Publications by authors named "Gregory Tombline"

To what extent and how post-transcriptional dysregulation affects aging proteome remains unclear. Here, we provide proteomic data of whole-tissue lysates (WTL) and low-solubility protein-enriched fractions (LSF) of major tissues collected from mice of 6, 15, 24, and 30 months of age. Low-solubility proteins are preferentially affected by age and the analysis of LSF doubles the number of proteins identified to be differentially expressed with age.

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Cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, with metastasis being a key contributor to its lethality. Abundant high molecular mass hyaluronic acid, a major non-protein component of extracellular matrix, protects naked mole rats from cancer and reduces cancer incidence in mice. Hyaluronidase plays a critical role in degrading hyaluronic acid and is frequently overexpressed in metastatic cancer.

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The North American beaver is an exceptionally long-lived and cancer-resistant rodent species. Here, we report the evolutionary changes in its gene coding sequences, copy numbers, and expression. We identify changes that likely increase its ability to detoxify aldehydes, enhance tumor suppression and DNA repair, and alter lipid metabolism, potentially contributing to its longevity and cancer resistance.

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When transcribed DNA is damaged, the transcription and DNA repair machineries must interact to ensure successful DNA repair. The mechanisms of this interaction in the context of chromatin are still being elucidated. Here we show that the SIRT6 protein enhances non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNA repair by transiently repressing transcription.

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Naked mole-rat (NMR), the longest-living rodent, produces very-high-molecular-mass hyaluronan (vHMM-HA), compared to other mammalian species. However, it is unclear if exceptional polymer length of vHMM-HA is important for longevity. Here, we show that vHMM-HA (>6.

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Mammalian species differ up to 100-fold in their aging rates and maximum lifespans. Long-lived mammals appear to possess traits that extend lifespan and healthspan. Genomic analyses have not revealed a single pro-longevity function that would account for all longevity effects.

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SIRT6 is critical for activating transcription of Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) responsive genes during oxidative stress. However, while the mechanism of SIRT6-mediated silencing is well understood, the mechanism of SIRT6-mediated transcriptional activation is unknown. Here, we employed SIRT6 separation of function mutants to reveal that SIRT6 mono-ADP-ribosylation activity is required for transcriptional activation.

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DNA repair has been hypothesized to be a longevity determinant, but the evidence for it is based largely on accelerated aging phenotypes of DNA repair mutants. Here, using a panel of 18 rodent species with diverse lifespans, we show that more robust DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, but not nucleotide excision repair (NER), coevolves with longevity. Evolution of NER, unlike DSB, is shaped primarily by sunlight exposure.

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Naked mole rat (NMR) is a valuable model for aging and cancer research due to its exceptional longevity and cancer resistance. We observed that the reprogramming efficiency of NMR fibroblasts in response to OSKM was drastically lower than that of mouse fibroblasts. Expression of SV40 LargeT antigen (LT) dramatically improved reprogramming of NMR fibroblasts.

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A progressive loss of genome maintenance has been implicated as both a cause and consequence of aging. Here we present evidence supporting the hypothesis that an age-associated decay in genome maintenance promotes aging in (yeast) due to an inability to sense or repair DNA damage by topoisomerase 2 (yTop2). We describe the characterization of LS1, identified in a high throughput screen for small molecules that shorten the replicative lifespan of yeast.

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The accumulation of damage caused by oxidative stress has been linked to aging and to the etiology of numerous age-related diseases. The longevity gene, sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), promotes genome stability by facilitating DNA repair, especially under oxidative stress conditions. Here we uncover the mechanism by which SIRT6 is activated by oxidative stress to promote DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair.

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Acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) thioesters are key metabolites in numerous anabolic and catabolic pathways, including fatty acid biosynthesis and β-oxidation, the Krebs cycle, and cholesterol and isoprenoid biosynthesis. Stable isotope dilution-based methodology is the "gold standard" for quantitative analyses by mass spectrometry. However, chemical synthesis of families of stable isotope-labeled metabolites such as acyl-CoA thioesters is impractical.

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We have developed a method to identify previously undetected histidine and aspartic acid phosphorylations in a human prostate cancer progression model. A phosphoproteome of our cell line model is presented, with correlation of modified protein expression between the three states of cancer: non-tumorigenic, tumorigenic, and metastatic cells. With the described interaction proteins potentially phosphorylated by NM23-H1, cellular responses to motility and conformational change stimuli would be achievable.

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1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), which catalyzes the first committed step in the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis used by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other infectious microorganisms, is absent in humans and therefore an attractive drug target. Fosmidomycin is a nanomolar inhibitor of DXR, but despite great efforts, few analogues with comparable potency have been developed. DXR contains a strictly conserved residue, Trp203, within a flexible loop that closes over and interacts with the bound inhibitor.

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pae) is a clinically important opportunistic pathogen. Herein, we demonstrate that the PA1006 protein is critical for all nitrate reductase activities, growth as a biofilm in a continuous flow system, as well as virulence in mouse burn and rat lung model systems. Microarray analysis revealed that ΔPA1006 cells displayed extensive alterations in gene expression including nitrate-responsive, quorum sensing (including PQS production), and iron-regulated genes, as well as molybdenum cofactor and Fe-S cluster biosynthesis factors, members of the TCA cycle, and Type VI Secretion System components.

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A companion manuscript revealed that deletion of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pae) PA1006 gene caused pleiotropic defects in metabolism including a loss of all nitrate reductase activities, biofilm maturation, and virulence. Herein, several complementary approaches indicate that PA1006 protein serves as a persulfide-modified protein that is critical for molybdenum homeostasis in Pae. Mutation of a highly conserved Cys22 to Ala or Ser resulted in a loss of PA1006 activity.

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Phosphorylation is a ubiquitous protein post-translational modification that is intimately involved in most aspects of cellular regulation. Currently, most proteomic analyses are performed with phosphorylation searches for serine, threonine, and tyrosine modifications, as the phosphorylated residues of histidine and aspartic acid are acid labile and thus undetectable with most proteomic methodologies. Here, we present a novel buffer system to show histidine phosphorylation of NM23-H1, the product of the first identified putative human metastasis suppressor gene (NME1), which catalyzes the transfer of the γ-phosphate from nucleoside triphosphates to nucleoside diphosphates.

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We have examined 46 tetramethylrosamine/rhodamine derivatives with structural diversity in the heteroatom of the xanthylium core, the amino substituents of the 3- and 6-positions, and the alkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl group at the 9-substituent. These compounds were examined for affinity and ATPase stimulation in isolated MDR3 CL P-gp and human P-gp-His(10), for their ability to promote uptake of calcein AM and vinblastine in multidrug-resistant MDCKII-MDR1 cells, and for transport in monolayers of MDCKII-MDR1 cells. Thioamide 31-S gave K(M) of 0.

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A series of chalcogenopyrylium dyes were evaluated as modulators/inhibitors of P-glycoprotein (Pgp). Their ability to inhibit verapamil (VER)-dependent ATPase activity (IC(50) values) in lipid-activated, mouse Cys-less mdr3 Pgp was determined. Their ability to promote calcein-AM (CAM) uptake in MDCKII-MDR1 cells and their capacity to be transported by Pgp in monolayers of MDCKII-MDR1 cells were also evaluated.

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The multidrug efflux pump P-glycoprotein (Pgp) couples drug transport to ATP hydrolysis. Previously, using a synthetic library of tetramethylrosamine ( TMR) analogues, we observed significant variation in ATPase stimulation ( V m (D)). Concentrations required for half-maximal ATPase stimulation ( K m (D)) correlated with ATP hydrolysis transition-state stabilization and ATP occlusion (EC 50 (D)) at a single site.

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Pentacyclic thio- (1) and seleno- (2) analogues of tetramethylrosamine (TMR) were prepared with a julolidyl fragment replacing the 3-dimethylamino substituent in the xanthylium core. The pentacylic structure increases the lipophilicity of 1 and 2 relative to TMR-S and TMR-Se and locks the lone-pair of electrons on the julolidyl N atom into conjugation with the xanthylium core. This conformational rigidization leads to longer wavelengths of absorption, but has little impact on other photophysical properties such as quantum yields for fluorescence and singlet-oxygen generation and fluorescence lifetimes in 1 and 2 relative to TMR-S and TMR-Se.

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The multidrug resistance efflux pump P-glycoprotein (Pgp) couples drug export to ATP binding and hydrolysis. Details regarding drug trajectory, as well as the molecular basis for coupling, remain unknown. Nearly all drugs exported by Pgp have been assayed for competitive behavior with rhodamine123 transport at a canonical "R" drug binding site.

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We review recent work on E552A/E1197A P-glycoprotein. This ATPase-defective mutant occludes MgATP tightly with maximal 1/1 stoichiometry in drug-sensitive fashion. The occluded nucleotide conformation appears to represent a transient, asymmetric, catalytic intermediate.

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hRAD51 lacks cooperative DNA-dependent ATPase activity and appears to function with 5-10-fold less Mg2+ compared to RecA. We have further explored the effect of Mg2+ on adenosine nucleotide binding, ATPase, and DNA strand exchange activities. hRAD51 was saturated with the poorly hydrolyzable analog of ATP, ATPgammaS, at approximately 0.

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Cysteine-free mouse MDR3 P-glycoprotein (Pgp) was constructed by mutagenesis of the nine natural Cys to Ala. The Cys-free protein was expressed in Pichia pastoris and purified. Yield, purity, ATPase activity, K(m)(MgATP), and stimulation of ATPase by verapamil, were similar to wild-type mouse Ppg.

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