A stable XPG protein is required for proper ribosome biogenesis: Insights on the phenotype of combinate Xeroderma Pigmentosum/Cockayne Syndrome patients

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 8;17(7):e0271246. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271246. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Nucleotide Excision Repair is one of the five DNA repair systems. More than 30 proteins are involved in this process, including the seven XP proteins. When mutated, the genes coding for these proteins are provoking the rare disease Xeroderma Pigmentosum, which causes cutaneous defects and a high prevalence of skin cancers in patients. The CSA and CSB proteins are also involved in Nucleotide Excision Repair, and their mutation leads to Cockayne Syndrome, another rare disease, causing dwarfism, neurodegeneration, and ultimately early death, but without high skin cancer incidence. Some mutations of ERCC5, the gene coding for XPG, may give rise to a combined Xeroderma Pigmentosum and Cockayne Syndrome. A defect in Nucleotide Excision Repair alone cannot explain all these phenotypes. XPG has been located in the nucleolus, where ribosome biogenesis happens. This energy-consuming process starts with the transcription of the ribosomal DNA in a long ribosomal RNA, the pre-rRNA 47S, by RNA Polymerase 1. 47S pre-rRNA undergoes several cleavages and modifications to form three mature products: the ribosomal RNAs 18S, 5.8S and 28S. In the cytoplasm, these three products will enter the ribosomes' composition, the producers of protein in our cells. Our work aimed to observe ribosome biogenesis in presence of an unstable XPG protein. By working on Xeroderma Pigmentosum/Cockayne Syndrome cell lines, meaning in the absence of XPG, we uncovered that the binding of UBF, as well as the number of unresolved R-loops, is increased along the ribosomal DNA gene body and flanking regions. Furthermore, ribosomal RNA maturation is impaired, with increased use of alternative pathways of maturation as well as an increase of immature precursors. These defective processes may explain the neurodegeneration observed when the XPG protein is heavily truncated, as ribosomal homeostasis and R-loops resolution are critical for proper neuronal development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cockayne Syndrome* / genetics
  • DNA Repair
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • DNA-Binding Proteins* / genetics
  • Endonucleases* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Proteins* / genetics
  • Phenotype
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Rare Diseases
  • Ribosomes / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors* / genetics
  • Xeroderma Pigmentosum* / genetics
  • Xeroderma Pigmentosum* / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA excision repair protein ERCC-5
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA, Ribosomal
  • Transcription Factors
  • Endonucleases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (https://www.frm.org/), grant number PLP201810007759 to F.T. and InCa (https://www.e-cancer.fr/) PLBIO-19-126, Comité du Rhône de la Ligue Contre le Cancer (https://www.ligue-cancer.net/cd69/journal), Cancer and Electricité de France contract 218398 to G.G-M. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.