Item Details

abstract

TREX1 is a 3’ exonuclease that degrades both single– and double–stranded polynucleotides in order to facilitate orderly cell death and prevent immune dysfunction. Mutations in the TREX1 gene at positions Asp–18 and Asp–200 lead to dominant autoimmune phenotypes associated with familial chilblain lupus and Aicardi–Goutieres syndrome. The TREX1 dimer localizes to the perinuclear space and translocates to the nucleus to degrade genomic DNA during apoptosis. Accumulation of self–dsDNA antibodies accompanies dysfunctional TREX1 and triggers the innate immune response. TREX1–associated dominant disease phenotypes correlate to an inability of TREX1 heterodimers containing one dominant–mutant protomer to efficiently degrade dsDNA substrates coupled with their inhibition of TREX1WT activity on dsDNA. A competition assay was designed using TREX1 dominant mutants and variants to demonstrate that an intact DNA binding process, coupled with dysfunctional chemistry in the active sites, explains the dominant phenotypes in TREX1 alleles. A follow–up assay reported that the presence of dsDNA also inhibits heterodimer and wild type activity on ssDNA and that the mutant protomer, when bound in an inactive complex, prevents activity in the opposing active protomer.

subject

Autoimmunity

Crystal Structure

DNA

Exonuclease

Lupus

TREX1

contributor

Fye, Jason (author)

Perrino, Fred W (committee chair)

Alexander, Rebecca (committee member)

Horita, David (committee member)

Daniel, Larry (committee member)

Hollis, Thomas (committee member)

date

2014-01-15T09:35:35Z (accessioned)

2015-01-15T09:30:08Z (available)

2013 (issued)

degree

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (discipline)

embargo

2015-01-15 (terms)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/39134 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

title

Structural and Biochemical Examination of Aberrant dsDNA Metabolism in TREX1-associated Autoimmunity

type

Dissertation