2. Academic Validation
  3. Down-regulation of human RNA/DNA helicase SUV3 induces apoptosis by a caspase- and AIF-dependent pathway

Down-regulation of human RNA/DNA helicase SUV3 induces apoptosis by a caspase- and AIF-dependent pathway

  • Biol Cell. 2007 Jun;99(6):323-32. doi: 10.1042/BC20060108.
Roman J Szczesny 1,  Helene Obriot,  Aleksandra Paczkowska,  Robert Jedrzejczak,  Aleksandra Dmochowska,  Ewa Bartnik,  Pierre Formstecher,  Renata Polakowska,  Piotr P Stepien
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
PMID: 17352692 DOI: 10.1042/BC20060108
Abstract

Background information: The nuclear gene hSUV3 (human SUV3) encodes an ATP-dependent DNA/RNA helicase. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the orthologous Suv3 protein is localized in mitochondria, and is a subunit of the degradosome complex which regulates RNA surveillance and turnover. In contrast, the functions of human SUV3 are not known to date.

Results: In the present study, we show that a fraction of human SUV3 helicase is localized in the nucleus. Using small interfering RNA gene silencing in HeLa cells, we demonstrate that down-regulation of hSUV3 results in cell cycle perturbations and in Apoptosis, which is both AIF- and caspase-dependent, and proceeds with the induction of p53.

Conclusions: In addition to its mitochondrial localization, human SUV3 plays an important role in the nucleus and is probably involved in chromatin maintenance.

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