On April 2nd, Prof Yan Shunping’s team from the Arabidopsis Research Center, the College of Life Science and Technology, published a paper titled “Negative regulator of E2F transcription factors links cell cycle checkpoint and DNA damage repair” on Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This paper revealed that SNI1, a subunit of SMC5/6(structural maintenance of chromosome) complex, plays dual roles in DNA damage responses by linking cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair. The work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Thousand Young Talents Plan, and Research Initiation Fund and Science & Technology Innovation Fund of Huazhong Agricultural University. Post-doctor Wang Lili was the first author of the paper and Prof Yan Shunping the corresponding author.
All creatures need to pass the correct genetic information (DNA) to the next generation, yet DNA is frequently damaged by both endogenous and exogenous factors. In order to maintain genomic stability, all organisms evolved complex and sophisticated DNA damage response, including transcriptional regulation, cell cycle checkpoint activation, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis. In response to DNA damage, cells activate checkpoints to arrest cell cycle progression, allowing sufficient time for DNA damage repair. Defects in DNA repair seriously affect growth and cause many diseases (including cancer).
SMC5/6 complex is highly conserved in eukaryotes and plays an important role in DNA damage repair. Arabidopsis SNI1 protein is a new subunit of SMC5/6 complex. In the study, Wang Lili and others found that SNI1 proteins regulate the cell cycle progression by inhibiting the key transcription factors E2F. The study shows that SNI1 has a function similar to tumor suppressor gene RB and reveals a new function of SMC5/6 complex in DNA damage repair and a new gene regulating plant stem cells, which is of great scientific significance.
Prof Wang Xuelu, Dean of the College of Life Science & Technology(CLST), said the research led by Prof Yan Shunping revealed a new mechanism for DNA damage repair which is an important progress in this highly competitive field. Prof Yan Shunping started working in CLST in 2014 and then joined the Arabidopsis Research Center that was established in 2012. It is truly remarkable for him to publish a paper as a corresponding author in a new research area of Arabidopsis in such a short time.
Source: http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2018/0403/51662.shtml
Translated by Wu Yanni
Revised & Proofread by Zeng Wenhua
