Publications

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) self-renew or differentiate into all tissues of the developing embryo and cell-specification factors are necessary to balance gene expression. Here we delineate the function of the PHD-finger protein 5a (Phf5a) in ESC self-renewal and ascribe its role in regulating pluripotency, cellular reprogramming and myoblast specification. We demonstrate that Phf5a is essential for maintaining pluripotency, since depleted ESCs exhibit hallmarks of differentiation. Mechanistically, we attribute Phf5a function to the stabilization of the Paf1 transcriptional complex and control of RNA polymerase II elongation on pluripotency loci. Apart from an ESC-specific factor, we demonstrate that Phf5a controls differentiation of adult myoblasts. Our findings suggest a potent mode of regulation by Phf5a in stem cells, which directs their transcriptional programme, ultimately regulating maintenance of pluripotency and cellular reprogramming.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are dormant in the bone marrow and can be activated in response to diverse stresses to replenish all blood cell types. We identified the ubiquitin ligase Huwe1 as a crucial regulator of HSC function via its post-translational control of the oncoprotein N-myc. We found Huwe1 to be essential for HSC self-renewal, quiescence and lymphoid-fate specification in mice. Through the use of a fluorescent fusion allele (Mycn^M), we observed that N-myc expression was restricted to the most immature, multipotent stem and progenitor populations. N-myc expression was upregulated in response to stress or following loss of Huwe1, which led to increased proliferation and stem-cell exhaustion. Mycn depletion reversed most of these phenotypes in vivo, suggesting that the attenuation of N-myc by Huwe1 is essential to reestablish homeostasis following stress.

Heat-shock factor 1 (HSF1) orchestrates the heat-shock response in eukaryotes. Although this pathway has evolved to help cells adapt in the presence of challenging conditions, it is co-opted in cancer to support malignancy. However, the mechanisms that regulate HSF1 and thus cellular stress response are poorly understood. Here we show that the ubiquitin ligase FBXW7 interacts with HSF1 through a conserved motif phosphorylated by GSK3 and ERK1. FBXW7 ubiquitylates HSF1 and loss of FBXW7 results in impaired degradation of nuclear HSF1 and defective heat-shock response attenuation. FBXW7 is either mutated or transcriptionally downregulated in melanoma and HSF1 nuclear stabilization correlates with increased metastatic potential and disease progression. FBXW7 deficiency and subsequent HSF1 accumulation activates an invasion-supportive transcriptional program and enhances the metastatic potential of human melanoma cells. These findings identify a post-translational mechanism of regulation of the HSF1 transcriptional program both in the presence of exogenous stress and in cancer.