NQO-Induced DNA-Less Cell Formation Is Associated with Chromatin Protein Degradation and Dependent on A0A1-ATPase in Sulfolobus

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 8; p. 1480
• Main Authors: Han, Wenyuan, Xu, Yanqun, Feng, Xu, Liang, Yun X., Huang, Li, Shen, Yulong, She, Qunxin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A 14.08.2017
• Subjects: A0A1-ATPase; chromatin protein; DNA damage; DNA-less cell formation; Microbiology; Sulfolobus
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01480

To investigate DNA damage response in the model crenarchaeon Sulfolobus islandicus , four different DNA damage agents were tested for their effects on cell death of this archaeon, including UV irradiation, methyl methanesulfonate, cisplatin, and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (NQO). Cell death featured with DNA-less cell formation was revealed in DNA damage treatment with each agent. Cellular responses upon NQO treatment were characterized in details, and following sequential events were revealed, including: a modest accumulation of G1/S phase cells, membrane depolarization, proteolytic degradation of chromatin proteins, and chromosomal DNA degradation. Further insights into the process were gained from studying drugs that affect the archaeal ATP synthase, including a proton gradient uncoupler and an ATP synthase inhibitor. Whereas the proton uncoupler-mediated excess proton influx yielded cell death as observed for the NQO treatment, inhibition of ATP synthase attenuated NQO-induced membrane depolarization and DNA-less cell formation. In conclusion, the NQO-induced cell death in S. islandicus is characterized by proteolytic degradation of chromatin protein, and chromosomal DNA degradation, which probably represents a common feature for the cell death induced by different DNA damage agents.