Biology subjects

Gorelik, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Gorelik, A..

8 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Patterns of brain-wide associations reflect socioeconomics

Previous brain-wide association studies (BWAS) cross-sectionally linked a specific behavioral trait, most commonly IQ or psychopathology, to variation in brain function or structure. Here, we expanded the focus of BWAS from effect sizes to interpretability and generalizability by mapping 649 variables to brain function and structure. We compared the resultant BWAS maps to other types of brain data to annotate the BWAS patterns. Socioeconomic status (SES) -- not IQ or psychopathology -- showed the strongest associations with both resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and cortical thickness in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. A principal exposome brain pattern, anchored to sensory and motor cortex, captured 34% of the variance across all BWAS maps. This exposome pattern was strongly correlated with the SES and IQ BWAS maps and non-BWAS maps of sleep (EEG), norepinephrine (PET), and stimulants (drug trial), but not cognitive activation maps (task fMRI). Adjusting for SES, reduced brain-IQ associations by 40%. Brain with IQ associations did not generalize, as they could no longer be detected in subsamples drawn from only higher SES backgrounds, while brain with SES associations remained strong in higher-IQ-only subsamples. These findings reveal SES as the principal axis of population-level brain variation, possibly stemming from the sleep deprivation and heightened stress associated with lower SES, since socioeconomics can only indirectly affect the brain.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Identification of RNF114 as ADPr-Ub reader through non-hydrolysable ubiquitinated ADP-ribose

Crosstalk between the post-translational modification processes ubiquitination and ADP-ribosylation occurs in DNA-damage and immune-responses, in addition the physical linkage of ADP-ribose and ubiquitin is found during bacterial infection. Here, we study the ubiquitination of ADP-ribose mediated by human Deltex E3 ligases and the subsequent fate of the formed hybrid post-translational modification. We prepare a non-hydrolysable ADPr-Ub probe that we employ in a chemoproteomics approach and identify RNF114 as an interacting protein. Using biophysical and biochemical experiments, we validate that RNF114 preferentially interacts with ubiquitinated ADP-ribose over non-modified ubiquitin. Subsequently, RNF114 can elongate the ubiquitinated ADP-ribose with a K11-linked ubiquitin chain. Using domain deletion analysis, we pinpoint the tandem zinc fingers and ubiquitin interacting motif (ZnF2+ZnF3+UIM) domains of RNF114 to be crucial for recognising ubiquitinated ADP-ribose. Moreover, these domains are essential for the recruitment of RNF114 to the sites of laser-induced DNA damage.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Multi-domain O-GlcNAcase structures reveal allosteric regulatory mechanisms

Nucleocytoplasmic protein O-GlcNAcylation is an essential modification catalysed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and reversed by O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA), a multi-domain enzyme that also contains a C-terminal pseudo-histone acetyltransferase (pHAT) domain. OGA and OGT are tightly regulated using O-GlcNAc-dependent feedback mechanisms that are largely unknown. Although the structure of the OGA homodimeric catalytic domain has been reported, the structure and function of the pHAT domain remains poorly understood. We describe a crystal structure of the Trichoplax adhaerens pHAT domain and cryo-EM data of the multi-domain T. adhaerens and human OGAs, together with surface plasmon resonance and small-angle X-ray scattering studies. Our findings show that the eukaryotic OGA pHAT domains affect O-GlcNAc homeostasis, and form catalytically incompetent, symmetric homodimers, projecting a partially conserved putative peptide binding site available for interactions with binding partners. While there is evidence for symmetric OGA multi-domain dimers in solution, interactions between the linkers to the pHAT domains allow these to adopt a limited range of positions. In hOGA, the positions of the pHAT domains determine the wider active site environment through a key conformational change involving a tryptophan in a flexible arm region. Taken together, these multi-domain OGA structures reveal allosteric mechanisms of regulation.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Secondary deficiency of neuraminidase 1 contributes to CNS pathology in neurological mucopolysaccharidoses via hypersialylation of brain glycoproteins

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are lysosomal storage diseases caused by defects in catabolism of glycosaminoglycans. MPS I, II, III and VII are associated with lysosomal accumulation of heparan sulphate and manifest with neurological deterioration. Most of these neurological MPS currently lack effective treatments. Here, we report that, compared to controls, neuraminidase 1 (NEU1) activity is drastically reduced in brain tissues of neurological MPS patients and in mouse models of MPS I, II, IIIA, IIIB and IIIC, but not of other neurological lysosomal disorders not presenting with heparan sulphate storage. We further show that accumulated heparan sulphate disrupts the lysosomal multienzyme complex of NEU1 with cathepsin A (CTSA), {beta}-galactosidase (GLB1) and glucosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS) necessary to maintain enzyme activity, and that NEU1 deficiency is linked to partial deficiencies of GLB1 and GALNS in cortical tissues and iPSC-derived cortical neurons of neurological MPS patients. Increased sialylation of N-linked glycans in brain samples of human MPS III patients and MPS IIIC mice implicated insufficient processing of brain N-linked sialylated glycans, except for polysialic acid, which was reduced in the brains of MPS IIIC mice. Correction of NEU1 activity in MPS IIIC mice by lentiviral gene transfer ameliorated previously identified hallmarks of the disease, including memory impairment, behavioural traits, and reduced levels of the excitatory synapse markers VGLUT1 and PSD95. Overexpression of NEU1 also restored levels of VGLUT1-/PSD95-positive puncta in cortical neurons derived from iPSC of an MPS IIIA patient. Together, our data demonstrate that heparan sulphate-induced secondary NEU1 deficiency and aberrant sialylation of glycoproteins implicated in synaptogenesis, memory, and behaviour constitute a novel pathological pathway in neurological MPS spectrum crucially contributing to CNS pathology. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=89 SRC="FIGDIR/small/587986v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (21K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@3905c3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a9672corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@b4911forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a3b190_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

LIS1 RNA-binding orchestrates the mechanosensitive properties of embryonic stem cells in AGO2-dependent and independent ways

Lissencephaly-1 (LIS1) is associated with neurodevelopmental diseases and is known to regulate the activity of the molecular motor cytoplasmic dynein. Here we show that LIS1 is essential for the viability of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), and it regulates the physical properties of these cells. LIS1 dosage substantially affects gene expression, and we uncovered an unexpected interaction of LIS1 with RNA and RNA-binding proteins, most prominently the Argonaute complex. We demonstrate that LIS1 overexpression partially rescued the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) and mechanosensitive genes conferring stiffness to Argonaute null mESCs. Collectively, our data transforms the current perspective on the roles of LIS1 in post- transcriptional regulation underlying development and mechanosensitive processes.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Discovery of lipid-mediated protein-protein interactions in living cells using metabolic labeling with photoactivatable clickable probes

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are essential and pervasive regulatory elements in cell biology. Despite development of a range of techniques to probe PPIs in living systems, there is a dearth of approaches to capture interactions driven by specific post-translational modifications (PTMs). Myristoylation is a lipid PTM added to more than 200 human proteins, where it may regulate membrane localization, stability or activity. Here we report design and synthesis of a panel of novel photocrosslinkable and clickable myristic acid analog probes, and their characterization as efficient substrates for human N-myristoyltransferases NMT1 and NMT2, both biochemically and through X-ray co-crystallography. We demonstrate metabolic incorporation of probes to label NMT substrates in cell culture and in situ intracellular photoactivation to form a covalent crosslink between modified proteins and their interactors, capturing a snapshot of interactions driven by the presence of the lipid PTM. Proteomic analyses revealed both known and multiple novel interactors of a series of myristoylated proteins, including ferroptosis suppressor protein FSP1 and spliceosome-associated RNA helicase DDX46. The concept exemplified by these probes offers an efficient approach for exploring the PTM-specific interactome, which may prove broadly applicable to other PTMs.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2021

N-myristoyltransferase inhibition is synthetic lethal in MYC-deregulated cancers

Human N-myristoyltransferases (NMTs) catalyze N-terminal protein myristoylation, a modification regulating membrane trafficking and interactions of >100 proteins. NMT is a promising target in cancer, but a mechanistic rationale for targeted therapy remains poorly defined. Here, large-scale cancer cell line screens against a panel of NMT inhibitors (NMTi) were combined with systems-level analyses to reveal that NMTi is synthetic lethal with deregulated MYC. Synthetic lethality is mediated by post-transcriptional failure in mitochondrial respiratory complex I protein synthesis concurrent with loss of myristoylation and degradation of complex I assembly factor NDUFAF4, followed by mitochondrial dysfunction specifically in MYC-deregulated cancer cells. NMTi eliminated MYC-deregulated tumors in vivo without overt toxicity, providing a new paradigm in which targeting a constitutive co-translational protein modification is synthetically lethal in MYC-deregulated cancers. One-sentence summaryN-myristoyltransferase inhibition leads to post-transcriptional complex I failure and cell death in MYC-deregulated cancers

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated depletion of O-GlcNAc hydrolase and transferase for functional dissection of O-GlcNAcylation in human cells

O-GlcNAcylation is an abundant post-translational modification (PTM) on serine and threonine residues of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Although this PTM has been reported on thousands of proteins, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and hydrolase (OGA) are the only two enzymes that perform the respective addition and removal of O-GlcNAc on protein substrates. To examine the consequences of deregulated O-GlcNAcylation, the O-GlcNAc field has mostly relied on the use of RNA interference to knockdown OGT/OGA and inhibitors to block their activities in cells. Here, we describe the first complete CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts of OGA and a knockdown of OGT (with a maximal decrease in expression of over 80%) in two human cell lines. Notably, constitutive depletion of one O-GlcNAc cycling enzyme not only led to a respective increase or decrease in total O-GlcNAcylation levels but also resulted in diminished expression of the opposing enzyme, as a compensatory mechanism, observed in previous short-term pharmacological studies. The OGA knockout system presents a convenient platform to dissect OGA mutations and was used to further characterise the single Ser405 O-GlcNAc site of human OGA using the S-GlcNAc genetic recoding approach, helping to identify an S-GlcNAc-specific antibody which was previously thought to primarily detect O-GlcNAc.

biochemistry↗