@article{VellmerHartlebFraderaSolaetal.2022,
  author    = {Vellmer, Tim and Hartleb, Laura and Fradera Sola, Albert and Kramer, Susanne and Meyer-Natus, Elisabeth and Butter, Falk and Janzen, Christian J.},
  title     = {A novel SNF2 ATPase complex in Trypanosoma brucei with a role in H2A.Z-mediated chromatin remodelling},
  series = {PLoS Pathogens},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {PLoS Pathogens},
  number    = {6},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1010514},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-301372},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {A cascade of histone acetylation events with subsequent incorporation of a histone H2A variant plays an essential part in transcription regulation in various model organisms. A key player in this cascade is the chromatin remodelling complex SWR1, which replaces the canonical histone H2A with its variant H2A.Z. Transcriptional regulation of polycistronic transcription units in the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei has been shown to be highly dependent on acetylation of H2A.Z, which is mediated by the histone-acetyltransferase HAT2. The chromatin remodelling complex which mediates H2A.Z incorporation is not known and an SWR1 orthologue in trypanosomes has not yet been reported. In this study, we identified and characterised an SWR1-like remodeller complex in T. brucei that is responsible for Pol II-dependent transcriptional regulation. Bioinformatic analysis of potential SNF2 DEAD/Box helicases, the key component of SWR1 complexes, identified a 1211 amino acids-long protein that exhibits key structural characteristics of the SWR1 subfamily. Systematic protein-protein interaction analysis revealed the existence of a novel complex exhibiting key features of an SWR1-like chromatin remodeller. RNAi-mediated depletion of the ATPase subunit of this complex resulted in a significant reduction of H2A.Z incorporation at transcription start sites and a subsequent decrease of steady-state mRNA levels. Furthermore, depletion of SWR1 and RNA-polymerase II (Pol II) caused massive chromatin condensation. The potential function of several proteins associated with the SWR1-like complex and with HAT2, the key factor of H2A.Z incorporation, is discussed.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{EisenhuthVellmerRauhetal.2021,
  author    = {Eisenhuth, Nicole and Vellmer, Tim and Rauh, Elisa T. and Butter, Falk and Janzen, Christian J.},
  title     = {A DOT1B/Ribonuclease H2 Protein Complex Is Involved in R-Loop Processing, Genomic Integrity, and Antigenic Variation in Trypanosoma brucei},
  series = {mbio},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {mbio},
  number    = {6},
  doi       = {10.1128/mBio.01352-21},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260698},
  pages     = {e01352-21},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The parasite Trypanosoma brucei periodically changes the expression of protective variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs) to evade its host's immune sys-tem in a process known as antigenic variation. One route to change VSG expres-sion is the transcriptional activation of a previously silent VSG expression site (ES), a subtelomeric region containing the VSG genes. Homologous recombination of a different VSG from a large reservoir into the active ES represents another route. The conserved histone methyltransferase DOT1B is involved in transcriptional silencing of inactive ES and influences ES switching kinetics. The molecular machin-ery that enables DOT1B to execute these regulatory functions remains elusive, however. To better understand DOT1B-mediated regulatory processes, we purified DOT1B-associated proteins using complementary biochemical approaches. We iden-tified several novel DOT1B interactors. One of these was the RNase H2 complex, previously shown to resolve RNA-DNA hybrids, maintain genome integrity, and play a role in antigenic variation. Our study revealed that DOT1B depletion results in an increase in RNA-DNA hybrids, accumulation of DNA damage, and ES switch-ing events. Surprisingly, a similar pattern of VSG deregulation was observed in RNase H2 mutants. We propose that both proteins act together in resolving R-loops to ensure genome integrity and contribute to the tightly regulated process of anti-genic variation.},
  language  = {en}
}