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Naa50/San-dependent N-terminal acetylation of Scc1 is potentially important for sister chromatid cohesion

Publication . Ribeiro, Ana Luisa; Silva, Rui D.; Foyn, Havard; Tiago, Margarida N.; Rathore, Om; Arnesen, Thomas; Martinho, Rui Goncalo

The gene separation anxiety (san) encodes Naa50/San, a N-terminal acetyltransferase required for chromosome segregation during mitosis. Although highly conserved among higher eukaryotes, the mitotic function of this enzyme is still poorly understood. Naa50/San was originally proposed to be required for centromeric sister chromatid cohesion in Drosophila and human cells, yet, more recently, it was also suggested to be a negative regulator of microtubule polymerization through internal acetylation of beta Tubulin. We used genetic and biochemical approaches to clarify the function of Naa50/San during development. Our work suggests that Naa50/San is required during tissue proliferation for the correct interaction between the cohesin subunits Scc1 and Smc3. Our results also suggest a working model where Naa50/San N-terminally acetylates the nascent Scc1 polypeptide, and that this co-translational modification is subsequently required for the establishment and/or maintenance of sister chromatid cohesion.

2016-12Journal article

Open Access

The emerging role of transcriptional regulation in the oocyte-to-zygote transition

Publication . Navarro-Costa, Paulo; Martinho, Rui Goncalo

Fertilization marks the beginning of a new life by converting two terminally differentiated gametes into a single totipotent zygote. Central to this transition is a complex biological program commonly referred to as oocyte activation—an umbrella term for a series of profound changes that prepare the fertilized oocyte for totipotency [1, 2]. These include, among others, the completion of meiosis, the formation of the two pronuclei, and the selective translation of maternal RNAs. A remarkable aspect of oocyte activation is that it occurs in the absence of transcription. Not surprisingly, most of our knowledge of this process is centered on the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression [3]. Yet, a recent body of evidence has brought new focus on the fundamental importance of transcriptional regulation during oogenesis as a primer for the oocyte-to-zygote transition [4].

2020-03Journal article

Open Access