Aprataxin is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''APTX''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. This gene encodes a member of the histidine triad (HIT) superfamily, some of which have nucleotide-binding and diadenosine polyphosphate hydrolase activities. The encoded protein may play a role in single-stranded DNA repair. Mutations in this gene have been associated with ataxia–ocular apraxia. Multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene, however, the full length nature of some variants has not been determined.

Function

Aprataxin removes AMP from DNA ends following abortive ligation attempts by DNA Ligase IV during

non-homologous end joining Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is a pathway that repairs double-strand breaks in DNA. NHEJ is referred to as "non-homologous" because the break ends are directly ligated without the need for a homologous template, in contrast to homology direct ...

, thereby permitting subsequent attempts at ligation.

DNA strand breaks

Ataxia oculomotor apraxia-1 is a

neurological disorder A neurological disorder is any disorder of the nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or other nerves can result in a range of symptoms. Examples of symptoms include paralysis, muscle weakn ...

caused by mutations in the APTX gene that encodes aprataxin. The neurological disorder appears to be caused by the gradual accumulation of unrepaired DNA strand breaks resulting from abortive DNA ligation events.

Premature aging

Aptx^−/− mutant mice have been generated, but they lack an obvious phenotype. Another mouse model was generated in which a mutation of

superoxide dismutase Superoxide dismutase (SOD, ) is an enzyme that alternately catalyzes the dismutation (or partitioning) of the superoxide () radical into ordinary molecular oxygen (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (). Superoxide is produced as a by-product of oxygen me ...

I (SOD1) is expressed in an Aptx^−/− mouse. The SOD1 mutation causes a reduction in

transcription Transcription refers to the process of converting sounds (voice, music etc.) into letters or musical notes, or producing a copy of something in another medium, including: Genetics * Transcription (biology), the copying of DNA into RNA, the fir ...

recovery following

oxidative stress Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between the systemic manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily Detoxification, detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage. Disturbances ...

. These mice showed accelerated

cellular senescence Cellular senescence is a phenomenon characterized by the cessation of cell division. In their experiments during the early 1960s, Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorhead found that normal human fetal fibroblasts in culture reach a maximum of approxi ...

. This study also demonstrated a protective role of Aptx in vivo and suggested that the loss of Aptx function results in progressive accumulation of DNA breaks in the nervous system, triggering hallmarks of systemic premature aging (see

DNA damage theory of aging The DNA damage theory of aging proposes that aging is a consequence of unrepaired accumulation of naturally occurring DNA damage. Damage in this context is a DNA alteration that has an abnormal structure. Although both mitochondrial and nuclear ...

Interactions

Aprataxin has been shown to

interact Advocates for Informed Choice, dba interACT or interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization using innovative strategies to advocate for the legal and human rights of children with intersex traits. The organizati ...

with: *

PARP1 Poly DP-ribosepolymerase 1 (PARP-1) also known as NAD+ ADP-ribosyltransferase 1 or poly DP-ribosesynthase 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''PARP1'' gene. It is the most abundant of the PARP family of enzymes, accounting for 90% o ...

, *

P53 p53, also known as Tumor protein P53, cellular tumor antigen p53 (UniProt name), or transformation-related protein 53 (TRP53) is a regulatory protein that is often mutated in human cancers. The p53 proteins (originally thought to be, and often s ...

, *

XRCC1 DNA repair protein XRCC1, also known as X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''XRCC1'' gene. XRCC1 is involved in DNA repair, where it complexes with DNA ligase III. Function XRCC1 is invol ...

, and *

XRCC4 DNA repair protein XRCC4 also known as X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 4 or XRCC4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the XRCC4 gene. In addition to humans, the XRCC4 protein is also expressed in many other metazoans, fungi and in ...

References

External links