in all meningiomas, additional genes may be involved. Instead of looking for alterations directly at the DNA level, we used the immune response of meningioma patients to identify immunogenic antigens that may be associated with the disease. We screened a fetal brain cDNA expression library with sera pools from different patients bearing meningioma classified according to the three WHO grades, using the serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning immunological screening method. Here, we report the finding of a new tankyrase-related protein. We found 16 overlapping clones with homologies to tankyrase when we screened the library with the common-type meningioma sera pool and 2 such clones when we screened the library with the atypical meningioma sera. The anaplastic meningioma sera did not identify any tankyrase-related clones. We tested some of the newly identified clones with 13 single sera, 6 of which (37.5%) reacted positively with the tankyrase-related clones. In addition, we screened the tankyrase-related clone with six sera pools from individuals without obvious disease. Although 1 of 24 (4.2%) normal sera reacted with the tankyrase-related clone, we found a striking difference in the frequency of reactivity to this clone by sera from patients bearing tumors corresponding to the three WHO meningioma grades; common-type sera was the most frequently reactive. Northern blot analysis demonstrates expression of the novel tankyrase gene in two common-type meningiomas from patients with immune response.  (+info)

Telomerase activity in plasma cell dyscrasias. (6/92)

Activation of telomerase is essential for in vitro cellular immortalization and tumorigenesis. In the present study, we investigated telomerase activation and its implications in plasma cell dyscrasias including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), multiple myeloma (MM) and plasma cell leukaemia (PCL). All 5 patients with MGUS exhibited normal levels of telomerase activity in their plasma cells. Elevated telomerase activity was found in the samples from 21/27 patients with MM and 4/4 with PCL. In addition, 4 myeloma cell lines all expressed high levels of telomerase activity. The expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase RNA template (hTER) was positively associated with the levels of telomerase activity in MM/PCL. Tankyrase expression was upregulated, concomitant with the induction of hTERT and activation of telomerase in MM/PCL. The present findings indicate that MGUS cells may not be immortalized and that activation of telomerase plays a role in the malignant transformation from MGUS to MM.  (+info)

Identification of a novel human tankyrase through its interaction with the adaptor protein Grb14. (7/92)

Tankyrase is an ankyrin repeat-containing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase originally isolated as a binding partner for the telomeric protein TRF1, but recently identified as a mitogen-activated protein kinase substrate implicated in regulation of Golgi vesicle trafficking. In this study, a novel human tankyrase, designated tankyrase 2, was isolated in a yeast two-hybrid screen as a binding partner for the Src homology 2 domain-containing adaptor protein Grb14. Tankyrase 2 is a 130-kDa protein, which lacks the N-terminal histidine/proline/serine-rich region of tankyrase, but contains a corresponding ankyrin repeat region, sterile alpha motif module, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase homology domain. The TANKYRASE 2 gene localizes to chromosome 10q23.2 and is widely expressed, with mRNA transcripts particularly abundant in skeletal muscle and placenta. Upon subcellular fractionation, both Grb14 and tankyrase 2 associate with the low density microsome fraction, and association of these proteins in vivo can be detected by co-immunoprecipitation analysis. Deletion analyses implicate the N-terminal 110 amino acids of Grb14 and ankyrin repeats 10-19 of tankyrase 2 in mediating this interaction. This study supports a role for the tankyrases in cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways and suggests that vesicle trafficking may be involved in the subcellular localization or signaling function of Grb14.  (+info)

Cloning and characterization of TNKL, a member of tankyrase gene family. (8/92)

By serological screening of a breast tumor cDNA library we have identified a novel human gene, tnkl, encoding an ankyrin-related protein with a high degree of similarity to tankyrase, the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase associated with human telomeres (Smith et al, Science 282: 1484). The tnkl gene maps to chromosome 10, while the tnks gene encoding tankyrase is located on chromosome 8. The predicted 1166-aa protein product of the tnkl gene is 78% identical to human tankyrase and 62% to a putative D. melanogaster protein. Since the proteins have essentially identical domain structures, the corresponding genes form a distinct gene family. The possible link between TNKL and cancer justifies its further functional analysis.  (+info)