Publications

The Mus81-Mms4 nuclease is activated in G2/M via Mms4 phosphorylation to allow resolution of persistent recombination structures. However, the fate of the activated phosphorylated Mms4 remains unknown. Here we find that Mms4 is engaged by (poly)SUMOylation and ubiquitylation and targeted for proteasome degradation, a process linked to the previously described Mms4 phosphorylation cycle. Mms4 is a mitotic substrate for the SUMO-Targeted Ubiquitin ligase Slx5/8, the SUMO-like domain-containing protein Esc2, and the Mms1-Cul8 ubiquitin ligase. In the absence of these activities, phosphorylated Mms4 accumulates on chromatin in an active state in the next G1, subsequently causing abnormal processing of replication-associated recombination intermediates and delaying the activation of the DNA damage checkpoint. Mus81-Mms4 mutants that stabilize phosphorylated Mms4 have similar detrimental effects on genome integrity. Overall, our findings highlight a replication protection function for Esc2-STUbL-Cul8 and emphasize the importance for genome stability of resetting phosphorylated Mms4 from one cycle to another.

Complement C3 binds fibrinogen and compromises fibrin clot lysis thereby enhancing thrombosis risk. We investigated the role of fibrinogen-C3 interaction as a novel therapeutic target to reduce thrombosis risk by analysing: i) consistency in the fibrinolytic properties of C3, ii) binding sites between fibrinogen and C3 and iii) modulation of fibrin clot lysis by manipulating fibrinogen-C3 interactions. Purified fibrinogen and C3 from the same individuals (n=24) were used to assess inter-individual variability in the anti-fibrinolytic effects of C3. Microarray screening and molecular modelling evaluated C3 and fibrinogen interaction sites. Novel synthetic conformational proteins, termed Affimers, were used to modulate C3-fibrinogen interaction and fibrinolysis. C3 purified from patients with type 1 diabetes showed enhanced prolongation of fibrinolysis compared with healthy control protein [195±105 and 522±166 seconds, respectively (p=0.04)], with consistent effects but a wider range (5-51% and 5-18% lysis prolongation, respectively). Peptide microarray screening identified 2 potential C3-fibrinogen interactions sites within fibrinogen β chain (residues 424-433, 435-445). One fibrinogen-binding Affimer was isolated that displayed sequence identity with C3 in an exposed area of the protein. This Affimer abolished C3-induced prolongation of fibrinolysis (728±25.1 seconds to 632±23.7 seconds, p=0.005) and showed binding to fibrinogen in the same region that is involved in C3-fibrinogen interactions. Moreover, it shortened plasma clot lysis of patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease or controls by 7-11%. C3 binds fibrinogen β-chain and disruption of fibrinogen-C3 interaction using Affimer proteins enhances fibrinolysis, which represents a potential novel target tool to reduce thrombosis in high risk individuals.

An array of 4000 defined and addressable tripeptides on a polymer-coated glass slide is used to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles. This work is undertaken to systematically probe the impact of the peptide sequence on the ability to generate affinity MIPs. The polymer affinity is assessed by measuring the fluorescence of bound MIP nanoparticles at each peptide spot on the surface after washing the array to remove any low-affinity polymer. The generic composition commonly used in the preparation of MIPs against proteins seems to be equally suitable for imprinting hydrophobic and hydrophilic tripeptides. The amino acids frequently contributing to the formation of high-affinity MIPs include T, F, D, N, Y, W, and P. The amino acids that rarely contribute to the formation of high-affinity interactions with MIPs are G, V, A, L, I, and M. These observations are confirmed by computational modeling. The basic technique proposed here may be applicable in optimizing polymer compositions for the production of high-affinity MIPs or, more specifically, for the selection of appropriate amino acid sequences when peptide epitopes are used instead of whole protein imprinting.