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Nuclear cytochrome c – a mitochondrial visitor regulating damaged chromatin dynamics
Author(s) -
DíazMoreno Irene,
VelázquezCruz Alejandro,
CurranFrench Seamus,
DíazQuintana Antonio,
De la Rosa Miguel A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1002/1873-3468.12959
Subject(s) - chromatin , dna damage , histone , microbiology and biotechnology , nuclear dna , nucleosome , cytochrome c , biology , dna , dna repair , mitochondrial dna , chemistry , biochemistry , mitochondrion , gene
Over the past decade, evidence has emerged suggesting a broader role for cytochrome c (Cyt c ) in programmed cell death. Recently, we demonstrated the ability of Cyt c to inhibit the nucleosome assembly activity of histone chaperones SET/template‐activating factor Iβ and NAP1‐related protein during DNA damage in humans and plants respectively. Here, we hypothesise a dual concentration‐dependent function for nuclear Cyt c in response to DNA damage. We propose that low levels of highly cytotoxic DNA lesions – such as double‐strand breaks – induce nuclear translocation of Cyt c , leading to the attenuation of nucleosome assembly and, thereby, increasing the time available for DNA repair. If DNA damage persists or is exacerbated, the nuclear Cyt c concentration would exceed a given threshold, causing the haem protein to block DNA remodelling altogether.