Biology subjects

Chook, Y. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Chook, Y. M..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Molecular basis of RanGTP-activated nucleosome assembly with Histones H2A-H2B bound to Importin-9

Padavannil et al. 2019 show that Importin-9 (Imp9) transports Histones H2A-H2B from the cytoplasm to the nucleus using a non-canonical mechanism whereby binding of a GTP-bound Ran GTPase (RanGTP) fails to evict the H2A-H2B cargo. Instead, a stable complex forms, comprised of equimolar RanGTP, Imp9, and H2A-H2B. Unlike the binary Imp9*H2A-H2B complex, this RanGTP*Imp9*H2A-H2B ternary complex can release H2A-H2B to an assembling nucleosome. Here, we define the molecular basis for this RanGTP-activated nucleosome assembly by Imp9. We use hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry and compare the dynamics and interfaces of the RanGTP*Imp9*H2A-H2B ternary complex to those in the Imp9*H2A-H2B or Imp9*RanGTP binary complexes. Our data are consistent with the Imp9*H2A-H2B structure by Padavannil et al. 2019 showing that Imp9 HEAT repeats 4-5 and 18-19 contact H2A-H2B, as well as many homologous importin*RanGTP structures showing that importin HEAT repeats 1 and 3, and the h8 loop, contact RanGTP. We show that Imp9 stabilizes H2A-H2B beyond the direct binding site, similar to other histone chaperones. Importantly, we reveal that binding of RanGTP releases H2A-H2B interaction at Imp9 HEAT repeats 4-5, but not 18-19. This exposes DNA- and histone-binding surfaces of H2A-H2B, thereby facilitating nucleosome assembly. We also reveal that RanGTP has a weaker affinity for Imp9 when H2A-H2B is bound. This may ensure that H2A-H2B is only released in high RanGTP concentrations near chromatin. We delineate the molecular link between the nuclear import of H2A-H2B and its deposition into chromatin by Imp9. SignificanceImp9 is the primary importin for shuttling H2A-H2B from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. It employs an unusual mechanism where the binding of RanGTP alone is insufficient to release H2A-H2B. The resulting stable RanGTP*Imp9*H2A-H2B complex gains nucleosome assembly activity as H2A-H2B can be deposited onto an assembling nucleosome. We show that H2A-H2B is allosterically stabilized via interactions with both N- and C-terminal portions of Imp9, reinforcing its chaperone-like behavior. RanGTP binding causes H2A-H2B release from the N-terminal portion of Imp9 only. The newly-exposed H2A-H2B surfaces can interact with DNA or H3-H4 in nucleosome assembly. Imp9 thus plays a multi-faceted role in histone import, storage, and deposition regulated by RanGTP, controlling histone supply in the nucleus and to chromatin.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2023

A new Karyopherin-β2 binding PY-NLS epitope of HNRNPH2 is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders

The normally nuclear HNRNPH2 is mutated in HNRNPH2-related X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder causing the protein to accumulate in the cytoplasm. Interactions of HNRNPH2 with its importin Karyopherin-{beta}2 (Transportin-1) had not been studied. We present a structure that shows Karyopherin-{beta}2 binding HNRNPH2 residues 204-215, a proline-tyrosine nuclear localization signal or PY-NLS that contains a typical R-X2-4-P-Y motif, 206RPGPY210, followed a new Karyopherin-{beta}2 binding epitope at 211DRP213 that make many interactions with Karyopherin-{beta}2 W373. Mutations at each of these sites decrease Karyopherin-{beta}2 binding affinities by 70-100 fold, explaining aberrant accumulation in cells and emphasizing the role of nuclear import defects in the disease. Sequence/structure analysis suggests that the new epitope C-terminal of the PY-motif, which binds Karyopherin-{beta}2 W373, is rare and thus far limited to close paralogs HNRNPH2, HNRNPH1 and HNRNPF. Karyopherin-{beta}2 W373, a HNRNPH2-binding hotspot, corresponds to W370 of close paralog Transportin-2, a site of pathological variants in patients with neurodevelopmental abnormalities, suggesting that Transportin-2-HNRNPH2/H1/F interactions may be compromised in the abnormalities. SummaryHNRNPH2 variants in HNRNPH2-related X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder aberrantly accumulate in the cytoplasm. A structure of Karyopherin-{beta}2*HNRNPH2 explains nuclear import defects of the variants, reveals a new NLS epitope that suggests mechanistic changes in pathological variants of Karyopherin-{beta}2 paralog Transportin-2.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2022

Mechanism of RanGTP priming the release of H2A-H2B from Kap114 and Importin-9

Previously we showed that the nuclear import receptor Importin-9 wraps around the H2A-H2B core to chaperone and transport it from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. However, unlike most nuclear import systems where RanGTP dissociates cargoes from their importins, RanGTP binds stably to the Importin-9*H2A-H2B complex and formation of the ternary RanGTP*Importin-9*H2A-H2B complex facilitates H2A-H2B release to the assembling nucleosome. It was unclear how RanGTP and the cargo H2A-H2B can bind simultaneously to an importin, and how interactions of the three components position H2A-H2B for nucleosome assembly. Here we show cryo-EM structures of Importin-9*RanGTP and of its yeast homolog Kap114, including Kap114*RanGTP, Kap114*H2A-H2B, and RanGTP*Kap114*H2A-H2B to explain how the conserved Kap114 binds H2A-H2B and RanGTP simultaneously and how the GTPase primes histone transfer to the nucleosome. In the ternary complex, RanGTP binds to the N-terminal repeats of Kap114 in the same manner as in the Kap114/Importin-9*RanGTP complex, and H2A-H2B binds via its acidic patch to the Kap114 C-terminal repeats much like in the Kap114/Importin-9*H2A-H2B complex. Ran binds to a different conformation of Kap114 in the ternary RanGTP*Kap114*H2A-H2B complex. Here, Kap114 no longer contacts the H2A-H2B surface proximal to the H2A docking domain that drives nucleosome assembly, positioning it for transfer to the assembling nucleosome. Significance StatementHistones and their chaperone networks are typically conserved in eukaryotes. The yeast importin Kap114 and its human homolog Importin-9 share low sequence identity, but both are primary nuclear import receptors for the core histone heterodimer H2A-H2B. Cryo-EM structures of Kap114*H2A-H2B, Kap114*RanGTP and Importin-9*RanGTP complexes show homologous structure and function for Kap114 and Importin-9. In the nucleus, RanGTP binding to Kap114/Imp9*H2A-H2B does not release H2A-H2B, but RanGTP binds to form an atypical ternary complex. Structure of the ternary RanGTP*Kap114*H2A-H2B complex explains how the GTPase and cargo bind simultaneously to Kap114 and how the presence of Ran in the complex primes H2A-H2B transfer to assembling nucleosomes.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Structure of Importin-4 bound to the H3-H4·ASF1 histone·histone chaperone complex

Importin-4 is the primary nuclear import receptor of core histones H3 and H4. Importin-4 binds the H3-H4 dimer and histone-chaperone ASF1 prior to nuclear import, but available structures of Importin-4{middle dot}histone tail complexes do not explain how Importin-4 recognizes the biologically relevant heterotrimeric H3-H4{middle dot}ASF1 cargo. Our 3.5 [A] Importin-4{middle dot}H3-H4{middle dot}ASF1 cryo-electron microscopy structure revealed interactions with H3-H4{middle dot}ASF1 different those suggested by previous Importin-H3 tail peptide structures. The N-terminal half of Importin-4 clamps the globular histone domain and the H3 N helix while its C-terminal half binds the H3 N-terminal tail weakly, with negligible tail contribution to binding energy; ASF1 binds H3-H4 without contacting Importin-4. Together, ASF1 and Importin-4 shield nucleosomal interfaces of H3-H4 to chaperone and import it into the nucleus, where Importin-4 undergoes large conformational changes as RanGTP binds to release H3-H4{middle dot}ASF1. This work explains the mechanisms of nuclear import of full-length H3-H4.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A murine model of hnRNPH2-related neurodevelopmental disorder recapitulates clinical features of human disease and reveals a mechanism for genetic compensation of HNRNPH2

Mutations in HNRNPH2 cause an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder with a phenotypic spectrum that includes developmental delay, intellectual disability, language impairment, motor function deficits, and seizures. More than 90% of patients with this disorder have a missense mutation within or adjacent to the nuclear localization signal (NLS) of hnRNPH2, although the specific pathogenic consequences of these mutations have not been examined. Here we found that hnRNPH2 NLS mutations result in reduced interaction with the nuclear transport receptor Kap{beta}2 in vitro and in cultured human cells. These mutations also cause modest accumulation of hnRNPH2 in the cytoplasm, suggesting that mislocalization of the protein might contribute to pathogenesis. We generated two knock-in mouse models with human-equivalent mutations in the endogenous mouse gene Hnrnph2, as well as Hnrnph2 knockout (KO) mice, and subjected them to extensive phenotyping. Mutant knock-in mice displayed a spectrum of phenotypes that recapitulated aspects of the human disorder, including reduced survival in males, craniofacial abnormalities, impaired motor and cognitive functions, and increased susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. Mutant knock-in male mice developed more severe phenotypes than female mice, likely due to differences in X-chromosome gene dosage. In contrast, two independent lines of Hnrnph2 KO mice showed no detectable phenotypes. Notably, KO mice had upregulated expression of Hnrnph1, a close paralog of Hnrnph2, whereas mutant Hnrnph2 knock-in mice failed to upregulate Hnrnph1. Thus, genetic compensation by Hnrnph1 might be sufficient to counteract the loss of hnRNPH2. These findings suggest that the pathogenesis of HNRNPH2-related disorder in humans may be driven by a toxic gain of function or a complex loss of HNRNPH2 function with impaired compensation by HNRNPH1. The mutant knock-in mice described here are an important resource for preclinical studies to assess the potential benefit of either gene replacement or therapeutic knockdown of mutant hnRNPH2.

neuroscience↗