Yan B, Wang H, Li F, Li C-Y
Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Br J Cancer. 2006 Dec 18;95(12):1696-700. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6603484. Epub 2006 Dec 5.
Previously it was shown that horizontal DNA transfer between mammalian cells can occur through the uptake of apoptotic bodies, where genes from the apoptotic cells were transferred to neighbouring cells phagocytosing the apoptotic bodies. The regulation of this process is poorly understood. It was shown that the ability of cells as recipient of horizontally transferred DNA was enhanced by deficiency of p53 or p21. However, little is known with regard to the regulation of DNA from donor apoptotic cells. Here we report that the DNA fragmentation factor/caspase-activated DNase (DFF/CAD), which is the endonuclease responsible for DNA fragmentation during apoptosis, plays a significant role in regulation of horizontal DNA transfer. Cells with inhibited DFF/CAD function are poor donors for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) while their ability of being recipients of HGT is not affected.
此前研究表明，哺乳动物细胞间的水平DNA转移可通过摄取凋亡小体发生，凋亡细胞的基因会转移至吞噬凋亡小体的邻近细胞。此过程的调控机制尚不清楚。研究显示，p53或p21缺陷会增强细胞作为水平转移DNA受体的能力。然而，关于供体凋亡细胞DNA的调控知之甚少。在此我们报告，DNA片段化因子/半胱天冬酶激活的脱氧核糖核酸酶（DFF/CAD），即负责凋亡期间DNA片段化的核酸内切酶，在水平DNA转移的调控中起重要作用。DFF/CAD功能受抑制的细胞作为水平基因转移（HGT）的供体效果不佳，而其作为HGT受体的能力不受影响。
