Molecular Biology and Genetics / Moleküler Biyoloji ve Genetik

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  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 9
    Citation - Scopus: 10
    Characterization of Long Living Yeast Deletion Mutants That Lack Mitochondrial Metabolism Genes Dss1, Ppa2 and Afg3
    (Elsevier, 2019) Muid, Khandaker Ashfaqul; Kimyon, Önder; Reza, Shahadat Hasan; Karakaya, Hüseyin Çağlar; Koç, Ahmet
    Molecular mechanisms of aging and longevity are still mostly unknown. Mitochondria play central roles in cellular metabolism and aging. In this study, we identified three deletion mutants of mitochondrial metabolism genes (ppa2 Delta, dss1 Delta, and afg3 Delta) that live longer than wild-type cells. These long-lived cells harbored significantly decreased amount of mitochondria] DNA (mtDNA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compared to the serpentine nature of wild-type mitochondria, a different dynamics and distribution pattern of mitochondria were observed in the mutants. Both young and old long-lived cells produced relatively low but adequate levels of ATP for cellular activities. The status of the retrograde signaling was checked by expression of CIT2 gene and found activated in long-lived mutants. The mutant cells were also profiled for their gene expression patterns, and genes that were differentially regulated were determined. All long-lived cells comprised similar pleiotropic phenotype regarding mitochondrial dynamics and functions. Thus, this study suggests that DSS1, PPA2, and AFG3 genes modulate the lifespan by altering the mitochondrial morphology and functions.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 219
    Citation - Scopus: 242
    The Importance of Boron in Biological Systems
    (Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG, 2018) Uluışık, İrem; Karakaya, Hüseyin Çağlar; Koç, Ahmet
    Boron is an essential element for plants and probably essential for human and animal health. Boron has a broad range of physiological effects on biological systems at low concentrations, whereas it is toxic to at high concentrations. Eventhough there are many studies on boron's biological effects and toxicity, more information is needed to understand the mechanisms of its action. The aim of the current work is to review boron's function, transport and toxicity in different biological systems.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 9
    Citation - Scopus: 10
    Thiol Peroxidase Deficiency Leads To Increased Mutational Load and Decreased Fitness in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
    (Genetics Society of America, 2014) Kaya, Alaattin; Lobanov, Alexey V.; Gerashchenko, Maxim V.; Koren, Amnon; Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Koç, Ahmet; Gladyshev, Vadim N.
    Thiol peroxidases are critical enzymes in the redox control of cellular processes that function by reducing low levels of hydroperoxides and regulating redox signaling. These proteins were also shown to regulate genome stability, but how their dysfunction affects the actual mutations in the genome is not known. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has eight thiol peroxidases of glutathione peroxidase and peroxiredoxin families, and the mutant lacking all these genes (Δ8) is viable. In this study, we employed two independent Δ8 isolates to analyze the genome-wide mutation spectrum that results from deficiency in these enzymes. Deletion of these genes was accompanied by a dramatic increase in point mutations, many of which clustered in close proximity and scattered throughout the genome, suggesting strong mutational bias. We further subjected multiple lines of wild-type and Δ8 cells to long-term mutation accumulation, followed by genome sequencing and phenotypic characterization. Δ8 lines showed a significant increase in nonrecurrent point mutations and indels. The original Δ8 cells exhibited reduced growth rate and decreased life span, which were further reduced in all Δ8 mutation accumulation lines. Although the mutation spectrum of the two independent isolates was different, similar patterns of gene expression were observed, suggesting the direct contribution of thiol peroxidases to the observed phenotypes. Expression of a single thiol peroxidase could partially restore the growth phenotype of Δ8 cells. This study shows how deficiency in nonessential, yet critical and conserved oxidoreductase function, leads to increased mutational load and decreased fitness.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 8
    Citation - Scopus: 10
    Functional Characterization of New Mutations in Wilson Disease Gene (atp7b) Using the Yeast Model
    (Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG, 2015) Şimşek Papur, Özlenen; Terzioğlu, Orhan; Koç, Ahmet
    The Wilson disease gene, a copper transporting ATPase (Atp7b), is responsible for the sequestration of Cu into secretory vesicles, and this function is exhibited by the orthologous Ccc2p in the yeast. In this study, we aimed to characterize clinically relevant new mutations of human ATP7B (p.T788I, p.V1036I and p.R1038G-fsX83) in yeast lacking the CCC2 gene. Expression of human wild type ATP7B gene in ccc2δ mutant yeast restored the growth deficiency and copper transport activity; however, expression of the mutant forms did not restore the copper transport functions and only partially supported the cell growth. Our data support that p.T788I, p.V1036I and p.R1038G-fsX83 mutations cause functional deficiency in ATP7B functions and suggest that these residues are important for normal ATP7B function.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 5
    Citation - Scopus: 4
    Characterization of a Cdna From Beta Maritima That Confers Nickel Tolerance in Yeast
    (Elsevier Ltd., 2014) Bozdağ, Gönensin Ozan; Kaya, Alaattin; Koç, Ahmet; Noll, Gundula A.; Prüfer, Dirk; Karakaya, Hüseyin Çağlar
    Nickel is an essential micronutrient due to its involvement in many enzymatic reactions as a cofactor. However, excess of this element is toxic to biological systems. Here, we constructed a cDNA library from Beta maritima and screened it in the yeast system to identify genes that confer resistance to toxic levels of nickel. A cDNA clone (NIC6), which encodes for a putative membrane protein with unknown function, was found to help yeast cells to tolerate toxic levels of nickel. A GFP fused form of Nic6 protein was localized to multivesicular structures in tobacco epidermal cells. Thus, our results suggest a possible role of Nic6 in nickel and intracellular ion homeostasis.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 11
    Citation - Scopus: 14
    Proteomic Changes During Boron Tolerance in Barley (hordeum Vulgare) and the Role of Vacuolar Proton-Translocating Atpase Subunit E
    (Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Medical Sciences, 2011) Atik, Ahmet Emin; Bozdağ, Gönensin Ozan; Akıncı, Ersin; Kaya, Alaattin; Koç, Ahmet; Yalçın, Talat; Karakaya, Hüseyin Çağlar
    Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals; however, it can be toxic when present at high concentrations. The purpose of this study was to understand the mechanisms of boron tolerance in the Turkish barley (Hordeum vulgare) Anadolu cultivar. For this purpose, 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to screen differentially expressed proteins for both control and boron-stressed Anadolu barley genotypes. Seven proteins were revealed by 2-DE: 1) ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo large chain), 2) TLP5, a thaumatin-like protein, 3) PR5, a basic pathogenesis-related protein, 4) a RNase S-like protein, 5) a PSI type III chlorophyll a/b-binding protein, 6) a light-harvesting complex I LHC I, and 7) the vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase subunit E protein. These were found to be upregulated in response to boron treatment. Even though the protein encoded by the V-ATPase subunit E gene was overexpressed, its transcript level was downregulated by boron treatment. Heterologous expression of the barley V-ATPase subunit E gene in yeast provided boron resistance to yeast cells. These results indicated that the V-ATPase subunit E gene was functional and conferred tolerance to toxic boron levels in yeast and might play a role in the overall boron tolerance of barley. © TÜBITAK.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 12
    Citation - Scopus: 12
    Identification of Respiratory Chain Gene Mutations That Shorten Replicative Life Span in Yeast
    (Elsevier Ltd., 2012) Hacıoğlu, Elise; Demir, Ayşe Banu; Koç, Ahmet
    Aging is the progressive accumulation of alterations in cells that elevates the risk of death. The mitochondrial theory of aging postulates that free radicals produced by the mitochondrial respiratory system contribute to the aging process. However, the roles of individual electron transfer chain (ETC) components in cellular aging have not been elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the replicative life span of 73 yeast deletion mutants lacking the genes of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain system, and found that nine of these mutants (δ nde1, δ tcm62, δ rip1, δ cyt1, δ qrc8, δ pet117, δ cox11, δ atp11, δ fmc1) had significantly shorter life spans. These mutants had lower rates of respiration and were slightly sensitive to exogenous administration of hydrogen peroxide. However, only two of them, δ nde1 and δ fmc1, produced higher amounts of intrinsic superoxide radicals in the presence of glucose compared to that of wild type cells. Interestingly, there were no significant alterations in the mitochondrial membrane potentials of these mutants. We speculate that the shorter life spans of ETC mutants result from multiple mechanisms including the low respiration rate and low energy production rather than just a ROS-dependent path. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 73
    Citation - Scopus: 78
    Functional Analysis of Free Methionine-R Reductase From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2009) Le, Dung Tien; Lee, Byung Cheon; Marino, Stefano M.; Zhang, Yan; Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Kaya, Alaattin; Hacıoğlu, Elise; Kwak, Geun-Hee; Koç, Ahmet; Kim, Hwa-Young; Gladyshev, Vadim N.
    Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs) are oxidoreductases that catalyze thiol-dependent reduction of oxidized methionines. MsrA and MsrB are the best known Msrs that repair methionine S-sulfoxide (Met-S-SO) and methionine-R-sulfoxide (Met-R-SO) residues in proteins, respectively. In addition, an Escherichia coli enzyme specific for free Met-R-SO, designated fRMsr, was recently discovered. In this work, we carried out comparative genomic and experimental analyses to examine occurrence, evolution, and function of fRMsr. This protein is present in single copies and two mutually exclusive subtypes in about half of prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes but is missing in higher plants and animals. A Saccharomyces cerevisiae fRMsr homolog was found to reduce free Met-R-SO but not free Met-S-SO or dabsyl-Met-R-SO. fRMsr was responsible for growth of yeast cells on Met-R-SO, and the double fRMsr/MsrA mutant could not grow on a mixture of methionine sulfoxides. However, in the presence of methionine, even the triple fRMsr/MsrA/MsrB mutant was viable. In addition, fRMsr deletion strain showed an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and a decreased life span, whereas overexpression of fRMsr conferred higher resistance to oxidants. Molecular modeling and cysteine residue targeting by thioredoxin pointed to Cys101 as catalytic and Cys125 as resolving residues in yeast fRMsr. These residues as well as a third Cys, resolving Cys91, clustered in the structure, and each was required for the catalytic activity of the enzyme. The data show that fRMsr is the main enzyme responsible for the reduction of free Met-R-SO in S. cerevisiae.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 106
    Citation - Scopus: 114
    Msrb1 (methionine-R Reductase 1) Knock-Out Mice: Roles of Msrb1 in Redox Regulation and Identification of a Novel Selenoprotein Form
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2009) Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Novoselov, Sergey V.; Natarajan, Sathish Kumar; Lee, Byung Cheon; Koç, Ahmet; Carlson, Bradley A.; Lee, Tae- Hyung; Kim, Hwa-Young; Hatfield, Dolph L.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.
    Protein oxidation has been linked to accelerated aging and is a contributing factor to many diseases. Methionine residues are particularly susceptible to oxidation, but the resulting mixture of methionine R-sulfoxide (Met-RO) and methionine S-sulfoxide (Met-SO) can be repaired by thioredoxin-dependent enzymes MsrB and MsrA, respectively. Here, we describe a knock-out mouse deficient in selenoprotein MsrB1, the main mammalian MsrB located in the cytosol and nucleus. In these mice, in addition to the deletion of 14-kDa MsrB1, a 5-kDa selenoprotein form was specifically removed. Further studies revealed that the 5-kDa protein occurred in both mouse tissues and human HEK 293 cells; was down-regulated by MsrB1 small interfering RNA, selenium deficiency, and selenocysteine tRNA mutations; and was immunoprecipitated and recognized by MsrB1 antibodies. Specific labeling with 75Se and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the 5-kDa selenoprotein corresponded to the C-terminal sequence of MsrB1. The MsrB1 knock-out mice lacked both 5- and 14-kDa MsrB1 forms and showed reduced MsrB activity, with the strongest effect seen in liver and kidney. In addition, MsrA activity was decreased by MsrB1 deficiency. Liver and kidney of the MsrB1 knock-out mice also showed increased levels of malondialdehyde, protein carbonyls, protein methionine sulfoxide, and oxidized glutathione as well as reduced levels of free and protein thiols, whereas these parameters were little changed in other organs examined. Overall, this study established an important contribution of MsrB1 to the redox control in mouse liver and kidney and identified a novel form of this protein.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 56
    Citation - Scopus: 63
    Thioredoxin Is Required for Deoxyribonucleotide Pool Maintenance During S Phase
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2006) Koç, Ahmet; Mathews, Christopher K.; Wheeler, Linda J.; Gross, Michael K.; Merrill, Gary Frederic
    Thioredoxin was initially identified by its ability to serve as an electron donor for ribonucleotide reductase in vitro. Whether it serves a similar function in vivo is unclear. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it was previously shown that Δtrx1 Δtrx2 mutants lacking the two genes for cytosolic thioredoxin have a slower growth rate because of a longer S phase, but the basis for S phase elongation was not identified. The hypothesis that S phase protraction was due to inefficient dNTP synthesis was investigated by measuring dNTP levels in asynchronous and synchronized wild-type and Δtrx1 Δtrx2 yeast. In contrast to wild-type cells, Δtrx1 Δtrx2 cells were unable to accumulate or maintain high levels of dNTPs when α-factor- or cdc15-arrested cells were allowed to reenter the cell cycle. At 80 min after release, when the fraction of cells in S phase was maximal, the dNTP pools in Δtrx1 Δtrx2 cells were 60% that of wild-type cells. The data suggest that, in the absence of thioredoxin, cells cannot support the high rate of dNTP synthesis required for efficient DNA synthesis during S phase. The results constitute in vivo evidence for thioredoxin being a physiologically relevant electron donor for ribonucleotide reductase during DNA precursor synthesis.