Di Maio, Nunzia
(2015)
Molecular mechanisms underlying the functional multiplicity of human DKC1 gene.
[Tesi di dottorato]
| Item Type: |
Tesi di dottorato
|
| Lingua: |
English |
| Title: |
Molecular mechanisms underlying the functional multiplicity of human DKC1 gene |
| Creators: |
| Creators | Email |
|---|
| Di Maio, Nunzia | nunzia.dimaio@unina.it |
|
| Date: |
31 March 2015 |
| Number of Pages: |
80 |
| Institution: |
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II |
| Department: |
Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche |
| Scuola di dottorato: |
Medicina molecolare |
| Dottorato: |
Genetica e medicina molecolare |
| Ciclo di dottorato: |
27 |
| Coordinatore del Corso di dottorato: |
| nome | email |
|---|
| Nitsch, Lucio | lucio.nitsch@unina.it |
|
| Tutor: |
| nome | email |
|---|
| Furia, Maria | UNSPECIFIED |
|
| Date: |
31 March 2015 |
| Number of Pages: |
80 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
dyskerin, X-DC, Cell adhesion |
| Settori scientifico-disciplinari del MIUR: |
Area 05 - Scienze biologiche > BIO/18 - Genetica |
| Aree tematiche (7° programma Quadro): |
SALUTE e TUTELA DEL CONSUMATORE > Biotecnologie, strumenti e tecnologie generiche per la salute umana |
[error in script]
[error in script]
| Date Deposited: |
11 Apr 2015 09:13 |
| Last Modified: |
06 May 2018 01:00 |
| URI: |
http://www.fedoa.unina.it/id/eprint/10431 |
| DOI: |
10.6093/UNINA/FEDOA/10431 |
Abstract
Hypomorphic mutations of the DKC1 gene cause the Xlinked
dyskeratosis congenita, an inherited multisystemic disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms, including mucocutaneous features, stem cell dysfunction, bone marrow failure, and increased susceptibility to cancer. DKC1 encodes an evolutionarily conserved protein, called dyskerin, whose activity is essential for cellular vitality. Dyskerin participates in at least two functional ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes that play essential roles in
the cell. The protein is in fact an essential component of H/ACA snoRNPs,
which are involved in the processing and pseudouridylation of rRNAs. In
addition, through its binding to the telomerase RNA component (TERC), that
contains an H/ACA RNA motif, dyskerin participates in the active complex of
telomerase, ensuring telomeres stability and maintenance.
In order to investigate and characterize in more detail the effects triggered by
DKC1 loss of function on human cells, we generated a stable cellular model
able to reduce gene expression, upon inducible RNA interference, without
affecting the expression of the alternatively spliced cytoplasmic isofom 3.
I focussed my analyses on the effects triggered by dyskerin depletion well
before telomere erosion, in order to define the spectrum of telomere independent outcomes. Intriguingly, I found that dyskerin depletion affected
cell adhesion. In fact, dyskerin dowregulation perturbed both cell-cell and cell substrate adhesion, causing reduced expression of some proteins involved in the tight and adherens junctions, and in the focal adhesions. Moreover, coimmunoprecipitations analyses revealed interactions between dyskerin and some component of focal adhesions, while confocal microscopy indicates that this interaction can occur at level of the plasma membrane. Finally, I observed that dyskerin depletion alter cell morphology and increases cell motility.
Altogether, these results could be of valuable help to understanding the
puzzling relationship that links pseudouridine synthases loss-of-function to
cancer predisposition.
Downloads per month over past year
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
