RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Telomeropathies are a group of inherited disorders caused by germline pathogenic variants in genes involved in telomere maintenance, resulting in excessive telomere attrition that affects several tissues, including hematopoiesis. RecQ and RTEL1 helicases contribute to telomere maintenance by unwinding telomeric structures such as G-quadruplexes (G4), preventing replication defects. Germline RTEL1 variants also are etiologic in telomeropathies. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here we investigated the expression of RecQ (RECQL1, BLM, WRN, RECQL4, and RECQL5) and RTEL1 helicase genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from human telomeropathy patients. The mRNA expression levels of all RecQ helicases, but not RTEL1, were significantly downregulated in patients' primary cells. Reduced RecQ expression was not attributable to cell proliferative exhaustion, as RecQ helicases were not attenuated in T cells exhausted in vitro. An additional fifteen genes involved in DNA damage repair and RecQ functional partners also were downregulated in the telomeropathy cells. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the expression of RecQ helicases and functional partners involved in DNA repair is downregulated in PBMCs of telomeropathy patients.
Assuntos
Leucócitos Mononucleares , RecQ Helicases , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , DNA Helicases/genética , DNA Helicases/metabolismo , Reparo do DNA/genética , Leucócitos Mononucleares/metabolismo , RecQ Helicases/genética , RecQ Helicases/metabolismo , Telômero/metabolismo , Telômero/genética , Homeostase do Telômero/genéticaRESUMO
TERRA (telomeric repeat-containing RNA) is a class of long noncoding RNAs transcribed from subtelomeric and telomeric regions. TERRA binds to the subtelomeric and telomeric DNA-forming R-loops (DNA-RNA hybrids), which are involved in telomere maintenance and telomerase function, but the role of TERRA in human cells is not well characterized. Here, we comprehensively investigated for the first time TERRA expression in primary human hematopoietic cells from an exploratory cohort of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), patients with telomere biology disorder (TBD), and healthy subjects. TERRA expression was repressed in primary human hematopoietic cells, including healthy donors, patients with ALL, and patients with TBD, irrespective of their telomere length, except for AML. A second cohort comprising 88 patients with AML showed that TERRA was overexpressed in an AML subgroup also characterized by higher R-loop formation, low TERT and RNAseH2 expression, and a paucity of somatic splicing factor mutations. Telomere length did not correlate with TERRA expression levels. To assess the role of TERRA R-loops in AML, we induced R-loop depletion by increasing RNAseH1 expression in 2 AML cell lines. Decreased TERRA R-loops in AML cell lines resulted in increased chemosensitivity to cytarabine. Our findings indicate that TERRA is uniformly repressed in primary human hematopoietic cells but abnormally expressed in an AML subset with low telomerase.
Assuntos
Leucemia Mieloide Aguda , Leucemia-Linfoma Linfoblástico de Células Precursoras , RNA Longo não Codificante , Telomerase , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Linhagem Celular , DNARESUMO
Androgens have been reported to elongate telomeres in retrospective and prospective trials with patients with telomeropathies, mainly with bone marrow failure. In our single-arm prospective clinical trial (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT02055456), 17 patients with short telomeres and/or germline pathogenic variants in telomere biology genes associated with at least one cytopenia and/or radiologic diagnosis of interstitial lung disease were treated with 5 mg/kg of intramuscular nandrolone decanoate every 15 days for 2 years. Ten of 13 evaluable patients (77%) showed telomere elongation at 12 months by flow-fluorescence in situ hybridization (average increase, 0.87 kb; 95% confidence interval: 0.20-1.55 kb; P=0.01). At 24 months, all ten evaluable patients showed telomere elongation (average increase, 0.49 kb; 95% confidence interval: 0.24-1.23 kb; P=0.18). Hematologic response was achieved in eight of 16 patients (50%) with marrow failure at 12 months, and in ten of 16 patients (63%) at 24 months. Seven patients had interstitial lung disease at baseline, and two and three had pulmonary response at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Two patients died due to pulmonary failure during treatment. In the remaining evaluable patients, the pulmonary function remained stable or improved, but showed consistent decline after cessation of treatment. Somatic mutations in myeloid neoplasm-related genes were present in a minority of patients and were mostly stable during drug treatment. The most common adverse events were elevations in liver function test levels in 88%, acne in 59%, and virilization in 59%. No adverse events grade ≥4 was observed. Our findings indicate that nandrolone decanoate elongates telomeres in patients with telomeropathies, which correlated with clinical improvement in some cases and tolerable adverse events.
Assuntos
Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais , Humanos , Hibridização in Situ Fluorescente , Decanoato de Nandrolona , Estudos Prospectivos , Estudos Retrospectivos , TelômeroRESUMO
In acquired immune aplastic anemia (AA), pathogenic cytotoxic Th1 cells are activated and expanded, driving an immune response against the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that provokes cell depletion and causes bone marrow failure. However, additional HSPC defects may contribute to hematopoietic failure, reflecting on disease outcomes and response to immunosuppression. Here we derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from peripheral blood (PB) erythroblasts obtained from patients diagnosed with immune AA using non-integrating plasmids to model the disease. Erythroblasts were harvested after hematologic response to immunosuppression was achieved. Patients were screened for germline pathogenic variants in bone marrow failure-related genes and no variant was identified. Reprogramming was equally successful for erythroblasts collected from the three immune AA patients and the three healthy subjects. However, the hematopoietic differentiation potential of AA-iPSCs was significantly reduced both quantitatively and qualitatively as compared to healthy-iPSCs, reliably recapitulating disease: differentiation appeared to be more severely affected in cells from the two patients with partial response as compared to the one patient with complete response. Telomere elongation and the telomerase machinery were preserved during reprogramming and differentiation in all AA-iPSCs. Our results indicate that iPSCs are a reliable platform to model immune AA and recapitulate clinical phenotypes. We propose that the immune attack may cause specific epigenetic changes in the HSPCs that limit adequate proliferation and differentiation.
Assuntos
Anemia Aplástica , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas , Anemia Aplástica/genética , Anemia Aplástica/patologia , Transtornos da Insuficiência da Medula Óssea , Diferenciação Celular , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/patologia , HumanosRESUMO
Metaphase II oocytes (MII) from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently have impaired oocyte competence. Since telomere maintenance is important for folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation, and early embryonic development, we sought to verify the implications of PCOS on telomere length and telomerase activity in immature oocytes and cumulus cells. 43 PCOS and 67 control women were included, and anthropometric, biochemical, and hormonal characteristics were evaluated. The telomere length in germinal vesicle stage (GV) and in metaphase I (MI) oocytes, as well as in the cumulus cells of immature (CCI) and mature oocytes (CCM), and in leukocytes was measured by qPCR. The telomerase activity in reproductive cells was evaluated by the TRAPeze® XL Kit. The body mass index (p = 0.001), LH (p = 0.015), estradiol (p = 0.004), insulin (p = 0.002), testosterone (p < 0.0001), androstenedione (p = 0.001), free androgen index (p < 0.0001), and c-reactive protein (p = 0.003) were greater, while the FSH (p = 0.0002) was lower in the PCOS group. The telomere length in the CCI (p = 0.649) and CCM (p = 0.378) did not differ between the PCOS and the control groups. On the other hand, telomerase activity in the CCI (p = 0.003) and CCM (p = 0.022) was higher in the PCOS group. In the leukocyte's cells, the telomere length was reduced in the PCOS group (p = 0.025). In the GV and MI oocytes, no differences were observed in telomere length and telomerase activity between the groups. We showed that telomere length is not altered in reproductive cells from PCOS. However, higher telomerase activity in the CCI and CCM may be required for telomere length maintenance.
Assuntos
Células do Cúmulo/metabolismo , Oócitos/metabolismo , Síndrome do Ovário Policístico/metabolismo , Telomerase/metabolismo , Telômero/metabolismo , Adulto , Androstenodiona/sangue , Índice de Massa Corporal , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Estradiol/sangue , Feminino , Hormônio Foliculoestimulante/sangue , Humanos , Insulina/sangue , Oogênese/fisiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Testosterona/sangueRESUMO
Telomeropathies are a group of phenotypically heterogeneous diseases molecularly unified by pathogenic mutations in telomere-maintenance genes causing critically short telomeres. X-linked dyskeratosis congenita (DC), the prototypical telomere disease, manifested with ectodermal dysplasia, cancer predisposition, and severe bone marrow failure, is caused by mutations in DKC1, encoding a protein responsible for telomerase holoenzyme complex stability. To investigate the effects of pathogenic DKC1 mutations on telomere repair and hematopoietic development, we derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts of a DC patient carrying the most frequent mutation: DKC1 p.A353V. Telomeres eroded immediately after reprogramming in DKC1-mutant iPSCs but stabilized in later passages. The telomerase activity of mutant iPSCs was comparable to that observed in human embryonic stem cells, and no evidence of alternative lengthening of telomere pathways was detected. Hematopoietic differentiation was carried out in DKC1-mutant iPSC clones that resulted in increased capacity to generate hematopoietic colony-forming units compared to controls. Our study indicates that telomerase-dependent telomere maintenance is defective in pluripotent stem cells harboring DKC1 mutation and unable to elongate telomeres, but sufficient to maintain cell proliferation and self-renewal, as well as to support the primitive hematopoiesis, the program that is recapitulated with our differentiation protocol.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/genética , Diferenciação Celular , Hematopoese , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Telômero/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Reprogramação Celular , Disceratose Congênita/genética , Disceratose Congênita/patologia , Fibroblastos/citologia , Humanos , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/citologia , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/metabolismo , Cariótipo , Mutação , Telomerase/genética , Telomerase/metabolismo , Encurtamento do TelômeroRESUMO
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Short telomeres and genetic telomerase defects are risk factors for some human liver diseases, ranging from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis to cirrhosis. In murine models, telomere dysfunction has been shown to metabolically compromise hematopoietic cells, liver and heart via the activation of the p53-PGC axis. METHODS: Tert- and Terc-deficient mice were challenged with liquid high-fat diet. Liver metabolic contents were analysed by CE-TOFMS and liver fat content was confirmed by confocal and electronic microscopy. RESULTS: Tert-deficient but not Terc-deficient mice develop hepatocyte injury and frank steatosis when challenged with liquid high-fat diet. Upon high-fat diet, Tert-/- hepatocytes fail to engage the citric acid cycle (TCA), with an imbalance of NADPH/NADP+ and NADH/NAD+ ratios and depletion of intermediates of TCA cycle, such as cis-aconitic acid. Telomerase deficiency caused an intrinsic metabolic defect unresponsive to environmental challenge. Chemical inhibition of telomerase by zidovudine recapitulated the abnormal Tert-/- metabolic phenotype in Terc-/- hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that in telomeropathies short telomeres are not the only molecular trigger and telomerase enzyme deficiency provokes hepatocyte metabolic dysfunction, abrogates response to environmental challenge, and causes cellular injury and steatosis, providing a mechanism for liver damage in telomere diseases.
Assuntos
Dieta Hiperlipídica , Metabolismo Energético , Fígado Gorduroso/enzimologia , Hepatócitos/enzimologia , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos , Fígado/enzimologia , Telomerase/deficiência , Encurtamento do Telômero , Animais , Glicemia/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Metabolismo Energético/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Fígado Gorduroso/sangue , Fígado Gorduroso/genética , Fígado Gorduroso/patologia , Hepatócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Hepatócitos/patologia , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos/efeitos dos fármacos , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos/genética , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Fígado/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , RNA/genética , Telomerase/antagonistas & inibidores , Telomerase/genética , Zidovudina/farmacologiaRESUMO
Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at linear chromosome termini, protecting chromosomes against end-to-end fusion and damage, providing chromosomal stability. Telomeres shorten with mitotic cellular division, but are maintained in cells with high proliferative capacity by telomerase. Loss-of-function mutations in telomere-maintenance genes are genetic risk factors for cirrhosis development in humans and murine models. Telomerase deficiency provokes accelerated telomere shortening and dysfunction, facilitating genomic instability and oncogenesis. Here we examined whether telomerase mutations and telomere shortening were associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) secondary to cirrhosis. Telomere length of peripheral blood leukocytes was measured by Southern blot and qPCR in 120 patients with HCC associated with cirrhosis and 261 healthy subjects. HCC patients were screened for telomerase gene variants (in TERT and TERC) by Sanger sequencing. Age-adjusted telomere length was comparable between HCC patients and healthy subjects by both Southern blot and qPCR. Four non-synonymous TERT heterozygous variants were identified in four unrelated patients, resulting in a significantly higher mutation carrier frequency (3.3%) in patients as compared to controls (p = 0.02). Three of the four variants (T726M, A1062T, and V1090M) were previously observed in patients with other telomere diseases (severe aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and cirrhosis). A novel TERT variant, A243V, was identified in a 65-year-old male with advanced HCC and cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol ingestion, but direct assay measurements in vitro did not detect modulation of telomerase enzymatic activity or processivity. In summary, constitutional variants resulting in amino acid changes in the telomerase reverse transcriptase were found in a small proportion of patients with cirrhosis-associated HCC.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Hepatocelular/enzimologia , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Cirrose Hepática/enzimologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/enzimologia , Telomerase/metabolismo , Telômero/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Cirrose Hepática/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mutação/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Telomerase/genética , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is considered to the most common and malignant brain tumor in adults. Patients have a median survival of approximately one year from diagnosis due to poor response to therapy. OBJECTIVE: We applied bioinformatics approaches to predict transcription factors (TF) that are deregulated in glioblastoma in an attempt to point out molecular targets for therapy. METHODS: Up-regulated genes in glioblastoma selected from public microarray data were submitted to two TF association analyses. Thereafter, the expression levels of TF obtained in the overlap of analyses were assessed by RT-qPCR carried out in seven glioblastoma cell lines (T98, U251, U138, U87, U343, M059J, and M059K). RESULTS: E2F1 and E2F4 were highlighted in both TF analyses. However, only E2F1 was confirmed as significantly up-regulated in all glioblastoma cell lines in vitro. CONCLUSION: E2F1 is a potential common regulator of differentially expressed genes in glioblastoma, despite the genetic heterogeneity of tumor cells.