PUBLICATION
WRN promotes bone development and growth by unwinding SHOX-G-quadruplexes via its helicase activity in Werner Syndrome
- Authors
- Tian, Y., Wang, W., Lautrup, S., Zhao, H., Li, X., Law, P.W.N., Dinh, N.D., Fang, E.F., Cheung, H.H., Chan, W.Y.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-220920-33
- Date
- 2022
- Source
- Nature communications 13: 5456 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Bone Development
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- G-Quadruplexes*
- Genes, Homeobox
- RecQ Helicases/genetics
- RecQ Helicases/metabolism
- Werner Syndrome*/genetics
- Werner Syndrome Helicase/genetics
- Werner Syndrome Helicase/metabolism
- Zebrafish/genetics
- PubMed
- 36114168 Full text @ Nat. Commun.
Citation
Tian, Y., Wang, W., Lautrup, S., Zhao, H., Li, X., Law, P.W.N., Dinh, N.D., Fang, E.F., Cheung, H.H., Chan, W.Y. (2022) WRN promotes bone development and growth by unwinding SHOX-G-quadruplexes via its helicase activity in Werner Syndrome. Nature communications. 13:5456.
Abstract
Werner Syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by premature aging due to mutations of the WRN gene. A classical sign in WS patients is short stature, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here we report that WRN is indispensable for chondrogenesis, which is the engine driving the elongation of bones and determines height. Zebrafish lacking wrn exhibit impairment of bone growth and have shorter body stature. We pinpoint the function of WRN to its helicase domain. We identify short-stature homeobox (SHOX) as a crucial and direct target of WRN and find that the WRN helicase core regulates the transcriptional expression of SHOX via unwinding G-quadruplexes. Consistent with this, shox-/- zebrafish exhibit impaired bone growth, while genetic overexpression of SHOX or shox expression rescues the bone developmental deficiency induced in WRN/wrn-null mutants both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, we have identified a previously unknown function of WRN in regulating bone development and growth through the transcriptional regulation of SHOX via the WRN helicase domain, thus illuminating a possible approach for new therapeutic strategies.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping