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Aufrechterhaltung der Proteinhomeostase in aneuploiden humanen Zellen

Fachliche Zuordnung Allgemeine Genetik und funktionelle Genomforschung
Biochemie
Zellbiologie
Förderung Förderung von 2012 bis 2016
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 209937551
 
Erstellungsjahr 2018

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

What are the cellular consequences of abnormal chromosome numbers? Although up to 80 % of tumors contain non-diploid chromosome numbers, little is known about how cells react to this imbalance. To study consequences of aneuploidy, we have developed a model system where we transfer individual chromosomes to a diploid cell to construct aneuploid cells with defined karyotypic changes. By using this approach, we were able to directly compare isogenic cells that differ only by the presence of a single extra chromosome and to identify novel and previously unappreciated consequences of abnormal chromosome numbers. First, presence of extra chromosome markedly deregulated the gene expression. We found that not only the expression of genes encoded on the aneuploid chromosome was altered, but also genome-wide changes were readily identified. The latter changes are uniform regardless the identity of the extra chromosome and consist of on one hand overexpression of the genes required for lysosomal pathways and autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum, inflammatory response, membrane metabolism and glycolysis and, on the other hand, downregulation of genes required for cell cycle and growth, DNA replication, transcription and translation. Similar pathway deregulation was observed when proteome was analyzed. Moreover, this response to aneuploidy is highly conserved among various eukaryotic species. Further analysis of the phenotypical consequences of downregulation of DNA replication pathway revealed marked replication defects in aneuploid cells. Second, we found that the increased expression of the genes encoded on the extra chromosomes leads to imbalance in protein stoichiometry and subsequently to proteotoxic stress. This is reflected by upregulation of autophagy and lysosomal pathways, impaired protein folding and increased sensitivity to inhibitors of protein folding. Maintenance of protein homeostasis is critical for cellular processes, particular when considering balance among subunits of macromolecular protein complexes. Close analysis of the kinetics of protein stability revealed that proteasome-mediated degradation is essential to alleviate the consequences of imbalance among subunits of macromolecule complexes and this general phenomenon is of critical importance in aneuploid cells. Finally, autophagy seems to play an important role in cellular response to aneuploidy. We found that, in aneuploid cells, specifically the pathway of selective autophagy is active, which contributes to intracellular homeostasis by mediating the degradation of unwanted cytoplasmic material such as aggregated proteins, damaged or overabundant organelles and invading pathogens. Our data suggest that the transcription factor TFEB is critical to activation of this pathway in aneuploid cells. Further research will be required to fully understand the mechanisms of autophagy activation in response to abnormal chromosome numbers and its function in aneuploid cells. Taken together, using a novel model of defined aneuploidy in human cells, we have made a significant progress towards understanding the complex cellular changes triggered by abnormal chromosome numbers. Since aneuploidy is a common pathological factor, we believe that by defining the key aspects of the cellular stresses triggered by aneuploidy we will be able to determine novel and previously underappreciated therapeutical opportunities.

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