Homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining repair pathways in bovine embryos with different developmental competence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henrique Barreta, Marcos; Garziera Gasperin, Bernardo; Braga Rissi, Vitor; Cesaro, Matheus Pedrotti de; Ferreira, Rogério; Oliveira, João Francisco de; Gonçalves, Paulo Bayard Dias; Bordignon, Vilceu

2012-01-01

This study investigated the expression of genes controlling homologous recombination (HR), and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA-repair pathways in bovine embryos of different developmental potential. It also evaluated whether bovine embryos can respond to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced with ultraviolet irradiation by regulating expression of genes involved in HR and NHEJ repair pathways. Embryos with high, intermediate or low developmental competence were selected based on the cleavage time after in vitro insemination and were removed from in vitro culture before (36 h), during (72 h) and after (96 h) the expected period of embryonic genome activation. All studied genes were expressed before, during and after the genome activation period regardless the developmental competence of the embryos. Higher mRNA expression of 53BP1 and RAD52 was found before genome activation in embryos with low developmental competence. Expression of 53BP1, RAD51 and KU70 was downregulated at 72 h and upregulated at 168 h post-insemination in response to DSBs induced by ultraviolet irradiation. In conclusion, important genes controlling HR and NHEJ DNA-repair pathways are expressed in bovine embryos, however genes participating in these pathways are only regulated after the period of embryo genome activation in response to ultraviolet-induced DSBs.

Unsolved mystery: the role of BRCA1 in DNA end-joining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, Janapriya; Davis, Anthony J.

2016-01-01

Heritable mutations in the tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 increase a woman's lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. BRCA1's tumor suppressor function is directly linked to its myriad of functions in the cellular response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). BRCA1 interacts with an extensive array of DNA damage responsive proteins and plays important roles in DSB repair, mediated by the homologous recombination pathway, and in the activation of cell cycle checkpoints. However, the role of BRCA1 in the other two DSB repair pathways, classical non-homologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) and alternative NHEJ (A-NHEJ), remains unclear. In this review, we will discuss the current literature on BRCA1's potential role(s) in modulating both C-NHEJ and A-NHEJ. We also present a model showing that BRCA1 contributes to genomic maintenance by promoting precise DNA repair across all cell cycle phases via the direct modulation of DNA end-joining

Non-homologous end joining pathway is the major route of protection against 4β-hydroxywithanolide E-induced DNA damage in MCF-7 cells.

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You, B-J; Wu, Y-C; Lee, C-L; Lee, H-Z

2014-03-01

4β-Hydroxywithanolide E is a bioactive withanolide extracted from Physalis peruviana. 4β-Hydroxywithanolide E caused reactive oxygen species production and cell apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. We further found that 4β-hydroxywithanolide E induced DNA damage and regulated the DNA damage signaling in MCF-7 cells. The DNA damage sensors and repair proteins act promptly to remove DNA lesions by 4β-hydroxywithanolide E. The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated protein (ATM)-dependent DNA damage signaling pathway is involved in 4β-hydroxywithanolide E-induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Non-homologous end joining pathway, but not homologous recombination, is the major route of protection of MCF-7 cells against 4β-hydroxywithanolide E-induced DNA damage. 4β-Hydroxywithanolide E had no significant impact on the base excision repair pathway. In this study, we examined the 4β-hydroxywithanolide E-induced DNA damage as a research tool in project investigating the DNA repair signaling in breast cancer cells. We also suggest that 4β-hydroxywithanolide E assert its anti-tumor activity in carcinogenic progression and develop into a dietary chemopreventive agent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative contribution of homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining to DNA double-strand break repair after oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Letavayová, Lucia; Marková, Eva; Hermanská, Katarína; Vlcková, Viera; Vlasáková, Danusa; Chovanec, Miroslav; Brozmanová, Jela

2006-05-10

Oxidative damage to DNA seems to be an important factor in developing many human diseases including cancer. It involves base and sugar damage, base-free sites, DNA-protein cross-links and DNA single-strand (SSB) and double-strand (DSB) breaks. Oxidative DSB can be formed in various ways such as their direct induction by the drug or their generation either through attempted and aborted repair of primary DNA lesions or through DNA replication-dependent conversion of SSB. In general, two main pathways are responsible for repairing DSB, homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), with both of them being potential candidates for the repair of oxidative DSB. We have examined relative contribution of HR and NHEJ to cellular response after oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Therefore, cell survival, mutagenesis and DSB induction and repair in the rad52, yku70 and rad52 yku70 mutants after hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), menadione (MD) or bleomycin (BLM) exposure were compared to those obtained for the corresponding wild type. We show that MD exposure does not lead to observable DSB induction in yeast, suggesting that the toxic effects of this agent are mediated by other types of DNA damage. Although H(2)O(2) treatment generates some DSB, their yield is relatively low and hence DSB may only partially be responsible for toxicity of H(2)O(2), particularly at high doses of the agent. On the other hand, the basis of the BLM toxicity resides primarily in DSB induction. Both HR and NHEJ act on BLM-induced DSB, although their relative participation in the process is not equal. Based on our results we suggest that the complexity and/or the quality of the BLM-induced DSB might represent an obstacle for the NHEJ pathway.

The Ku70/80 ring in Non-Homologous End-Joining: easy to slip on, hard to remove.

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Kragelund, Birthe B; Weterings, Eric; Hartmann-Petersen, Rasmus; Keijzers, Guido

2016-01-01

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is an essential DNA double strand break repair pathway during all cell cycle stages. Deficiency in NHEJ factors can lead to accumulation of unrepaired DNA breaks or faulty DNA repair, which may ultimately result in cell death, senescence or carcinogenesis. The Ku70/80 heterodimer is a key-player in the NHEJ pathway and binds to DNA termini with high affinity, where it helps to protect DNA ends from degradation and to recruit other NHEJ factors required for repair. The mechanism of Ku70/80 detachment from the DNA helix after completion of DNA repair is incompletely understood. Some data suggest that certain DNA repair factors are ubiquitylated and targeted for proteasomal degradation after repair. Recent studies suggest that Ku80 is conjugated to lysine48-linked ubiquitin chains by the Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) complex and/or the RING finger protein 8 (RNF8) ubiquitin-protein ligases, followed by rapid proteasomal degradation. In this review we address the structure and function of the Ku70/80 heterodimer and how ubiquitylation may affect the release of Ku70/80 from chromatin and its subsequent degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

DNA apoptosis and stability in B-cell chronic lymphoid leukaemia: implication of the DNA double-strand breaks repair system by non homologous recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deriano, L.

2005-01-01

After an introduction presenting the diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphoid leukaemia, its molecular and genetic characteristics, and its cellular origin and clonal evolution, this research thesis describes the apoptosis (definition and characteristics, cancer and chemotherapy, apoptotic ways induced by gamma irradiation), the genotoxic stresses, the different repair mechanisms for different damages, and the DNA repair processes. It reports how human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia B cells can escape DNA damage-induced apoptosis through the non-homologous end-joining DNA repair pathway, and presents non-homologous end-joining DNA repair as a potent mutagenic process in human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia B cells

Molecular mechanism of protein assembly on DNA double-strand breaks in the non-homologous end-joining pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yano, Ken-ichi; Morotomi-Yano, Keiko; Adachi, Noritaka; Akiyama, Hidenori

2009-01-01

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in mammalian species. Upon DSB induction, a living cell quickly activates the NHEJ pathway comprising of multiple molecular events. However, it has been difficult to analyze the initial phase of DSB responses in living cells, primarily due to technical limitations. Recent advances in real-time imaging and site-directed DSB induction using laser microbeam allow us to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of NHEJ factors in the immediate-early phase after DSB induction. These new approaches, together with the use of cell lines deficient in each essential NHEJ factor, provide novel mechanistic insights into DSB recognition and protein assembly on DSBs in the NHEJ pathway. In this review, we provide an overview of recent progresses in the imaging analyses of the NHEJ core factors. These studies strongly suggest that the NHEJ core factors are pre-assembled into a large complex on DSBs prior to the progression of the biochemical reactions in the NHEJ pathway. Instead of the traditional step-by-step assembly model from the static view of NHEJ, a novel model for dynamic protein assembly in the NHEJ pathway is proposed. This new model provides important mechanistic insights into the protein assembly at DSBs and the regulation of DSB repair. (author)

DNA double strand break repair in mammalian cells: role of MRE11 and BLM proteins at the initiation of Non Homologous End Joining (NHEJ)

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Grabarz, Anastazja

2011-01-01

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are highly cytotoxic lesions, which can lead to genetic rearrangements. Two pathways are responsible for repairing these lesions: homologous recombination (HR) and non homologous end joining (NHEJ). In our laboratory, an intrachromosomal substrate has been established in order to measure the efficiency and the fidelity of NHEJ in living cells (Guirouilh-Barbat 2004). This approach led us to identify a KU-independent alternative pathway, which uses micro homologies in the proximity of the junction to accomplish repair - the alternative NHEJ (Guirouilh-Barbat 2004, Guirouilh-Barbat et Rass 2007). The goal of my thesis consisted in identifying and characterising major actors of this pathway. In the absence of KU, alternative NHEJ would be initiated by ssDNA resection of damaged ends. We showed that the nuclease activity of MRE11 is necessary for this mechanism. MRE11 overexpression leads to a two fold stimulation of NHEJ efficiency, while the extinction of MRE11 by siRNA results in a two fold decrease. Our results demonstrate that the proteins RAD50 and CtIP act in the same pathway as MRE11. Moreover, in cells deficient for XRCC4, MIRIN - an inhibitor of the MRN complex - leads to a decrease in repair efficiency, implicating MRE11 in alternative NHEJ. We also showed that MRE11 can act in an ATM-dependent and independent manner (Rass et Grabarz Nat Struct Mol Biol 2009). The initiation of break resection needs to be pursued by a more extensive degradation of DNA, which is accomplished in yeast by the proteins Exo1 and Sgs1/Dna2. In human cells, in vitro studies have recently proposed a similar model of a two-step break resection. We chose to elucidate the role of one of the human homologs of Sgs1 - the RecQ helicase BLM - in the resection process. Our experiments show, that he absence of BLM decreases the efficiency of end joining by NHEJ, accompanied by an increase in error-prone events, especially long-range deletions (≥200 nt). This

Non-homologous end joining is the responsible pathway for the repair of fludarabine-induced DNA double strand breaks in mammalian cells

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Campos-Nebel, Marcelo de; Larripa, Irene; Gonzalez-Cid, Marcela

2008-01-01

Fludarabine (FLU), an analogue of adenosine, interferes with DNA synthesis and inhibits the chain elongation leading to replication arrest and DNA double strand break (DSB) formation. Mammalian cells use two main pathways of DSB repair to maintain genomic stability: homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the repair pathways employed in the restoration of DSB formed following replication arrest induced by FLU in mammalian cells. Replication inhibition was induced in human lymphocytes and fibroblasts by FLU. DSB occurred in a dose-dependent manner on early/middle S-phase cells, as detected by γH2AX foci formation. To test whether conservative HR participates in FLU-induced DSB repair, we measured the kinetics of Rad51 nuclear foci formation in human fibroblasts. There was no significant induction of Rad51 foci after FLU treatment. To further confirm these results, we analyzed the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in both human cells. We did not find increased frequencies of SCE after FLU treatment. To assess the participation of NHEJ pathway in the repair of FLU-induced damage, we used two chemical inhibitors of the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), vanillin and wortmannin. Human fibroblasts pretreated with DNA-PKcs inhibitors showed increased levels of chromosome breakages and became more sensitive to cell death. An active role of NHEJ pathway was also suggested from the analysis of Chinese hamster cell lines. XR-C1 (DNA-PKcs-deficient) and XR-V15B (Ku80-deficient) cells showed hypersensitivity to FLU as evidenced by the increased frequency of chromosome aberrations, decreased mitotic index and impaired survival rates. In contrast, CL-V4B (Rad51C-deficient) and V-C8 (Brca2-deficient) cell lines displayed a FLU-resistant phenotype. Together, our results suggest a major role for NHEJ repair in the preservation of genome integrity against FLU-induced DSB

Non-homologous end joining is the responsible pathway for the repair of fludarabine-induced DNA double strand breaks in mammalian cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campos-Nebel, Marcelo de [Departamento de Genetica, Instituto de Investigaciones Hematologicas Mariano R. Castex, Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires (Argentina)], E-mail: mnebel@hematologia.anm.edu.ar; Larripa, Irene; Gonzalez-Cid, Marcela [Departamento de Genetica, Instituto de Investigaciones Hematologicas Mariano R. Castex, Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2008-11-10

Fludarabine (FLU), an analogue of adenosine, interferes with DNA synthesis and inhibits the chain elongation leading to replication arrest and DNA double strand break (DSB) formation. Mammalian cells use two main pathways of DSB repair to maintain genomic stability: homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the repair pathways employed in the restoration of DSB formed following replication arrest induced by FLU in mammalian cells. Replication inhibition was induced in human lymphocytes and fibroblasts by FLU. DSB occurred in a dose-dependent manner on early/middle S-phase cells, as detected by {gamma}H2AX foci formation. To test whether conservative HR participates in FLU-induced DSB repair, we measured the kinetics of Rad51 nuclear foci formation in human fibroblasts. There was no significant induction of Rad51 foci after FLU treatment. To further confirm these results, we analyzed the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in both human cells. We did not find increased frequencies of SCE after FLU treatment. To assess the participation of NHEJ pathway in the repair of FLU-induced damage, we used two chemical inhibitors of the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), vanillin and wortmannin. Human fibroblasts pretreated with DNA-PKcs inhibitors showed increased levels of chromosome breakages and became more sensitive to cell death. An active role of NHEJ pathway was also suggested from the analysis of Chinese hamster cell lines. XR-C1 (DNA-PKcs-deficient) and XR-V15B (Ku80-deficient) cells showed hypersensitivity to FLU as evidenced by the increased frequency of chromosome aberrations, decreased mitotic index and impaired survival rates. In contrast, CL-V4B (Rad51C-deficient) and V-C8 (Brca2-deficient) cell lines displayed a FLU-resistant phenotype. Together, our results suggest a major role for NHEJ repair in the preservation of genome integrity against FLU

Either non-homologous ends joining or homologous recombination is required to repair double-strand breaks in the genome of macrophage-internalized Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

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Brzostek, Anna; Szulc, Izabela; Klink, Magdalena; Brzezinska, Marta; Sulowska, Zofia; Dziadek, Jaroslaw

2014-01-01

The intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is constantly exposed to a multitude of hostile conditions and is confronted by a variety of potentially DNA-damaging assaults in vivo, primarily from host-generated antimicrobial toxic radicals. Exposure to reactive nitrogen species and/or reactive oxygen species causes different types of DNA damage, including oxidation, depurination, methylation and deamination, that can result in single- or double-strand breaks (DSBs). These breaks affect the integrity of the whole genome and, when left unrepaired, can lead to cell death. Here, we investigated the role of the DSB repair pathways, homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous ends joining (NHEJ), in the survival of Mtb inside macrophages. To this end, we constructed Mtb strains defective for HR (ΔrecA), NHEJ [Δ(ku,ligD)], or both DSB repair systems [Δ(ku,ligD,recA)]. Experiments using these strains revealed that either HR or NHEJ is sufficient for the survival and propagation of tubercle bacilli inside macrophages. Inhibition of nitric oxide or superoxide anion production with L-NIL or apocynin, respectively, enabled the Δ(ku,ligD,recA) mutant strain lacking both systems to survive intracellularly. Complementation of the Δ(ku,ligD,recA) mutant with an intact recA or ku-ligD rescued the ability of Mtb to propagate inside macrophages.

Either non-homologous ends joining or homologous recombination is required to repair double-strand breaks in the genome of macrophage-internalized Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Brzostek

Full Text Available The intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb is constantly exposed to a multitude of hostile conditions and is confronted by a variety of potentially DNA-damaging assaults in vivo, primarily from host-generated antimicrobial toxic radicals. Exposure to reactive nitrogen species and/or reactive oxygen species causes different types of DNA damage, including oxidation, depurination, methylation and deamination, that can result in single- or double-strand breaks (DSBs. These breaks affect the integrity of the whole genome and, when left unrepaired, can lead to cell death. Here, we investigated the role of the DSB repair pathways, homologous recombination (HR and non-homologous ends joining (NHEJ, in the survival of Mtb inside macrophages. To this end, we constructed Mtb strains defective for HR (ΔrecA, NHEJ [Δ(ku,ligD], or both DSB repair systems [Δ(ku,ligD,recA]. Experiments using these strains revealed that either HR or NHEJ is sufficient for the survival and propagation of tubercle bacilli inside macrophages. Inhibition of nitric oxide or superoxide anion production with L-NIL or apocynin, respectively, enabled the Δ(ku,ligD,recA mutant strain lacking both systems to survive intracellularly. Complementation of the Δ(ku,ligD,recA mutant with an intact recA or ku-ligD rescued the ability of Mtb to propagate inside macrophages.

Biochemical Kinetics Model of DSB Repair and GammaH2AX FOCI by Non-homologous End Joining

Science.gov (United States)

Cucinotta, Francis, A.; Pluth, Janice M.; Anderson, Jennifer A.; Harper, Jane V.; O'Neill, Peter

2007-01-01

We developed a biochemical kinetics approach to describe the repair of double strand breaks (DSB) produced by low LET radiation by modeling molecular events associated with the mechanisms of non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). A system of coupled non-linear ordinary differential equations describes the induction of DSB and activation pathways for major NHEJ components including Ku(sub 70/80), DNA-PK(sub cs), and the Ligase IV-XRCC4 hetero-dimer. The autophosphorylation of DNA-PK(sub cs and subsequent induction of gamma-H2AX foci observed after ionizing radiation exposure were modeled. A two-step model of DNA-PK(sub cs) regulation of repair was developed with the initial step allowing access of other NHEJ components to breaks, and a second step limiting access to Ligase IV-XRCC4. Our model assumes that the transition from the first to second-step depends on DSB complexity, with a much slower-rate for complex DSB. The model faithfully reproduced several experimental data sets, including DSB rejoining as measured by pulsed-field electrophoresis (PFGE), quantification of the induction of gamma-H2AX foci, and live cell imaging of the induction of Ku(sub 70/80). Predictions are made for the behaviors of NHEJ components at low doses and dose-rates, where a steady-state is found at dose-rates of 0.1 Gy/hr or lower.

An efficient system for deletion of large DNA fragments in Escherichia coli via introduction of both Cas9 and the non-homologous end joining system from Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xuan; Li, Shi-Yuan; Zhao, Guo-Ping; Wang, Jin

2017-04-15

Accompanied with the internal non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) system, Cas9 can be used to easily inactivate a gene or delete a fragment through introduction of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) in eukaryotic cells. While in most prokaryotes (e.g. Escherichia coli), due to the lack of NHEJ, homologous recombination (HR) is required for repair of DSBs, which is less convenient. Here, a markerless system was developed for rapid gene inactivation or fragment deletion in E. coli via introduction of both Cas9 and a bacterial NHEJ system. Three bacterial NHEJ systems, i.e. Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Bacillus subtilis (Bs), were tested in E. coli, and the MsmNHEJ system showed the best efficiency. With the employment of Cas9 and MsmNHEJ, we efficiently mutated lacZ gene, deleted glnALG operon and two large DNA fragments (67 kb and 123 kb) in E. coli, respectively. Moreover, the system was further designed to allow for continuous inactivation of genes or deletion of DNA fragments in E. coli. We envision this system can be extended to other bacteria, especially those with low HR efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sirt6 Promotes DNA End Joining in iPSCs Derived from Old Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Chen

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs have great potential for treating age-related diseases, but the genome integrity of iPSCs is critically important. Here, we demonstrate that non-homologous end joining (NHEJ, rather than homologous recombination (HR, is less efficient in iPSCs from old mice than young mice. We further find that Sirt6 is downregulated in iPSCs from old mice. Sirt6 directly binds to Ku80 and facilitates the Ku80/DNA-PKcs interaction, thus promoting DNA-PKcs phosphorylation at residue S2056, leading to efficient NHEJ. Rescue experiments show that introducing a combination of Sirt6 and the Yamanaka factors during reprogramming significantly promotes DNA double-strand break (DSB repair by activating NHEJ in iPSCs derived from old mice. Thus, our study suggests a strategy to improve the quality of iPSCs derived from old donors by activating NHEJ and stabilizing the genome.

CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in via non-homologous end-joining in the crustacean Daphnia magna.

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Kumagai, Hitoshi; Nakanishi, Takashi; Matsuura, Tomoaki; Kato, Yasuhiko; Watanabe, Hajime

2017-01-01

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated system (Cas) is widely used for mediating the knock-in of foreign DNA into the genomes of various organisms. Here, we report a process of CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in via non-homologous end joining by the direct injection of Cas9/gRNA ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) in the crustacean Daphnia magna, which is a model organism for studies on toxicology, ecology, and evolution. First, we confirmed the cleavage activity of Cas9 RNPs comprising purified Cas9 proteins and gRNAs in D. magna. We used a gRNA that targets exon 10 of the eyeless gene. Cas9 proteins were incubated with the gRNAs and the resulting Cas9 RNPs were injected into D. magna eggs, which led to a typical phenotype of the eyeless mutant, i.e., eye deformity. The somatic and heritable mutagenesis efficiencies were up to 96% and 40%, respectively. Second, we tested the CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in of a plasmid by the injection of Cas9 RNPs. The donor DNA plasmid harboring the fluorescent reporter gene was designed to contain the gRNA recognition site. The co-injection of Cas9 RNPs together with the donor DNAs resulted in generation of one founder animal that produced fluorescent progenies. This transgenic Daphnia had donor DNA at the targeted genomic site, which suggested the concurrent cleavage of the injected plasmid DNA and genomic DNA. Owing to its simplicity and ease of experimental design, we suggest that the CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in method represents a promising tool for studying functional genomics in D. magna.

Cadmium delays non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair via inhibition of DNA-PKcs phosphorylation and downregulation of XRCC4 and Ligase IV

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Li, Weiwei; Gu, Xueyan; Zhang, Xiaoning; Kong, Jinxin [Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Ding, Nan [Gansu Key laboratory of Space Radiobiology, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Qi, Yongmei; Zhang, Yingmei [Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Wang, Jufang [Gansu Key laboratory of Space Radiobiology, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Huang, Dejun, E-mail: huangdj@lzu.edu.cn [Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Cadmium (Cd) exposure delayed the repair of DNA damage induced by X-ray. • Cd exposure altered the phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs on Thr-2609 and Ser-2056 sites. • Cd impaired the formation of XRCC4 and Ligase IV foci, and down-regulated their protein expression. • Zinc mitigated the effects of Cd on DDR by regulating pDNA-PKcs (Thr-2609), XRCC4 and Ligase IV. - Abstract: Although studies have shown that cadmium (Cd) interfered with DNA damage repair (DDR), whether Cd could affect non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair remains elusive. To further understand the effect of Cd on DDR, we used X-ray irradiation of Hela cells as an in vitro model system, along with γH2AX and 53BP1 as markers for DNA damage. Results showed that X-ray significantly increased γH2AX and 53BP1 foci in Hela cells (p < 0.01), all of which are characteristic of accrued DNA damage. The number of foci declined rapidly over time (1–8 h postirradiation), indicating an initiation of NHEJ process. However, the disappearance of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci was remarkably slowed by Cd pretreatment (p < 0.01), suggesting that Cd reduced the efficiency of NHEJ. To further elucidate the mechanisms of Cd toxicity, several markers of NHEJ pathway including Ku70, DNA-PKcs, XRCC4 and Ligase IV were examined. Our data showed that Cd altered the phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs, and reduced the expression of both XRCC4 and Ligase IV in irradiated cells. These observations are indicative of the impairment of NHEJ-dependent DNA repair pathways. In addition, zinc (Zn) mitigated the effects of Cd on NHEJ, suggesting that the Cd-induced NHEJ alteration may partly result from the displacement of Zn or from an interference with the normal function of Zn-containing proteins by Cd. Our findings provide a new insight into the toxicity of Cd on NHEJ repair and its underlying mechanisms in human cells.

The role of DNA dependent protein kinase in synapsis of DNA ends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.P.W.C. Weterings (Eric); N.S. Verkaik (Nicole); H.T. Brüggenwirth (Hennie); D.C. van Gent (Dik); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan)

2003-01-01

textabstractDNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a central role in the non-homologous end-joining pathway of DNA double strand break repair. Its catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) functions as a serine/threonine protein kinase. We show that DNA-PK forms a stable complex at DNA termini that blocks

Garcinol, a Histone Acetyltransferase Inhibitor, Radiosensitizes Cancer Cells by Inhibiting Non-Homologous End Joining

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Oike, Takahiro [Division of Multistep Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Department of Radiation Oncology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Ogiwara, Hideaki [Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Torikai, Kohta [Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Nakano, Takashi [Department of Radiation Oncology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma (Japan); Yokota, Jun [Division of Multistep Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Kohno, Takashi, E-mail: tkkohno@ncc.go.jp [Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan)

2012-11-01

Purpose: Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), a major pathway used to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated by ionizing radiation (IR), requires chromatin remodeling at DSB sites through the acetylation of histones by histone acetyltransferases (HATs). However, the effect of compounds with HAT inhibitory activities on the DNA damage response (DDR), including the NHEJ and cell cycle checkpoint, as well as on the radiosensitivity of cancer cells, remains largely unclear. Here, we investigated whether garcinol, a HAT inhibitor found in the rinds of Garcinia indica fruit (called mangosteens), has effects on DDR, and whether it can be used for radiosensitization. Methods and Materials: The following assays were used to examine the effect of garcinol on the inhibition of DSB repair, including the following: a conventional neutral comet assay; a cell-based assay recently developed by us, in which NHEJ repair of DSBs on chromosomal DNA was evaluated; the micrococcal nuclease sensitivity assay; and immunoblotting for autophosphorylation of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). We assessed the effect of garcinol on the cell cycle checkpoint after IR treatment by analyzing the phosphorylation levels of checkpoint kinases CHK1 and CHK2 and histone H3, and by cell cycle profile analysis using flow cytometry. The radiosensitizing effect of garcinol was assessed by a clonogenic survival assay, whereas its effects on apoptosis and senescence were examined by annexin V and senescence-associated {beta}-galactosidase (SA-{beta}-Gal) staining, respectively. Results: We found that garcinol inhibits DSB repair, including NHEJ, without affecting cell cycle checkpoint. Garcinol radiosensitized A549 lung and HeLa cervical carcinoma cells with dose enhancement ratios (at 10% surviving fraction) of 1.6 and 1.5, respectively. Cellular senescence induced by IR was enhanced by garcinol. Conclusion: These results suggest that garcinol is a radiosensitizer that

Non-homologous end joining dependency of {gamma}-irradiation-induced adaptive frameshift mutation formation in cell cycle-arrested yeast cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heidenreich, Erich [Institute of Cancer Research, Division of Molecular Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: erich.heidenreich@meduniwien.ac.at; Eisler, Herfried [Institute of Cancer Research, Division of Molecular Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2004-11-22

There is a strong selective pressure favoring adaptive mutations which relieve proliferation-limiting adverse living conditions. Due to their importance for evolution and pathogenesis, we are interested in the mechanisms responsible for the formation of such adaptive, gain-of-fitness mutations in stationary-phase cells. During previous studies on the occurrence of spontaneous reversions of an auxotrophy-causing frameshift allele in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we noticed that about 50% of the adaptive reversions depended on a functional non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Here, we show that the occasional NHEJ component Pol4, which is the yeast ortholog of mammalian DNA polymerase lambda, is not required for adaptive mutagenesis. An artificially imposed excess of DSBs by {gamma}-irradiation resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of adaptive, cell cycle arrest-releasing frameshift reversions. By the use of DNA ligase IV-deficient strains we detected that the majority of the {gamma}-induced adaptive mutations were also dependent on a functional NHEJ pathway. This suggests that the same mutagenic NHEJ mechanism acts on spontaneously arising as well as on ionizing radiation-induced DSBs. Inaccuracy of the NHEJ repair pathway may extensively contribute to the incidence of frameshift mutations in resting (non-dividing) eukaryotic cells, and thus act as a driving force in tumor development.

Non-homologous end joining dependency of γ-irradiation-induced adaptive frameshift mutation formation in cell cycle-arrested yeast cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidenreich, Erich; Eisler, Herfried

2004-01-01

There is a strong selective pressure favoring adaptive mutations which relieve proliferation-limiting adverse living conditions. Due to their importance for evolution and pathogenesis, we are interested in the mechanisms responsible for the formation of such adaptive, gain-of-fitness mutations in stationary-phase cells. During previous studies on the occurrence of spontaneous reversions of an auxotrophy-causing frameshift allele in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we noticed that about 50% of the adaptive reversions depended on a functional non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Here, we show that the occasional NHEJ component Pol4, which is the yeast ortholog of mammalian DNA polymerase lambda, is not required for adaptive mutagenesis. An artificially imposed excess of DSBs by γ-irradiation resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of adaptive, cell cycle arrest-releasing frameshift reversions. By the use of DNA ligase IV-deficient strains we detected that the majority of the γ-induced adaptive mutations were also dependent on a functional NHEJ pathway. This suggests that the same mutagenic NHEJ mechanism acts on spontaneously arising as well as on ionizing radiation-induced DSBs. Inaccuracy of the NHEJ repair pathway may extensively contribute to the incidence of frameshift mutations in resting (non-dividing) eukaryotic cells, and thus act as a driving force in tumor development

Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA Integration and Gene Targeting in Arabidopsis thaliana Non-Homologous End-Joining Mutants

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Qi Jia

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to study the role of AtKu70 and AtKu80 in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and gene targeting, plant lines with a T-DNA insertion in AtKu80 or AtKu70 genes were functionally characterized. Such plant lines lacked both subunits, indicating that heterodimer formation between AtKu70 and AtKu80 is needed for the stability of the proteins. Homozygous mutants were phenotypically indistinguishable from wild-type plants and were fertile. However, they were hypersensitive to the genotoxic agent bleomycin, resulting in more DSBs as quantified in comet assays. They had lower end-joining efficiency, suggesting that NHEJ is a critical pathway for DSB repair in plants. Both Atku mutants and a previously isolated Atmre11 mutant were impaired in Agrobacterium T-DNA integration via floral dip transformation, indicating that AtKu70, AtKu80, and AtMre11 play an important role in T-DNA integration in Arabidopsis. The frequency of gene targeting was not significantly increased in the Atku80 and Atku70 mutants, but it was increased at least 10-fold in the Atmre11 mutant compared with the wild type.

Lipofection and nucleofection of substrate plasmid can generate widely different readings of DNA end-joining efficiency in different cell lines.

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Magin, Simon; Saha, Janapriya; Wang, Minli; Mladenova, Veronika; Coym, Nadine; Iliakis, George

2013-02-01

In vivo plasmid end-joining assays are valuable tools for dissecting important qualitative and quantitative aspects of non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)--a key mechanism for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in higher eukaryotes. They enable the use of defined DNA ends as substrates for end-joining and the analysis by sequencing of the resulting junctions to identify the repair pathways engaged. Yet, plasmid assays have generated divergent results of end-joining capacity in the same DSB repair mutants when used under different conditions, which implies contributions from undefined and therefore uncontrolled parameters. To help standardize these assays, we searched for parameters underpinning these variations and identified transfection method as an important determinant. Here, we compare a lipid-based transfection method, lipofection, with an electroporation method, nucleofection, and find large, unanticipated and cell line-dependent differences in percent end-joining without recognizable trends. For example, in rodent cells, transfection using lipofection gives nearly WT end-joining in DNA-PKcs mutants and only mildly inhibited end-joining in Lig4 and Ku mutants. In contrast, transfection using nucleofection shows marked end-joining inhibition in all NHEJ mutants tested as compared to the WT. In human HCT116 cells, end-joining after nucleofection is strongly suppressed even in the WT and the differences to the mutants are small. After lipofection, in contrast, end-joining is high in WT cells and markedly suppressed in the mutants. We conclude that better understanding and control of the physicochemical/biological and analytical parameters underpinning these differences will be required to generate with plasmid assays results with quantitative power comparable to that of well-established methods of DSB analysis such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or γ-H2AX foci scoring. Until then, caution is needed in the interpretation of the results obtained

KIN17, XPC, DNA-PKCS and XRCC4 proteins in the cellular response to DNA damages. Relations between nucleotide excision repair and non-homologous end joining in a human syn-genic model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Despras, Emmanuelle

2006-01-01

The response to genotoxic stress involves many cellular factors in a complex network of mechanisms that aim to preserve the genetic integrity of the organism. These mechanisms enclose the detection and repair of DNA lesions, the regulation of transcription and replication and, eventually, the setting of cell death. Among the nuclear proteins involved in this response, kin17 proteins are zinc-finger proteins conserved through evolution and activated by ultraviolet (UV) or ionizing radiations (IR). We showed that human kin17 protein (HSAkin17) is found in the cell under a soluble form and a form tightly anchored to nuclear structures. A fraction of HSAkin17 protein is directly associated with chromatin. HSAkin17 protein is recruited to nuclear structures 24 hours after treatment with various agents inducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and/or replication forks blockage. Moreover, the reduction of total HSAkin17 protein level sensitizes RKO cells to IR. We also present evidence for the involvement of HSAkin17 protein in DNA replication. This hypothesis was further confirmed by the biochemical demonstration of its belonging to the replication complex. HSAkin17 protein could link DNA replication and DNA repair, a defect in the HSAkin17 pathway leading to an increased radiosensitivity. In a second part, we studied the interactions between two DNA repair mechanisms: nucleotide excision repair (NER) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). NER repairs a wide variety of lesions inducing a distortion of the DNA double helix including UV-induced pyrimidine dimers. NHEJ allows the repair of DSB by direct joining of DNA ends. We used a syn-genic model for DNA repair defects based on RNA interference developed in the laboratory. Epstein-Barr virus-derived vectors (pEBV) allow long-term expression of siRNA and specific extinction of the targeted gene. The reduction of the expression of genes involved in NER (XPA and XPC) or NHEJ (DNA-PKcs and XRCC4) leads to the expected

Development of versatile non-homologous end joining-based knock-in module for genome editing.

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Sawatsubashi, Shun; Joko, Yudai; Fukumoto, Seiji; Matsumoto, Toshio; Sugano, Shigeo S

2018-01-12

CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing has dramatically accelerated genome engineering. An important aspect of genome engineering is efficient knock-in technology. For improved knock-in efficiency, the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair pathway has been used over the homology-dependent repair pathway, but there remains a need to reduce the complexity of the preparation of donor vectors. We developed the versatile NHEJ-based knock-in module for genome editing (VIKING). Using the consensus sequence of the time-honored pUC vector to cut donor vectors, any vector with a pUC backbone could be used as the donor vector without customization. Conditions required to minimize random integration rates of the donor vector were also investigated. We attempted to isolate null lines of the VDR gene in human HaCaT keratinocytes using knock-in/knock-out with a selection marker cassette, and found 75% of clones isolated were successfully knocked-in. Although HaCaT cells have hypotetraploid genome composition, the results suggest multiple clones have VDR null phenotypes. VIKING modules enabled highly efficient knock-in of any vectors harboring pUC vectors. Users now can insert various existing vectors into an arbitrary locus in the genome. VIKING will contribute to low-cost genome engineering.

Role for Artemis nuclease in the repair of radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks by alternative end joining.

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Moscariello, Mario; Wieloch, Radi; Kurosawa, Aya; Li, Fanghua; Adachi, Noritaka; Mladenov, Emil; Iliakis, George

2015-07-01

Exposure of cells to ionizing radiation or radiomimetic drugs generates DNA double-strand breaks that are processed either by homologous recombination repair (HRR), or by canonical, DNA-PKcs-dependent non-homologous end-joining (C-NHEJ). Chemical or genetic inactivation of factors involved in C-NHEJ or HRR, but also their local failure in repair proficient cells, promotes an alternative, error-prone end-joining pathway that serves as backup (A-EJ). There is evidence for the involvement of Artemis endonuclease, a protein deficient in a human radiosensitivity syndrome associated with severe immunodeficiency (RS-SCID), in the processing of subsets of DSBs by HRR or C-NHEJ. It is thought that within HRR or C-NHEJ Artemis processes DNA termini at complex DSBs. Whether Artemis has a role in A-EJ remains unknown. Here, we analyze using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and specialized reporter assays, DSB repair in wild-type pre-B NALM-6 lymphocytes, as well as in their Artemis(-/-), DNA ligase 4(-/-) (LIG4(-/-)), and LIG4(-/-)/Artemis(-/-) double mutant counterparts, under conditions allowing evaluation of A-EJ. Our results substantiate the suggested roles of Artemis in C-NHEJ and HRR, but also demonstrate a role for the protein in A-EJ that is confirmed in Artemis deficient normal human fibroblasts. We conclude that Artemis is a nuclease participating in DSB repair by all major repair pathways. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ku and Ligase D in Escherichia coli results in RecA and RecB-independent DNA end-joining at regions of microhomology.

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Malyarchuk, Svitlana; Wright, Douglas; Castore, Reneau; Klepper, Emily; Weiss, Bernard; Doherty, Aidan J; Harrison, Lynn

2007-10-01

Unlike Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt) expresses a Ku-like protein and an ATP-dependent DNA ligase that can perform non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). We have expressed the Mt-Ku and Mt-Ligase D in E. coli using an arabinose-inducible promoter and expression vectors that integrate into specific sites in the E. coli chromosome. E. coli strains have been generated that express the Mt-Ku and Mt-Ligase D on a genetic background that is wild-type for repair, or deficient in either the RecA or RecB protein. Transformation of these strains with linearized plasmid DNA containing a 2bp overhang has demonstrated that expression of both the Mt-Ku and Mt-Ligase D is required for DNA end-joining and that loss of RecA does not prevent this double-strand break repair. Analysis of the re-joined plasmid has shown that repair is predominantly inaccurate and results in the deletion of sequences. Loss of RecB did not prevent the formation of large deletions, but did increase the amount of end-joining. Sequencing the junctions has revealed that the majority of the ligations occurred at regions of microhomology (1-4bps), eliminating one copy of the homologous sequence at the junction. The Mt-Ku and Mt-Ligase D can therefore function in E. coli to re-circularize linear plasmid.

Interplay between Ku and Replication Protein A in the Restriction of Exo1-mediated DNA Break End Resection*

Science.gov (United States)

Krasner, Danielle S.; Daley, James M.; Sung, Patrick; Niu, Hengyao

2015-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks can be eliminated via non-homologous end joining or homologous recombination. Non-homologous end joining is initiated by the association of Ku with DNA ends. In contrast, homologous recombination entails nucleolytic resection of the 5′-strands, forming 3′-ssDNA tails that become coated with replication protein A (RPA). Ku restricts end access by the resection nuclease Exo1. It is unclear how partial resection might affect Ku engagement and Exo1 restriction. Here, we addressed these questions in a reconstituted system with yeast proteins. With blunt-ended DNA, Ku protected against Exo1 in a manner that required its DNA end-binding activity. Despite binding poorly to ssDNA, Ku could nonetheless engage a 5′-recessed DNA end with a 40-nucleotide (nt) ssDNA overhang, where it localized to the ssDNA-dsDNA junction and efficiently blocked resection by Exo1. Interestingly, RPA could exclude Ku from a partially resected structure with a 22-nt ssDNA tail and thus restored processing by Exo1. However, at a 40-nt tail, Ku remained stably associated at the ssDNA-dsDNA junction, and RPA simultaneously engaged the ssDNA region. We discuss a model in which the dynamic equilibrium between Ku and RPA binding to a partially resected DNA end influences the timing and efficiency of the resection process. PMID:26067273

Influence of reduced glutathione on end-joining of DNA double-strand breaks: Cytogenetical and molecular approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghoshal, Nitin [Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya-793022 (India); Sharma, Sheetal [Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012 (India); Banerjee, Atanu; Kurkalang, Sillarine [Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya-793022 (India); Raghavan, Sathees C. [Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012 (India); Chatterjee, Anupam, E-mail: chatterjeeanupam@hotmail.com [Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya-793022 (India)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • DNA lesions induced by Blem and radiation interact well and form higher frequency of exchange aberrations. • Cellular level of glutathione does influence such interaction of DNA lesions. • Oligomer-based cell-free assay system demonstrated better end-joining efficiency at higher level of endogenous GSH. - Abstract: Radiation induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) are the major initial lesions whose misrejoining may lead to exchange aberrations. However, the role of glutathione (GSH), a major cellular thiol, in regulating cell’s sensitivity to DNA damaging agents is not well understood. Influence of endogenous GSH on the efficiency of X-rays and bleomycin (Blem) induced DNA DSBs end-joining has been tested here cytogenetically, in human lymphocytes and Hct116 cells. In another approach, oligomeric DNA (75 bp) containing 5′-compatible and non-compatible overhangs mimicking the endogenous DSB were for rejoining in presence of cell-free extracts from cells having different endogenous GSH levels. Frequency of aberrations, particularly exchange aberrations, was significantly increased when Blem was combined with radiation. The exchange aberration frequency was further enhanced when combined treatment was given at 4 °C since DNA lesions are poorly repaired at 4 °C so that a higher number of DNA breaks persist and interact when shifted from 4 °C to 37 °C. The exchange aberrations increased further when the combined treatment was given to Glutathione-ester (GE) pre-treated cells, indicating more frequent rejoining of DNA lesions in presence of higher cellular GSH. This is further supported by the drastic reduction in frequency of exchange aberrations but significant increase in incidences of deletions when combined treatment was given to GSH-depleted cells. End-joining efficiency of DNA DSBs with compatible ends was better than for non-compatible ends. End-joining efficiency of testicular and MCF7 cell extracts was better than that of lungs and

Identification of auxotrophic mutants of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus by non-homologous end joining-mediated integrative transformation with genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarimizu, Tohru; Nonklang, Sanom; Nakamura, Junpei; Tokuda, Shuya; Nakagawa, Takaaki; Lorreungsil, Sasithorn; Sutthikhumpha, Surasit; Pukahuta, Charida; Kitagawa, Takao; Nakamura, Mikiko; Cha-Aim, Kamonchai; Limtong, Savitree; Hoshida, Hisashi; Akada, Rinji

2013-12-01

The isolation and application of auxotrophic mutants for gene manipulations, such as genetic transformation, mating selection and tetrad analysis, form the basis of yeast genetics. For the development of these genetic methods in the thermotolerant fermentative yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, we isolated a series of auxotrophic mutants with defects in amino acid or nucleic acid metabolism. To identify the mutated genes, linear DNA fragments of nutrient biosynthetic pathway genes were amplified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomal DNA and used to directly transform the K. marxianus auxotrophic mutants by random integration into chromosomes through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). The appearance of transformant colonies indicated that the specific S. cerevisiae gene complemented the K. marxianus mutant. Using this interspecific complementation approach with linear PCR-amplified DNA, we identified auxotrophic mutations of ADE2, ADE5,7, ADE6, HIS2, HIS3, HIS4, HIS5, HIS6, HIS7, LYS1, LYS2, LYS4, LYS9, LEU1, LEU2, MET2, MET6, MET17, TRP3, TRP4 and TRP5 without the labour-intensive requirement of plasmid construction. Mating, sporulation and tetrad analysis techniques for K. marxianus were also established. With the identified auxotrophic mutant strains and S. cerevisiae genes as selective markers, NHEJ-mediated integrative transformation with PCR-amplified DNA is an attractive system for facilitating genetic analyses in the yeast K. marxianus. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The role of DNA dependent protein kinase in synapsis of DNA ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S; Brüggenwirth, Hennie T; Hoeijmakers, Jan H J; van Gent, Dik C

2003-12-15

DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) plays a central role in the non-homologous end-joining pathway of DNA double strand break repair. Its catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) functions as a serine/threonine protein kinase. We show that DNA-PK forms a stable complex at DNA termini that blocks the action of exonucleases and ligases. The DNA termini become accessible after autophosphorylation of DNA-PK(CS), which we demonstrate to require synapsis of DNA ends. Interestingly, the presence of DNA-PK prevents ligation of the two synapsed termini, but allows ligation to another DNA molecule. This alteration of the ligation route is independent of the type of ligase that we used, indicating that the intrinsic architecture of the DNA-PK complex itself is not able to support ligation of the synapsed DNA termini. We present a working model in which DNA-PK creates a stable molecular bridge between two DNA ends that is remodeled after DNA-PK autophosphorylation in such a way that the extreme termini become accessible without disrupting synapsis. We infer that joining of synapsed DNA termini would require an additional protein factor.

Coincident In Vitro Analysis of DNA-PK-Dependent and -Independent Nonhomologous End Joining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia L. Hendrickson

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In mammalian cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs are primarily repaired by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ. The current model suggests that the Ku 70/80 heterodimer binds to DSB ends and recruits DNA-PKcs to form the active DNA-dependent protein kinase, DNA-PK. Subsequently, XRCC4, DNA ligase IV, XLF and most likely, other unidentified components participate in the final DSB ligation step. Therefore, DNA-PK plays a key role in NHEJ due to its structural and regulatory functions that mediate DSB end joining. However, recent studies show that additional DNA-PK-independent NHEJ pathways also exist. Unfortunately, the presence of DNA-PKcs appears to inhibit DNA-PK-independent NHEJ, and in vitro analysis of DNA-PK-independent NHEJ in the presence of the DNA-PKcs protein remains problematic. We have developed an in vitro assay that is preferentially active for DNA-PK-independent DSB repair based solely on its reaction conditions, facilitating coincident differential biochemical analysis of the two pathways. The results indicate the biochemically distinct nature of the end-joining mechanisms represented by the DNA-PK-dependent and -independent NHEJ assays as well as functional differences between the two pathways.

Nonhomologous DNA End Joining in Cell-Free Extracts

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Sheetal Sharma

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Among various DNA damages, double-strand breaks (DSBs are considered as most deleterious, as they may lead to chromosomal rearrangements and cancer when unrepaired. Nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ is one of the major DSB repair pathways in higher organisms. A large number of studies on NHEJ are based on in vitro systems using cell-free extracts. In this paper, we summarize the studies on NHEJ performed by various groups in different cell-free repair systems.

The Ku80 carboxy terminus stimulates joining and artemis-mediated processing of DNA ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S; Keijzers, Guido; Florea, Bogdan I; Wang, Shih-Ya; Ortega, Laura G; Uematsu, Naoya; Chen, David J; van Gent, Dik C

2009-03-01

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) and the XRCC4/ligase IV complex. Activation of the DNA-PK(CS) serine/threonine kinase requires an interaction with Ku70/80 and is essential for NHEJ-mediated DSB repair. In contrast to previous models, we found that the carboxy terminus of Ku80 is not absolutely required for the recruitment and activation of DNA-PK(CS) at DSBs, although cells that harbored a carboxy-terminal deletion in the Ku80 gene were sensitive to ionizing radiation and showed reduced end-joining capacity. More detailed analysis of this repair defect showed that DNA-PK(CS) autophosphorylation at Thr2647 was diminished, while Ser2056 was phosphorylated to normal levels. This resulted in severely reduced levels of Artemis nuclease activity in vivo and in vitro. We therefore conclude that the Ku80 carboxy terminus is important to support DNA-PK(CS) autophosphorylation at specific sites, which facilitates DNA end processing by the Artemis endonuclease and the subsequent joining reaction.

Distinct DNA repair pathways involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

OpenAIRE

Korycka-Machala, M; Brzostek, A; Rozalska, S; Rumijowska-Galewicz, A; Dziedzic, R; Bowater, R; Dziadek, J

2006-01-01

Mycobacterium smegmatis was used to study the relationship between DNA repair processes involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The effect of gene deletions in recA and/or in two genes involved in NHEJ (ku and ligD) was tested on the ability of bacteria to join breaks in plasmids transformed into them and in their response to chemicals that damage DNA. The results provide in vivo evidence that only NHEJ is required for the repair of noncompatible DNA ends. By contrast, the respon...

DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase in Non-Homologous End-Joining: Guarding Strategic Positions

OpenAIRE

Weterings, Eric

2005-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Careful maintenance of genetic information throughout generations is of vital importance to all living creatures. A battery of both endogenous and exogenous factors continuously threatens genetic integrity by altering the DNA chemistry. As a consequence, DNA damage types are as diverse as their causes. DNA doublestrand breaks (DSBs) are among the most deleterious lesions, since they introduce chromosomal breakage or translocation and are able to trigger carcinogen...

Distinct DNA repair pathways involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Science.gov (United States)

Korycka-Machala, Malgorzata; Brzostek, Anna; Rozalska, Sylwia; Rumijowska-Galewicz, Anna; Dziedzic, Renata; Bowater, Richard; Dziadek, Jaroslaw

2006-05-01

Mycobacterium smegmatis was used to study the relationship between DNA repair processes involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The effect of gene deletions in recA and/or in two genes involved in NHEJ (ku and ligD) was tested on the ability of bacteria to join breaks in plasmids transformed into them and in their response to chemicals that damage DNA. The results provide in vivo evidence that only NHEJ is required for the repair of noncompatible DNA ends. By contrast, the response of mycobacteria to mitomycin C preferentially involved a RecA-dependent pathway.

The Ku80 carboxy terminus stimulates joining and artemis-mediated processing of DNA ends

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S; Keijzers, Guido

2008-01-01

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) an......Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA......-PK(CS)) and the XRCC4/ligase IV complex. Activation of the DNA-PK(CS) serine/threonine kinase requires an interaction with Ku70/80 and is essential for NHEJ-mediated DSB repair. In contrast to previous models, we found that the carboxy terminus of Ku80 is not absolutely required for the recruitment and activation...... was phosphorylated to normal levels. This resulted in severely reduced levels of Artemis nuclease activity in vivo and in vitro. We therefore conclude that the Ku80 carboxy terminus is important to support DNA-PK(CS) autophosphorylation at specific sites, which facilitates DNA end processing by the Artemis...

Comparative analysis of the end-joining activity of several DNA ligases.

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Robert J Bauer

Full Text Available DNA ligases catalyze the repair of phosphate backbone breaks in DNA, acting with highest activity on breaks in one strand of duplex DNA. Some DNA ligases have also been observed to ligate two DNA fragments with short complementary overhangs or blunt-ended termini. In this study, several wild-type DNA ligases (phage T3, T4, and T7 DNA ligases, Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV1 DNA ligase, human DNA ligase 3, and Escherichia coli DNA ligase were tested for their ability to ligate DNA fragments with several difficult to ligate end structures (blunt-ended termini, 3'- and 5'- single base overhangs, and 5'-two base overhangs. This analysis revealed that T4 DNA ligase, the most common enzyme utilized for in vitro ligation, had its greatest activity on blunt- and 2-base overhangs, and poorest on 5'-single base overhangs. Other ligases had different substrate specificity: T3 DNA ligase ligated only blunt ends well; PBCV1 DNA ligase joined 3'-single base overhangs and 2-base overhangs effectively with little blunt or 5'- single base overhang activity; and human ligase 3 had highest activity on blunt ends and 5'-single base overhangs. There is no correlation of activity among ligases on blunt DNA ends with their activity on single base overhangs. In addition, DNA binding domains (Sso7d, hLig3 zinc finger, and T4 DNA ligase N-terminal domain were fused to PBCV1 DNA ligase to explore whether modified binding to DNA would lead to greater activity on these difficult to ligate substrates. These engineered ligases showed both an increased binding affinity for DNA and increased activity, but did not alter the relative substrate preferences of PBCV1 DNA ligase, indicating active site structure plays a role in determining substrate preference.

SAMHD1 Promotes DNA End Resection to Facilitate DNA Repair by Homologous Recombination

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Waaqo Daddacha

2017-08-01

Full Text Available DNA double-strand break (DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR is initiated by CtIP/MRN-mediated DNA end resection to maintain genome integrity. SAMHD1 is a dNTP triphosphohydrolase, which restricts HIV-1 infection, and mutations are associated with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome and cancer. We show that SAMHD1 has a dNTPase-independent function in promoting DNA end resection to facilitate DSB repair by HR. SAMHD1 deficiency or Vpx-mediated degradation causes hypersensitivity to DSB-inducing agents, and SAMHD1 is recruited to DSBs. SAMHD1 complexes with CtIP via a conserved C-terminal domain and recruits CtIP to DSBs to facilitate end resection and HR. Significantly, a cancer-associated mutant with impaired CtIP interaction, but not dNTPase-inactive SAMHD1, fails to rescue the end resection impairment of SAMHD1 depletion. Our findings define a dNTPase-independent function for SAMHD1 in HR-mediated DSB repair by facilitating CtIP accrual to promote DNA end resection, providing insight into how SAMHD1 promotes genome integrity.

Detection and Repair of Ionizing Radiation-Induced DNA Double Strand Breaks: New Developments in Nonhomologous End Joining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chen; Lees-Miller, Susan P.

2013-01-01

DNA damage can occur as a result of endogenous metabolic reactions and replication stress or from exogenous sources such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. DNA double strand breaks are the most cytotoxic form of DNA damage, and defects in their repair can result in genome instability, a hallmark of cancer. The major pathway for the repair of ionizing radiation-induced DSBs in human cells is nonhomologous end joining. Here we review recent advances on the mechanism of nonhomologous end joining, as well as new findings on its component proteins and regulation

Detection and Repair of Ionizing Radiation-Induced DNA Double Strand Breaks: New Developments in Nonhomologous End Joining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chen [Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology, and Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary (Canada); Lees-Miller, Susan P., E-mail: leesmill@ucalgary.ca [Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology, and Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary (Canada)

2013-07-01

DNA damage can occur as a result of endogenous metabolic reactions and replication stress or from exogenous sources such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. DNA double strand breaks are the most cytotoxic form of DNA damage, and defects in their repair can result in genome instability, a hallmark of cancer. The major pathway for the repair of ionizing radiation-induced DSBs in human cells is nonhomologous end joining. Here we review recent advances on the mechanism of nonhomologous end joining, as well as new findings on its component proteins and regulation.

Requirement for XLF/Cernunnos in alignment-based gap filling by DNA polymerases lambda and mu for nonhomologous end joining in human whole-cell extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Akopiants, Konstantin; Zhou, Rui-Zhe; Mohapatra, Susovan; Valerie, Kristoffer; Lees-Miller, Susan P; Lee, Kyung-Jong; Chen, David J; Revy, Patrick; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Povirk, Lawrence F

2009-07-01

XLF/Cernunnos is a core protein of the nonhomologous end-joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. To better define the role of Cernunnos in end joining, whole-cell extracts were prepared from Cernunnos-deficient human cells. These extracts effected little joining of DNA ends with cohesive 5' or 3' overhangs, and no joining at all of partially complementary 3' overhangs that required gap filling prior to ligation. Assays in which gap-filled but unligated intermediates were trapped using dideoxynucleotides revealed that there was no gap filling on aligned DSB ends in the Cernunnos-deficient extracts. Recombinant Cernunnos protein restored gap filling and end joining of partially complementary overhangs, and stimulated joining of cohesive ends more than twentyfold. XLF-dependent gap filling was nearly eliminated by immunodepletion of DNA polymerase lambda, but was restored by addition of either polymerase lambda or polymerase mu. Thus, Cernunnos is essential for gap filling by either polymerase during nonhomologous end joining, suggesting that it plays a major role in aligning the two DNA ends in the repair complex.

Possible role of repetitious DNA in recombinatory joining during chromosome rearrangement in Drosophila melanogaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.S.

1975-01-01

It is postulated that certain repetitious DNA components play a role in the recombination processes during chromosome rearrangements. When the distribution of silver grain densities after the in situ hybridization of repetitious DNA and the distribution of chromosome breaks due to x-irradiation are compared, a strong correlation is found for the euchromatic portion of the D. melanogaster salivary X chromosome. These observations justify the postulate above that certain repetitious DNA provides homologous regions in the DNA of broken chromosome ends necessary for proper recombinatory joining. (U.S.)

Mycobacterium smegmatis Ku binds DNA without free ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Kushwaha, Ambuj K; Grove, Anne

2013-12-01

Ku is central to the non-homologous end-joining pathway of double-strand-break repair in all three major domains of life, with eukaryotic homologues being associated with more diversified roles compared with prokaryotic and archaeal homologues. Ku has a conserved central 'ring-shaped' core domain. While prokaryotic homologues lack the N- and C-terminal domains that impart functional diversity to eukaryotic Ku, analyses of Ku from certain prokaryotes such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium smegmatis have revealed the presence of distinct C-terminal extensions that modulate DNA-binding properties. We report in the present paper that the lysine-rich C-terminal extension of M. smegmatis Ku contacts the core protein domain as evidenced by an increase in DNA-binding affinity and a decrease in thermal stability and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence upon its deletion. Ku deleted for this C-terminus requires free DNA ends for binding, but translocates to internal DNA sites. In contrast, full-length Ku can directly bind DNA without free ends, suggesting that this property is conferred by its C-terminus. Such binding to internal DNA sites may facilitate recruitment to sites of DNA damage. The results of the present study also suggest that extensions beyond the shared core domain may have independently evolved to expand Ku function.

Requirement for XLF/Cernunnos in alignment-based gap filling by DNA polymerases ? and ? for nonhomologous end joining in human whole-cell extracts

OpenAIRE

Akopiants, Konstantin; Zhou, Rui-Zhe; Mohapatra, Susovan; Valerie, Kristoffer; Lees-Miller, Susan P.; Lee, Kyung-Jong; Chen, David J.; Revy, Patrick; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Povirk, Lawrence F.

2009-01-01

XLF/Cernunnos is a core protein of the nonhomologous end-joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. To better define the role of Cernunnos in end joining, whole-cell extracts were prepared from Cernunnos-deficient human cells. These extracts effected little joining of DNA ends with cohesive 5? or 3? overhangs, and no joining at all of partially complementary 3? overhangs that required gap filling prior to ligation. Assays in which gap-filled but unligated intermediates were trapped us...

Double strand break rejoining by the Ku-dependent mechanism of non-homologous end-joining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeggo, P.; Singleton, B.; Beamish, H.; Priestley, A.

1999-01-01

The DNA-dependent protein kinase functions in the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and in V(D)J recombination. To gain insight into the function of DNA-PK in this process we have carried out a mutation analysis of Ku80 and DNA-PKcs. Mutations at multiple sites within the N-terminal two thirds of Ku80 result in loss of Ku70/80 interaction, loss of DNA end-binding activity and inability to complement Ku80 defective cell fines. In contrast, mutations in the carboxy terminal region of the protein do not impair DNA end-binding activity but decrease the ability of Ku to activate DNA-PK. To gain insight into important functional domains within DNA-PKcs, we have analysed defective mutants, including the mouse scid cell line, and the rodent mutants, ire-20 and V-3. Mutational changes in the carboxy terminal region have been identified in all cases. Our results strongly suggest that the C-terminus of DNA-PKcs is required for kinase activity. (author)

Mycobacterial nonhomologous end joining mediates mutagenic repair of chromosomal double-strand DNA breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanou, Nicolas C; Gao, Feng; Bongiorno, Paola; Ehrt, Sabine; Schnappinger, Dirk; Shuman, Stewart; Glickman, Michael S

2007-07-01

Bacterial nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) is a recently described DNA repair pathway best characterized in mycobacteria. Bacterial NHEJ proteins LigD and Ku have been analyzed biochemically, and their roles in linear plasmid repair in vivo have been verified genetically; yet the contributions of NHEJ to repair of chromosomal DNA damage are unknown. Here we use an extensive set of NHEJ- and homologous recombination (HR)-deficient Mycobacterium smegmatis strains to probe the importance of HR and NHEJ in repairing diverse types of chromosomal DNA damage. An M. smegmatis Delta recA Delta ku double mutant has no apparent growth defect in vitro. Loss of the NHEJ components Ku and LigD had no effect on sensitivity to UV radiation, methyl methanesulfonate, or quinolone antibiotics. NHEJ deficiency had no effect on sensitivity to ionizing radiation in logarithmic- or early-stationary-phase cells but was required for ionizing radiation resistance in late stationary phase in 7H9 but not LB medium. In addition, NHEJ components were required for repair of I-SceI mediated chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs), and in the absence of HR, the NHEJ pathway rapidly mutates the chromosomal break site. The molecular outcomes of NHEJ-mediated chromosomal DSB repair involve predominantly single-nucleotide insertions at the break site, similar to previous findings using plasmid substrates. These findings demonstrate that prokaryotic NHEJ is specifically required for DSB repair in late stationary phase and can mediate mutagenic repair of homing endonuclease-generated chromosomal DSBs.

A PHF8 homolog in C. elegans promotes DNA repair via homologous recombination.

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Changrim Lee

Full Text Available PHF8 is a JmjC domain-containing histone demethylase, defects in which are associated with X-linked mental retardation. In this study, we examined the roles of two PHF8 homologs, JMJD-1.1 and JMJD-1.2, in the model organism C. elegans in response to DNA damage. A deletion mutation in either of the genes led to hypersensitivity to interstrand DNA crosslinks (ICLs, while only mutation of jmjd-1.1 resulted in hypersensitivity to double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs. In response to ICLs, JMJD-1.1 did not affect the focus formation of FCD-2, a homolog of FANCD2, a key protein in the Fanconi anemia pathway. However, the dynamic behavior of RPA-1 and RAD-51 was affected by the mutation: the accumulations of both proteins at ICLs appeared normal, but their subsequent disappearance was retarded, suggesting that later steps of homologous recombination were defective. Similar changes in the dynamic behavior of RPA-1 and RAD-51 were seen in response to DSBs, supporting a role of JMJD-1.1 in homologous recombination. Such a role was also supported by our finding that the hypersensitivity of jmjd-1.1 worms to ICLs was rescued by knockdown of lig-4, a homolog of Ligase 4 active in nonhomologous end-joining. The hypersensitivity of jmjd-1.1 worms to ICLs was increased by rad-54 knockdown, suggesting that JMJD-1.1 acts in parallel with RAD-54 in modulating chromatin structure. Indeed, the level of histone H3 Lys9 tri-methylation, a marker of heterochromatin, was higher in jmjd-1.1 cells than in wild-type cells. We conclude that the histone demethylase JMJD-1.1 influences homologous recombination either by relaxing heterochromatin structure or by indirectly regulating the expression of multiple genes affecting DNA repair.

Highly precise and developmentally programmed genome assembly in Paramecium requires ligase IV-dependent end joining.

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Aurélie Kapusta

2011-04-01

Full Text Available During the sexual cycle of the ciliate Paramecium, assembly of the somatic genome includes the precise excision of tens of thousands of short, non-coding germline sequences (Internal Eliminated Sequences or IESs, each one flanked by two TA dinucleotides. It has been reported previously that these genome rearrangements are initiated by the introduction of developmentally programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs, which depend on the domesticated transposase PiggyMac. These DSBs all exhibit a characteristic geometry, with 4-base 5' overhangs centered on the conserved TA, and may readily align and undergo ligation with minimal processing. However, the molecular steps and actors involved in the final and precise assembly of somatic genes have remained unknown. We demonstrate here that Ligase IV and Xrcc4p, core components of the non-homologous end-joining pathway (NHEJ, are required both for the repair of IES excision sites and for the circularization of excised IESs. The transcription of LIG4 and XRCC4 is induced early during the sexual cycle and a Lig4p-GFP fusion protein accumulates in the developing somatic nucleus by the time IES excision takes place. RNAi-mediated silencing of either gene results in the persistence of free broken DNA ends, apparently protected against extensive resection. At the nucleotide level, controlled removal of the 5'-terminal nucleotide occurs normally in LIG4-silenced cells, while nucleotide addition to the 3' ends of the breaks is blocked, together with the final joining step, indicative of a coupling between NHEJ polymerase and ligase activities. Taken together, our data indicate that IES excision is a "cut-and-close" mechanism, which involves the introduction of initiating double-strand cleavages at both ends of each IES, followed by DSB repair via highly precise end joining. This work broadens our current view on how the cellular NHEJ pathway has cooperated with domesticated transposases for the emergence of new

Highly precise and developmentally programmed genome assembly in Paramecium requires ligase IV-dependent end joining.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapusta, Aurélie; Matsuda, Atsushi; Marmignon, Antoine; Ku, Michael; Silve, Aude; Meyer, Eric; Forney, James D; Malinsky, Sophie; Bétermier, Mireille

2011-04-01

During the sexual cycle of the ciliate Paramecium, assembly of the somatic genome includes the precise excision of tens of thousands of short, non-coding germline sequences (Internal Eliminated Sequences or IESs), each one flanked by two TA dinucleotides. It has been reported previously that these genome rearrangements are initiated by the introduction of developmentally programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which depend on the domesticated transposase PiggyMac. These DSBs all exhibit a characteristic geometry, with 4-base 5' overhangs centered on the conserved TA, and may readily align and undergo ligation with minimal processing. However, the molecular steps and actors involved in the final and precise assembly of somatic genes have remained unknown. We demonstrate here that Ligase IV and Xrcc4p, core components of the non-homologous end-joining pathway (NHEJ), are required both for the repair of IES excision sites and for the circularization of excised IESs. The transcription of LIG4 and XRCC4 is induced early during the sexual cycle and a Lig4p-GFP fusion protein accumulates in the developing somatic nucleus by the time IES excision takes place. RNAi-mediated silencing of either gene results in the persistence of free broken DNA ends, apparently protected against extensive resection. At the nucleotide level, controlled removal of the 5'-terminal nucleotide occurs normally in LIG4-silenced cells, while nucleotide addition to the 3' ends of the breaks is blocked, together with the final joining step, indicative of a coupling between NHEJ polymerase and ligase activities. Taken together, our data indicate that IES excision is a "cut-and-close" mechanism, which involves the introduction of initiating double-strand cleavages at both ends of each IES, followed by DSB repair via highly precise end joining. This work broadens our current view on how the cellular NHEJ pathway has cooperated with domesticated transposases for the emergence of new mechanisms

Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent or Embryonic Stem Cells Decreases the DNA Damage Repair by Homologous Recombination

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Kalpana Mujoo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The nitric oxide (NO-cyclic GMP pathway contributes to human stem cell differentiation, but NO free radical production can also damage DNA, necessitating a robust DNA damage response (DDR to ensure cell survival. How the DDR is affected by differentiation is unclear. Differentiation of stem cells, either inducible pluripotent or embryonic derived, increased residual DNA damage as determined by γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci, with increased S-phase-specific chromosomal aberration after exposure to DNA-damaging agents, suggesting reduced homologous recombination (HR repair as supported by the observation of decreased HR-related repair factor foci formation (RAD51 and BRCA1. Differentiated cells also had relatively increased fork stalling and R-loop formation after DNA replication stress. Treatment with NO donor (NOC-18, which causes stem cell differentiation has no effect on double-strand break (DSB repair by non-homologous end-joining but reduced DSB repair by HR. Present studies suggest that DNA repair by HR is impaired in differentiated cells.

FANCD2 Maintains Fork Stability in BRCA1/2-Deficient Tumors and Promotes Alternative End-Joining DNA Repair

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Zeina Kais

2016-06-01

Full Text Available BRCA1/2 proteins function in homologous recombination (HR-mediated DNA repair and cooperate with Fanconi anemia (FA proteins to maintain genomic integrity through replication fork stabilization. Loss of BRCA1/2 proteins results in DNA repair deficiency and replicative stress, leading to genomic instability and enhanced sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. Recent studies have shown that BRCA1/2-deficient tumors upregulate Polθ-mediated alternative end-joining (alt-EJ repair as a survival mechanism. Whether other mechanisms maintain genomic integrity upon loss of BRCA1/2 proteins is currently unknown. Here we show that BRCA1/2-deficient tumors also upregulate FANCD2 activity. FANCD2 is required for fork protection and fork restart in BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. Moreover, FANCD2 promotes Polθ recruitment at sites of damage and alt-EJ repair. Finally, loss of FANCD2 in BRCA1/2-deficient tumors enhances cell death. These results reveal a synthetic lethal relationship between FANCD2 and BRCA1/2, and they identify FANCD2 as a central player orchestrating DNA repair pathway choice at the replication fork.

Ionizing radiation sensitivity of DNA polymerase lambda-deficient cells.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeulen, C.; Bertocci, B.; Begg, A.C.; Vens, C.

2007-01-01

Ionizing radiation induces a diverse spectrum of DNA lesions, including strand breaks and oxidized bases. In mammalian cells, ionizing radiation-induced lesions are targets of non-homologous end joining, homologous recombination, and base excision repair. In vitro assays show a potential involvement

Inactivation of Pol θ and C-NHEJ eliminates off-target integration of exogenous DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Zelensky, Alex N; Schimmel, Joost; Kool, Hanneke; Kanaar, Roland; Tijsterman, Marcel

2017-07-07

Off-target or random integration of exogenous DNA hampers precise genomic engineering and presents a safety risk in clinical gene therapy strategies. Genetic definition of random integration has been lacking for decades. Here, we show that the A-family DNA polymerase θ (Pol θ) promotes random integration, while canonical non-homologous DNA end joining plays a secondary role; cells double deficient for polymerase θ and canonical non-homologous DNA end joining are devoid of any integration events, demonstrating that these two mechanisms define random integration. In contrast, homologous recombination is not reduced in these cells and gene targeting is improved to 100% efficiency. Such complete reversal of integration outcome, from predominately random integration to exclusively gene targeting, provides a rational way forward to improve the efficacy and safety of DNA delivery and gene correction approaches.Random off-target integration events can impair precise gene targeting and poses a safety risk for gene therapy. Here the authors show that repression of polymerase θ and classical non-homologous recombination eliminates random integration.

RNF4 is required for DNA double-strand break repair in vivo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vyas, R; Kumar, R; Clermont, F

2013-01-01

for both homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining repair. To establish a link between Rnf4 and the DNA damage response (DDR) in vivo, we generated an Rnf4 allelic series in mice. We show that Rnf4-deficiency causes persistent ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage and signaling...

Fumarase is involved in DNA double-strand break resection through a functional interaction with Sae2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leshets, Michael; Ramamurthy, Dharanidharan; Lisby, Michael

2018-01-01

One of the most severe forms of DNA damage is the double-strand break (DSB). Failure to properly repair the damage can cause mutation, gross chromosomal rearrangements and lead to the development of cancer. In eukaryotes, homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) are the......One of the most severe forms of DNA damage is the double-strand break (DSB). Failure to properly repair the damage can cause mutation, gross chromosomal rearrangements and lead to the development of cancer. In eukaryotes, homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ......) are the main DSB repair pathways. Fumarase is a mitochondrial enzyme which functions in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Intriguingly, the enzyme can be readily detected in the cytosolic compartment of all organisms examined, and we have shown that cytosolic fumarase participates in the DNA damage response...

TDP2 suppresses chromosomal translocations induced by DNA topoisomerase II during gene transcription.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Herreros, Fernando; Zagnoli-Vieira, Guido; Ntai, Ioanna; Martínez-Macías, María Isabel; Anderson, Rhona M; Herrero-Ruíz, Andrés; Caldecott, Keith W

2017-08-10

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by abortive topoisomerase II (TOP2) activity are a potential source of genome instability and chromosome translocation. TOP2-induced DNA double-strand breaks are rejoined in part by tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2)-dependent non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), but whether this process suppresses or promotes TOP2-induced translocations is unclear. Here, we show that TDP2 rejoins DSBs induced during transcription-dependent TOP2 activity in breast cancer cells and at the translocation 'hotspot', MLL. Moreover, we find that TDP2 suppresses chromosome rearrangements induced by TOP2 and reduces TOP2-induced chromosome translocations that arise during gene transcription. Interestingly, however, we implicate TDP2-dependent NHEJ in the formation of a rare subclass of translocations associated previously with therapy-related leukemia and characterized by junction sequences with 4-bp of perfect homology. Collectively, these data highlight the threat posed by TOP2-induced DSBs during transcription and demonstrate the importance of TDP2-dependent non-homologous end-joining in protecting both gene transcription and genome stability.DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by topoisomerase II (TOP2) are rejoined by TDP2-dependent non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) but whether this promotes or suppresses translocations is not clear. Here the authors show that TDP2 suppresses chromosome translocations from DSBs introduced during gene transcription.

Arabidopsis DNA polymerase lambda mutant is mildly sensitive to DNA double strand breaks but defective in integration of a transgene

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Furukawa, T.; Angelis, Karel; Britt, A.B.

2015-01-01

Roč. 6, MAY 27 (2015) ISSN 1664-462X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-06595S Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : DNA polymerase * DNA repair * Non homologous end joining Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.495, year: 2015

End-joining inhibition at telomeres requires the translocase and polySUMO-dependent ubiquitin ligase Uls1.

Science.gov (United States)

Lescasse, Rachel; Pobiega, Sabrina; Callebaut, Isabelle; Marcand, Stéphane

2013-03-20

In eukaryotes, permanent inhibition of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair pathway at telomeres ensures that chromosome ends do not fuse. In budding yeast, binding of Rap1 to telomere repeats establishes NHEJ inhibition. Here, we show that the Uls1 protein is required for the maintenance of NHEJ inhibition at telomeres. Uls1 protein is a non-essential Swi2/Snf2-related translocase and a Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier (SUMO)-Targeted Ubiquitin Ligase (STUbL) with unknown targets. Loss of Uls1 results in telomere-telomere fusions. Uls1 requirement is alleviated by the absence of poly-SUMO chains and by rap1 alleles lacking SUMOylation sites. Furthermore, Uls1 limits the accumulation of Rap1 poly-SUMO conjugates. We propose that one of Uls1 functions is to clear non-functional poly-SUMOylated Rap1 molecules from telomeres to ensure the continuous efficiency of NHEJ inhibition. Since Uls1 is the only known STUbL with a translocase activity, it can be the general molecular sweeper for the clearance of poly-SUMOylated proteins on DNA in eukaryotes.

Synthetic lethality between murine DNA repair factors XLF and DNA-PKcs is rescued by inactivation of Ku70

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xing, Mengtan; Bjørås, Magnar; Daniel, Jeremy A

2017-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are recognized and repaired by the Classical Non-Homologous End-Joining (C-NHEJ) and Homologous Recombination pathways. C-NHEJ includes the core Ku70 and Ku80 (or Ku86) heterodimer that binds DSBs and thus promotes recruitment of accessory downstream NHEJ factors XLF......, PAXX, DNA-PKcs, Artemis and other core subunits, XRCC4 and DNA Ligase 4 (Lig4). In the absence of core C-NHEJ factors, DNA repair can be performed by Alternative End-Joining, which likely depends on DNA Ligase 1 and DNA Ligase 3. Genetic inactivation of C-NHEJ factors, such as Ku70, Ku80, XLF, PAXX...... with severe apoptosis in the central nervous system. Here, we demonstrate that inactivation of the Ku70 gene rescues the synthetic lethality between XLF and DNA-PKcs, resulting in triple knockout mice that are indistinguishable from Ku70-deficient littermates by size or levels of genomic instability. Moreover...

Atomic Structure and Nonhomologous End-Joining Function of the Polymerase Component of Bacterial DNA Ligase D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu,H.; Nandakumar, J.; Aniukwu, J.; Wang, L.; Glickman, M.; Lima, C.; Shuman, S.

2006-01-01

DNA ligase D (LigD) is a large polyfunctional protein that participates in a recently discovered pathway of nonhomologous end-joining in bacteria. LigD consists of an ATP-dependent ligase domain fused to a polymerase domain (Pol) and a phosphoesterase module. The Pol activity is remarkable for its dependence on manganese, its ability to perform templated and nontemplated primer extension reactions, and its preference for adding ribonucleotides to blunt DNA ends. Here we report the 1.5- Angstroms crystal structure of the Pol domain of Pseudomonas LigD and its complexes with manganese and ATP-dATP substrates, which reveal a minimized polymerase with a two-metal mechanism and a fold similar to that of archaeal DNA primase. Mutational analysis highlights the functionally relevant atomic contacts in the active site. Although distinct nucleoside conformations and contacts for ATP versus dATP are observed in the cocrystals, the functional analysis suggests that the ATP-binding mode is the productive conformation for dNMP and rNMP incorporation. We find that a mutation of Mycobacterium LigD that uniquely ablates the polymerase activity results in increased fidelity of blunt-end double-strand break repair in vivo by virtue of eliminating nucleotide insertions at the recombination junctions. Thus, LigD Pol is a direct catalyst of mutagenic nonhomologous end-joining in vivo. Our studies underscore a previously uncharacterized role for the primase-like polymerase family in DNA repair.

Knock-in of large reporter genes in human cells via CRISPR/Cas9-induced homology-dependent and independent DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiangjun; Tan, Chunlai; Wang, Feng; Wang, Yaofeng; Zhou, Rui; Cui, Dexuan; You, Wenxing; Zhao, Hui; Ren, Jianwei; Feng, Bo

2016-05-19

CRISPR/Cas9-induced site-specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can be repaired by homology-directed repair (HDR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathways. Extensive efforts have been made to knock-in exogenous DNA to a selected genomic locus in human cells; which, however, has focused on HDR-based strategies and was proven inefficient. Here, we report that NHEJ pathway mediates efficient rejoining of genome and plasmids following CRISPR/Cas9-induced DNA DSBs, and promotes high-efficiency DNA integration in various human cell types. With this homology-independent knock-in strategy, integration of a 4.6 kb promoterless ires-eGFP fragment into the GAPDH locus yielded up to 20% GFP+ cells in somatic LO2 cells, and 1.70% GFP+ cells in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Quantitative comparison further demonstrated that the NHEJ-based knock-in is more efficient than HDR-mediated gene targeting in all human cell types examined. These data support that CRISPR/Cas9-induced NHEJ provides a valuable new path for efficient genome editing in human ESCs and somatic cells. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

A data mining approach for classifying DNA repair genes into ageing-related or non-ageing-related

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Vasieva Olga

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The ageing of the worldwide population means there is a growing need for research on the biology of ageing. DNA damage is likely a key contributor to the ageing process and elucidating the role of different DNA repair systems in ageing is of great interest. In this paper we propose a data mining approach, based on classification methods (decision trees and Naive Bayes, for analysing data about human DNA repair genes. The goal is to build classification models that allow us to discriminate between ageing-related and non-ageing-related DNA repair genes, in order to better understand their different properties. Results The main patterns discovered by the classification methods are as follows: (a the number of protein-protein interactions was a predictor of DNA repair proteins being ageing-related; (b the use of predictor attributes based on protein-protein interactions considerably increased predictive accuracy of attributes based on Gene Ontology (GO annotations; (c GO terms related to "response to stimulus" seem reasonably good predictors of ageing-relatedness for DNA repair genes; (d interaction with the XRCC5 (Ku80 protein is a strong predictor of ageing-relatedness for DNA repair genes; and (e DNA repair genes with a high expression in T lymphocytes are more likely to be ageing-related. Conclusions The above patterns are broadly integrated in an analysis discussing relations between Ku, the non-homologous end joining DNA repair pathway, ageing and lymphocyte development. These patterns and their analysis support non-homologous end joining double strand break repair as central to the ageing-relatedness of DNA repair genes. Our work also showcases the use of protein interaction partners to improve accuracy in data mining methods and our approach could be applied to other ageing-related pathways.

Redundant function of DNA ligase 1 and 3 in alternative end-joining during immunoglobulin class switch recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Masani, Shahnaz; Han, Li; Meek, Katheryn; Yu, Kefei

2016-02-02

Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway in mammals and resolves the DSBs generated during both V(D)J recombination in developing lymphocytes and class switch recombination (CSR) in antigen-stimulated B cells. In contrast to the absolute requirement for NHEJ to resolve DSBs associated with V(D)J recombination, DSBs associated with CSR can be resolved in NHEJ-deficient cells (albeit at a reduced level) by a poorly defined alternative end-joining (A-EJ) pathway. Deletion of DNA ligase IV (Lig4), a core component of the NHEJ pathway, reduces CSR efficiency in a mouse B-cell line capable of robust cytokine-stimulated CSR in cell culture. Here, we report that CSR levels are not further reduced by deletion of either of the two remaining DNA ligases (Lig1 and nuclear Lig3) in Lig4(-/-) cells. We conclude that in the absence of Lig4, Lig1, and Lig3 function in a redundant manner in resolving switch region DSBs during CSR.

Deciphering the Role of Alternative Non-Homologous End Joining (Alt-NHEJ) DNA Repair in Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

consecutive TTAGGG repeats. To detect rare reads containing fusion junctions, we exploited the novel sequence arrangement created by the ligation of the 39G...journal.pgen.1001005 (2010). 14 van Kregten, M. et al. T-DNA integration in plants results from polymerase-theta-mediated DNA repair. Nat Plants 2

Regulation of homologous recombination repair protein Rad51 by Ku70

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Liqing; Liu Qiang; Wang Yan; Xu Chang; Cao Jia; Fu Yue; Chen Fenghua; Fan Feiyue

2013-01-01

Objective: To explore the regulative effect of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ)protein Ku70 on homologous recombination repair protein Rad51, and to investigate the synergistic mechanism of homologous recombination repair in combination with NHEJ. Methods: Observed Rad51 protein expression after transfect Ku70 small interfering RNA or Ku70 plasmid DNA into tumor cells using Western blot. Results: Expression of Rad51 was obviously reduced after pretreated with Ku70 small interfering RNA. And with the increasing expression of Ku70 protein after transfection of Ku70 plasmid DNA PGCsi3.0-hKu70 into tumor cell lines, the Rad51 protein expression was increased. Conclusion: Ku70 protein has regulating effect on gene expression of Rad51, and it might participate in the collaboration between homologous recombination repair and NHEJ. (authors)

DNA double-strand break response factors influence end-joining features of IgH class switch and general translocation junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Panchakshari, Rohit A; Zhang, Xuefei; Kumar, Vipul; Du, Zhou; Wei, Pei-Chi; Kao, Jennifer; Dong, Junchao; Alt, Frederick W

2018-01-23

Ig heavy chain (IgH) class switch recombination (CSR) in B lymphocytes switches IgH constant regions to change antibody functions. CSR is initiated by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) within a donor IgH switch (S) region and a downstream acceptor S region. CSR is completed by fusing donor and acceptor S region DSB ends by classical nonhomologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) and, in its absence, by alternative end-joining that is more biased to use longer junctional microhomologies (MHs). Deficiency for DSB response (DSBR) factors, including ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and 53BP1, variably impair CSR end-joining, with 53BP1 deficiency having the greatest impact. However, studies of potential impact of DSBR factor deficiencies on MH-mediated CSR end-joining have been technically limited. We now use a robust DSB joining assay to elucidate impacts of deficiencies for DSBR factors on CSR and chromosomal translocation junctions in primary mouse B cells and CH12F3 B-lymphoma cells. Compared with wild-type, CSR and c-myc to S region translocation junctions in the absence of 53BP1, and, to a lesser extent, other DSBR factors, have increased MH utilization; indeed, 53BP1-deficient MH profiles resemble those associated with C-NHEJ deficiency. However, translocation junctions between c-myc DSB and general DSBs genome-wide are not MH-biased in ATM-deficient versus wild-type CH12F3 cells and are less biased in 53BP1- and C-NHEJ-deficient cells than CSR junctions or c-myc to S region translocation junctions. We discuss potential roles of DSBR factors in suppressing increased MH-mediated DSB end-joining and features of S regions that may render their DSBs prone to MH-biased end-joining in the absence of DSBR factors.

Analysis of DNA double-strand break repair pathways in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugmans, Linda; Kanaar, Roland; Essers, Jeroen

2007-01-01

During the last years significant new insights have been gained into the mechanism and biological relevance of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in relation to genome stability. DSBs are a highly toxic DNA lesion, because they can lead to chromosome fragmentation, loss and translocations, eventually resulting in cancer. DSBs can be induced by cellular processes such as V(D)J recombination or DNA replication. They can also be introduced by exogenous agents DNA damaging agents such as ionizing radiation or mitomycin C. During evolution several pathways have evolved for the repair of these DSBs. The most important DSB repair mechanisms in mammalian cells are nonhomologous end-joining and homologous recombination. By using an undamaged repair template, homologous recombination ensures accurate DSB repair, whereas the untemplated nonhomologous end-joining pathway does not. Although both pathways are active in mammals, the relative contribution of the two repair pathways to genome stability differs in the different cell types. Given the potential differences in repair fidelity, it is of interest to determine the relative contribution of homologous recombination and nonhomologous end-joining to DSB repair. In this review, we focus on the biological relevance of DSB repair in mammalian cells and the potential overlap between nonhomologous end-joining and homologous recombination in different tissues

RECQ HELICASE RECQL4 PARTICIPATES IN NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING AND INTERACTS WITH THE KU COMPLEX

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shamanna, Raghavendra A; Singh, Dharmendra Kumar; Lu, Huiming

2014-01-01

-irradiation and resulted in accumulation of 53BP1 foci after irradiation, indicating defects in the processing of DSB. We find that RECQL4 interacts with the Ku70/Ku80 heterodimer, part of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex, via its N-terminal domain. Further, RECQL4 stimulates higher order DNA binding...... of Ku70/Ku80 to a blunt end DNA substrate. Taken together, these results implicate that RECQL4 participates in the NHEJ pathway of DSB repair via a functional interaction with the Ku70/Ku80 complex. This is the first study to provide both in vitro and in vivo evidence for a role of a RecQ helicase...

Mouse embryonic stem cells, but not somatic cells, predominantly use homologous recombination to repair double-strand DNA breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Tichy, Elisia D; Pillai, Resmi; Deng, Li; Liang, Li; Tischfield, Jay; Schwemberger, Sandy J; Babcock, George F; Stambrook, Peter J

2010-11-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cells give rise to all cell types of an organism. Since mutations at this embryonic stage would affect all cells and be detrimental to the overall health of an organism, robust mechanisms must exist to ensure that genomic integrity is maintained. To test this proposition, we compared the capacity of murine ES cells to repair DNA double-strand breaks with that of differentiated cells. Of the 2 major pathways that repair double-strand breaks, error-prone nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) predominated in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas the high fidelity homologous recombinational repair (HRR) predominated in ES cells. Microhomology-mediated end joining, an emerging repair pathway, persisted at low levels in all cell types examined. The levels of proteins involved in HRR and microhomology-mediated end joining were highly elevated in ES cells compared with mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas those for NHEJ were quite variable, with DNA Ligase IV expression low in ES cells. The half-life of DNA Ligase IV protein was also low in ES cells. Attempts to increase the abundance of DNA Ligase IV protein by overexpression or inhibition of its degradation, and thereby elevate NHEJ in ES cells, were unsuccessful. When ES cells were induced to differentiate, however, the level of DNA Ligase IV protein increased, as did the capacity to repair by NHEJ. The data suggest that preferential use of HRR rather than NHEJ may lend ES cells an additional layer of genomic protection and that the limited levels of DNA Ligase IV may account for the low level of NHEJ activity.

DNA-PK, ATM and ATR collaboratively regulate p53-RPA interaction to facilitate homologous recombination DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano, M A; Li, Z; Dangeti, M; Musich, P R; Patrick, S; Roginskaya, M; Cartwright, B; Zou, Y

2013-05-09

Homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) are two distinct DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair pathways. Here, we report that DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), the core component of NHEJ, partnering with DNA-damage checkpoint kinases ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR), regulates HR repair of DSBs. The regulation was accomplished through modulation of the p53 and replication protein A (RPA) interaction. We show that upon DNA damage, p53 and RPA were freed from a p53-RPA complex by simultaneous phosphorylations of RPA at the N-terminus of RPA32 subunit by DNA-PK and of p53 at Ser37 and Ser46 in a Chk1/Chk2-independent manner by ATR and ATM, respectively. Neither the phosphorylation of RPA nor of p53 alone could dissociate p53 and RPA. Furthermore, disruption of the release significantly compromised HR repair of DSBs. Our results reveal a mechanism for the crosstalk between HR repair and NHEJ through the co-regulation of p53-RPA interaction by DNA-PK, ATM and ATR.

The DNA-dependent protein kinase: a multifunctional protein kinase with roles in DNA double strand break repair and mitosis

OpenAIRE

Jette, Nicholas; Lees-Miller, Susan P.

2014-01-01

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase composed of a large catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and the Ku70/80 heterodimer. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in elucidating the role of DNA-PK in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), the major pathway for repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks in human cells and recently, additional roles for DNA-PK have been reported. In this review, we will describe the biochemi...

Repair of DNA DSB in higher eukaryotes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.; Perrault, A.R.; Takeda, Y.; Iliakis, G.

2003-01-01

Cells of higher eukaryotes process within minutes double strand breaks (DSBs) in their genome using a NHEJ apparatus that engages DNA-PKcs, Ku, DNA ligase IV, XRCC4, and other as of yet unidentified factors. Although chemical inhibition, or mutation, in any of these factors delays processing, cells ultimately remove the majority of DNA DSBs using an alternative pathway operating with slower kinetics. This alternative pathway is active in mutants deficient in genes of the RAD52 epistasis group. We proposed, therefore, that it reflects an alternative form of NHEJ that operates as a backup (B-NHEJ) to the DNA-PK- dependent (D-NHEJ) pathway, rather than homology directed repair of DSBs. We studied the role of Ku and DNA-PKcs in the coordination of these pathways using as a model end joining of restriction endonuclease linearized plasmid DNA in whole cell extracts. Efficient error-free endjoining observed in such in-vitro reactions is strongly inhibited by anti-Ku antibodies. The inhibition requires DNA-PKcs, despite that fact that Ku efficiently binds DNA ends in the presence of antibodies, or in the absence of DNA-PKcs. Strong inhibition of DNA endjoining is also mediated by wortmannin, an inhibitor of DNA-PKcs, in the presence but not in the absence of Ku, and this inhibition can be rescued by pre-incubating the reaction with double stranded oligonucleotides. The results are compatible with a role of Ku in directing endjoining to a DNA-PK dependent pathway, mediated by efficient end binding and productive interactions with DNA-PKcs. On the other hand, efficient end joining is observed in extracts of cells lacking DNA-PKcs, as well as in Ku-depleted extracts sugggesting the operation of alternative pathways. Extracts depleted of Ku and DNA-PKcs rejoin blunt ends, as well as homologous ends with 3' or 5' protruding single strands with similar efficiency, but addition of Ku suppresses joining of blunt ends and homologous ends with 3' overhangs. We propose that the

Environmental Stress Induces Trinucleotide Repeat Mutagenesis in Human Cells by Alt-Nonhomologous End Joining Repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Nimrat; Lin, Yunfu; Yotnda, Patricia; Wilson, John H

2016-07-31

Multiple pathways modulate the dynamic mutability of trinucleotide repeats (TNRs), which are implicated in neurodegenerative disease and evolution. Recently, we reported that environmental stresses induce TNR mutagenesis via stress responses and rereplication, with more than 50% of mutants carrying deletions or insertions-molecular signatures of DNA double-strand break repair. We now show that knockdown of alt-nonhomologous end joining (alt-NHEJ) components-XRCC1, LIG3, and PARP1-suppresses stress-induced TNR mutagenesis, in contrast to the components of homologous recombination and NHEJ, which have no effect. Thus, alt-NHEJ, which contributes to genetic mutability in cancer cells, also plays a novel role in environmental stress-induced TNR mutagenesis. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

C-terminal low-complexity sequence repeats of Mycobacterium smegmatis Ku modulate DNA binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Kushwaha, Ambuj K; Grove, Anne

2013-01-24

Ku protein is an integral component of the NHEJ (non-homologous end-joining) pathway of DSB (double-strand break) repair. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic Ku homologues have been characterized and shown to bind DNA ends. A unique feature of Mycobacterium smegmatis Ku is its basic C-terminal tail that contains several lysine-rich low-complexity PAKKA repeats that are absent from homologues encoded by obligate parasitic mycobacteria. Such PAKKA repeats are also characteristic of mycobacterial Hlp (histone-like protein) for which they have been shown to confer the ability to appose DNA ends. Unexpectedly, removal of the lysine-rich extension enhances DNA-binding affinity, but an interaction between DNA and the PAKKA repeats is indicated by the observation that only full-length Ku forms multiple complexes with a short stem-loop-containing DNA previously designed to accommodate only one Ku dimer. The C-terminal extension promotes DNA end-joining by T4 DNA ligase, suggesting that the PAKKA repeats also contribute to efficient end-joining. We suggest that low-complexity lysine-rich sequences have evolved repeatedly to modulate the function of unrelated DNA-binding proteins.

The Ku80 Carboxy Terminus Stimulates Joining and Artemis-Mediated Processing of DNA Ends▿

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S.; Keijzers, Guido; Florea, Bogdan I.; Wang, Shih-Ya; Ortega, Laura G.; Uematsu, Naoya; Chen, David J.; van Gent, Dik C.

2009-01-01

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKCS) and the XRCC4/ligase IV complex. Activation of the DNA-PKCS serine/threonine kinase requires an interaction with Ku70/80 and is essential for NHEJ-mediated DSB repair. In contrast to previous models, we found that the carboxy terminus of Ku80 is not absolutely required for the recruitment and activation of DNA-PKCS at DSBs, although cells that harbored a carboxy-terminal deletion in the Ku80 gene were sensitive to ionizing radiation and showed reduced end-joining capacity. More detailed analysis of this repair defect showed that DNA-PKCS autophosphorylation at Thr2647 was diminished, while Ser2056 was phosphorylated to normal levels. This resulted in severely reduced levels of Artemis nuclease activity in vivo and in vitro. We therefore conclude that the Ku80 carboxy terminus is important to support DNA-PKCS autophosphorylation at specific sites, which facilitates DNA end processing by the Artemis endonuclease and the subsequent joining reaction. PMID:19103741

Agrobacterium May Delay Plant Nonhomologous End-Joining DNA Repair via XRCC4 to Favor T-DNA Integration[W

Science.gov (United States)

Vaghchhipawala, Zarir E.; Vasudevan, Balaji; Lee, Seonghee; Morsy, Mustafa R.; Mysore, Kirankumar S.

2012-01-01

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a soilborne pathogen that causes crown gall disease in many dicotyledonous plants by transfer of a portion of its tumor-inducing plasmid (T-DNA) into the plant genome. Several plant factors that play a role in Agrobacterium attachment to plant cells and transport of T-DNA to the nucleus have been identified, but the T-DNA integration step during transformation is poorly understood and has been proposed to occur via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ)–mediated double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair. Here, we report a negative role of X-RAY CROSS COMPLEMENTATION GROUP4 (XRCC4), one of the key proteins required for NHEJ, in Agrobacterium T-DNA integration. Downregulation of XRCC4 in Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana increased stable transformation due to increased T-DNA integration. Overexpression of XRCC4 in Arabidopsis decreased stable transformation due to decreased T-DNA integration. Interestingly, XRCC4 directly interacted with Agrobacterium protein VirE2 in a yeast two-hybrid system and in planta. VirE2-expressing Arabidopsis plants were more susceptible to the DNA damaging chemical bleomycin and showed increased stable transformation. We hypothesize that VirE2 titrates or excludes active XRCC4 protein available for DSB repair, thus delaying the closure of DSBs in the chromosome, providing greater opportunity for T-DNA to integrate. PMID:23064322

Regulation of the DNA Damage Response by DNA-PKcs Inhibitory Phosphorylation of ATM.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yi; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Jiang, Wenxia; Crowe, Jennie L; Zha, Shan; Paull, Tanya T

2017-01-05

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) regulates the DNA damage response as well as DNA double-strand break repair through homologous recombination. Here we show that ATM is hyperactive when the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is chemically inhibited or when the DNA-PKcs gene is deleted in human cells. Pre-incubation of ATM protein with active DNA-PKcs also significantly reduces ATM activity in vitro. We characterize several phosphorylation sites in ATM that are targets of DNA-PKcs and show that phospho-mimetic mutations at these residues significantly inhibit ATM activity and impair ATM signaling upon DNA damage. In contrast, phospho-blocking mutations at one cluster of sites increase the frequency of apoptosis during normal cell growth. DNA-PKcs, which is integral to the non-homologous end joining pathway, thus negatively regulates ATM activity through phosphorylation of ATM. These observations illuminate an important regulatory mechanism for ATM that also controls DNA repair pathway choice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DAN-PK), a key enzyme in the re-ligation of DNA double-strand breaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hennequin, C.; Averbeck, D.

1999-01-01

Repair pathways of DNA are now defined and some important findings have been discovered in the last few years. DNA non-homologous end-joining (NEH) is a crucial process in the repair of radiation-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs). NHEj implies at least three steps: the DNA free-ends must get closer, preparation of the free-ends by exonucleases and then a transient hybridization in a region of DNA with weak homology. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is the key enzyme in this process. DNA-PK is a nuclear serine/threonine kinase that comprises three components: a catalytic subunit (DNA-PK cs ) and two regulatory subunits, DNA-binding proteins, Ku80 and Ku70. The severe combined immuno-deficient (scid) mice are deficient in DNA-PK cs : this protein is involved both in DNA repair and in the V(D)J recombination of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor genes. It is a protein-kinase of the P13-kinase family and which can phosphorylate Ku proteins, p53 and probably some other proteins still unknown. DNA-PK is an important actor of DSBs repair (induced by ionising radiations or by drugs like etoposide), but obviously it is not the only mechanism existing in the cell for this function. Some others, like homologous recombination, seem also to have a great importance for cell survival. (authors)

The DNA-dependent protein kinase: a multifunctional protein kinase with roles in DNA double strand break repair and mitosis

Science.gov (United States)

Jette, Nicholas; Lees-Miller, Susan P.

2015-01-01

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase composed of a large catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and the Ku70/80 heterodimer. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in elucidating the role of DNA-PK in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), the major pathway for repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks in human cells and recently, additional roles for DNA-PK have been reported. In this review, we will describe the biochemistry, structure and function of DNA-PK, its roles in DNA double strand break repair and its newly described roles in mitosis and other cellular processes. PMID:25550082

Human longevity and variation in DNA damage response and repair

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Debrabant, Birgit; Soerensen, Mette; Flachsbart, Friederike

2014-01-01

others. Data were applied on 592 SNPs from 77 genes involved in nine sub-processes: DNA-damage response, base excision repair (BER), nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, non-homologous end-joining, homologous recombinational repair (HRR), RecQ helicase activities (RECQ), telomere functioning...... in genotyping procedures and investigated SNPs, potentially inducing differences in the coverage of gene regions. Specifically, five genes were not covered at all in the German data. Therefore, investigations in additional study populations are needed before final conclusion can be drawn....

DNA ligase C1 mediates the LigD-independent nonhomologous end-joining pathway of Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattarai, Hitesh; Gupta, Richa; Glickman, Michael S

2014-10-01

Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) is a recently described bacterial DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway that has been best characterized for mycobacteria. NHEJ can religate transformed linear plasmids, repair ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DSBs in nonreplicating cells, and seal I-SceI-induced chromosomal DSBs. The core components of the mycobacterial NHEJ machinery are the DNA end binding protein Ku and the polyfunctional DNA ligase LigD. LigD has three autonomous enzymatic modules: ATP-dependent DNA ligase (LIG), DNA/RNA polymerase (POL), and 3' phosphoesterase (PE). Although genetic ablation of ku or ligD abolishes NHEJ and sensitizes nonreplicating cells to ionizing radiation, selective ablation of the ligase activity of LigD in vivo only mildly impairs NHEJ of linearized plasmids, indicating that an additional DNA ligase can support NHEJ. Additionally, the in vivo role of the POL and PE domains in NHEJ is unclear. Here we define a LigD ligase-independent NHEJ pathway in Mycobacterium smegmatis that requires the ATP-dependent DNA ligase LigC1 and the POL domain of LigD. Mycobacterium tuberculosis LigC can also support this backup NHEJ pathway. We also demonstrate that, although dispensable for efficient plasmid NHEJ, the activities of the POL and PE domains are required for repair of IR-induced DSBs in nonreplicating cells. These findings define the genetic requirements for a LigD-independent NHEJ pathway in mycobacteria and demonstrate that all enzymatic functions of the LigD protein participate in NHEJ in vivo. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification and analysis of Ku70 and Ku80 homologs in the koji molds Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Tadashi; Masuda, Tsutomu; Koyama, Yasuji

2006-01-01

Ku genes play a key role in the non-homologous end-joining pathway. We have identified Ku70 and Ku80 homologs in the koji molds Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus oryzae, and have constructed the disruption mutants of Ku70, Ku80, and Ku70-80 to characterize the phenotypic change in these mutants. Neither Ku70- nor Ku80-disrupted strains show hypersensitivity to the DNA damaging agents methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) and phleomycin. Moreover, undesirable phenotypes, such as poor growth or repressed conidiospore formation, were not observed in the Ku-disrupted A. sojae and A. oryzae.

Human induced pluripotent cells resemble embryonic stem cells demonstrating enhanced levels of DNA repair and efficacy of nonhomologous end-joining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan Jinshui; Robert, Carine [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, BRB 7-023A, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Jang, Yoon-Young; Liu Hua; Sharkis, Saul; Baylin, Stephen Bruce [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD 21231-1000 (United States); Rassool, Feyruz Virgilia, E-mail: frassool@som.umaryland.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, BRB 7-023A, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States)

2011-08-01

Highlights: {yields} iPSC and hESC demonstrate a similar cell cycle profile, with increased S phase cells and decreased G0/G1. {yields} iPSC and hESC increased ROS and decreased DSBs, compared with differentiated parental cells. {yields} iPSC and hESC demonstrate elevated DSB repair activity, including nonhomologous end-joining, compared with differentiated parental cells. {yields} iPSC however show a partial apoptotic response to DNA damage, compared to hESC. {yields} DNA damage responses may constitute important markers for the efficacy of iPSC reprogramming. - Abstract: To maintain the integrity of the organism, embryonic stem cells (ESC) need to maintain their genomic integrity in response to DNA damage. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most lethal forms of DNA damage and can have disastrous consequences if not repaired correctly, leading to cell death, genomic instability and cancer. How human ESC (hESC) maintain genomic integrity in response to agents that cause DSBs is relatively unclear. Adult somatic cells can be induced to 'dedifferentiate' into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and reprogram into cells of all three germ layers. Whether iPSC have reprogrammed the DNA damage response is a critical question in regenerative medicine. Here, we show that hESC demonstrate high levels of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can contribute to DNA damage and may arise from high levels of metabolic activity. To potentially counter genomic instability caused by DNA damage, we find that hESC employ two strategies: First, these cells have enhanced levels of DNA repair proteins, including those involved in repair of DSBs, and they demonstrate elevated nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) activity and repair efficacy, one of the main pathways for repairing DSBs. Second, they are hypersensitive to DNA damaging agents, as evidenced by a high level of apoptosis upon irradiation. Importantly, iPSC, unlike the parent cells they are derived

Human induced pluripotent cells resemble embryonic stem cells demonstrating enhanced levels of DNA repair and efficacy of nonhomologous end-joining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Jinshui; Robert, Carine; Jang, Yoon-Young; Liu Hua; Sharkis, Saul; Baylin, Stephen Bruce; Rassool, Feyruz Virgilia

2011-01-01

Highlights: → iPSC and hESC demonstrate a similar cell cycle profile, with increased S phase cells and decreased G0/G1. → iPSC and hESC increased ROS and decreased DSBs, compared with differentiated parental cells. → iPSC and hESC demonstrate elevated DSB repair activity, including nonhomologous end-joining, compared with differentiated parental cells. → iPSC however show a partial apoptotic response to DNA damage, compared to hESC. → DNA damage responses may constitute important markers for the efficacy of iPSC reprogramming. - Abstract: To maintain the integrity of the organism, embryonic stem cells (ESC) need to maintain their genomic integrity in response to DNA damage. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most lethal forms of DNA damage and can have disastrous consequences if not repaired correctly, leading to cell death, genomic instability and cancer. How human ESC (hESC) maintain genomic integrity in response to agents that cause DSBs is relatively unclear. Adult somatic cells can be induced to 'dedifferentiate' into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and reprogram into cells of all three germ layers. Whether iPSC have reprogrammed the DNA damage response is a critical question in regenerative medicine. Here, we show that hESC demonstrate high levels of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can contribute to DNA damage and may arise from high levels of metabolic activity. To potentially counter genomic instability caused by DNA damage, we find that hESC employ two strategies: First, these cells have enhanced levels of DNA repair proteins, including those involved in repair of DSBs, and they demonstrate elevated nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) activity and repair efficacy, one of the main pathways for repairing DSBs. Second, they are hypersensitive to DNA damaging agents, as evidenced by a high level of apoptosis upon irradiation. Importantly, iPSC, unlike the parent cells they are derived from, mimic hESC in their ROS levels

WRN Exonuclease Structure, Molecular Mechanism, and DNA EndProcessing Role

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perry, J. Jefferson P.; Yannone, Steven M.; Holden, Lauren G.; Hitomi, Chiharu; Asaithamby, Aroumougame; Han, Seungil; Cooper, PriscillaK.; Chen, David J.; Tainer, John A.

2006-02-15

WRN is unique among the five human RecQ DNA helicases by having a functional exonuclease domain (WRN-exo) and being defective in the premature aging and cancer-related disorder Werner syndrome. Here, we characterize WRN-exo crystal structures, biochemical activity and participation in DNA end-joining. Metal ion complex structures, active site mutations and activity assays reveal a two-metal-ion mediated nuclease mechanism. The DNA end-binding Ku70/80 complex specifically stimulates WRN-exo activity, and structure-based mutational inactivation of WRN-exo alters DNA end-joining in human cells. We furthermore establish structural and biochemical similarities of WRN-exo to DnaQ family replicative proofreading exonucleases, with WRN-specific adaptations consistent with dsDNA specificity and functionally important conformational changes. These results indicate WRN-exo is a human DnaQ family member and support analogous proof-reading activities that are stimulated by Ku70/80 with implications for WRN functions in age related pathologies and maintenance of genomic integrity.

Lung Basal Stem Cells Rapidly Repair DNA Damage Using the Error-Prone Nonhomologous End-Joining Pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Weeden, Clare E.; Chen, Yunshun; Ma, Stephen B.; Hu, Yifang; Ramm, Georg; Sutherland, Kate D.; Smyth, Gordon K.

2017-01-01

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC), the second most common subtype of lung cancer, is strongly associated with tobacco smoking and exhibits genomic instability. The cellular origins and molecular processes that contribute to SqCC formation are largely unexplored. Here we show that human basal stem cells (BSCs) isolated from heavy smokers proliferate extensively, whereas their alveolar progenitor cell counterparts have limited colony-forming capacity. We demonstrate that this difference arises in part because of the ability of BSCs to repair their DNA more efficiently than alveolar cells following ionizing radiation or chemical-induced DNA damage. Analysis of mice harbouring a mutation in the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), a key enzyme in DNA damage repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), indicated that BSCs preferentially repair their DNA by this error-prone process. Interestingly, polyploidy, a phenomenon associated with genetically unstable cells, was only observed in the human BSC subset. Expression signature analysis indicated that BSCs are the likely cells of origin of human SqCC and that high levels of NHEJ genes in SqCC are correlated with increasing genomic instability. Hence, our results favour a model in which heavy smoking promotes proliferation of BSCs, and their predilection for error-prone NHEJ could lead to the high mutagenic burden that culminates in SqCC. Targeting DNA repair processes may therefore have a role in the prevention and therapy of SqCC. PMID:28125611

Repair of endogenous and ionizing radiation-induced DNA damages: mechanisms and biological functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boiteux, S.

2002-01-01

The cellular DNA is continuously exposed to endogenous and exogenous stress. Oxidative stress due to cellular metabolism is the major cause of endogenous DNA damage. On the other hand, ionizing radiation (IR) is an important exogenous stress. Both induce similar DNA damages: damaged bases, abasic sites and strand breakage. Most of these lesions are lethal and/or mutagenic. The survival of the cell is managed by efficient and accurate DNA repair mechanisms that remove lesions before their replication or transcription. DNA repair pathways involved in the removal of IR-induced lesions are briefly described. Base excision repair (BER) is mostly involved in the removal of base damage, abasic sites and single strand breaks. In contrast, DNA double strand breaks are mostly repaired by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR). How DNA repair pathways prevent cancer process is also discussed. (author)

GANP regulates the choice of DNA repair pathway by DNA-PKcs interaction in AID-dependent IgV region diversification.

Science.gov (United States)

Eid, Mohammed Mansour Abbas; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Almofty, Sarah Ameen; Singh, Shailendra Kumar; Shimoda, Mayuko; Sakaguchi, Nobuo

2014-06-15

RNA export factor germinal center-associated nuclear protein (GANP) interacts with activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and shepherds it from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and toward the IgV region loci in B cells. In this study, we demonstrate a role for GANP in the repair of AID-initiated DNA damage in chicken DT40 B cells to generate IgV region diversity by gene conversion and somatic hypermutation. GANP plays a positive role in IgV region diversification of DT40 B cells in a nonhomologous end joining-proficient state. DNA-PKcs physically interacts with GANP, and this interaction is dissociated by dsDNA breaks induced by a topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, or AID overexpression. GANP affects the choice of DNA repair mechanism in B cells toward homologous recombination rather than nonhomologous end joining repair. Thus, GANP presumably plays a critical role in protection of the rearranged IgV loci by favoring homologous recombination of the DNA breaks under accelerated AID recruitment. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Competitive repair by naturally dispersed repetitive DNA during non-allelic homologous recombination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoang, Margaret L.; Tan, Frederick J.; Lai, David C.; Celniker, Sue E.; Hoskins, Roger A.; Dunham, Maitreya J.; Zheng, Yixian; Koshland, Douglas

2010-08-27

Genome rearrangements often result from non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) between repetitive DNA elements dispersed throughout the genome. Here we systematically analyze NAHR between Ty retrotransposons using a genome-wide approach that exploits unique features of Saccharomyces cerevisiae purebred and Saccharomyces cerevisiae/Saccharomyces bayanus hybrid diploids. We find that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induce NAHR-dependent rearrangements using Ty elements located 12 to 48 kilobases distal to the break site. This break-distal recombination (BDR) occurs frequently, even when allelic recombination can repair the break using the homolog. Robust BDR-dependent NAHR demonstrates that sequences very distal to DSBs can effectively compete with proximal sequences for repair of the break. In addition, our analysis of NAHR partner choice between Ty repeats shows that intrachromosomal Ty partners are preferred despite the abundance of potential interchromosomal Ty partners that share higher sequence identity. This competitive advantage of intrachromosomal Tys results from the relative efficiencies of different NAHR repair pathways. Finally, NAHR generates deleterious rearrangements more frequently when DSBs occur outside rather than within a Ty repeat. These findings yield insights into mechanisms of repeat-mediated genome rearrangements associated with evolution and cancer.

Competitive repair by naturally dispersed repetitive DNA during non-allelic homologous recombination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret L Hoang

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Genome rearrangements often result from non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR between repetitive DNA elements dispersed throughout the genome. Here we systematically analyze NAHR between Ty retrotransposons using a genome-wide approach that exploits unique features of Saccharomyces cerevisiae purebred and Saccharomyces cerevisiae/Saccharomyces bayanus hybrid diploids. We find that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs induce NAHR-dependent rearrangements using Ty elements located 12 to 48 kilobases distal to the break site. This break-distal recombination (BDR occurs frequently, even when allelic recombination can repair the break using the homolog. Robust BDR-dependent NAHR demonstrates that sequences very distal to DSBs can effectively compete with proximal sequences for repair of the break. In addition, our analysis of NAHR partner choice between Ty repeats shows that intrachromosomal Ty partners are preferred despite the abundance of potential interchromosomal Ty partners that share higher sequence identity. This competitive advantage of intrachromosomal Tys results from the relative efficiencies of different NAHR repair pathways. Finally, NAHR generates deleterious rearrangements more frequently when DSBs occur outside rather than within a Ty repeat. These findings yield insights into mechanisms of repeat-mediated genome rearrangements associated with evolution and cancer.

AAV-Mediated Gene Targeting Is Significantly Enhanced by Transient Inhibition of Nonhomologous End Joining or the Proteasome In Vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Paulk, Nicole K.; Loza, Laura Marquez; Finegold, Milton J.

2012-01-01

Abstract Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have clear potential for use in gene targeting but low correction efficiencies remain the primary drawback. One approach to enhancing efficiency is a block of undesired repair pathways like nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) to promote the use of homologous recombination. The natural product vanillin acts as a potent inhibitor of NHEJ by inhibiting DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Using a homology containing rAAV vector, we previously demonstrated in vivo gene repair frequencies of up to 0.1% in a model of liver disease hereditary tyrosinemia type I. To increase targeting frequencies, we administered vanillin in combination with rAAV. Gene targeting frequencies increased up to 10-fold over AAV alone, approaching 1%. Fah−/−Ku70−/− double knockout mice also had increased gene repair frequencies, genetically confirming the beneficial effects of blocking NHEJ. A second strategy, transient proteasomal inhibition, also increased gene-targeting frequencies but was not additive to NHEJ inhibition. This study establishes the benefit of transient NHEJ inhibition with vanillin, or proteasome blockage with bortezomib, for increasing hepatic gene targeting with rAAV. Functional metabolic correction of a clinically relevant disease model was demonstrated and provided evidence for the feasibility of gene targeting as a therapeutic strategy. PMID:22486314

Gimeracil sensitizes cells to radiation via inhibition of homologous recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takagi, Masaru; Sakata, Koh-ichi; Someya, Masanori; Tauchi, Hiroshi; Iijima, Kenta; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa; Torigoe, Toshihiko; Takahashi, Akari; Hareyama, Masato; Fukushima, Masakazu

2010-01-01

Background and purpose: 5-Chloro-2,4-dihydroxypyridine (Gimeracil) is a component of an oral fluoropyrimidine derivative S-1. Gimeracil is originally added to S-1 to yield prolonged 5-FU concentrations in tumor tissues by inhibiting dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, which degrades 5-FU. We found that Gimeracil by itself had the radiosensitizing effect. Methods and materials: We used various cell lines deficient in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR) as well as DLD-1 and HeLa in clonogenic assay. γ-H2AX focus formation and SCneo assay was performed to examine the effects of Gimeracil on DNA double strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms. Results: Results of γ-H2AX focus assay indicated that Gimeracil inhibited DNA DSB repair. It did not sensitize cells deficient in HR but sensitized those deficient in NHEJ. In SCneo assay, Gimeracil reduced the frequency of neo-positive clones. Additionally, it sensitized the cells in S-phase more than in G0/G1. Conclusions: Gimeracil inhibits HR. Because HR plays key roles in the repair of DSBH caused by radiotherapy, Gimeracil may enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy through the suppression of HR-mediated DNA repair pathways.

Current topics in DNA double-strand break repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Junya; Takata, Minoru; Iwabuchi, Kuniyoshi; Miyagawa, Kiyoshi; Sonoda, Eiichiro; Suzuki, Keiji; Tauchi, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

DNA double strand break (DSB) is one of the most critical types of damage which is induced by ionizing radiation. In this review, we summarize current progress in investigations on the function of DSB repair-related proteins. We focused on recent findings in the analysis of the function of proteins such as 53BP1, histone H2AX, Mus81-Eme1, Fanc complex, and UBC13, which are found to be related to homologous recombination repair or to non-homologous end joining. In addition to the function of these proteins in DSB repair, the biological function of nuclear foci formation following DSB induction is discussed. (author)

Inhibitors of the proteasome suppress homologous DNA recombination in mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakawa, Yasuhiro; Sonoda, Eiichiro; Barber, Louise J; Zeng, Weihua; Yokomori, Kyoko; Kimura, Hiroshi; Niimi, Atsuko; Lehmann, Alan; Zhao, Guang Yu; Hochegger, Helfrid; Boulton, Simon J; Takeda, Shunichi

2007-09-15

Proteasome inhibitors are novel antitumor agents against multiple myeloma and other malignancies. Despite the increasing clinical application, the molecular basis of their antitumor effect has been poorly understood due to the involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in multiple cellular metabolisms. Here, we show that treatment of cells with proteasome inhibitors has no significant effect on nonhomologous end joining but suppresses homologous recombination (HR), which plays a key role in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. In this study, we treat human cells with proteasome inhibitors and show that the inhibition of the proteasome reduces the efficiency of HR-dependent repair of an artificial HR substrate. We further show that inhibition of the proteasome interferes with the activation of Rad51, a key factor for HR, although it does not affect the activation of ATM, gammaH2AX, or Mre11. These data show that the proteasome-mediated destruction is required for the promotion of HR at an early step. We suggest that the defect in HR-mediated DNA repair caused by proteasome inhibitors contributes to antitumor effect, as HR plays an essential role in cellular proliferation. Moreover, because HR plays key roles in the repair of DSBs caused by chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin and by radiotherapy, proteasome inhibitors may enhance the efficacy of these treatments through the suppression of HR-mediated DNA repair pathways.

Nrf2 facilitates repair of radiation induced DNA damage through homologous recombination repair pathway in a ROS independent manner in cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jayakumar, Sundarraj; Pal, Debojyoti; Sandur, Santosh K., E-mail: sskumar@barc.gov.in

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Nrf2 inhibition in A549 cells led to attenuated DNA repair and radiosensitization. • Influence of Nrf2 on DNA repair is not linked to its antioxidant function. • Nrf2 influences DNA repair through homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway. • Many genes involved in HR pathway show ARE sequences in their upstream region. - Abstract: Nrf2 is a redox sensitive transcription factor that is involved in the co-ordinated transcription of genes involved in redox homeostasis. But the role of Nrf2 in DNA repair is not investigated in detail. We have employed A549 and MCF7 cells to study the role of Nrf2 on DNA repair by inhibiting Nrf2 using all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or by knock down approach prior to radiation exposure (4 Gy). DNA damage and repair analysis was studied by γH2AX foci formation and comet assay. Results suggested that the inhibition of Nrf2 in A549 or MCF7 cells led to significant slowdown in DNA repair as compared to respective radiation controls. The persistence of residual DNA damage even in the presence of free radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine, suggested that the influence of Nrf2 on DNA repair was not linked to its antioxidant functions. Further, its influence on non-homologous end joining repair pathway was studied by inhibiting both Nrf2 and DNA-PK together. This led to synergistic reduction of survival fraction, indicating that Nrf2 may not be influencing the NHEJ pathway. To investigate the role of homologous recombination repair (HR) pathway, RAD51 foci formation was monitored. There was a significant reduction in the foci formation in cells treated with ATRA or shRNA against Nrf2 as compared to their respective radiation controls. Further, Nrf2 inhibition led to significant reduction in mRNA levels of RAD51. BLAST analysis was also performed on upstream regions of DNA repair genes to identify antioxidant response element and found that many repair genes that are involved in HR pathway may be regulated by Nrf2

Live cell imaging reveals at novel view of DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moritomi-Yano, Keiko; Yano, Ken-ichi

2010-01-01

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are the most severe form of DNA damages. Recently, live cell imaging techniques coupled with laser micro-irradiation were used to analyze the spatio-temporal behavior of the NHEJ core factors upon DSB induction in living cells. Based on the live cell imaging studies, we proposed a novel two-phase model for DSB sensing and protein assembly in the NHEJ pathway. This new model provides a novel view of the dynamic protein behavior on DSBs and broad implications for the molecular mechanism of NHEJ. (author)

Alternative end-joining of DNA breaks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schendel, Robin van

2016-01-01

DNA is arguably the most important molecule found in any organism, as it contains all information to perform cellular functions and enables continuity of species. It is continuously exposed to DNA-damaging agents both from endogenous and exogenous sources. To protect DNA against these sources of DNA

Xrcc1-dependent and Ku-dependent DNA double-strand break repair kinetics in Arabidopsis plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Charbonnel, Cyril; Gallego, Maria E; White, Charles I

2010-10-01

Double-strand breakage (DSB) of DNA involves loss of information on the two strands of the DNA fibre and thus cannot be repaired by simple copying of the complementary strand which is possible with single-strand DNA damage. Homologous recombination (HR) can precisely repair DSB using another copy of the genome as template and non-homologous recombination (NHR) permits repair of DSB with little or no dependence on DNA sequence homology. In addition to the well-characterised Ku-dependent non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway, much recent attention has been focused on Ku-independent NHR. The complex interrelationships and regulation of NHR pathways remain poorly understood, even more so in the case of plants, and we present here an analysis of Ku-dependent and Ku-independent repair of DSB in Arabidopsis thaliana. We have characterised an Arabidopsis xrcc1 mutant and developed quantitative analysis of the kinetics of appearance and loss of γ-H2AX foci as a tool to measure DSB repair in dividing root tip cells of γ-irradiated plants in vivo. This approach has permitted determination of DSB repair kinetics in planta following a short pulse of γ-irradiation, establishing the existence of a Ku-independent, Xrcc1-dependent DSB repair pathway. Furthermore, our data show a role for Ku80 during the first minutes post-irradiation and that Xrcc1 also plays such a role, but only in the absence of Ku. The importance of Xrcc1 is, however, clearly visible at later times in the presence of Ku, showing that alternative end-joining plays an important role in DSB repair even in the presence of active NHEJ. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

In cellulo phosphorylation of XRCC4 Ser320 by DNA-PK induced by DNA damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Mukesh Kumar; Imamichi, Shoji; Fukuchi, Mikoto; Samarth, Ravindra Mahadeo; Tomita, Masanori; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

XRCC4 is a protein associated with DNA Ligase IV, which is thought to join two DNA ends at the final step of DNA double-strand break repair through non-homologous end joining. In response to treatment with ionizing radiation or DNA damaging agents, XRCC4 undergoes DNA-PK-dependent phosphorylation. Furthermore, Ser260 and Ser320 (or Ser318 in alternatively spliced form) of XRCC4 were identified as the major phosphorylation sites by purified DNA-PK in vitro through mass spectrometry. However, it has not been clear whether these sites are phosphorylated in vivo in response to DNA damage. In the present study, we generated an antibody that reacts with XRCC4 phosphorylated at Ser320 and examined in cellulo phosphorylation status of XRCC4 Ser320. The phosphorylation of XRCC4 Ser320 was induced by γ-ray irradiation and treatment with Zeocin. The phosphorylation of XRCC4 Ser320 was detected even after 1 Gy irradiation and increased in a manner dependent on radiation dose. The phosphorylation was observed immediately after irradiation and remained mostly unchanged for up to 4 h. The phosphorylation was inhibited by DNA-PK inhibitor NU7441 and was undetectable in DNA-PKcs-deficient cells, indicating that the phosphorylation was mainly mediated by DNA-PK. These results suggested potential usefulness of the phosphorylation status of XRCC4 Ser320 as an indicator of DNA-PK functionality in living cells

Distinct kinetics of human DNA ligases I, IIIalpha, IIIbeta, and IV reveal direct DNA sensing ability and differential physiological functions in DNA repair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xi; Ballin, Jeff D.; Della-Maria, Julie; Tsai, Miaw-Sheue; White, Elizabeth J.; Tomkinson, Alan E.; Wilson, Gerald M.

2009-05-11

The three human LIG genes encode polypeptides that catalyze phosphodiester bond formation during DNA replication, recombination and repair. While numerous studies have identified protein partners of the human DNA ligases (hLigs), there has been little characterization of the catalytic properties of these enzymes. In this study, we developed and optimized a fluorescence-based DNA ligation assay to characterize the activities of purified hLigs. Although hLigI joins DNA nicks, it has no detectable activity on linear duplex DNA substrates with short, cohesive single-strand ends. By contrast, hLigIII{beta} and the hLigIII{alpha}/XRCC1 and hLigIV/XRCC4 complexes are active on both nicked and linear duplex DNA substrates. Surprisingly, hLigIV/XRCC4, which is a key component of the major non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway, is significantly less active than hLigIII on a linear duplex DNA substrate. Notably, hLigIV/XRCC4 molecules only catalyze a single ligation event in the absence or presence of ATP. The failure to catalyze subsequent ligation events reflects a defect in the enzyme-adenylation step of the next ligation reaction and suggests that, unless there is an in vivo mechanism to reactivate DNA ligase IV/XRCC4 following phosphodiester bond formation, the cellular NHEJ capacity will be determined by the number of adenylated DNA ligaseIV/XRCC4 molecules.

Structure and function of DNA polymerase μ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Takuro; Maezawa, So

2013-01-01

DNA polymerases are enzymes playing the central role in DNA metabolism, including DNA replication, DNA repair and recombination. DNA polymerase μ (pol μ DNA polymerase λ (pol λ) and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT) in X family DNA polymerases function in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), which is the predonmiant repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). NHEJ involves enzymes that capture both ends of the broken DNA strand, bring them together in a synaptic DNA-protein complex, and repair the DSB. Pol μ and pol λ fill in the gaps at the junction to maintain the genomic integrity. TdT synthesizes N region at the junction during V(D)J recombination and promotes diversity of immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor gene. Among these three polymerases, the regulatory mechanisms of pol μ remain rather unclear. We have approached the mechanism of pol μ from both sides of structure and cellular dynamics. Here, we propose some new insights into pol μ and the probable NHEJ model including our findings. (author)

Ku recruits XLF to DNA double-strand breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yano, Ken-ichi; Morotomi-Yano, Keiko; Wang, Shih-Ya; Uematsu, Naoya; Lee, Kyung-Jong; Asaithamby, Aroumougame; Weterings, Eric; Chen, David J

2008-01-01

XRCC4-like factor (XLF)--also known as Cernunnos--has recently been shown to be involved in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), which is the main pathway for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in mammalian cells. XLF is likely to enhance NHEJ by stimulating XRCC4-ligase IV-mediated joining of DSBs. Here, we report mechanistic details of XLF recruitment to DSBs. Live cell imaging combined with laser micro-irradiation showed that XLF is an early responder to DSBs and that Ku is essential for XLF recruitment to DSBs. Biochemical analysis showed that Ku-XLF interaction occurs on DNA and that Ku stimulates XLF binding to DNA. Unexpectedly, XRCC4 is dispensable for XLF recruitment to DSBs, although photobleaching analysis showed that XRCC4 stabilizes the binding of XLF to DSBs. Our observations showed the direct involvement of XLF in the dynamic assembly of the NHEJ machinery and provide mechanistic insights into DSB recognition.

RPA accumulation during class switch recombination represents 5'-3' DNA-end resection during the S-G2/M phase of the cell cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamane, Arito; Robbiani, Davide F; Resch, Wolfgang; Bothmer, Anne; Nakahashi, Hirotaka; Oliveira, Thiago; Rommel, Philipp C; Brown, Eric J; Nussenzweig, Andre; Nussenzweig, Michel C; Casellas, Rafael

2013-01-31

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) promotes chromosomal translocations by inducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and oncogenes in the G1 phase. RPA is a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein that associates with resected DSBs in the S phase and facilitates the assembly of factors involved in homologous repair (HR), such as Rad51. Notably, RPA deposition also marks sites of AID-mediated damage, but its role in Ig gene recombination remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that RPA associates asymmetrically with resected ssDNA in response to lesions created by AID, recombination-activating genes (RAG), or other nucleases. Small amounts of RPA are deposited at AID targets in G1 in an ATM-dependent manner. In contrast, recruitment in the S-G2/M phase is extensive, ATM independent, and associated with Rad51 accumulation. In the S-G2/M phase, RPA increases in nonhomologous-end-joining-deficient lymphocytes, where there is more extensive DNA-end resection. Thus, most RPA recruitment during class switch recombination represents salvage of unrepaired breaks by homology-based pathways during the S-G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacodynamic Assay Panel for Monitoring Phospho-Signaling Networks | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Science.gov (United States)

The DNA damage response (DDR) is a highly regulated signal transduction network that orchestrates the temporal and spatial organization of protein complexes required to repair (or tolerate) DNA damage (e.g., nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, homologous recombination, non-homologous end joining, post-replication repair).

Analysis of the role of homology arms in gene-targeting vectors in human cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayako Ishii

Full Text Available Random integration of targeting vectors into the genome is the primary obstacle in human somatic cell gene targeting. Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ, a major pathway for repairing DNA double-strand breaks, is thought to be responsible for most random integration events; however, absence of DNA ligase IV (LIG4, the critical NHEJ ligase, does not significantly reduce random integration frequency of targeting vector in human cells, indicating robust integration events occurring via a LIG4-independent mechanism. To gain insights into the mechanism and robustness of LIG4-independent random integration, we employed various types of targeting vectors to examine their integration frequencies in LIG4-proficient and deficient human cell lines. We find that the integration frequency of targeting vector correlates well with the length of homology arms and with the amount of repetitive DNA sequences, especially SINEs, present in the arms. This correlation was prominent in LIG4-deficient cells, but was also seen in LIG4-proficient cells, thus providing evidence that LIG4-independent random integration occurs frequently even when NHEJ is functionally normal. Our results collectively suggest that random integration frequency of conventional targeting vectors is substantially influenced by homology arms, which typically harbor repetitive DNA sequences that serve to facilitate LIG4-independent random integration in human cells, regardless of the presence or absence of functional NHEJ.

DNA requirements for interaction of the C-terminal region of Ku80 with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs).

Science.gov (United States)

Radhakrishnan, Sarvan Kumar; Lees-Miller, Susan P

2017-09-01

Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is the major pathway for the repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in human cells. Critical to NHEJ is the DNA-dependent interaction of the Ku70/80 heterodimer with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) to form the DNA-PK holoenzyme. However, precisely how Ku recruits DNA-PKcs to DSBs ends to enhance its kinase activity has remained enigmatic, with contradictory findings reported in the literature. Here we address the role of the Ku80 C-terminal region (CTR) in the DNA-dependent interaction of Ku70/80 with DNA-PKcs using purified components and defined DNA structures. Our results show that the Ku80 CTR is required for interaction with DNA-PKcs on short segments of blunt ended 25bp dsDNA or 25bp dsDNA with a 15-base poly dA single stranded (ss) DNA extension, but this requirement is less stringent on longer dsDNA molecules (35bp blunt ended dsDNA) or 25bp duplex DNA with either a 15-base poly dT or poly dC ssDNA extension. Moreover, the DNA-PKcs-Ku complex preferentially forms on 25 bp DNA with a poly-pyrimidine ssDNA extension.Our work clarifies the role of the Ku80 CTR and dsDNA ends on the interaction of DNA-PKcs with Ku and provides key information to guide assembly and biology of NHEJ complexes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DNA end resection by CtIP and exonuclease 1 prevents genomic instability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eid, Wassim; Steger, Martin; El-Shemerly, Mahmoud

2010-01-01

End resection of DNA-which is essential for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination-relies first on the partnership between MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) and CtIP, followed by a processive step involving helicases and exonucleases such as exonuclease 1 (EXO1). In this s......End resection of DNA-which is essential for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination-relies first on the partnership between MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) and CtIP, followed by a processive step involving helicases and exonucleases such as exonuclease 1 (EXO1...... of DNA-PK-dependent radial chromosome formation. Thus, our study identifies new functions of CtIP and EXO1 in DNA end resection and provides new information on the regulation of DSB repair pathways, which is a key factor in the maintenance of genome integrity....

Role of DNA-PK in cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, D.J.

2003-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are probably the most dangerous of the many different types of DNA damage that occur within the cell. DSBs are generated by exogenous agents such as ionizing radiation (IR) or by endogenously generated reactive oxygen species and occur as intermediates during meiotic and V(D)J recombination. The repair of DSBs is of paramount importance to the cell as misrepair of DSBs can lead to cell death or promote tumorigenesis. In eukaryotes there exists two distinct mechanisms for DNA DSB repair: homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). In mammalian cells, however, it is clear that nonhomologous repair of DSBs is highly active and plays a major role in conferring radiation resistance to the cell. The NHEJ machinery minimally consists of the DNA-dependent Protein Kinase (DNA-PK) and a complex of XRCC4 and DNA Ligase IV. The DNA-PK complex is composed of a 470 kDa catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), and the heterodimeric Ku70 and Ku80 DNA end-binding complex. DNA-PKcs is a PI-3 kinase with homology to ATM and ATR in its C-terminal kinase domain. The DNA-PK complex protects and tethers the ends, and directs assembly and, perhaps, the activation of other NHEJ proteins. We have previously demonstrated that the kinase activity of DNA-PK is essential for DNA DSB repair and V(D)J recombination. It is, therefore, of immense interest to determine the in vivo targets of DNA-PKcs and the mechanisms by which phosphorylation of these targets modulates NHEJ. Recent studies have resulted in the identification of a number of protein targets that are phosphorylated by and/or interact with DNA-PKcs. Our laboratory has recently identified autophosphorylation site(s) on DNA-PKcs. We find that phosphorylation at these sites in vivo is an early and essential response to DSBs and demonstrate, for the first time, the localization of DNA-PKcs to the sites of DNA damage in vivo. Furthermore, mutation of these phosphorylation sites in mammalian

DNA-dependent protein kinase in nonhomologous end joining: a lock with multiple keys?

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Eric; Chen, David J

2007-10-22

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is one of the central enzymes involved in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. It facilitates proper alignment of the two ends of the broken DNA molecule and coordinates access of other factors to the repair complex. We discuss the latest findings on DNA-PK phosphorylation and offer a working model for the regulation of DNA-PK during DSB repair.

A newly identified DNA ligase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae involved in RAD52-independent repair of DNA double-strand breaks

Science.gov (United States)

Schär, Primo; Herrmann, Gernot; Daly, Graham; Lindahl, Tomas

1997-01-01

Eukaryotic DNA ligases are ATP-dependent DNA strand-joining enzymes that participate in DNA replication, repair, and recombination. Whereas mammalian cells contain several different DNA ligases, encoded by at least three distinct genes, only one DNA ligase has been detected previously in either budding yeast or fission yeast. Here, we describe a newly identified nonessential Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene that encodes a DNA ligase distinct from the CDC9 gene product. This DNA ligase shares significant amino acid sequence homology with human DNA ligase IV; accordingly, we designate the yeast gene LIG4. Recombinant LIG4 protein forms a covalent enzyme-AMP complex and can join a DNA single-strand break in a DNA/RNA hybrid duplex, the preferred substrate in vitro. Disruption of the LIG4 gene causes only marginally increased cellular sensitivity to several DNA damaging agents, and does not further sensitize cdc9 or rad52 mutant cells. In contrast, lig4 mutant cells have a 1000-fold reduced capacity for correct recircularization of linearized plasmids by illegitimate end-joining after transformation. Moreover, homozygous lig4 mutant diploids sporulate less efficiently than isogenic wild-type cells, and show retarded progression through meiotic prophase I. Spore viability is normal, but lig4 mutants appear to produce a higher proportion of tetrads with only three viable spores. The mutant phenotypes are consistent with functions of LIG4 in an illegitimate DNA end-joining pathway and ensuring efficient meiosis. PMID:9271115

[Effect of endonuclease G depletion on plasmid DNA uptake and levels of homologous recombination in hela cells].

Science.gov (United States)

Misic, V; El-Mogy, M; Geng, S; Haj-Ahmad, Y

2016-01-01

Endonuclease G (EndoG) is a mitochondrial apoptosis regulator that also has roles outside of programmed cell death. It has been implicated as a defence DNase involved in the degradation of exogenous DNA after transfection of mammalian cells and in homologous recombination of viral and endogenous DNA. In this study, we looked at the effect of EndoG depletion on plasmid DNA uptake and the levels of homologous recombination in HeLa cells. We show that the proposed defence role of EndoG against uptake of non-viral DNA vectors does not extend to the cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, as targeting of EndoG expression by RNA interference failed to increase intracellular plasmid DNA levels. However, reducing EndoG levels in HeLa cells resulted in a statistically significant reduction of homologous recombination between two plasmid DNA substrates. These findings suggest that non-viral DNA vectors are also substrates for EndoG in its role in homologous recombination.

Activities of wildtype and mutant p53 in suppression of homologous recombination as measured by a retroviral vector system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xiongbin; Lozano, Guillermina; Donehower, Lawrence A.

2003-01-01

DNA repair of double strand breaks, interstrand DNA cross-links, and other types of DNA damage utilizes the processes of homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining to repair the damage. Aberrant homologous recombination is likely to be responsible for a significant fraction of chromosomal deletions, duplications, and translocations that are observed in cancer cells. To facilitate measurement of homologous recombination frequencies in normal cells, mutant cells, and cancer cells, we have developed a high titer retroviral vector containing tandem repeats of mutant versions of a GFP-Zeocin resistance fusion gene and an intact neomycin resistance marker. Recombination between the tandem repeats regenerates a functional GFP-Zeo R marker that can be easily scored. This retroviral vector was used to assess homologous recombination frequencies in human cancer cells and rodent fibroblasts with differing dosages of wild type or mutant p53. Absence of wild type p53 stimulated spontaneous and ionizing radiation-induced homologous recombination, confirming previous studies. Moreover, p53 +/- mouse fibroblasts show elevated levels of homologous recombination compared to their p53 +/+ counterparts following retroviral vector infection, indicating that p53 is haploinsufficient for suppression of homologous recombination. Transfection of vector-containing p53 null Saos-2 cells with various human cancer-associated p53 mutants revealed that these altered p53 proteins retain some recombination suppression function despite being totally inactive for transcriptional transactivation. The retroviral vector utilized in these studies may be useful in performing recombination assays on a wide array of cell types, including those not readily transfected by normal vectors

Prevalence of Germline Mutations in Genes Engaged in DNA Damage Repair by Homologous Recombination in Patients with Triple-Negative and Hereditary Non-Triple-Negative Breast Cancers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pawel Domagala

Full Text Available This study sought to assess the prevalence of common germline mutations in several genes engaged in the repair of DNA double-strand break by homologous recombination in patients with triple-negative breast cancers and hereditary non-triple-negative breast cancers. Tumors deficient in this type of DNA damage repair are known to be especially sensitive to DNA cross-linking agents (e.g., platinum drugs and to poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP inhibitors.Genetic testing was performed for 36 common germline mutations in genes engaged in the repair of DNA by homologous recombination, i.e., BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, NBN, ATM, PALB2, BARD1, and RAD51D, in 202 consecutive patients with triple-negative breast cancers and hereditary non-triple-negative breast cancers.Thirty five (22.2% of 158 patients in the triple-negative group carried mutations in genes involved in DNA repair by homologous recombination, while 10 (22.7% of the 44 patients in the hereditary non-triple-negative group carried such mutations. Mutations in BRCA1 were most frequent in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (18.4%, and mutations in CHEK2 were most frequent in patients with hereditary non-triple-negative breast cancers (15.9%. In addition, in the triple-negative group, mutations in CHEK2, NBN, and ATM (3.8% combined were found, while mutations in BRCA1, NBN, and PALB2 (6.8% combined were identified in the hereditary non-triple-negative group.Identifying mutations in genes engaged in DNA damage repair by homologous recombination other than BRCA1/2 can substantially increase the proportion of patients with triple-negative breast cancer and hereditary non-triple-negative breast cancer who may be eligible for therapy using PARP inhibitors and platinum drugs.

Altered kinetics of nonhomologous end joining and class switch recombination in ligase IV-deficient B cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Li; Yu, Kefei

2008-11-24

Immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch recombination (CSR) is believed to occur through the generation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the long and repetitive switch regions. Although implied, the role of the major vertebrate DSB repair pathway, nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), in CSR has been controversial. By somatic gene targeting of DNA ligase IV (Lig4; a key component of NHEJ) in a B cell line (CH12F3) capable of highly efficient CSR in vitro, we found that NHEJ is required for efficient CSR. Disruption of the Lig4 gene in CH12F3 cells severely inhibits the initial rate of CSR and causes a late cell proliferation defect under cytokine stimulation. However, unlike V(D)J recombination, which absolutely requires NHEJ, CSR accumulates to a substantial level in Lig4-null cells. The data revealed a fast-acting NHEJ and a slow-acting alterative end joining of switch region breaks during CSR.

Radio-sensitization of WRN helicase deficient cancer cells by targeting homologous recombination pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Pooja; Saha, Bhaskar; Patro, Birija Sankar; Chattopadhyay, Subrata

2016-01-01

Ionizing radiation (IR) induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are primarily repaired by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). However, it is well established that a subset DSBs which are accumulated in IR-induced G2 phase are dependent on homologous recombination (HR). DNA repair deficient tumor cells have been shown to accumulate high levels of DNA damage. Consequently, these cells become hyperdependent on DNA damage response pathways, including the CHK1-kinase-mediated HR-repair. These observations suggest that DNA repair deficient tumors should exhibit increased radio-sensitivity under HR inhibition. Genetic defects leading to functional loss of werner (WRN) protein is associated with genomic instability and increased cancer incidence. WRN function is known to be abrogated in several human cancer cells due to hypermethylation of CpGisland-promoter and transcriptional silencing of WRN gene. In the current investigation, using isogenic pairs of cell lines differing only in the WRN function, we showed that WRN-deficient cell lines were hyper-radiosensitive to CHK1 pharmacologic inhibition. Here, we found that unrepaired DSB was drastically increased in WRN-deficient cells vis-à-vis WRN-proficient cells in response to IR and CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i). Our results revealed a marginal role of NHEJ pathway accountable for the radio-sensitivity of WRN-deficient cells. Interestingly, silencing CTIP, a HR protein required for RAD51 loading, significantly abrogated the CHK1i-mediated radiosensitivity in WRN-deficient cells. Silencing of WRN or CTIP individually led to no significant difference in the extent of DNA end resection, as required during HR pathway. Imperatively, our results revealed that WRN and CTIP together play a complementary role in executing DNA end resection during HR-mediated repair of IR induced DSBs. Altogether, our data indicated that inhibition of IR-induced HR pathway at RAD51 loading, but not at DSB end resection, make the WRN-deficient cancer cells

DNA-binding determinants promoting NHEJ by human Polμ.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Maria Jose; Juarez, Raquel; Blanco, Luis

2012-12-01

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), the preferred pathway to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs) in higher eukaryotes, relies on a collection of molecular tools to process the broken ends, including specific DNA polymerases. Among them, Polµ is unique as it can catalyze DNA synthesis upon connection of two non-complementary ends. Here, we demonstrate that this capacity is intrinsic to Polµ, not conferred by other NHEJ factors. To understand the molecular determinants of its specific function in NHEJ, the interaction of human Polµ with DNA has been directly visualized by electromobility shift assay and footprinting assays. Stable interaction with a DNA gap requires the presence of a recessive 5'-P, thus orienting the catalytic domain for primer and nucleotide binding. Accordingly, recognition of the 5'-P is crucial to align the two DNA substrates of the NHEJ reaction. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrates the relevance of three specific residues (Lys(249), Arg(253) and Arg(416)) in stabilizing the primer strand during end synapsis, allowing a range of microhomology-induced distortions beneficial for NHEJ. Moreover, our results suggest that the Polµ BRCT domain, thought to be exclusively involved in interaction with NHEJ core factors, has a direct role in binding the DNA region neighbor to the 5'-P, thus boosting Polµ-mediated NHEJ reactions.

p53 regulates the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by both homologous and non-homologous recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willers, H.; Powell, S.N.; Dahm-Daphi, J.

2003-01-01

Full text: p53 is known to suppress spontaneous homologous recombination (HR), while its role in non-homologous recombination (NHR) remains to be clarified. Here, we sought to determine the influence of p53 on the repair of chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) by HR or NHR using specially designed recombination substrates that integrate into the genome. Isogenic mouse fibroblast pairs with or without expression of exogenous p53 protein were utilized. A reporter plasmid carrying a mutated XGPRT gene was chromosomally integrated and DSBs were generated within the plasmid by the I-SceI endonuclease. Subsequent homology-mediated repair from an episomal donor resulted in XGPRT reconstitution and cellular resistance to a selection antibiotic. Analogously, the repair of chromosomal I-SceI breaks by NHR using another novel reporter plasmid restored XGPRT translation. For p53-null cells, the mean frequency of I-SceI break repair via HR was 5.5 x 10 -4 . The p53-Val135 mutant, which previously has been shown to suppress spontaneous HR by 14-fold employing the same cell system and reporter gene, only caused a 2- to 3-fold suppression of break-induced HR. In contrast, a dramatic effect of p53 on repair via NHR was found. Preliminary sequence analysis indicated that there was at least a 1000-fold reduction of illegitimate repair events resulting in loss of sequence at the break sites. The observed effects were mediated by p53 mutants defective in regulation of the cell-cycle and apoptosis. The main findings were: (1) p53 virtually blocked illegitimate rejoining of chromosomal ends. (2) The suppression of homologous DSB repair was less pronounced than the inhibition of spontaneous HR. We hypothesize that p53 allows to a certain extent error-free homology-dependent repair to proceed, while blocking error-prone NHR. The data support and extent a previous model, in which p53 maintains genomic stability by regulating recombination independently of its transactivation function

Environmentally friendly joining of tubes by their ends

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silva, Carlos M.A.; Nielsen, Chris Valentin; Alves, Luis M.

2015-01-01

This paper proposes an environmentally friendly joining process for connecting tubes by their ends that has the potential to replace current solutions based on fastened, crimped, welded, brazed or adhesive bonded joints. The process is based on a new type of tubular lap joint produced by local...... of deformation and the process feasibility window, and destructive testing to establish the working limits of tubular lap joints under different type of loading conditions. Results demonstrate that the proposed joining process is a flexible and cost-effective technology for connecting tubes by their ends...

The Impact of Hedgehog Signaling Pathway on DNA Repair Mechanisms in Human Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Erhong; Hanna, Ann; Samant, Rajeev S.; Shevde, Lalita A.

2015-01-01

Defined cellular mechanisms have evolved that recognize and repair DNA to protect the integrity of its structure and sequence when encountering assaults from endogenous and exogenous sources. There are five major DNA repair pathways: mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, direct repair, base excision repair and DNA double strand break repair (including non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair). Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is a feature of many cancer types. The Hh pathway has been documented to be indispensable for epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance. The functional transcription activators of the Hh pathway include the GLI proteins. Inhibition of the activity of GLI can interfere with almost all DNA repair types in human cancer, indicating that Hh/GLI functions may play an important role in enabling tumor cells to survive lethal types of DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, Hh signaling presents an important therapeutic target to overcome DNA repair-enabled multi-drug resistance and consequently increase chemotherapeutic response in the treatment of cancer

The Impact of Hedgehog Signaling Pathway on DNA Repair Mechanisms in Human Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Erhong; Hanna, Ann; Samant, Rajeev S.; Shevde, Lalita A., E-mail: lsamant@uab.edu [Department of Pathology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, WTI320D, 1824 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233 (United States)

2015-07-21

Defined cellular mechanisms have evolved that recognize and repair DNA to protect the integrity of its structure and sequence when encountering assaults from endogenous and exogenous sources. There are five major DNA repair pathways: mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, direct repair, base excision repair and DNA double strand break repair (including non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair). Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is a feature of many cancer types. The Hh pathway has been documented to be indispensable for epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance. The functional transcription activators of the Hh pathway include the GLI proteins. Inhibition of the activity of GLI can interfere with almost all DNA repair types in human cancer, indicating that Hh/GLI functions may play an important role in enabling tumor cells to survive lethal types of DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, Hh signaling presents an important therapeutic target to overcome DNA repair-enabled multi-drug resistance and consequently increase chemotherapeutic response in the treatment of cancer.

Chromatin modifications and the DNA damage response to ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Rakesh; Horikoshi, Nobuo; Singh, Mayank; Gupta, Arun; Misra, Hari S.; Albuquerque, Kevin; Hunt, Clayton R.; Pandita, Tej K.

2013-01-01

In order to survive, cells have evolved highly effective repair mechanisms to deal with the potentially lethal DNA damage produced by exposure to endogenous as well as exogenous agents. Ionizing radiation exposure induces highly lethal DNA damage, especially DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), that is sensed by the cellular machinery and then subsequently repaired by either of two different DSB repair mechanisms: (1) non-homologous end joining, which re-ligates the broken ends of the DNA and (2) homologous recombination, that employs an undamaged identical DNA sequence as a template, to maintain the fidelity of DNA repair. Repair of DSBs must occur within the natural context of the cellular DNA which, along with specific proteins, is organized to form chromatin, the overall structure of which can impede DNA damage site access by repair proteins. The chromatin complex is a dynamic structure and is known to change as required for ongoing cellular processes such as gene transcription or DNA replication. Similarly, during the process of DNA damage sensing and repair, chromatin needs to undergo several changes in order to facilitate accessibility of the repair machinery. Cells utilize several factors to modify the chromatin in order to locally open up the structure to reveal the underlying DNA sequence but post-translational modification of the histone components is one of the primary mechanisms. In this review, we will summarize chromatin modifications by the respective chromatin modifying factors that occur during the DNA damage response.

Biological defense mechanisms against DNA double-strand break and their possible medical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

2011-01-01

Radiation is now widely used for clinical diagnosis and therapeutics. On the other hand, radiation influences various tissues represented by immunological and reproductive systems, and is also recognized as one of the cause of carcinogenesis. Such pleiotropic effects of radiation are mediated through generation of damages on DNA molecule, vitally important genetic macromolecule. Among various types of DNA damages, double-strand break (DSB) is considered most critical and, therefore, responsible for biological effects. DSB is repaired mainly through two pathways: non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Understanding of these mechanisms has been greatly deepened in past 20 years and is now providing a promising approach toward cancer therapy. We have studied the mechanisms of NHEJ, focusing especially on the role of phosphorylation and the assembly of machinery therein, which will be introduced below. (author)

DNA Polymerases λ and β: The Double-Edged Swords of DNA Repair

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Elisa Mentegari

2016-08-01

Full Text Available DNA is constantly exposed to both endogenous and exogenous damages. More than 10,000 DNA modifications are induced every day in each cell’s genome. Maintenance of the integrity of the genome is accomplished by several DNA repair systems. The core enzymes for these pathways are the DNA polymerases. Out of 17 DNA polymerases present in a mammalian cell, at least 13 are specifically devoted to DNA repair and are often acting in different pathways. DNA polymerases β and λ are involved in base excision repair of modified DNA bases and translesion synthesis past DNA lesions. Polymerase λ also participates in non-homologous end joining of DNA double-strand breaks. However, recent data have revealed that, depending on their relative levels, the cell cycle phase, the ratio between deoxy- and ribo-nucleotide pools and the interaction with particular auxiliary proteins, the repair reactions carried out by these enzymes can be an important source of genetic instability, owing to repair mistakes. This review summarizes the most recent results on the ambivalent properties of these enzymes in limiting or promoting genetic instability in mammalian cells, as well as their potential use as targets for anticancer chemotherapy.

DNA Polymerases λ and β: The Double-Edged Swords of DNA Repair.

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Mentegari, Elisa; Kissova, Miroslava; Bavagnoli, Laura; Maga, Giovanni; Crespan, Emmanuele

2016-08-31

DNA is constantly exposed to both endogenous and exogenous damages. More than 10,000 DNA modifications are induced every day in each cell's genome. Maintenance of the integrity of the genome is accomplished by several DNA repair systems. The core enzymes for these pathways are the DNA polymerases. Out of 17 DNA polymerases present in a mammalian cell, at least 13 are specifically devoted to DNA repair and are often acting in different pathways. DNA polymerases β and λ are involved in base excision repair of modified DNA bases and translesion synthesis past DNA lesions. Polymerase λ also participates in non-homologous end joining of DNA double-strand breaks. However, recent data have revealed that, depending on their relative levels, the cell cycle phase, the ratio between deoxy- and ribo-nucleotide pools and the interaction with particular auxiliary proteins, the repair reactions carried out by these enzymes can be an important source of genetic instability, owing to repair mistakes. This review summarizes the most recent results on the ambivalent properties of these enzymes in limiting or promoting genetic instability in mammalian cells, as well as their potential use as targets for anticancer chemotherapy.

Loss of Ubr2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, leads to chromosome fragility and impaired homologous recombinational repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, Yan; Kwon, Yong Tae; An, Jee Young; Eller, Danny; Tsai, S.-C.; Diaz-Perez, Silvia; Troke, Joshua J.; Teitell, Michael A.; Marahrens, York

2006-01-01

The N-end rule pathway of protein degradation targets proteins with destabilizing N-terminal residues. Ubr2 is one of the E3 ubiquitin ligases of the mouse N-end rule pathway. We have previously shown that Ubr2 -/- male mice are infertile, owing to the arrest of spermatocytes between the leptotene/zygotene and pachytene of meiosis I, the failure of chromosome pairing, and subsequent apoptosis. Here, we report that mouse fibroblast cells derived from Ubr2 -/- embryos display genome instability. The frequency of chromosomal bridges and micronuclei were much higher in Ubr2 -/- fibroblasts than in +/+ controls. Metaphase chromosome spreads from Ubr2 -/- cells revealed a high incidence of spontaneous chromosomal gaps, indicating chromosomal fragility. These fragile sites were generally replicated late in S phase. Ubr2 -/- cells were hypersensitive to mitomycin C, a DNA cross-linking agent, but displayed normal sensitivity to gamma-irradiation. A reporter assay showed that Ubr2 -/- cells are significantly impaired in the homologous recombination repair of a double strand break. In contrast, Ubr2 -/- cells appeared normal in an assay for non-homologous end joining. Our results therefore unveil the role of the ubiquitin ligase Ubr2 in maintaining genome integrity and in homologous recombination repair

Loss of Ubr2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, leads to chromosome fragility and impaired homologous recombinational repair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouyang, Yan [Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Kwon, Yong Tae [Center for Pharmacogenetics and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); An, Jee Young [Center for Pharmacogenetics and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Eller, Danny [Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Tsai, S.-C. [Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Diaz-Perez, Silvia [Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Troke, Joshua J. [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Teitell, Michael A. [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Marahrens, York [Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)]. E-mail: ymarahrens@mednet.ucla.edu

2006-04-11

The N-end rule pathway of protein degradation targets proteins with destabilizing N-terminal residues. Ubr2 is one of the E3 ubiquitin ligases of the mouse N-end rule pathway. We have previously shown that Ubr2{sup -/-} male mice are infertile, owing to the arrest of spermatocytes between the leptotene/zygotene and pachytene of meiosis I, the failure of chromosome pairing, and subsequent apoptosis. Here, we report that mouse fibroblast cells derived from Ubr2{sup -/-} embryos display genome instability. The frequency of chromosomal bridges and micronuclei were much higher in Ubr2{sup -/-} fibroblasts than in +/+ controls. Metaphase chromosome spreads from Ubr2{sup -/-} cells revealed a high incidence of spontaneous chromosomal gaps, indicating chromosomal fragility. These fragile sites were generally replicated late in S phase. Ubr2{sup -/-} cells were hypersensitive to mitomycin C, a DNA cross-linking agent, but displayed normal sensitivity to gamma-irradiation. A reporter assay showed that Ubr2{sup -/-} cells are significantly impaired in the homologous recombination repair of a double strand break. In contrast, Ubr2{sup -/-} cells appeared normal in an assay for non-homologous end joining. Our results therefore unveil the role of the ubiquitin ligase Ubr2 in maintaining genome integrity and in homologous recombination repair.

RPA homologs and ssDNA processing during meiotic recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Jonathan; Abby, Emilie; Livera, Gabriel; Martini, Emmanuelle

2016-06-01

Meiotic homologous recombination is a specialized process that involves homologous chromosome pairing and strand exchange to guarantee proper chromosome segregation and genetic diversity. The formation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) during meiotic recombination differs from those during mitotic recombination in that the homologous chromosome rather than the sister chromatid is the preferred repair template. The processing of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) formed on intermediate recombination structures is central to driving the specific outcomes of DSB repair during meiosis. Replication protein A (RPA) is the main ssDNA-binding protein complex involved in DNA metabolism. However, the existence of RPA orthologs in plants and the recent discovery of meiosis specific with OB domains (MEIOB), a widely conserved meiosis-specific RPA1 paralog, strongly suggest that multiple RPA complexes evolved and specialized to subdivide their roles during DNA metabolism. Here we review ssDNA formation and maturation during mitotic and meiotic recombination underlying the meiotic specific features. We describe and discuss the existence and properties of MEIOB and multiple RPA subunits in plants and highlight how they can provide meiosis-specific fates to ssDNA processing during homologous recombination. Understanding the functions of these RPA homologs and how they interact with the canonical RPA subunits is of major interest in the fields of meiosis and DNA repair.

Contribution of canonical nonhomologous end joining to chromosomal rearrangements is enhanced by ATM kinase deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargava, Ragini; Carson, Caree R; Lee, Gabriella; Stark, Jeremy M

2017-01-24

A likely mechanism of chromosomal rearrangement formation involves joining the ends from two different chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs). These events could potentially be mediated by either of two end-joining (EJ) repair pathways [canonical nonhomologous end joining (C-NHEJ) or alternative end joining (ALT-EJ)], which cause distinct rearrangement junction patterns. The relative role of these EJ pathways during rearrangement formation has remained controversial. Along these lines, we have tested whether the DNA damage response mediated by the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) kinase may affect the relative influence of C-NHEJ vs. ALT-EJ on rearrangement formation. We developed a reporter in mouse cells for a 0.4-Mbp deletion rearrangement that is formed by EJ between two DSBs induced by the Cas9 endonuclease. We found that disruption of the ATM kinase causes an increase in the frequency of the rearrangement as well as a shift toward rearrangement junctions that show hallmarks of C-NHEJ. Furthermore, ATM suppresses rearrangement formation in an experimental condition, in which C-NHEJ is the predominant EJ repair event (i.e., expression of the 3' exonuclease Trex2). Finally, several C-NHEJ factors are required for the increase in rearrangement frequency caused by inhibition of the ATM kinase. We also examined ATM effectors and found that H2AX shows a similar influence as ATM, whereas the influence of ATM on this rearrangement seems independent of 53BP1. We suggest that the contribution of the C-NHEJ pathway to the formation of a 0.4-Mbp deletion rearrangement is enhanced in ATM-deficient cells.

Molecular characterization of DnaJ 5 homologs in silkworm Bombyx mori and its expression during egg diapause.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirigineedi, Sasibhushan; Vijayagowri, Esvaran; Murthy, Geetha N; Rao, Guruprasada; Ponnuvel, Kangayam M

2014-12-01

A comparison of the cDNA sequences (1 056 bp) of Bombyx mori DnaJ 5 homolog with B. mori genome revealed that unlike in other Hsps, it has an intron of 234 bp. The DnaJ 5 homolog contains 351 amino acids, of which 70 contain the conserved DnaJ domain at the N-terminal end. This homolog of B. mori has all desirable functional domains similar to other insects, and the 13 different DnaJ homologs identified in B. mori genome were distributed on different chromosomes. The expressed sequence tag database analysis of Hsp40 gene expression revealed higher expression in wing disc followed by diapause-induced eggs. Microarray analysis revealed higher expression of DnaJ 5 homolog at 18th h after oviposition in diapause-induced eggs. Further validation of DnaJ 5 expression through qPCR in diapause-induced and nondiapause eggs at different time intervals revealed higher expression in diapause eggs at 18 and 24 h after oviposition, which coincided with the expression of Hsp70 as the Hsp 40 is its co-chaperone. This study thus provides an outline of the genome organization of Hsp40 gene, and its role in egg diapause induction in B. mori. © 2013 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Multiple and variable NHEJ-like genes are involved in resistance to DNA damage in Streptomyces ambofaciens

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Grégory Hoff

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Non homologous end-joining (NHEJ is a double strand break (DSB repair pathway which does not require any homologous template and can ligate two DNA ends together. The basic bacterial NHEJ machinery involves two partners: the Ku protein, a DNA end binding protein for DSB recognition and the multifunctional LigD protein composed a ligase, a nuclease and a polymerase domain, for end processing and ligation of the broken ends. In silico analyses performed in the 38 sequenced genomes of Streptomyces species revealed the existence of a large panel of NHEJ-like genes. Indeed, ku genes or ligD domain homologues are scattered throughout the genome in multiple copies and can be distinguished in two categories: the core NHEJ gene set constituted of conserved loci and the variable NHEJ gene set constituted of NHEJ-like genes present in only a part of the species. In Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC 23877, not only the deletion of core genes but also that of variable genes led to an increased sensitivity to DNA damage induced by electron beam irradiation. Multiple mutants of ku, ligase or polymerase encoding genes showed an aggravated phenotype compared to single mutants. Biochemical assays revealed the ability of Ku-like proteins to protect and to stimulate ligation of DNA ends. RT-qPCR and GFP fusion experiments suggested that ku-like genes show a growth phase dependent expression profile consistent with their involvement in DNA repair during spores formation and/or germination.

Engineering a Nickase on the Homing Endonuclease I-DmoI Scaffold

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Molina, Rafael; Marcaida, María José; Redondo, Pilar

2015-01-01

strand break could be an approach to reduce the toxicity associated with non-homologous end joining by promoting the use of homologous recombination to repair the cleavage of a single DNA break. Taking advantage of the sequential DNA cleavage mechanism of I-DmoI LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease, we have......Homing endonucleases are useful tools for genome modification because of their capability to recognize and cleave specifically large DNA targets. These endonucleases generate a DNA double strand break that can be repaired by the DNA damage response machinery. The break can be repaired by homologous...

XRCC1 suppresses somatic hypermutation and promotes alternative nonhomologous end joining in Igh genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saribasak, Huseyin; Maul, Robert W; Cao, Zheng; McClure, Rhonda L; Yang, William; McNeill, Daniel R; Wilson, David M; Gearhart, Patricia J

2011-10-24

Activation-induced deaminase (AID) deaminates cytosine to uracil in immunoglobulin genes. Uracils in DNA can be recognized by uracil DNA glycosylase and abasic endonuclease to produce single-strand breaks. The breaks are repaired either faithfully by DNA base excision repair (BER) or mutagenically to produce somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR). To unravel the interplay between repair and mutagenesis, we decreased the level of x-ray cross-complementing 1 (XRCC1), a scaffold protein involved in BER. Mice heterozygous for XRCC1 showed a significant increase in the frequencies of SHM in Igh variable regions in Peyer's patch cells, and of double-strand breaks in the switch regions during CSR. Although the frequency of CSR was normal in Xrcc1(+/-) splenic B cells, the length of microhomology at the switch junctions decreased, suggesting that XRCC1 also participates in alternative nonhomologous end joining. Furthermore, Xrcc1(+/-) B cells had reduced Igh/c-myc translocations during CSR, supporting a role for XRCC1 in microhomology-mediated joining. Our results imply that AID-induced single-strand breaks in Igh variable and switch regions become substrates simultaneously for BER and mutagenesis pathways.

Human SIRT6 promotes DNA end resection through CtIP deacetylation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaidi, Abderrahmane; Weinert, Brian T; Choudhary, Chunaram

2010-01-01

SIRT6 belongs to the sirtuin family of protein lysine deacetylases, which regulate aging and genome stability. We found that human SIRT6 has a role in promoting DNA end resection, a crucial step in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination. SIRT6 depletion impaired the accu...

Genomic analysis of murine DNA-dependent protein kinase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimori, A.; Abe, M.

2003-01-01

Full text: The gene of catalytic subunit of DNA dependent protein kinase is responsible gene for SCID mice. The molecules play a critical role in non-homologous end joining including the V(D)J recombination. Contribution of the molecules to the difference of radiosensitivity and the susceptibility to cancer has been suggested. Here we show the entire nucleotide sequence of approximately 193 kbp and 84 kbp genomic regions encoding the entire DNA-PKcs gene in the mouse and chicken respectively. Retroposon was found in the intron 51 of mouse genomic DNA-PKcs gene but in human and chicken. Comparative analysis of these two species strongly suggested that only two genes, DNA-PKcs and MCM4, exist in the region of both species. Several conserved sequences and cis elements, however, were predicted. Recently, the orthologous region for the human DNA-PKcs locus was completed. The results of further comparative study will be discussed

Repair pathways for heavy ion-induced complex DNA double strand breaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yajima, Hirohiko; Nakajima, Nakako; Hirakawa, Hirokazu; Murakami, Takeshi; Okayasu, Ryuichi; Fujimori, Akira

2012-01-01

DNA double strand break (DSB) induced by ionizing radiation (IR) is a deleterious damage leading to cell death and genome instability if not properly repaired. It is well known that DSB is repaired by two major pathways, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). It is also known that NHEJ is dominant throughout the cell cycle after X- or gamma-ray irradiation in mammalian cells, Meanwhile, it is thought that heavy-ion radiation (e.g., carbon-ions, iron-ions) gives rise to clustered DNA damages consisting of not only strand breaks but also aberrant bases in the vicinity of DSBs (complex DSBs). Our previous work suggested that the efficiency of NHEJ is diminished for repair of complex DSBs induced by heavy-ion radiation. We thought that this difficulty in NHEJ process associated with heavy ion induced complex DNA damage might be extended to HR process in cells exposed to heavy ions. In order to find out if this notion is true or not, exposed human cells to X-rays and heavy-ions, and studied HR associated processes at the molecular level. Our result indicates that complex DSBs induced by heavy ions effectively evoke DNA end resection activity during the HR process. Together with our results, a relevant recent progress in the field of DNA DSB repair will be discussed. (author)

A polycomb group protein, PHF1, is involved in the response to DNA double-strand breaks in human cell

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Zehui; Jiang, Jie; Lan, Li; Nakajima, Satoshi; Kanno, Shin-ichiro; Koseki, Haruhiko; Yasui, Akira

2008-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) represent the most toxic DNA damage arisen from endogenous and exogenous genotoxic stresses and are known to be repaired by either homologous recombination or nonhomologous end-joining processes. Although many proteins have been identified to participate in either of the processes, the whole processes still remain elusive. Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic chromatin modifiers involved in gene silencing, cancer development and the maintenance of embryonic and adult stem cells. By screening proteins responding to DNA damage using laser micro-irradiation, we found that PHF1, a human homolog of Drosophila polycomb-like, Pcl, protein, was recruited to DSBs immediately after irradiation and dissociated within 10 min. The accumulation at DSBs is Ku70/Ku80-dependent, and knockdown of PHF1 leads to X-ray sensitivity and increases the frequency of homologous recombination in HeLa cell. We found that PHF1 interacts physically with Ku70/Ku80, suggesting that PHF1 promotes nonhomologous end-joining processes. Furthermore, we found that PHF1 interacts with a number of proteins involved in DNA damage responses, RAD50, SMC1, DHX9 and p53, further suggesting that PHF1, besides the function in PcG, is involved in genome maintenance processes. PMID:18385154

DNA damage, homology-directed repair, and DNA methylation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Concetta Cuozzo

2007-07-01

Full Text Available To explore the link between DNA damage and gene silencing, we induced a DNA double-strand break in the genome of Hela or mouse embryonic stem (ES cells using I-SceI restriction endonuclease. The I-SceI site lies within one copy of two inactivated tandem repeated green fluorescent protein (GFP genes (DR-GFP. A total of 2%-4% of the cells generated a functional GFP by homology-directed repair (HR and gene conversion. However, approximately 50% of these recombinants expressed GFP poorly. Silencing was rapid and associated with HR and DNA methylation of the recombinant gene, since it was prevented in Hela cells by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. ES cells deficient in DNA methyl transferase 1 yielded as many recombinants as wild-type cells, but most of these recombinants expressed GFP robustly. Half of the HR DNA molecules were de novo methylated, principally downstream to the double-strand break, and half were undermethylated relative to the uncut DNA. Methylation of the repaired gene was independent of the methylation status of the converting template. The methylation pattern of recombinant molecules derived from pools of cells carrying DR-GFP at different loci, or from an individual clone carrying DR-GFP at a single locus, was comparable. ClustalW analysis of the sequenced GFP molecules in Hela and ES cells distinguished recombinant and nonrecombinant DNA solely on the basis of their methylation profile and indicated that HR superimposed novel methylation profiles on top of the old patterns. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA analysis revealed that DNA methyl transferase 1 was bound specifically to HR GFP DNA and that methylation of the repaired segment contributed to the silencing of GFP expression. Taken together, our data support a mechanistic link between HR and DNA methylation and suggest that DNA methylation in eukaryotes marks homologous recombined segments.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 5 is required for the efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Nakajima

Full Text Available During the DNA damage response (DDR, ubiquitination plays an important role in the recruitment and regulation of repair proteins. However, little is known about elimination of the ubiquitination signal after repair is completed. Here we show that the ubiquitin-specific protease 5 (USP5, a deubiquitinating enzyme, is involved in the elimination of the ubiquitin signal from damaged sites and is required for efficient DNA double-strand break (DSB repair. Depletion of USP5 sensitizes cells to DNA damaging agents, produces DSBs, causes delayed disappearance of γH2AX foci after Bleocin treatment, and influences DSB repair efficiency in the homologous recombination pathway but not in the non-homologous end joining pathway. USP5 co-localizes to DSBs induced by laser micro-irradiation in a RAD18-dependent manner. Importantly, polyubiquitin chains at sites of DNA damage remained for longer periods in USP5-depleted cells. Our results show that disassembly of polyubiquitin chains by USP5 at sites of damage is important for efficient DSB repair.

A sensitive short read homology search tool for paired-end read sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Techa-Angkoon, Prapaporn; Sun, Yanni; Lei, Jikai

2017-10-16

Homology search is still a significant step in functional analysis for genomic data. Profile Hidden Markov Model-based homology search has been widely used in protein domain analysis in many different species. In particular, with the fast accumulation of transcriptomic data of non-model species and metagenomic data, profile homology search is widely adopted in integrated pipelines for functional analysis. While the state-of-the-art tool HMMER has achieved high sensitivity and accuracy in domain annotation, the sensitivity of HMMER on short reads declines rapidly. The low sensitivity on short read homology search can lead to inaccurate domain composition and abundance computation. Our experimental results showed that half of the reads were missed by HMMER for a RNA-Seq dataset. Thus, there is a need for better methods to improve the homology search performance for short reads. We introduce a profile homology search tool named Short-Pair that is designed for short paired-end reads. By using an approximate Bayesian approach employing distribution of fragment lengths and alignment scores, Short-Pair can retrieve the missing end and determine true domains. In particular, Short-Pair increases the accuracy in aligning short reads that are part of remote homologs. We applied Short-Pair to a RNA-Seq dataset and a metagenomic dataset and quantified its sensitivity and accuracy on homology search. The experimental results show that Short-Pair can achieve better overall performance than the state-of-the-art methodology of profile homology search. Short-Pair is best used for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data that lack reference genomes. It provides a complementary paired-end read homology search tool to HMMER. The source code is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/short-pair/ .

Toward the virtual screening of potential drugs in the homology modeled NAD+ dependent DNA ligase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

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Singh, Vijai; Somvanshi, Pallavi

2010-02-01

DNA ligase is an important enzyme and it plays vital role in the replication and repair; also catalyzes nick joining between adjacent bases of DNA. The NAD(+) dependent DNA ligase is selectively present in eubacteria and few viruses; but missing in humans. Homology modeling was used to generate 3-D structure of NAD(+) dependent DNA ligase (LigA) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the known template (PDB: 2OWO). Furthermore, the stereochemical quality and torsion angle of 3-D structure was validated. Numerous effective drugs were selected and the active amino acid residue in LigA was targeted and virtual screening through molecular docking was done. In this analysis, four drugs Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine, Putrienscine and Adriamycin were found more potent in inhibition of M. tuberculosis through the robust binding affinity between protein-drug interactions in comparison with the other studied drugs. A phylogenetic tree was constructed and it was observed that homology of LigA in M. tuberculosis resembled with other Mycobacterium species. The conserved active amino acids of LigA may be useful to target these drugs. These findings could be used as the starting point of a rational design of novel antibacterial drugs and its analogs.

Alternative end-joining catalyzes robust IgH locus deletions and translocations in the combined absence of ligase 4 and Ku70.

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Boboila, Cristian; Jankovic, Mila; Yan, Catherine T; Wang, Jing H; Wesemann, Duane R; Zhang, Tingting; Fazeli, Alex; Feldman, Lauren; Nussenzweig, Andre; Nussenzweig, Michel; Alt, Frederick W

2010-02-16

Class switch recombination (CSR) in B lymphocytes is initiated by introduction of multiple DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into switch (S) regions that flank immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) constant region exons. CSR is completed by joining a DSB in the donor S mu to a DSB in a downstream acceptor S region (e.g., S gamma1) by end-joining. In normal cells, many CSR junctions are mediated by classical nonhomologous end-joining (C-NHEJ), which employs the Ku70/80 complex for DSB recognition and XRCC4/DNA ligase 4 for ligation. Alternative end-joining (A-EJ) mediates CSR, at reduced levels, in the absence of C-NHEJ, even in combined absence of Ku70 and ligase 4, demonstrating an A-EJ pathway totally distinct from C-NHEJ. Multiple DSBs are introduced into S mu during CSR, with some being rejoined or joined to each other to generate internal switch deletions (ISDs). In addition, S-region DSBs can be joined to other chromosomes to generate translocations, the level of which is increased by absence of a single C-NHEJ component (e.g., XRCC4). We asked whether ISD and S-region translocations occur in the complete absence of C-NHEJ (e.g., in Ku70/ligase 4 double-deficient B cells). We found, unexpectedly, that B-cell activation for CSR generates substantial ISD in both S mu and S gamma1 and that ISD in both is greatly increased by the absence of C-NHEJ. IgH chromosomal translocations to the c-myc oncogene also are augmented in the combined absence of Ku70 and ligase 4. We discuss the implications of these findings for A-EJ in normal and abnormal DSB repair.

Homologous Recombination Defective Arabidopsis Mutants Exhibit Enhanced Sensitivity to Abscisic Acid.

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Sujit Roy

Full Text Available Abscisic acid (ABA acts as an important plant hormone in regulating various aspects of plant growth and developmental processes particularly under abiotic stress conditions. An increased ABA level in plant cells inhibits DNA replication and cell division, causing plant growth retardation. In this study, we have investigated the effects of ABA on the growth responses of some major loss-of-function mutants of DNA double-stand break (DSB repair genes in Arabidopsis during seed germination and early stages of seedling growth for understanding the role of ABA in the induction of genome instability in plants. A comparative analysis of ABA sensitivity of wild-type Arabidopsis and the knockout mutant lines related to DSB sensors, including atatm, atatr, the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ pathway genes, and mutants related to homologous recombination (HR pathway genes showed relatively enhanced sensitivity of atatr and HR-related mutants to ABA treatment. The expression levels of HR-related genes were increased in wild-type Arabidopsis (Col-0 during seed germination and early stages of seedling growth. Immunoblotting experiments detected phosphorylation of histone H2AX in wild-type (Col-0 and DSB repair gene mutants after ABA treatment, indicating the activation of DNA damage response due to ABA treatment. Analyses of DSB repair kinetics using comet assay under neutral condition have revealed comparatively slower DSB repair activity in HR mutants. Overall, our results have provided comprehensive information on the possible effect of ABA on DNA repair machinery in plants and also indicated potential functional involvement of HR pathway in repairing ABA induced DNA damage in Arabidopsis.

Reciprocal Regulation between DNA-PKcs and Snail1 Conferring Genomic Instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Haeng Ran; Lee, Hae June; Jin, Yeung Bae; Bae, Sang Woo; Lee, Yun Sil; Kim, Nam Hee; Kim, Hyun Sil; Nam, Hyung Wook; Yook, Jong In

2010-01-01

Although the roles of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) involving non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) of DNA repair are well recognized, the biological mechanisms and regulators by which DNA-PKcs regulate genomic instability are not clearly defined. We show herein that DNA-PKcs activity resulting from DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation (IR) phosphorylates Snail1 at serine 100, which results in increased Snail1 expression and its function by inhibition of GSK-3-mediated phosphorylation. Furthermore, Snail1 phosphorylated at serine 100 can reciprocally inhibit kinase activity of DNA-PKcs, resulting in an inhibition to recruit DNA-PKcs or Ku70/80 to a DNA double-strand break site, and ultimately inhibition of DNA repair activity. The impairment of repair activity by a direct interaction between Snail1 and DNA-PKcs increases the resistance to DNA damaging agents, such as IR, and genomic instability. Our findings provide a novel cellular mechanism for induction of genomic instability by reciprocal regulation of DNA-PKcs and Snail1

Oxidative DNA Damage in Neurons: Implication of Ku in Neuronal Homeostasis and Survival

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Daniela De Zio

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Oxidative DNA damage is produced by reactive oxygen species (ROS which are generated by exogenous and endogenous sources and continuously challenge the cell. One of the most severe DNA lesions is the double-strand break (DSB, which is mainly repaired by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ pathway in mammals. NHEJ directly joins the broken ends, without using the homologous template. Ku70/86 heterodimer, also known as Ku, is the first component of NHEJ as it directly binds DNA and recruits other NHEJ factors to promote the repair of the broken ends. Neurons are particularly metabolically active, displaying high rates of transcription and translation, which are associated with high metabolic and mitochondrial activity as well as oxygen consumption. In such a way, excessive oxygen radicals can be generated and constantly attack DNA, thereby producing several lesions. This condition, together with defective DNA repair systems, can lead to a high accumulation of DNA damage resulting in neurodegenerative processes and defects in neurodevelopment. In light of recent findings, in this paper, we will discuss the possible implication of Ku in neurodevelopment and in mediating the DNA repair dysfunction observed in certain neurodegenerations.

Cancer and non-cancer risk at low doses of radiation: biological basis of radiation-environment interplay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Masao S.

2013-01-01

Cancer and non-cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation remains poorly defined due to ambiguity at low doses caused by limitations in statistical power and information available on interplay with environment. To deal with these problems, a novel non-parametric statistics was developed based on artificial neural networks theorem and applied to cancer and non-cancer risk in A-bomb survivors. The analysis revealed several unique features at low doses that could not be accounted for by nominal radiation dose alone. They include (1) threshold that varies with organ, gender and age, including cardiovascular diseases, (2) prevalence of infectious diseases, and (3) suppression of pathogenesis of HTLV1. The threshold is unique as it is manifested as negative excess relative risk, a reduction of spontaneous rate at low doses. The response is consistent with currently emerging laboratory data on DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway choice and its sustainability as epigenetic memory in accordance with histone code theory. In response to DSB, of radiation or DNA replication arrest origin, distinct and competitively operating repair pathways are instigated. Activation by low doses of restitution-directed canonical non-homologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) suppresses both error-prone alternative end-joining (Alt-NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). The latter two present major pathways to mutagenesis at stalled replication folk associated with endogenous and exogenous genotoxin such as tobacco smoke metabolites and AID-associated somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination in Ig gene. Suppression of these error-prone pathways by low doses of low LET radiation is consistent with the reduction of cancer occurrence by environmental genotoxin, immunodiversity and stable integration of retrovirus DNA, providing a significant modulator of dose linearity at low doses. Whole picture may bring about a new landscape of cancer and non-cancer molecular epidemiology which

Mycobacteria exploit three genetically distinct DNA double-strand break repair pathways.

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Gupta, Richa; Barkan, Daniel; Redelman-Sidi, Gil; Shuman, Stewart; Glickman, Michael S

2011-01-01

Bacterial pathogens rely on their DNA repair pathways to resist genomic damage inflicted by the host. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are especially threatening to bacterial viability. DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR) requires nucleases that resect DSB ends and a strand exchange protein that facilitates homology search. RecBCD and RecA perform these functions in Escherichia coli and constitute the major pathway of error-free DSB repair. Mycobacteria, including the human pathogen M. tuberculosis, elaborate an additional error-prone pathway of DSB repair via non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) catalysed by Ku and DNA ligase D (LigD). Little is known about the relative contributions of HR and NHEJ to mycobacterial chromosome repair, the factors that dictate pathway choice, or the existence of additional DSB repair pathways. Here we demonstrate that Mycobacterium smegmatis has three DSB repair pathway options: HR, NHEJ and a novel mechanism of single-strand annealing (SSA). Inactivation of NHEJ or SSA is compensated by elevated HR. We find that mycobacterial RecBCD does not participate in HR or confer resistance to ionizing radiation (IR), but is required for the RecA-independent SSA pathway. In contrast, the mycobacterial helicase-nuclease AdnAB participates in the RecA-dependent HR pathway, and is a major determinant of resistance to IR and oxidative DNA damage. These findings reveal distinctive features of mycobacterial DSB repair, most notably the dedication of the RecBCD and AdnAB helicase-nuclease machines to distinct repair pathways. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Involvement of DNA-PK and ATM in radiation- and heat-induced DNA damage recognition and apoptotic cell death

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, Masanori

2010-01-01

Exposure to ionizing radiation and hyperthermia results in important biological consequences, e.g. cell death, chromosomal aberrations, mutations, and DNA strand breaks. There is good evidence that the nucleus, specifically cellular DNA, is the principal target for radiation-induced cell lethality. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are considered to be the most serious type of DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation. On the other hand, verifiable mechanisms which can lead to heat-induced cell death are damage to the plasma membrane and/or inactivation of heat-labile proteins caused by protein denaturation and subsequent aggregation. Recently, several reports have suggested that DSBs can be induced after hyperthermia because heat-induced phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) foci formation can be observed in several mammalian cell lines. In mammalian cells, DSBs are repaired primarily through two distinct and complementary mechanisms: non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), and homologous recombination (HR) or homology-directed repair (HDR). DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) are key players in the initiation of DSB repair and phosphorylate and/or activate many substrates, including themselves. These phosphorylated substrates have important roles in the functioning of cell cycle checkpoints and in cell death, as well as in DSB repair. Apoptotic cell death is a crucial cell suicide mechanism during development and in the defense of homeostasis. If DSBs are unrepaired or misrepaired, apoptosis is a very important system which can protect an organism against carcinogenesis. This paper reviews recently obtained results and current topics concerning the role of DNA-PK and ATM in heat- or radiation-induced apoptotic cell death. (author)

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in the DNA-damage response

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Lans Hannes

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The integrity of DNA is continuously challenged by metabolism-derived and environmental genotoxic agents that cause a variety of DNA lesions, including base alterations and breaks. DNA damage interferes with vital processes such as transcription and replication, and if not repaired properly, can ultimately lead to premature aging and cancer. Multiple DNA pathways signaling for DNA repair and DNA damage collectively safeguard the integrity of DNA. Chromatin plays a pivotal role in regulating DNA-associated processes, and is itself subject to regulation by the DNA-damage response. Chromatin influences access to DNA, and often serves as a docking or signaling site for repair and signaling proteins. Its structure can be adapted by post-translational histone modifications and nucleosome remodeling, catalyzed by the activity of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. In recent years, accumulating evidence has suggested that ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes play important, although poorly characterized, roles in facilitating the effectiveness of the DNA-damage response. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the involvement of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in three major DNA repair pathways: nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination, and non-homologous end-joining. This shows that a surprisingly large number of different remodeling complexes display pleiotropic functions during different stages of the DNA-damage response. Moreover, several complexes seem to have multiple functions, and are implicated in various mechanistically distinct repair pathways.

Double-Strand DNA Break Repair in Mycobacteria.

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Glickman, Michael S

2014-10-01

Discontinuity of both strands of the chromosome is a lethal event in all living organisms because it compromises chromosome replication. As such, a diversity of DNA repair systems has evolved to repair double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). In part, this diversity of DSB repair systems has evolved to repair breaks that arise in diverse physiologic circumstances or sequence contexts, including cellular states of nonreplication or breaks that arise between repeats. Mycobacteria elaborate a set of three genetically distinct DNA repair pathways: homologous recombination, nonhomologous end joining, and single-strand annealing. As such, mycobacterial DSB repair diverges substantially from the standard model of prokaryotic DSB repair and represents an attractive new model system. In addition, the presence in mycobacteria of a DSB repair system that can repair DSBs in nonreplicating cells (nonhomologous end joining) or when DSBs arise between repeats (single-strand annealing) has clear potential relevance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis, although the exact role of these systems in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis is still being elucidated. In this article we will review the genetics of mycobacterial DSB repair systems, focusing on recent insights.

Resistance of hypoxic cells to ionizing radiation is influenced by homologous recombination status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprong, Debbie; Janssen, Hilde L.; Vens, Conchita; Begg, Adrian C.

2006-01-01

Purpose: To determine the role of DNA repair in hypoxic radioresistance. Methods and Materials: Chinese hamster cell lines with mutations in homologous recombination (XRCC2, XRCC3, BRAC2, RAD51C) or nonhomologous end-joining (DNA-PKcs) genes were irradiated under normoxic (20% oxygen) and hypoxic (<0.1% oxygen) conditions, and the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) was calculated. In addition, Fanconi anemia fibroblasts (complementation groups C and G) were compared with fibroblasts from nonsyndrome patients. RAD51 foci were studied using immunofluorescence. Results: All hamster cell lines deficient in homologous recombination showed a decrease in OER (1.5-2.0 vs. 2.6-3.0 for wild-types). In contrast, the OER for the DNA-PKcs-deficient line was comparable to wild-type controls. The two Fanconi anemia cell strains also showed a significant reduction in OER. The OER for RAD51 foci formation at late times after irradiation was considerably lower than that for survival in wild-type cells. Conclusion: Homologous recombination plays an important role in determining hypoxic cell radiosensitivity. Lower OERs have also been reported in cells deficient in XPF and ERCC1, which, similar to homologous recombination genes, are known to play a role in cross-link repair. Because Fanconi anemia cells are also sensitive to cross-linking agents, this strengthens the notion that the capacity to repair cross-links determines hypoxic radiosensitivity

Visualization of DNA clustered damage induced by heavy ion exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, M.; Yatagai, F.

2003-01-01

Full text: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most lethal damage induced by ionizing radiations. Accelerated heavy-ions have been shown to induce DNA clustered damage, which is two or more DNA lesions induced within a few helical turns. Higher biological effectiveness of heavy-ions could be provided predominantly by induction of complex DNA clustered damage, which leads to non-repairable DSBs. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is composed of catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and DNA-binding heterodimer (Ku70 and Ku86). DNA-PK acts as a sensor of DSB during non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), since DNA-PK is activated to bind to the ends of double-stranded DNA. On the other hand, NBS1 and histone H2AX are essential for DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR) in higher vertebrate cells. Here we report that phosphorylated H2AX at Ser139 (named γ-H2AX) and NBS1 form large undissolvable foci after exposure to accelerated Fe ions, while DNA-PKcs does not recognize DNA clustered damage. NBS1 and γ-H2AX colocalized with forming discrete foci after exposure to X-rays. At 0.5 h after Fe ion irradiation, NBS1 and γ-H2AX also formed discrete foci. However, at 3-8 h after Fe ion irradiation, highly localized large foci turned up, while small discrete foci disappeared. Large NBS1 and γ-H2AX foci were remained even 16 h after irradiation. DNA-PKcs recognized Ku-binding DSB and formed foci shortly after exposure to X-rays. DNA-PKcs foci were observed 0.5 h after 5 Gy of Fe ion irradiation and were almost completely disappeared up to 8 h. These results suggest that NBS1 and γ-H2AX can be utilized as molecular marker of DNA clustered damage, while DNA-PK selectively recognizes repairable DSBs by NHEJ

Hyperactivation of PARP triggers nonhomologous end-joining in repair-deficient mouse fibroblasts.

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Natalie R Gassman

Full Text Available Regulation of poly(ADP-ribose (PAR synthesis and turnover is critical to determining cell fate after genotoxic stress. Hyperactivation of PAR synthesis by poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 occurs when cells deficient in DNA repair are exposed to genotoxic agents; however, the function of this hyperactivation has not been adequately explained. Here, we examine PAR synthesis in mouse fibroblasts deficient in the base excision repair enzyme DNA polymerase β (pol β. The extent and duration of PARP-1 activation was measured after exposure to either the DNA alkylating agent, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS, or to low energy laser-induced DNA damage. There was strong DNA damage-induced hyperactivation of PARP-1 in pol β nullcells, but not in wild-type cells. In the case of MMS treatment, PAR synthesis did not lead to cell death in the pol β null cells, but instead resulted in increased PARylation of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ protein Ku70 and increased association of Ku70 with PARP-1. Inhibition of the NHEJ factor DNA-PK, under conditions of MMS-induced PARP-1 hyperactivation, enhanced necrotic cell death. These data suggest that PARP-1 hyperactivation is a protective mechanism triggering the classical-NHEJ DNA repair pathway when the primary alkylated base damage repair pathway is compromised.

Functional intersection of ATM and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit in coding end joining during V(D)J recombination

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Lee, Baeck-Seung; Gapud, Eric J; Zhang, Shichuan

2013-01-01

V(D)J recombination is initiated by the RAG endonuclease, which introduces DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the border between two recombining gene segments, generating two hairpin-sealed coding ends and two blunt signal ends. ATM and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) ar......V(D)J recombination is initiated by the RAG endonuclease, which introduces DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the border between two recombining gene segments, generating two hairpin-sealed coding ends and two blunt signal ends. ATM and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA......-PKcs) are serine-threonine kinases that orchestrate the cellular responses to DNA DSBs. During V(D)J recombination, ATM and DNA-PKcs have unique functions in the repair of coding DNA ends. ATM deficiency leads to instability of postcleavage complexes and the loss of coding ends from these complexes. DNA...... when ATM is present and its kinase activity is intact. The ability of ATM to compensate for DNA-PKcs kinase activity depends on the integrity of three threonines in DNA-PKcs that are phosphorylation targets of ATM, suggesting that ATM can modulate DNA-PKcs activity through direct phosphorylation of DNA...

Altered Hematopoiesis in Mice Lacking DNA Polymerase μ Is Due to Inefficient Double-Strand Break Repair

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Lucas, Daniel; Escudero, Beatriz; Ligos, José Manuel; Segovia, Jose Carlos; Estrada, Juan Camilo; Terrados, Gloria; Blanco, Luis; Samper, Enrique; Bernad, Antonio

2009-01-01

Polymerase mu (Polμ) is an error-prone, DNA-directed DNA polymerase that participates in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair. In vivo, Polμ deficiency results in impaired Vκ-Jκ recombination and altered somatic hypermutation and centroblast development. In Polμ−/− mice, hematopoietic development was defective in several peripheral and bone marrow (BM) cell populations, with about a 40% decrease in BM cell number that affected several hematopoietic lineages. Hematopoietic progenitors were reduced both in number and in expansion potential. The observed phenotype correlates with a reduced efficiency in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in hematopoietic tissue. Whole-body γ-irradiation revealed that Polμ also plays a role in DSB repair in non-hematopoietic tissues. Our results show that Polμ function is required for physiological hematopoietic development with an important role in maintaining early progenitor cell homeostasis and genetic stability in hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic tissues. PMID:19229323

RNF138 joins the HR team

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Bekker-Jensen, Simon; Mailand, Niels

2015-01-01

Two studies show that the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF138 is recruited to DNA double-strand break sites, where it ubiquitylates key repair factors to promote DNA-end resection and homologous recombination. These findings add insights into the multilayered regulatory mechanisms underlying DNA double-st...

Mutagenic repair of double-stranded DNA breaks in vaccinia virus genomes requires cellular DNA ligase IV activity in the cytosol.

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Luteijn, Rutger David; Drexler, Ingo; Smith, Geoffrey L; Lebbink, Robert Jan; Wiertz, Emmanuel J H J

2018-04-20

Poxviruses comprise a group of large dsDNA viruses that include members relevant to human and animal health, such as variola virus, monkeypox virus, cowpox virus and vaccinia virus (VACV). Poxviruses are remarkable for their unique replication cycle, which is restricted to the cytoplasm of infected cells. The independence from the host nucleus requires poxviruses to encode most of the enzymes involved in DNA replication, transcription and processing. Here, we use the CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering system to induce DNA damage to VACV (strain Western Reserve) genomes. We show that targeting CRISPR/Cas9 to essential viral genes limits virus replication efficiently. Although VACV is a strictly cytoplasmic pathogen, we observed extensive viral genome editing at the target site; this is reminiscent of a non-homologous end-joining DNA repair mechanism. This pathway was not dependent on the viral DNA ligase, but critically involved the cellular DNA ligase IV. Our data show that DNA ligase IV can act outside of the nucleus to allow repair of dsDNA breaks in poxvirus genomes. This pathway might contribute to the introduction of mutations within the genome of poxviruses and may thereby promote the evolution of these viruses.

Increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation by targeting the homologous recombination pathway in glioma initiating cells.

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Lim, Yi Chieh; Roberts, Tara L; Day, Bryan W; Stringer, Brett W; Kozlov, Sergei; Fazry, Shazrul; Bruce, Zara C; Ensbey, Kathleen S; Walker, David G; Boyd, Andrew W; Lavin, Martin F

2014-12-01

Glioblastoma is deemed the most malignant form of brain tumour, particularly due to its resistance to conventional treatments. A small surviving group of aberrant stem cells termed glioma initiation cells (GICs) that escape surgical debulking are suggested to be the cause of this resistance. Relatively quiescent in nature, GICs are capable of driving tumour recurrence and undergo lineage differentiation. Most importantly, these GICs are resistant to radiotherapy, suggesting that radioresistance contribute to their survival. In a previous study, we demonstrated that GICs had a restricted double strand break (DSB) repair pathway involving predominantly homologous recombination (HR) associated with a lack of functional G1/S checkpoint arrest. This unusual behaviour led to less efficient non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair and overall slower DNA DSB repair kinetics. To determine whether specific targeting of the HR pathway with small molecule inhibitors could increase GIC radiosensitivity, we used the Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated inhibitor (ATMi) to ablate HR and the DNA-dependent protein kinase inhibitor (DNA-PKi) to inhibit NHEJ. Pre-treatment with ATMi prior to ionizing radiation (IR) exposure prevented HR-mediated DNA DSB repair as measured by Rad51 foci accumulation. Increased cell death in vitro and improved in vivo animal survival could be observed with combined ATMi and IR treatment. Conversely, DNA-PKi treatment had minimal impact on GICs ability to resolve DNA DSB after IR with only partial reduction in cell survival, confirming the major role of HR. These results provide a mechanistic insight into the predominant form of DNA DSB repair in GICs, which when targeted may be a potential translational approach to increase patient survival. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Polo-like kinase 1 inhibits DNA damage response during mitosis.

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Benada, Jan; Burdová, Kamila; Lidak, Tomáš; von Morgen, Patrick; Macurek, Libor

2015-01-01

In response to genotoxic stress, cells protect their genome integrity by activation of a conserved DNA damage response (DDR) pathway that coordinates DNA repair and progression through the cell cycle. Extensive modification of the chromatin flanking the DNA lesion by ATM kinase and RNF8/RNF168 ubiquitin ligases enables recruitment of various repair factors. Among them BRCA1 and 53BP1 are required for homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining, respectively. Whereas mechanisms of DDR are relatively well understood in interphase cells, comparatively less is known about organization of DDR during mitosis. Although ATM can be activated in mitotic cells, 53BP1 is not recruited to the chromatin until cells exit mitosis. Here we report mitotic phosphorylation of 53BP1 by Plk1 and Cdk1 that impairs the ability of 53BP1 to bind the ubiquitinated H2A and to properly localize to the sites of DNA damage. Phosphorylation of 53BP1 at S1618 occurs at kinetochores and in cytosol and is restricted to mitotic cells. Interaction between 53BP1 and Plk1 depends on the activity of Cdk1. We propose that activity of Cdk1 and Plk1 allows spatiotemporally controlled suppression of 53BP1 function during mitosis.

Chronic exposure to sublethal doses of radiation mimetic ZeocinTM selects for clones deficient in homologous recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delacote, Fabien; Deriano, Ludovic; Lambert, Sarah; Bertrand, Pascale; Saintigny, Yannick; Lopez, Bernard S.

2007-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly toxic lesions leading to genome variability/instability. The balance between homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), two alternative DSB repair systems, is essential to ensure genome maintenance in mammalian cells. Here, we transfected CHO hamster cells with the pcDNA TM 3.1/Zeo plasmid, and selected transfectants with Zeocin TM , a bleomycin analog which produces DSBs. Despite the presence of a Zeocin TM resistance gene in pcDNA TM 3.1/Zeo, Zeocin TM induced 8-10 γ-H2AX foci per cell. This shows that the Zeocin TM resistance gene failed to fully detoxify cells treated with Zeocin TM , and that during selection cells were submitted to a chronic sublethal DSB stress. Selected clones show decreases in both spontaneous and induced intrachromosomal HR. In contrast, in an in vitro assay, these clones show an increase in NHEJ products specific to the KU86 pathway. We selected cells, in the absence of pcDNA TM 3.1/Zeo, with low and sublethal doses of Zeocin TM , producing a mean 8-10 γ-H2AX foci per cell. Newly selected clones exhibited similar phenotypes: HR decrease accompanied by an increase in KU86-dependent NHEJ efficiency. Thus chronic exposure to sublethal numbers of DSBs selects cells whose HR versus NHEJ balance is altered. This may well have implications for radio- and chemotherapy, and for management of environmental hazards

Small molecules, inhibitors of DNA-PK, targeting DNA repair and beyond

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David eDavidson

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Many current chemotherapies function by damaging genomic DNA in rapidly dividing cells ultimately leading to cell death. This therapeutic approach differentially targets cancer cells that generally display rapid cell division compared to normal tissue cells. However, although these treatments are initially effective in arresting tumor growth and reducing tumor burden, resistance and disease progression eventually occur. A major mechanism underlying this resistance is increased levels of cellular DNA repair. Most cells have complex mechanisms in place to repair DNA damage that occurs due to environmental exposures or normal metabolic processes. These systems, initially overwhelmed when faced with chemotherapy induced DNA damage, become more efficient under constant selective pressure and as a result chemotherapies become less effective. Thus, inhibiting DNA repair pathways using target specific small molecule inhibitors may overcome cellular resistance to DNA damaging chemotherapies. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ a major mechanism for the repair of double strand breaks (DSB in DNA is regulated in part by the serine/threonine kinase, DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK. The DNA-PK holoenzyme acts as a scaffold protein tethering broken DNA ends and recruiting other repair molecules. It also has enzymatic activity that may be involved in DNA damage signaling. Because of its’ central role in repair of DSBs, DNA-PK has been the focus of a number of small molecule studies. In these studies specific DNA-PK inhibitors have shown efficacy in synergizing chemotherapies in vitro. However, compounds currently known to specifically inhibit DNA-PK are limited by poor pharmacokinetics: these compounds have poor solubility and have high metabolic lability in vivo leading to short serum half-lives. Future improvement in DNA-PK inhibition will likely be achieved by designing new molecules based on the recently reported crystallographic structure of DNA

Targeting DNA double strand break repair with hyperthermia and DNA-PKcs inhibition to enhance the effect of radiation treatment.

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van Oorschot, Bregje; Granata, Giovanna; Di Franco, Simone; Ten Cate, Rosemarie; Rodermond, Hans M; Todaro, Matilde; Medema, Jan Paul; Franken, Nicolaas A P

2016-10-04

Radiotherapy is based on the induction of lethal DNA damage, primarily DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). Efficient DSB repair via Non-Homologous End Joining or Homologous Recombination can therefore undermine the efficacy of radiotherapy. By suppressing DNA-DSB repair with hyperthermia (HT) and DNA-PKcs inhibitor NU7441 (DNA-PKcsi), we aim to enhance the effect of radiation.The sensitizing effect of HT for 1 hour at 42°C and DNA-PKcsi [1 μM] to radiation treatment was investigated in cervical and breast cancer cells, primary breast cancer sphere cells (BCSCs) enriched for cancer stem cells, and in an in vivo human tumor model. A significant radio-enhancement effect was observed for all cell types when DNA-PKcsi and HT were applied separately, and when both were combined, HT and DNA-PKcsi enhanced radio-sensitivity to an even greater extent. Strikingly, combined treatment resulted in significantly lower survival rates, 2 to 2.5 fold increase in apoptosis, more residual DNA-DSB 6 h post treatment and a G2-phase arrest. In addition, tumor growth analysis in vivo showed significant reduction in tumor growth and elevated caspase-3 activity when radiation was combined with HT and DNA-PKcsi compared to radiation alone. Importantly, no toxic side effects of HT or DNA-PKcsi were found.In conclusion, inhibiting DNA-DSB repair using HT and DNA-PKcsi before radiotherapy leads to enhanced cytotoxicity in cancer cells. This effect was even noticed in the more radio-resistant BCSCs, which are clearly sensitized by combined treatment. Therefore, the addition of HT and DNA-PKcsi to conventional radiotherapy is promising and might contribute to more efficient tumor control and patient outcome.

Protein kinase CK2 localizes to sites of DNA double-strand break regulating the cellular response to DNA damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olsen Birgitte B

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK is a nuclear complex composed of a large catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs and a heterodimeric DNA-targeting subunit Ku. DNA-PK is a major component of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ repair mechanism, which is activated in the presence of DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation, reactive oxygen species and radiomimetic drugs. We have recently reported that down-regulation of protein kinase CK2 by siRNA interference results in enhanced cell death specifically in DNA-PKcs-proficient human glioblastoma cells, and this event is accompanied by decreased autophosphorylation of DNA-PKcs at S2056 and delayed repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Results In the present study, we show that CK2 co-localizes with phosphorylated histone H2AX to sites of DNA damage and while CK2 gene knockdown is associated with delayed DNA damage repair, its overexpression accelerates this process. We report for the first time evidence that lack of CK2 destabilizes the interaction of DNA-PKcs with DNA and with Ku80 at sites of genetic lesions. Furthermore, we show that CK2 regulates the phosphorylation levels of DNA-PKcs only in response to direct induction of DNA double-strand breaks. Conclusions Taken together, these results strongly indicate that CK2 plays a prominent role in NHEJ by facilitating and/or stabilizing the binding of DNA-PKcs and, possibly other repair proteins, to the DNA ends contributing to efficient DNA damage repair in mammalian cells.

DNA-PKcs is critical for telomere capping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilley, David; Tanaka, Hiromi; Hande, M. Prakash; Kurimasa,Akihiro; Li, Gloria C.; Chen, David J.

2001-04-10

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) is critical for DNA repair via the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. Previously, it was reported that bone marrow cells and spontaneously transformed fibroblasts from SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) mice have defects in telomere maintenance. The genetically defective SCID mouse arose spontaneously from its parental strain CB17. One known genomic alteration in SCID mice is a truncation of the extreme carboxyl-terminus of DNA-PKcs, but other as yet unidentified alterations may also exist. We have used a defined system, the DNA-PKcs knockout mouse, to investigate specifically the role DNA-PKcs specifically plays in telomere maintenance. We report that primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and primary cultured kidney cells from 6-8 month old DNA-PKcs deficient mice accumulate a large number of telomere fusions, yet still retain wildtype telomere length. Thus, the phenotype of this defect separates the two-telomere related phenotypes, capping and length maintenance. DNA-PKcs deficient MEFs also exhibit elevated levels of chromosome fragments and breaks, which correlate with increased telomere fusions. Based on the high levels of telomere fusions observed in DNA-PKcs deficient cells, we conclude that DNA-PKcs plays an important capping role at the mammalian telomere.

Human RAD50 makes a functional DNA-binding complex.

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Kinoshita, Eri; van Rossum-Fikkert, Sari; Sanchez, Humberto; Kertokalio, Aryandi; Wyman, Claire

2015-06-01

The MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex has several distinct functions in DNA repair including important roles in both non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). The biochemical activities of MR(N) have been well characterized implying specific functional roles for the components. The arrangement of proteins in the complex implies interdependence of their biochemical activities making it difficult to separate specific functions. We obtained purified human RAD50 and observed that it binds ATP, undergoes ATP-dependent conformational changes as well as having ATPase activity. Scanning force microscopy analysis clearly showed that RAD50 binds DNA although not as oligomers. RAD50 alone was not functional in tethering DNA molecules. ATP increased formation of RAD50 multimers which were however globular lacking extended coiled coils, in contrast to the MR complex where ATP induced oligomers have obvious coiled coils protruding from a central domain. These results suggest that MRE11 is important in maintaining the structural arrangement of RAD50 in the protein complex and perhaps has a role in reinforcing proper alignment of the coiled coils in the ATP-bound state. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

DNA repair in Mycobacterium tuberculosis revisited.

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Dos Vultos, Tiago; Mestre, Olga; Tonjum, Tone; Gicquel, Brigitte

2009-05-01

Our understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA repair mechanisms is still poor compared with that of other bacterial organisms. However, the publication of the first complete M. tuberculosis genome sequence 10 years ago boosted the study of DNA repair systems in this organism. A first step in the elucidation of M. tuberculosis DNA repair mechanisms was taken by Mizrahi and Andersen, who identified homologs of genes involved in the reversal or repair of DNA damage in Escherichia coli and related organisms. Genes required for nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, recombination, and SOS repair and mutagenesis were identified. Notably, no homologs of genes involved in mismatch repair were identified. Novel characteristics of the M. tuberculosis DNA repair machinery have been found over the last decade, such as nonhomologous end joining, the presence of Mpg, ERCC3 and Hlr - proteins previously presumed to be produced exclusively in mammalian cells - and the recently discovered bifunctional dCTP deaminase:dUTPase. The study of these systems is important to develop therapeutic agents that can counteract M. tuberculosis evolutionary changes and to prevent adaptive events resulting in antibiotic resistance. This review summarizes our current understanding of the M. tuberculosis DNA repair system.

BRCA1-associated exclusion of 53BP1 from DNA damage sites underlies temporal control of DNA repair

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Chapman, J. Ross; Sossick, Alex J.; Boulton, Simon J.; Jackson, Stephen P.

2012-01-01

Summary Following irradiation, numerous DNA-damage-responsive proteins rapidly redistribute into microscopically visible subnuclear aggregates, termed ionising-radiation-induced foci (IRIF). How the enrichment of proteins on damaged chromatin actually relates to DNA repair remains unclear. Here, we use super-resolution microscopy to examine the spatial distribution of BRCA1 and 53BP1 proteins within single IRIF at subdiffraction-limit resolution, yielding an unprecedented increase in detail that was not previously apparent by conventional microscopy. Consistent with a role for 53BP1 in promoting DNA double-strand break repair by non-homologous end joining, 53BP1 enrichment in IRIF is most prominent in the G0/G1 cell cycle phases, where it is enriched in dense globular structures. By contrast, as cells transition through S phase, the recruitment of BRCA1 into the core of IRIF is associated with an exclusion of 53BP1 to the focal periphery, leading to an overall reduction of 53BP1 occupancy at DNA damage sites. Our data suggest that the BRCA1-associated IRIF core corresponds to chromatin regions associated with repair by homologous recombination, and the enrichment of BRCA1 in IRIF represents a temporal switch in the DNA repair program. We propose that BRCA1 antagonises 53BP1-dependent DNA repair in S phase by inhibiting its interaction with chromatin proximal to damage sites. Furthermore, the genomic instability exhibited by BRCA1-deficient cells might result from a failure to efficiently exclude 53BP1 from such regions during S phase. PMID:22553214

A polycomb group protein, PHF1, is involved in the response to DNA double-strand breaks in human cell

OpenAIRE

Hong, Zehui; Jiang, Jie; Lan, Li; Nakajima, Satoshi; Kanno, Shin-ichiro; Koseki, Haruhiko; Yasui, Akira

2008-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) represent the most toxic DNA damage arisen from endogenous and exogenous genotoxic stresses and are known to be repaired by either homologous recombination or nonhomologous end-joining processes. Although many proteins have been identified to participate in either of the processes, the whole processes still remain elusive. Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic chromatin modifiers involved in gene silencing, cancer development and the maintenance of embry...

Induction of DNA deletions after UV-light irradiation in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanova, A.N.; Koltovaya, N.A.

2008-01-01

We study mutagenic action of such a damaging agent as UV light, which can lead to DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). DNA deletions and gross rearrangements occur in process of DSB repair. We show that UV light induces deletion and rearrangement very efficiently. Analysis of efficacy of different types of repair shows that cell tries to repair DSBs with a combination of both homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) if available and that DSB repair by HR is more effective than by NHEJ in growing culture of haploid yeast

[Analysis of DNA-DNA homologies in obligate methylotrophic bacteria].

Science.gov (United States)

Doronina, N V; Govorukhina, N I; Lysenko, A M; Trotsenko, Iu A

1988-01-01

The genotypic affinity of 19 bacterial strains obligately dependent on methanol or methylamine as carbon and energy sources was studied by techniques of molecular DNA hybridization. The high homology level (35-88%) between motile strain Methylophilus methanolovorus V-1447D and nonmotile strain Methylobacillus sp. VSB-792 as well as other motile strains (Pseudomonas methanolica ATCC 21704, Methylomonas methanolica NRRL 5458, Pseudomonas sp. W6, strain A3) indicates that all of them belong to one genus. Rather high level of homology (62-63%) was found between Methylobacillus glycogenes ATCC 29475 and Pseudomonas insueta ATCC 21276 and strain G-10. The motile strain Methylophilus methylotrophus NCIB 10515 has a low homology (below 20%) to other of the studied obligate methylobacteria. Therefore, at least two genetically different genera of obligate methylobacteria can be distinguished, namely Methylophilus and Methylobacillus, the latter being represented by both motile and nonmotile forms.

Taking a Bad Turn: Compromised DNA Damage Response in Leukemia

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Nadine Nilles

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Genomic integrity is of outmost importance for the survival at the cellular and the organismal level and key to human health. To ensure the integrity of their DNA, cells have evolved maintenance programs collectively known as the DNA damage response. Particularly challenging for genome integrity are DNA double-strand breaks (DSB and defects in their repair are often associated with human disease, including leukemia. Defective DSB repair may not only be disease-causing, but further contribute to poor treatment outcome and poor prognosis in leukemia. Here, we review current insight into altered DSB repair mechanisms identified in leukemia. While DSB repair is somewhat compromised in all leukemic subtypes, certain key players of DSB repair are particularly targeted: DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK and Ku70/80 in the non-homologous end-joining pathway, as well as Rad51 and breast cancer 1/2 (BRCA1/2, key players in homologous recombination. Defects in leukemia-related DSB repair may not only arise from dysfunctional repair components, but also indirectly from mutations in key regulators of gene expression and/or chromatin structure, such as p53, the Kirsten ras oncogene (K-RAS, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2. A detailed understanding of the basis for defective DNA damage response (DDR mechanisms for each leukemia subtype may allow to further develop new treatment methods to improve treatment outcome and prognosis for patients.

Pathways for double-strand break repair in genetically unstable Z-DNA-forming sequences.

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Kha, Diem T; Wang, Guliang; Natrajan, Nithya; Harrison, Lynn; Vasquez, Karen M

2010-05-14

DNA can adopt many structures that differ from the canonical B-form, and several of these non-canonical DNA structures have been implicated in genetic instability associated with human disease. Earlier, we found that Z-DNA causes DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in mammalian cells that can result in large-scale deletions and rearrangements. In contrast, the same Z-DNA-forming CG repeat in Escherichia coli resulted in only small contractions or expansions within the repeat. This difference in the Z-DNA-induced mutation spectrum between mammals and bacteria might be due to different mechanisms for DSB repair; in mammalian cells, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is a major DSB repair pathway, while E. coli do not contain this system and typically use homologous recombination (HR) to process DSBs. To test the extent to which the different DSB repair pathways influenced the Z-DNA-induced mutagenesis, we engineered bacterial E.coli strains to express an inducible NHEJ system, to mimic the situation in mammalian cells. Mycobacterium tuberculosis NHEJ proteins Ku and ligase D (LigD) were expressed in E.coli cells in the presence or absence of HR, and the Z-DNA-induced mutations were characterized. We found that the presence of the NHEJ mechanism markedly shifted the mutation spectrum from small deletions/insertions to large-scale deletions (from 2% to 24%). Our results demonstrate that NHEJ plays a role in the generation of Z-DNA-induced large-scale deletions, suggesting that this pathway is associated with DNA structure-induced destabilization of genomes from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-Associated Protein SWIB5 Influences mtDNA Architecture and Homologous Recombination

KAUST Repository

Blomme, Jonas

2017-04-19

In addition to the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells also contain genomes. Efficient DNA repair pathways are crucial in these organelles to fix damage resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Plant organellar genomes are complex compared with their animal counterparts, and although several plant-specific mediators of organelle DNA repair have been reported, many regulators remain to be identified. Here, we show that a mitochondrial SWI/SNF (nucleosome remodeling) complex B protein, SWIB5, is capable of associating with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Gainand loss-of-function mutants provided evidence for a role of SWIB5 in influencing mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination at specific intermediate-sized repeats both under normal and genotoxic conditions. SWIB5 interacts with other mitochondrial SWIB proteins. Gene expression and mutant phenotypic analysis of SWIB5 and SWIB family members suggests a link between organellar genome maintenance and cell proliferation. Taken together, our work presents a protein family that influences mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination in plants and suggests a link between organelle functioning and plant development.

Guardians of the mycobacterial genome: A review on DNA repair systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Amandeep

2017-12-01

The genomic integrity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is continuously threatened by the harsh survival conditions inside host macrophages, due to immune and antibiotic stresses. Faithful genome maintenance and repair must be accomplished under stress for the bacillus to survive in the host, necessitating a robust DNA repair system. The importance of DNA repair systems in pathogenesis is well established. Previous examination of the M. tuberculosis genome revealed homologues of almost all the major DNA repair systems, i.e. nucleotide excision repair (NER), base excision repair (BER), homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). However, recent developments in the field have pointed to the presence of novel proteins and pathways in mycobacteria. Homologues of archeal mismatch repair proteins were recently reported in mycobacteria, a pathway previously thought to be absent. RecBCD, the major nuclease-helicase enzymes involved in HR in E. coli, were implicated in the single-strand annealing (SSA) pathway. Novel roles of archeo-eukaryotic primase (AEP) polymerases, previously thought to be exclusive to NHEJ, have been reported in BER. Many new proteins with a probable role in DNA repair have also been discovered. It is now realized that the DNA repair systems in M. tuberculosis are highly evolved and have redundant backup mechanisms to mend the damage. This review is an attempt to summarize our current understanding of the DNA repair systems in M. tuberculosis.

DNA repair: Dynamic defenders against cancer and aging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuss, Jill O.; Cooper, Priscilla K.

2006-04-01

(UV) component of sunlight. NER can be divided into two classes based on where the repair occurs. NER occurring in DNA that is not undergoing transcription (i.e., most of the genome) is called global genome repair (GGR or GGNER), while NER taking place in the transcribed strand of active genes is called transcription-coupled repair (TCR or TC-NER). We will explore NER in more detail below. Mismatch repair (MMR) is another type of excision repair that specifically removes mispaired bases resulting from replication errors. DNA damage can also result in breaks in the DNA backbone, in one or both strands. Single-strand breaks (SSBs) are efficiently repaired by a mechanism that shares common features with the later steps in BER. Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are especially devastating since by definition there is no intact complementary strand to serve as a template for repair, and even one unrepaired DSB can be lethal [3]. In cells that have replicated their DNA prior to cell division, the missing information can be supplied by the duplicate copy, or sister chromatid, and DSBs in these cells are faithfully repaired by homologous recombination involving the exchange of strands of DNA between the two copies. However, most cells in the body are non-dividing, and in these cells the major mechanism for repairing DSBs is by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which as the name implies involves joining two broken DNA ends together without a requirement for homologous sequence and which therefore has a high potential for loss of genetic information.

DNA damage repair and radiosensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Norio

2003-01-01

Tailored treatment is not new in radiotherapy; it has been the major subject for the last 20-30 years. Radiation responses and RBE (relative biological effectiveness) depend on assay systems, endpoints, type of tissues and tumors, radiation quality, dose rate, dose fractionation, physiological and environmental factors etc, Latent times to develop damages also differ among tissues and endpoints depending on doses and radiation quality. Recent progress in clarification of radiation induced cell death, especially of apoptotic cell death, is quite important for understanding radiosensitivity of tumor cure process as well as of tumorigenesis. Apoptotic cell death as well as dormant cells had been unaccounted and missed into a part of reproductive cell death. Another area of major progress has been made in clarifying repair mechanisms of radiation damage, i.e., non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombinational repair (HRR). New approaches and developments such as cDNA or protein micro arrays and so called informatics in addition to basic molecular biological analysis are expected to aid identifying molecules and their roles in signal transduction pathways, which are multi-factorial and interactive each other being involved in radiation responses. (authors)

More efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks in skeletal muscle stem cells compared to their committed progeny

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Leyla Vahidi Ferdousi

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The loss of genome integrity in adult stem cells results in accelerated tissue aging and is possibly cancerogenic. Adult stem cells in different tissues appear to react robustly to DNA damage. We report that adult skeletal stem (satellite cells do not primarily respond to radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs via differentiation and exhibit less apoptosis compared to other myogenic cells. Satellite cells repair these DNA lesions more efficiently than their committed progeny. Importantly, non-proliferating satellite cells and post-mitotic nuclei in the fiber exhibit dramatically distinct repair efficiencies. Altogether, reduction of the repair capacity appears to be more a function of differentiation than of the proliferation status of the muscle cell. Notably, satellite cells retain a high efficiency of DSB repair also when isolated from the natural niche. Finally, we show that repair of DSB substrates is not only very efficient but, surprisingly, also very accurate in satellite cells and that accurate repair depends on the key non-homologous end-joining factor DNA-PKcs.

More efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks in skeletal muscle stem cells compared to their committed progeny.

Science.gov (United States)

Vahidi Ferdousi, Leyla; Rocheteau, Pierre; Chayot, Romain; Montagne, Benjamin; Chaker, Zayna; Flamant, Patricia; Tajbakhsh, Shahragim; Ricchetti, Miria

2014-11-01

The loss of genome integrity in adult stem cells results in accelerated tissue aging and is possibly cancerogenic. Adult stem cells in different tissues appear to react robustly to DNA damage. We report that adult skeletal stem (satellite) cells do not primarily respond to radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) via differentiation and exhibit less apoptosis compared to other myogenic cells. Satellite cells repair these DNA lesions more efficiently than their committed progeny. Importantly, non-proliferating satellite cells and post-mitotic nuclei in the fiber exhibit dramatically distinct repair efficiencies. Altogether, reduction of the repair capacity appears to be more a function of differentiation than of the proliferation status of the muscle cell. Notably, satellite cells retain a high efficiency of DSB repair also when isolated from the natural niche. Finally, we show that repair of DSB substrates is not only very efficient but, surprisingly, also very accurate in satellite cells and that accurate repair depends on the key non-homologous end-joining factor DNA-PKcs. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Involvement of DNA repair in telomere maintenance and chromosomal instability in human cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayouaz, Ali

2008-01-01

Telomeres are a major actor of cell immortalization, precursor of a carcinogenesis process. Thus, it appears that the maintenance of telomeres is crucial in the implementation of carcinogenesis process. Due to their structures and under some conditions, telomeres can be assimilated in some respects to chromosomal breakages. Within this perspective, this research thesis aims at determining under which circumstances telomeres can be taken as targets by DNA repair mechanisms. More precisely, the author addressed the respective contributions of two repair mechanisms (the Non-Homologous End-Joining or NHEJ, and Homologous Recombination or HR) in the maintenance of telomere integrity. The author first discusses knowledge related to the interaction between chromosomal extremities and repair mechanisms. Then, he defines the behaviour of these mechanisms with respect to telomeres. He shows that, in absence of recombination mechanisms, the integrity of telomeres is not affected. Finally, he reports the attempt to determine their respective contributions in telomeric homeostasis [fr

C-terminal region of DNA ligase IV drives XRCC4/DNA ligase IV complex to chromatin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Sicheng; Liu, Xunyue; Kamdar, Radhika Pankaj; Wanotayan, Rujira; Sharma, Mukesh Kumar; Adachi, Noritaka; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Chromatin binding of XRCC4 is dependent on the presence of DNA ligase IV. •C-terminal region of DNA ligase IV alone can recruit itself and XRCC4 to chromatin. •Two BRCT domains of DNA ligase IV are essential for the chromatin binding of XRCC4. -- Abstract: DNA ligase IV (LIG4) and XRCC4 form a complex to ligate two DNA ends at the final step of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). It is not fully understood how these proteins are recruited to DSBs. We recently demonstrated radiation-induced chromatin binding of XRCC4 by biochemical fractionation using detergent Nonidet P-40. In the present study, we examined the role of LIG4 in the recruitment of XRCC4/LIG4 complex to chromatin. The chromatin binding of XRCC4 was dependent on the presence of LIG4. The mutations in two BRCT domains (W725R and W893R, respectively) of LIG4 reduced the chromatin binding of LIG4 and XRCC4. The C-terminal fragment of LIG4 (LIG4-CT) without N-terminal catalytic domains could bind to chromatin with XRCC4. LIG4-CT with W725R or W893R mutation could bind to chromatin but could not support the chromatin binding of XRCC4. The ability of C-terminal region of LIG4 to interact with chromatin might provide us with an insight into the mechanisms of DSB repair through NHEJ

Genetic selection and DNA sequences of 4.5S RNA homologs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brown, S; Thon, G; Tolentino, E

1989-01-01

A general strategy for cloning the functional homologs of an Escherichia coli gene was used to clone homologs of 4.5S RNA from other bacteria. The genes encoding these homologs were selected by their ability to complement a deletion of the gene for 4.5S RNA. DNA sequences of the regions encoding...

Human Fanconi anemia monoubiquitination pathway promotes homologous DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakanishi, Koji; Yang, Yun-Gui; Pierce, Andrew J; Taniguchi, Toshiyasu; Digweed, Martin; D'Andrea, Alan D; Wang, Zhao-Qi; Jasin, Maria

2005-01-25

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessive disorder characterized by congenital abnormalities, progressive bone-marrow failure, and cancer susceptibility. Cells from FA patients are hypersensitive to agents that produce DNA crosslinks and, after treatment with these agents, have pronounced chromosome breakage and other cytogenetic abnormalities. Eight FANC genes have been cloned, and the encoded proteins interact in a common cellular pathway. DNA-damaging agents activate the monoubiquitination of FANCD2, resulting in its targeting to nuclear foci that also contain BRCA1 and BRCA2/FANCD1, proteins involved in homology-directed DNA repair. Given the interaction of the FANC proteins with BRCA1 and BRCA2, we tested whether cells from FA patients (groups A, G, and D2) and mouse Fanca-/- cells with a targeted mutation are impaired for this repair pathway. We find that both the upstream (FANCA and FANCG) and downstream (FANCD2) FA pathway components promote homology-directed repair of chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs). The FANCD2 monoubiquitination site is critical for normal levels of repair, whereas the ATM phosphorylation site is not. The defect in these cells, however, is mild, differentiating them from BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutant cells. Surprisingly, we provide evidence that these proteins, like BRCA1 but unlike BRCA2, promote a second DSB repair pathway involving homology, i.e., single-strand annealing. These results suggest an early role for the FANC proteins in homologous DSB repair pathway choice.

Comparison of initial DNA (Chromosome) damage/repair in cells exposed to heavy ion particles and X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okayasu, Ryuichi; Okada, Maki; Noguchi, Mitsuho; Saito, Shiori; Okabe, Atsushi; Takakura, Kahoru

2005-01-01

We have studied cell survival and chromosome damage/repair in normal and non homologous end-joining (NHEJ) deficient human cells exposed to carbon ions (290 MeV/u, ∼70 keV/um), iron ions (500 MeV/u, ∼200 keV/um) and X-rays. In order to examine the effect of heavy ion on double strand break (DSB) repair machinery, the auto-phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs was also investigated. The important discoveries made during this period are: 200 keV/um iron irradiation induced additional molecular damage beyond that 70 keV/um carbon did. Iron irradiation not only caused an inefficient G1 chromosome repair, but also induced non-repairable DSB/chromosome damage. The auto-phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs was significantly affected by high linear energy transfer (LET) irradiation when compared to X-rays. These results indicate NHEJ machinery was markedly disturbed by high LET radiation when compared to low LET radiation. (author)

Productive Homologous and Non-homologous Recombination of Hepatitis C Virus in Cell Culture

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi-Ping; Mikkelsen, Lotte S.; Gottwein, Judith M.; Bukh, Jens

2013-01-01

Genetic recombination is an important mechanism for increasing diversity of RNA viruses, and constitutes a viral escape mechanism to host immune responses and to treatment with antiviral compounds. Although rare, epidemiologically important hepatitis C virus (HCV) recombinants have been reported. In addition, recombination is an important regulatory mechanism of cytopathogenicity for the related pestiviruses. Here we describe recombination of HCV RNA in cell culture leading to production of infectious virus. Initially, hepatoma cells were co-transfected with a replicating JFH1ΔE1E2 genome (genotype 2a) lacking functional envelope genes and strain J6 (2a), which has functional envelope genes but does not replicate in culture. After an initial decrease in the number of HCV positive cells, infection spread after 13–36 days. Sequencing of recovered viruses revealed non-homologous recombinants with J6 sequence from the 5′ end to the NS2–NS3 region followed by JFH1 sequence from Core to the 3′ end. These recombinants carried duplicated sequence of up to 2400 nucleotides. HCV replication was not required for recombination, as recombinants were observed in most experiments even when two replication incompetent genomes were co-transfected. Reverse genetic studies verified the viability of representative recombinants. After serial passage, subsequent recombination events reducing or eliminating the duplicated region were observed for some but not all recombinants. Furthermore, we found that inter-genotypic recombination could occur, but at a lower frequency than intra-genotypic recombination. Productive recombination of attenuated HCV genomes depended on expression of all HCV proteins and tolerated duplicated sequence. In general, no strong site specificity was observed. Non-homologous recombination was observed in most cases, while few homologous events were identified. A better understanding of HCV recombination could help identification of natural recombinants

Positive selection on the nonhomologous end-joining factor Cernunnos-XLF in the human lineage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jurka Jerzy

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cernunnos-XLF is a nonhomologous end-joining factor that is mutated in patients with a rare immunodeficiency with microcephaly. Several other microcephaly-associated genes such as ASPM and microcephalin experienced recent adaptive evolution apparently linked to brain size expansion in humans. In this study we investigated whether Cernunnos-XLF experienced similar positive selection during human evolution. Results We obtained or reconstructed full-length coding sequences of chimpanzee, rhesus macaque, canine, and bovine Cernunnos-XLF orthologs from sequence databases and sequence trace archives. Comparison of coding sequences revealed an excess of nonsynonymous substitutions consistent with positive selection on Cernunnos-XLF in the human lineage. The hotspots of adaptive evolution are concentrated around a specific structural domain, whose analogue in the structurally similar XRCC4 protein is involved in binding of another nonhomologous end-joining factor, DNA ligase IV. Conclusion Cernunnos-XLF is a microcephaly-associated locus newly identified to be under adaptive evolution in humans, and possibly played a role in human brain expansion. We speculate that Cernunnos-XLF may have contributed to the increased number of brain cells in humans by efficient double strand break repair, which helps to prevent frequent apoptosis of neuronal progenitors and aids mitotic cell cycle progression. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Chris Ponting and Richard Emes (nominated by Chris Ponting, Kateryna Makova, Gáspár Jékely and Eugene V. Koonin.

Genetic variations in DNA repair genes, radiosensitivity to cancer and susceptibility to acute tissue reactions in radiotherapy-treated cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chistiakov, Dimitry A.; Voronova, Natalia V.; Chistiakov, Pavel A.

2008-01-01

Ionizing radiation is a well established carcinogen for human cells. At low doses, radiation exposure mainly results in generation of double strand breaks (DSBs). Radiation-related DSBs could be directly linked to the formation of chromosomal rearrangements as has been proven for radiation-induced thyroid tumors. Repair of DSBs presumably involves two main pathways, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). A number of known inherited syndromes, such as ataxia telangiectasia, ataxia-telangiectasia like-disorder, radiosensitive severe combined immunodeficiency, Nijmegen breakage syndrome, and LIG4 deficiency are associated with increased radiosensitivity and/or cancer risk. Many of them are caused by mutations in DNA repair genes. Recent studies also suggest that variations in the DNA repair capacity in the general population may influence cancer susceptibility. In this paper, we summarize the current status of DNA repair proteins as potential targets for radiation-induced cancer risk. We will focus on genetic alterations in genes involved in HR- and NHEJ-mediated repair of DSBs, which could influence predisposition to radiation-related cancer and thereby explain interindividual differences in radiosensitivity or radioresistance in a general population

Genetic variations in DNA repair genes, radiosensitivity to cancer and susceptibility to acute tissue reactions in radiotherapy-treated cancer patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chistiakov, Dimitry A. (Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh (US)); Voronova, Natalia V. (Dept. of Molecular Diagnostics, National Research Center GosNIIgenetika, Moscow (RU)); Chistiakov, Pavel A. (Dept. of Radiology, Cancer Research Center, Moscow (RU))

2008-06-15

Ionizing radiation is a well established carcinogen for human cells. At low doses, radiation exposure mainly results in generation of double strand breaks (DSBs). Radiation-related DSBs could be directly linked to the formation of chromosomal rearrangements as has been proven for radiation-induced thyroid tumors. Repair of DSBs presumably involves two main pathways, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). A number of known inherited syndromes, such as ataxia telangiectasia, ataxia-telangiectasia like-disorder, radiosensitive severe combined immunodeficiency, Nijmegen breakage syndrome, and LIG4 deficiency are associated with increased radiosensitivity and/or cancer risk. Many of them are caused by mutations in DNA repair genes. Recent studies also suggest that variations in the DNA repair capacity in the general population may influence cancer susceptibility. In this paper, we summarize the current status of DNA repair proteins as potential targets for radiation-induced cancer risk. We will focus on genetic alterations in genes involved in HR- and NHEJ-mediated repair of DSBs, which could influence predisposition to radiation-related cancer and thereby explain interindividual differences in radiosensitivity or radioresistance in a general population

Identification of the DNA repair defects in a case of Dubowitz syndrome.

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Jingyin Yue

Full Text Available Dubowitz Syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder with a unique set of clinical features including microcephaly and susceptibility to tumor formation. Although more than 140 cases of Dubowitz syndrome have been reported since 1965, the genetic defects of this disease has not been identified. In this study, we systematically analyzed the DNA damage response and repair capability of fibroblasts established from a Dubowitz Syndrome patient. Dubowitz syndrome fibroblasts are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation, bleomycin, and doxorubicin. However, they have relatively normal sensitivities to mitomycin-C, cisplatin, and camptothecin. Dubowitz syndrome fibroblasts also have normal DNA damage signaling and cell cycle checkpoint activations after DNA damage. These data implicate a defect in repair of DNA double strand break (DSB likely due to defective non-homologous end joining (NHEJ. We further sequenced several genes involved in NHEJ, and identified a pair of novel compound mutations in the DNA Ligase IV gene. Furthermore, expression of wild type DNA ligase IV completely complement the DNA repair defects in Dubowitz syndrome fibroblasts, suggesting that the DNA ligase IV mutation is solely responsible for the DNA repair defects. These data suggests that at least subset of Dubowitz syndrome can be attributed to DNA ligase IV mutations.

Targeting Ongoing DNA Damage in Multiple Myeloma: Effects of DNA Damage Response Inhibitors on Plasma Cell Survival

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Ana Belén Herrero

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs and a subset of myeloma patients with poor prognosis exhibit high levels of replication stress (RS, leading to DNA damage. In this study, we confirmed the presence of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs in several HMCLs by measuring γH2AX and RAD51 foci and analyzed the effect of various inhibitors of the DNA damage response on MM cell survival. Inhibition of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR, the main kinase mediating the response to RS, using the specific inhibitor VE-821 induced more cell death in HMCLs than in control lymphoblastoid cells and U266, an HMCL with a low level of DNA damage. The absence of ATR was partially compensated by ataxia telangiectasia-mutated protein (ATM, since chemical inhibition of both kinases using VE-821 and KU-55933 significantly increased the death of MM cells with DNA damage. We found that ATM and ATR are involved in DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR in MM. Inhibition of both kinases resulted in a stronger inhibition that may underlie cell death induction, since abolition of HR using two different inhibitors severely reduced survival of HMCLs that exhibit DNA damage. On the other hand, inhibition of the other route involved in DSB repair, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ, using the DNA-PK inhibitor NU7441, did not affect MM cell viability. Interestingly, we found that NHEJ inhibition did not increase cell death when HR was simultaneously inhibited with the RAD51 inhibitor B02, but it clearly increased the level of cell death when HR was inhibited with the MRE11 inhibitor mirin, which interferes with recombination before DNA resection takes place. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time that MM cells with ongoing DNA damage rely on an intact HR pathway, which thereby suggests therapeutic opportunities. We also show that inhibition of HR after the initial step of end resection might be more appropriate for inducing MM cell death, since it

Studying DNA Looping by Single-Molecule FRET

OpenAIRE

Le, Tung T.; Kim, Harold D.

2014-01-01

Bending of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is associated with many important biological processes such as DNA-protein recognition and DNA packaging into nucleosomes. Thermodynamics of dsDNA bending has been studied by a method called cyclization which relies on DNA ligase to covalently join short sticky ends of a dsDNA. However, ligation efficiency can be affected by many factors that are not related to dsDNA looping such as the DNA structure surrounding the joined sticky ends, and ligase can als...

Radiation-induced XRCC4 association with chromatin DNA analyzed by biochemical fractionation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamdar, R.P.; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

2010-01-01

XRCC4, in association with DNA ligase IV, is thought to play a critical role in the ligation of two DNA ends in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. In the present study, we captured radiation-induced chromatin-recruitment of XRCC4 by biochemical fractionation using detergent Nonidet P-40. A subpopulation of XRCC4 changed into a form that is resistant to the extraction with 0.5% Nonidet P-40-containing buffer after irradiation. This form of XRCC4 was liberated by micrococcal nuclease treatment, indicating that it had been tethered to chromatin DNA. This chromatin-recruitment of XRCC4 could be seen immediately (<0.1 hr) after irradiation and remained up to 4 hr after 20 Gy irradiation. It was seen even after irradiation of small doses, id est (i.e.), 2 Gy, but the residence of XRCC4 on chromatin was very transient after 2 Gy irradiation, returning to near normal level in 0.2-0.5 hr after irradiation. The chromatin-bound XRCC4 represented only -1% of total XRCC4 molecules even after 20 Gy irradiation and the quantitative analysis using purified protein as the reference suggested that only a few XRCC4-DNA ligase IV complexes were recruited to each DNA end. We further show that the chromatin-recruitment of XRCC4 was not attenuated by wortmannin, an inhibitor of DNA-PK, or siRNA-mediated knockdown of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), indicating that this process does not require DNA-PKcs. These results would provide us with useful experimental tools and important insights to understand the DNA repair process through NHEJ pathway. (author)

When two is not enough: a CtIP tetramer is required for DNA repair by Homologous Recombination.

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Forment, Josep V; Jackson, Stephen P; Pellegrini, Luca

2015-01-01

Homologous recombination (HR) is central to the repair of double-strand DNA breaks that occur in S/G2 phases of the cell cycle. HR relies on the CtIP protein (Ctp1 in fission yeast, Sae2 in budding yeast) for resection of DNA ends, a key step in generating the 3'-DNA overhangs that are required for the HR strand-exchange reaction. Although much has been learned about the biological importance of CtIP in DNA repair, our mechanistic insight into its molecular functions remains incomplete. It has been recently discovered that CtIP and Ctp1 share a conserved tetrameric architecture that is mediated by their N-terminal domains and is critical for their function in HR. The specific arrangement of protein chains in the CtIP/Ctp1 tetramer indicates that an ability to bridge DNA ends might be an important feature of CtIP/Ctp1 function, establishing an intriguing similarity with the known ability of the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 complex to link DNA ends. Although the exact mechanism of action remains to be elucidated, the remarkable evolutionary conservation of CtIP/Ctp1 tetramerisation clearly points to its crucial role in HR.

An RNA secondary structure bias for non-homologous reverse transcriptase-mediated deletions in vivo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duch, Mogens; Carrasco, Maria L; Jespersen, Thomas

2004-01-01

Murine leukemia viruses harboring an internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-directed translational cassette are able to replicate, but undergo loss of heterologous sequences upon continued passage. While complete loss of heterologous sequences is favored when these are flanked by a direct repeat......, deletion mutants with junction sites within the heterologous cassette may also be retrieved, in particular from vectors without flanking repeats. Such deletion mutants were here used to investigate determinants of reverse transcriptase-mediated non-homologous recombination. Based upon previous structural...... result from template switching during first-strand cDNA synthesis and that the choice of acceptor sites for non-homologous recombination are guided by non-paired regions. Our results may have implications for recombination events taking place within structured regions of retroviral RNA genomes...

DNA repair and cytokines: TGF-beta, IL-6, and thrombopoietin as different biomarkers of radioresistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Bianca Aiello

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Double strand breaks (DSBs induced by radiotherapy are highly cytotoxic lesions, leading to chromosomal aberrations and cell death. ATM-dependent DNA-damage response, non-homologous end joining, and homologous recombination pathways coordinately contribute to repairing DSBs in higher eukaryotes. It is known that the expression of DSB repair genes is increased in tumors which is one of the main reasons for radioresistance. The inhibition of DSB repair pathways may be useful to increase tumor cell radiosensitivity and may target stem cell-like cancer cells, known to be the most radioresistant tumor components. Commonly overexpressed in neoplastic cells, cytokines confer radioresistance by promoting proliferation, survival, invasion, and angiogenesis. Unfortunately, tumor irradiation increases the expression of various cytokines displaying these effects, including transforming growth factor-beta and interlukin-6. Recently the capabilities of these cytokines to support DNA repair pathways and the ATM-dependent DNA response have been demonstrated. Thrombopoietin, essential for megakaryopoiesis and very important for hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis, has also been found to promote DNA repair in a highly selective manner. These findings reveal a novel mechanism underlying cytokine-related radioresistance, which may be clinically relevant. Therapies targeting specific cytokines may be used to improve radiosensitivity. Specific inhibitors may be chosen in consideration of different tumor microenvironments. Thrombopoietin may be useful in fending off irradiation-induced loss of hematopoietic stem cells.

Characterization of Mycobacterium smegmatis PolD2 and PolD1 as RNA/DNA polymerases homologous to the POL domain of bacterial DNA ligase D.

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Zhu, Hui; Bhattarai, Hitesh; Yan, Han-Guang; Shuman, Stewart; Glickman, Michael S

2012-12-21

Mycobacteria exploit nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) to repair DNA double-strand breaks. The core NHEJ machinery comprises the homodimeric DNA end-binding protein Ku and DNA ligase D (LigD), a modular enzyme composed of a C-terminal ATP-dependent ligase domain (LIG), a central 3'-phosphoesterase domain (PE), and an N-terminal polymerase domain (POL). LigD POL is proficient at adding templated and nontemplated deoxynucleotides and ribonucleotides to DNA ends in vitro and is the catalyst in vivo of unfaithful NHEJ events involving nontemplated single-nucleotide additions to blunt DSB ends. Here, we identify two mycobacterial proteins, PolD1 and PolD2, as stand-alone homologues of the LigD POL domain. Biochemical characterization of PolD1 and PolD2 shows that they resemble LigD POL in their monomeric quaternary structures, their ability to add templated and nontemplated nucleotides to primer-templates and blunt ends, and their preference for rNTPs versus dNTPs. Deletion of polD1, polD2, or both from a Mycobacterium smegmatis strain carrying an inactivating mutation in LigD POL failed to reveal a role for PolD1 or PolD2 in templated nucleotide additions during NHEJ of 5'-overhang DSBs or in clastogen resistance. Whereas our results document the existence and characteristics of new stand-alone members of the LigD POL family of RNA/DNA polymerases, they imply that other polymerases can perform fill-in synthesis during mycobacterial NHEJ.

Laser microbeams for DNA damage induction, optical tweezers for the search on blood pressure relaxing drugs: contributions to ageing research

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Grigaravicius, P.; Monajembashi, S.; Hoffmann, M.; Altenberg, B.; Greulich, K. O.

2009-08-01

One essential cause of human ageing is the accumulation of DNA damages during lifetime. Experimental studies require quantitative induction of damages and techniques to visualize the subsequent DNA repair. A new technique, the "immuno fluorescent comet assay", is used to directly visualize DNA damages in the microscope. Using DNA repair proteins fluorescently labeled with green fluorescent protein, it could be shown that the repair of the most dangerous DNA double strand breaks starts with the inaccurate "non homologous end joining" pathway and only after 1 - 1 ½ minutes may switch to the more accurate "homologous recombination repair". One might suggest investigating whether centenarians use "homologous recombination repair" differently from those ageing at earlier years and speculate whether it is possible, for example by nutrition, to shift DNA repair to a better use of the error free pathway and thus promote healthy ageing. As a complementary technique optical tweezers, and particularly its variant "erythrocyte mediated force application", is used to simulate the effects of blood pressure on HUVEC cells representing the inner lining of human blood vessels. Stimulating one cell induces in the whole neighbourhood waves of calcium and nitric oxide, known to relax blood vessels. NIFEDIPINE and AMLODIPINE, both used as drugs in the therapy of high blood pressure, primarily a disease of the elderly, prolong the availability of nitric oxide. This partially explains their mode of action. In contrast, VERAPAMILE, also a blood pressure reducing drug, does not show this effect, indicating that obviously an alternative mechanism must be responsible for vessel relaxation.

PAM-OBG: A monoamine oxidase B specific prodrug that inhibits MGMT and generates DNA interstrand crosslinks, potentiating temozolomide and chemoradiation therapy in intracranial glioblastoma

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Sharpe, Martyn A.; Raghavan, Sudhir; Baskin, David S.

2018-01-01

Via extensive analyses of genetic databases, we have characterized the DNA-repair capacity of glioblastoma with respect to patient survival. In addition to elevation of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), down-regulation of three DNA repair pathways; canonical mismatch repair (MMR), Non-Homologous End-Joining (NHEJ), and Homologous Recombination (HR) are correlated with poor patient outcome. We have designed and tested both in vitro and in vivo, a monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) specific prodrug, PAM-OBG, that is converted by glioma MAOB into the MGMT inhibitor O6-benzylguanine (O6BG) and the DNA crosslinking agent acrolein. In cultured glioma cells, we show that PAM-OBG is converted to O6BG, inhibiting MGMT and sensitizing cells to DNA alkylating agents such as BCNU, CCNU, and Temozolomide (TMZ). In addition, we demonstrate that the acrolein generated is highly toxic in glioma treated with an inhibitor of Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER). In mouse intracranial models of primary human glioma, we show that PAM-OBG increases survival of mice treated with either BCNU or CCNU by a factor of six and that in a chemoradiation model utilizing six rounds of TMZ/2Gy radiation, pre-treatment with PAM-OBG more than doubled survival time. PMID:29844863

Coexposure to benzo[a]pyrene plus UVA induced DNA double strand breaks: visualization of Ku assembly in the nucleus having DNA lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyooka, Tatsushi; Ibuki, Yuko; Koike, Manabu; Ohashi, Norio; Takahashi, Sentaro; Goto, Rensuke

2004-01-01

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant with potential carcinogenicity. It has been shown that BaP, upon UVA irradiation, synergistically induced oxidative DNA damage, but other DNA damage was not confirmed. In this study, we examined whether coexposure to BaP plus UVA induces double strand breaks (DSBs) using xrs-5 cells, deficient in the repair of DSBs (Ku80 mutant), and whether Ku translocates involving the formation of DSBs. BaP plus UVA had a significant cytotoxic effect on CHO-K1 cells and an even more drastic effect on Ku80-deficient, xrs-5 cells, suggesting that the DSBs were generated by coexposure to BaP plus UVA. The DSBs were repaired in CHO-K1 cells within 30 min, but not in xrs-5 cells, indicating the involvement of a non-homologous end joining, which needs Ku proteins. Furthermore, we succeeded in visualizing that Ku80 rapidly assembled to the exposed region, in which DSBs might be generated, and clarified that the presence of both Ku70 and Ku80 was important for their accumulation

Sequence homology at the breakpoint and clinical phenotype of mitochondrial DNA deletion syndromes.

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Sadikovic, Bekim; Wang, Jing; El-Hattab, Ayman W; Landsverk, Megan; Douglas, Ganka; Brundage, Ellen K; Craigen, William J; Schmitt, Eric S; Wong, Lee-Jun C

2010-12-20

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions are a common cause of mitochondrial disorders. Large mtDNA deletions can lead to a broad spectrum of clinical features with different age of onset, ranging from mild mitochondrial myopathies (MM), progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), and Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS), to severe Pearson syndrome. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular signatures surrounding the deletion breakpoints and their association with the clinical phenotype and age at onset. MtDNA deletions in 67 patients were characterized using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) followed by PCR-sequencing of the deletion junctions. Sequence homology including both perfect and imperfect short repeats flanking the deletion regions were analyzed and correlated with clinical features and patients' age group. In all age groups, there was a significant increase in sequence homology flanking the deletion compared to mtDNA background. The youngest patient group (deletion distribution in size and locations, with a significantly lower sequence homology flanking the deletion, and the highest percentage of deletion mutant heteroplasmy. The older age groups showed rather discrete pattern of deletions with 44% of all patients over 6 years old carrying the most common 5 kb mtDNA deletion, which was found mostly in muscle specimens (22/41). Only 15% (3/20) of the young patients (deletion, which is usually present in blood rather than muscle. This group of patients predominantly (16 out of 17) exhibit multisystem disorder and/or Pearson syndrome, while older patients had predominantly neuromuscular manifestations including KSS, PEO, and MM. In conclusion, sequence homology at the deletion flanking regions is a consistent feature of mtDNA deletions. Decreased levels of sequence homology and increased levels of deletion mutant heteroplasmy appear to correlate with earlier onset and more severe disease with multisystem involvement.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and protein phosphatase 6 (PP6) regulate DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) phosphorylation in mitosis.

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Douglas, Pauline; Ye, Ruiqiong; Trinkle-Mulcahy, Laura; Neal, Jessica A; De Wever, Veerle; Morrice, Nick A; Meek, Katheryn; Lees-Miller, Susan P

2014-06-25

The protein kinase activity of the DNA-PKcs (DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit) and its autophosphorylation are critical for DBS (DNA double-strand break) repair via NHEJ (non-homologous end-joining). Recent studies have shown that depletion or inactivation of DNA-PKcs kinase activity also results in mitotic defects. DNA-PKcs is autophosphorylated on Ser2056, Thr2647 and Thr2609 in mitosis and phosphorylated DNA-PKcs localize to centrosomes, mitotic spindles and the midbody. DNA-PKcs also interacts with PP6 (protein phosphatase 6), and PP6 has been shown to dephosphorylate Aurora A kinase in mitosis. Here we report that DNA-PKcs is phosphorylated on Ser3205 and Thr3950 in mitosis. Phosphorylation of Thr3950 is DNA-PK-dependent, whereas phosphorylation of Ser3205 requires PLK1 (polo-like kinase 1). Moreover, PLK1 phosphorylates DNA-PKcs on Ser3205 in vitro and interacts with DNA-PKcs in mitosis. In addition, PP6 dephosphorylates DNA-PKcs at Ser3205 in mitosis and after IR (ionizing radiation). DNA-PKcs also phosphorylates Chk2 on Thr68 in mitosis and both phosphorylation of Chk2 and autophosphorylation of DNA-PKcs in mitosis occur in the apparent absence of Ku and DNA damage. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into the roles of DNA-PKcs and PP6 in mitosis and suggest that DNA-PKcs' role in mitosis may be mechanistically distinct from its well-established role in NHEJ.

Site- and strand-specific nicking of DNA by fusion proteins derived from MutH and I-SceI or TALE repeats.

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Gabsalilow, Lilia; Schierling, Benno; Friedhoff, Peter; Pingoud, Alfred; Wende, Wolfgang

2013-04-01

Targeted genome engineering requires nucleases that introduce a highly specific double-strand break in the genome that is either processed by homology-directed repair in the presence of a homologous repair template or by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) that usually results in insertions or deletions. The error-prone NHEJ can be efficiently suppressed by 'nickases' that produce a single-strand break rather than a double-strand break. Highly specific nickases have been produced by engineering of homing endonucleases and more recently by modifying zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) composed of a zinc finger array and the catalytic domain of the restriction endonuclease FokI. These ZF-nickases work as heterodimers in which one subunit has a catalytically inactive FokI domain. We present two different approaches to engineer highly specific nickases; both rely on the sequence-specific nicking activity of the DNA mismatch repair endonuclease MutH which we fused to a DNA-binding module, either a catalytically inactive variant of the homing endonuclease I-SceI or the DNA-binding domain of the TALE protein AvrBs4. The fusion proteins nick strand specifically a bipartite recognition sequence consisting of the MutH and the I-SceI or TALE recognition sequences, respectively, with a more than 1000-fold preference over a stand-alone MutH site. TALE-MutH is a programmable nickase.

Processing of radiation-induced clustered DNA damage generates DSB in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulston, M.K.; De Lara, C.M.; Davis, E.L.; Jenner, T.J.; O'Neill, P.

2003-01-01

Full text: Clustered DNA damage sites, in which two or more lesions are formed within a few helical turns of the DNA after passage of a single radiation track, are signatures of DNA modifications induced by ionizing radiation in mammalian cell. With 60 Co-radiation, the abundance of clustered DNA damage induced in CHO cells is ∼4x that of prompt double strand breaks (DSB) determined by PFGE. Less is known about the processing of non-DSB clustered DNA damage induced in cells. To optimize observation of any additional DSB formed during processing of DNA damage at 37 deg C, xrs-5 cells deficient in non-homologous end joining were used. Surprisingly, ∼30% of the DSB induced by irradiation at 37 deg C are rejoined within 4 minutes in both mutant and wild type cells. No significant mis-repair of these apparent DSB was observed. It is suggested that a class of non-DSB clustered DNA damage is formed which repair correctly within 4 min but, if 'trapped' prior to repair, are converted into DSB during the lysis procedure of PFGE. However at longer times, a proportion of non-DSB clustered DNA damage sites induced by γ-radiation are converted into DSB within ∼30 min following post-irradiation incubation at 37 deg C. The corresponding formation of additional DSB was not apparent in wild type CHO cells. From these observations, it is estimated that only ∼10% of the total yield of non DSB clustered DNA damage sites are converted into DSB through cellular processing. The biological consequences that the majority of non-DSB clustered DNA damage sites are not converted into DSBs may be significant even at low doses, since a finite chance exists of these clusters being formed in a cell by a single radiation track

Chromosome aberration model combining radiation tracks, chromatin structure, DSB repair and chromatin mobility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedland, W.; Kundrat, P.

2015-01-01

The module that simulates the kinetics and yields of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations within the biophysical code PARTRAC is described. Radiation track structures simulated by Monte Carlo methods are overlapped with multi-scale models of DNA and chromatin to assess the resulting DNA damage. Spatial mobility of individual DNA ends from double-strand breaks is modelled simultaneously with their processing by the non-homologous end-joining enzymes. To score diverse types of chromosome aberrations, the joined ends are classified regarding their original chromosomal location, orientation and the involvement of centromeres. A comparison with experimental data on dicentrics induced by gamma and alpha particles shows that their relative dose dependence is predicted correctly, although the absolute yields are overestimated. The critical model assumptions on chromatin mobility and on the initial damage recognition and chromatin remodelling steps and their future refinements to solve this issue are discussed. (authors)

Precise Sequential DNA Ligation on A Solid Substrate: Solid-Based Rapid Sequential Ligation of Multiple DNA Molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Takita, Eiji; Kohda, Katsunori; Tomatsu, Hajime; Hanano, Shigeru; Moriya, Kanami; Hosouchi, Tsutomu; Sakurai, Nozomu; Suzuki, Hideyuki; Shinmyo, Atsuhiko; Shibata, Daisuke

2013-01-01

Ligation, the joining of DNA fragments, is a fundamental procedure in molecular cloning and is indispensable to the production of genetically modified organisms that can be used for basic research, the applied biosciences, or both. Given that many genes cooperate in various pathways, incorporating multiple gene cassettes in tandem in a transgenic DNA construct for the purpose of genetic modification is often necessary when generating organisms that produce multiple foreign gene products. Here, we describe a novel method, designated PRESSO (precise sequential DNA ligation on a solid substrate), for the tandem ligation of multiple DNA fragments. We amplified donor DNA fragments with non-palindromic ends, and ligated the fragment to acceptor DNA fragments on solid beads. After the final donor DNA fragments, which included vector sequences, were joined to the construct that contained the array of fragments, the ligation product (the construct) was thereby released from the beads via digestion with a rare-cut meganuclease; the freed linear construct was circularized via an intra-molecular ligation. PRESSO allowed us to rapidly and efficiently join multiple genes in an optimized order and orientation. This method can overcome many technical challenges in functional genomics during the post-sequencing generation. PMID:23897972

Accumulation of linear mitochondrial DNA fragments in the nucleus shortens the chronological life span of yeast.

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Cheng, Xin; Ivessa, Andreas S

2012-10-01

Translocation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments to the nucleus and insertion of those fragments into nuclear DNA has been observed in several organisms ranging from yeast to plants and mammals. Disruption of specific nuclear genes by de novo insertions of mtDNA fragments has even been linked to the initiation of several human diseases. Recently, we demonstrated that baker's yeast strains with high rates of mtDNA fragments migrating to the nucleus (yme1-1 mutant) exhibit short chronological life spans (CLS). The yeast CLS is determined by the survival of non-dividing cell populations. Here, we show that lack of the non-homologous-end-joining enzyme DNA ligase IV (DNL4) can rescue the short CLS of the yme1-1 mutant. In fission yeast, DNA ligase IV has been shown to be required for the capture of mtDNA fragments during the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks in nuclear DNA. In further analyses using pulse field gel and 2D gel electrophoresis we demonstrate that linear mtDNA fragments with likely nuclear localization accumulate in the yme1-1 mutant. The accumulation of the linear mtDNA fragments in the yme1-1 mutant is suppressed when Dnl4 is absent. We propose that the linear nuclear mtDNA fragments accelerate the aging process in the yme1-1 mutant cells by possibly affecting nuclear processes including DNA replication, recombination, and repair as well as transcription of nuclear genes. We speculate further that Dnl4 protein has besides its function as a ligase also a role in DNA protection. Dnl4 protein may stabilize the linear mtDNA fragments in the nucleus by binding to their physical ends. In the absence of Dnl4 protein the linear fragments are therefore unprotected and possibly degraded by nuclear nucleases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 with improved proof-reading enhances homology-directed repair.

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Kato-Inui, Tomoko; Takahashi, Gou; Hsu, Szuyin; Miyaoka, Yuichiro

2018-05-18

Genome editing using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) predominantly induces non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which generates random insertions or deletions, whereas homology-directed repair (HDR), which generates precise recombination products, is useful for wider applications. However, the factors that determine the ratio of HDR to NHEJ products after CRISPR/Cas9 editing remain unclear, and methods by which the proportion of HDR products can be increased have not yet been fully established. We systematically analyzed the HDR and NHEJ products after genome editing using various modified guide RNAs (gRNAs) and Cas9 variants with an enhanced conformational checkpoint to improve the fidelity at endogenous gene loci in HEK293T cells and HeLa cells. We found that these modified gRNAs and Cas9 variants were able to enhance HDR in both single-nucleotide substitutions and a multi-kb DNA fragment insertion. Our results suggest that the original CRISPR/Cas9 system from the bacterial immune system is not necessarily the best option for the induction of HDR in genome editing and indicate that the modulation of the kinetics of conformational checkpoints of Cas9 can optimize the HDR/NHEJ ratio.

A novel missense RAG-1 mutation results in T−B−NK+ SCID in Athabascan-speaking Dine Indians from the Canadian Northwest Territories

OpenAIRE

Xiao, Zheng; Yannone, Steven M; Dunn, Elizabeth; Cowan, Morton J

2008-01-01

DNA double-strand repair factors in the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway resolve DNA double-strand breaks introduced by the recombination-activating gene (RAG) proteins during V(D)J recombination of T and B lymphocyte receptor genes. Defective NHEJ and subsequent failure of V(D)J recombination leads to severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID). We originally linked T−B−NK+ SCID in Athabascan-speaking Native Americans in the Southwestern US and Northwest Territories of Canada to...

Distinct roles of FANCO/RAD51C in DNA damage signaling and repair: implications for fanconi anemia and breast cancer susceptibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaraju, G.; Somyajit, K.; Subramanya, S.

2012-01-01

Unrepaired or misrepaired chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) can cause gross chromosomal rearrangements which eventually can lead to tumorigenesis through inactivation of tumor suppressor genes or activation of oncogenes. There are two major mechanisms of DSB repair: non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). DSBs that are generated during S and G2 phase of the cell are preferentially repaired by sister chromatid recombination (SCR), an HR pathway that utilizes neighboring sister chromatid as a template. Since the copied information is accurate, SCR is potentially an error-free pathway. HR also plays a critical role in the repair of daughter strand gaps (DSGs) that arise as a result of replication fork stalling and facilitates replication fork recovery. Furthermore, in collaboration with nucleotide excision repair and translesion synthesis, HR is involved in the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs). Thus, HR is important for the maintenance of genome integrity and its dysfunction can lead to various genetic disorders and cancer

The Heterochromatic Barrier to DNA Double Strand Break Repair: How to Get the Entry Visa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron A. Goodarzi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Over recent decades, a deep understanding of pathways that repair DNA double strand breaks (DSB has been gained from biochemical, structural, biophysical and cellular studies. DNA non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ and homologous recombination (HR represent the two major DSB repair pathways, and both processes are now well understood. Recent work has demonstrated that the chromatin environment at a DSB significantly impacts upon DSB repair and that, moreover, dramatic modifications arise in the chromatin surrounding a DSB. Chromatin is broadly divided into open, transcriptionally active, euchromatin (EC and highly compacted, transcriptionally inert, heterochromatin (HC, although these represent extremes of a spectrum. The HC superstructure restricts both DSB repair and damage response signaling. Moreover, DSBs within HC (HC-DSBs are rapidly relocalized to the EC-HC interface. The damage response protein kinase, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM, is required for HC-DSB repair but is dispensable for the relocalization of HC-DSBs. It has been proposed that ATM signaling enhances HC relaxation in the DSB vicinity and that this is a prerequisite for HC-DSB repair. Hence, ATM is essential for repair of HC-DSBs. Here, we discuss how HC impacts upon the response to DSBs and how ATM overcomes the barrier that HC poses to repair.

DNA repair systems and the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: varying activities at different stages of infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorna, Alina E; Bowater, Richard P; Dziadek, Jaroslaw

2010-05-25

Mycobacteria, including most of all MTB (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), cause pathogenic infections in humans and, during the infectious process, are exposed to a range of environmental insults, including the host's immune response. From the moment MTB is exhaled by infected individuals, through an active and latent phase in the body of the new host, until the time they reach the reactivation stage, MTB is exposed to many types of DNA-damaging agents. Like all cellular organisms, MTB has efficient DNA repair systems, and these are believed to play essential roles in mycobacterial pathogenesis. As different stages of infection have great variation in the conditions in which mycobacteria reside, it is possible that different repair systems are essential for progression to specific phases of infection. MTB possesses homologues of DNA repair systems that are found widely in other species of bacteria, such as nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair and repair by homologous recombination. MTB also possesses a system for non-homologous end-joining of DNA breaks, which appears to be widespread in prokaryotes, although its presence is sporadic within different species within a genus. However, MTB does not possess homologues of the typical mismatch repair system that is found in most bacteria. Recent studies have demonstrated that DNA repair genes are expressed differentially at each stage of infection. In the present review, we focus on different DNA repair systems from mycobacteria and identify questions that remain in our understanding of how these systems have an impact upon the infection processes of these important pathogens.

Induction of homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, J R; Moore, P D

1988-09-01

We have investigated the effects of UV irradiation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in order to distinguish whether UV-induced recombination results from the induction of enzymes required for homologous recombination, or the production of substrate sites for recombination containing regions of DNA damage. We utilized split-dose experiments to investigate the induction of proteins required for survival, gene conversion, and mutation in a diploid strain of S. cerevisiae. We demonstrate that inducing doses of UV irradiation followed by a 6 h period of incubation render the cells resistant to challenge doses of UV irradiation. The effects of inducing and challenge doses of UV irradiation upon interchromosomal gene conversion and mutation are strictly additive. Using the yeast URA3 gene cloned in non-replicating single- and double-stranded plasmid vectors that integrate into chromosomal genes upon transformation, we show that UV irradiation of haploid yeast cells and homologous plasmid DNA sequences each stimulate homologous recombination approximately two-fold, and that these effects are additive. Non-specific DNA damage has little effect on the stimulation of homologous recombination, as shown by studies in which UV-irradiated heterologous DNA was included in transformation/recombination experiments. We further demonstrate that the effect of competing single- and double-stranded heterologous DNA sequences differs in UV-irradiated and unirradiated cells, suggesting an induction of recombinational machinery in UV-irradiated S. cerevisiae cells.

Divergent Roles of RPA Homologs of the Model Archaeon Halobacterium salinarum in Survival of DNA Damage.

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Evans, Jessica J; Gygli, Patrick E; McCaskill, Julienne; DeVeaux, Linda C

2018-04-20

The haloarchaea are unusual in possessing genes for multiple homologs to the ubiquitous single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB or replication protein A, RPA) found in all three domains of life. Halobacterium salinarum contains five homologs: two are eukaryotic in organization, two are prokaryotic and are encoded on the minichromosomes, and one is uniquely euryarchaeal. Radiation-resistant mutants previously isolated show upregulation of one of the eukaryotic-type RPA genes. Here, we have created deletions in the five RPA operons. These deletion mutants were exposed to DNA-damaging conditions: ionizing radiation, UV radiation, and mitomycin C. Deletion of the euryarchaeal homolog, although not lethal as in Haloferax volcanii , causes severe sensitivity to all of these agents. Deletion of the other RPA/SSB homologs imparts a variable sensitivity to these DNA-damaging agents, suggesting that the different RPA homologs have specialized roles depending on the type of genomic insult encountered.

Double-strand break repair-adox: Restoration of suppressed double-strand break repair during mitosis induces genomic instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Terasawa, Masahiro; Shinohara, Akira; Shinohara, Miki

2014-12-01

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the severest types of DNA damage. Unrepaired DSBs easily induce cell death and chromosome aberrations. To maintain genomic stability, cells have checkpoint and DSB repair systems to respond to DNA damage throughout most of the cell cycle. The failure of this process often results in apoptosis or genomic instability, such as aneuploidy, deletion, or translocation. Therefore, DSB repair is essential for maintenance of genomic stability. During mitosis, however, cells seem to suppress the DNA damage response and proceed to the next G1 phase, even if there are unrepaired DSBs. The biological significance of this suppression is not known. In this review, we summarize recent studies of mitotic DSB repair and discuss the mechanisms of suppression of DSB repair during mitosis. DSB repair, which maintains genomic integrity in other phases of the cell cycle, is rather toxic to cells during mitosis, often resulting in chromosome missegregation and aberration. Cells have multiple safeguards to prevent genomic instability during mitosis: inhibition of 53BP1 or BRCA1 localization to DSB sites, which is important to promote non-homologous end joining or homologous recombination, respectively, and also modulation of the non-homologous end joining core complex to inhibit DSB repair. We discuss how DSBs during mitosis are toxic and the multiple safeguard systems that suppress genomic instability. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer Science published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

DNA-PK inhibition causes a low level of H2AX phosphorylation and homologous recombination repair in Medaka (Oryzias latipes) cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urushihara, Yusuke; Kobayashi, Junya; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa; Komatsu, Kenshi; Oda, Shoji; Mitani, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We investigated the effect of DNA-PK inhibition on DSB repair using fish cells. ► A radiation sensitive mutant RIC1 strain showed a low level of DNA-PK activity. ► DNA-PK dysfunction leads defects in HR repair and DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation. ► DNA-PK dysfunction leads a slight increase in the number of 53BP1 foci after DSBs. ► DNA-PK dysfunction leads an alternative NHEJ that depends on 53BP1. -- Abstract: Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) are known as DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways. It has been reported that DNA-PK, a member of PI3 kinase family, promotes NHEJ and aberrant DNA-PK causes NHEJ deficiency. However, in this study, we demonstrate that a wild-type cell line treated with DNA-PK inhibitor and a mutant cell line with dysfunctional DNA-PK showed decreased HR efficiency in fish cells (Medaka, Oryzias latipes). Previously, we reported that the radiation-sensitive mutant RIC1 strain has a defect in the Histone H2AX phosphorylation after γ-irradiation. Here, we showed that a DNA-PK inhibitor, NU7026, treatment resulted in significant reduction in the number of γH2AX foci after γ-irradiation in wild-type cells, but had no significant effect in RIC1 cells. In addition, RIC1 cells showed significantly lower levels of DNA-PK kinase activity compared with wild-type cells. We investigated NHEJ and HR efficiency after induction of DSBs. Wild-type cells treated with NU7026 and RIC1 cells showed decreased HR efficiency. These results indicated that aberrant DNA-PK causes the reduction in the number of γH2AX foci and HR efficiency in RIC1 cells. We performed phosphorylated DNA-PKcs (Thr2609) and 53BP1 focus assay after γ-irradiation. RIC1 cells showed significant reduction in the number of phosphorylated DNA-PKcs foci and no deference in the number of 53BP1 foci compared with wild-type cells. These results suggest that low level of DNA-PK activity causes aberrant DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation

Using Negotiated Joining to Construct and Fill Open-ended Roles in Elite Culinary Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Vaughn

2015-03-01

This qualitative study examines membership processes in groups operating in an uncertain environment that prevents them from fully predefining new members' roles. I describe how nine elite high-end, cutting-edge culinary groups in the U.S. and Europe, ranging from innovative restaurants to culinary R&D groups, use negotiated joining-a previously undocumented process-to systematically construct and fill these emergent, open-ended roles. I show that negotiated joining is a consistently patterned, iterative process that begins with a role that both aspirant and target group explicitly understand to be provisional. This provisional role is then jointly modified and constructed by the aspirant and target group through repeated iterations of proposition, validation through trial and evaluation, and selective integration of validated role components. The initially provisional role stabilizes and the aspirant achieves membership if enough role components are validated; otherwise the negotiated joining process is abandoned. Negotiated joining allows the aspirant and target group to learn if a mutually desirable role is likely and, if so, to construct such a role. In addition, the provisional roles in negotiated joining can support absorptive capacity by allowing novel role components to enter target groups through aspirants' efforts to construct stable roles for themselves, while the internal adjustment involved in integrating newly validated role components can have the unintended side effect of supporting adaptation by providing opportunities for the groups to use these novel role components to modify their role structure and goals to suit a changing and uncertain environment. Negotiated joining thus reveals role ambiguity's hitherto unexamined beneficial consequences and provides a foundation for a contingency theory of new-member acquisition.

Histone dosage regulates DNA damage sensitivity in a checkpoint-independent manner by the homologous recombination pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Dun; Burkhart, Sarah Lyn; Singh, Rakesh Kumar; Kabbaj, Marie-Helene Miquel; Gunjan, Akash

2012-01-01

In eukaryotes, multiple genes encode histone proteins that package genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and regulate its accessibility. Because of their positive charge, ‘free’ (non-chromatin associated) histones can bind non-specifically to the negatively charged DNA and affect its metabolism, including DNA repair. We have investigated the effect of altering histone dosage on DNA repair in budding yeast. An increase in histone gene dosage resulted in enhanced DNA damage sensitivity, whereas deletion of a H3–H4 gene pair resulted in reduced levels of free H3 and H4 concomitant with resistance to DNA damaging agents, even in mutants defective in the DNA damage checkpoint. Studies involving the repair of a HO endonuclease-mediated DNA double-strand break (DSB) at the MAT locus show enhanced repair efficiency by the homologous recombination (HR) pathway on a reduction in histone dosage. Cells with reduced histone dosage experience greater histone loss around a DSB, whereas the recruitment of HR factors is concomitantly enhanced. Further, free histones compete with the HR machinery for binding to DNA and associate with certain HR factors, potentially interfering with HR-mediated repair. Our findings may have important implications for DNA repair, genomic stability, carcinogenesis and aging in human cells that have dozens of histone genes. PMID:22850743

Caffeine suppresses homologous recombination through interference with RAD51-mediated joint molecule formation

Science.gov (United States)

Zelensky, Alex N.; Sanchez, Humberto; Ristic, Dejan; Vidic, Iztok; van Rossum-Fikkert, Sari E.; Essers, Jeroen; Wyman, Claire; Kanaar, Roland

2013-01-01

Caffeine is a widely used inhibitor of the protein kinases that play a central role in the DNA damage response. We used chemical inhibitors and genetically deficient mouse embryonic stem cell lines to study the role of DNA damage response in stable integration of the transfected DNA and found that caffeine rapidly, efficiently and reversibly inhibited homologous integration of the transfected DNA as measured by several homologous recombination-mediated gene-targeting assays. Biochemical and structural biology experiments revealed that caffeine interfered with a pivotal step in homologous recombination, homologous joint molecule formation, through increasing interactions of the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament with non-homologous DNA. Our results suggest that recombination pathways dependent on extensive homology search are caffeine-sensitive and stress the importance of considering direct checkpoint-independent mechanisms in the interpretation of the effects of caffeine on DNA repair. PMID:23666627

A Polypeptide-DNA Hybrid with Selective Linking Capability Applied to Single Molecule Nano-Mechanical Measurements Using Optical Tweezers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moayed, F.; Mashaghi, A.; Tans, S.J.

2013-01-01

Many applications in biosensing, biomaterial engineering and single molecule biophysics require multiple non-covalent linkages between DNA, protein molecules, and surfaces that are specific yet strong. Here, we present a novel method to join proteins and dsDNA molecule at their ends, in an

Mutagenic effects of carbon ions near the range end in plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hase, Yoshihiro, E-mail: hase.yoshihiro@jaea.go.jp [Ion Beam Mutagenesis Research Group, Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Yoshihara, Ryouhei; Nozawa, Shigeki; Narumi, Issay [Ion Beam Mutagenesis Research Group, Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

2012-03-01

To gain insight into the mutagenic effects of accelerated heavy ions in plants, the mutagenic effects of carbon ions near the range end (mean linear energy transfer (LET): 425 keV/{mu}m) were compared with the effects of carbon ions penetrating the seeds (mean LET: 113 keV/{mu}m). Mutational analysis by plasmid rescue of Escherichia coli rpsL from irradiated Arabidopsis plants showed a 2.7-fold increase in mutant frequency for 113 keV/{mu}m carbon ions, whereas no enhancement of mutant frequency was observed for carbon ions near the range end. This suggested that carbon ions near the range end induced mutations that were not recovered by plasmid rescue. An Arabidopsis DNA ligase IV mutant, deficient in non-homologous end-joining repair, showed hyper-sensitivity to both types of carbon-ion irradiation. The difference in radiation sensitivity between the wild type and the repair-deficient mutant was greatly diminished for carbon ions near the range end, suggesting that these ions induce irreparable DNA damage. Mutational analysis of the Arabidopsis GL1 locus showed that while the frequency of generation of glabrous mutant sectors was not different between the two types of carbon-ion irradiation, large deletions (>{approx}30 kb) were six times more frequently induced by carbon ions near the range end. When 352 keV/{mu}m neon ions were used, these showed a 6.4 times increase in the frequency of induced large deletions compared with the 113 keV/{mu}m carbon ions. We suggest that the proportion of large deletions increases with LET in plants, as has been reported for mammalian cells. The nature of mutations induced in plants by carbon ions near the range end is discussed in relation to mutation detection by plasmid rescue and transmissibility to progeny.

Inhibition of Ku70 acetylation by INHAT subunit SET/TAF-Iβ regulates Ku70-mediated DNA damage response.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kee-Beom; Kim, Dong-Wook; Park, Jin Woo; Jeon, Young-Joo; Kim, Daehwan; Rhee, Sangmyung; Chae, Jung-Il; Seo, Sang-Beom

2014-07-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can cause either cell death or genomic instability. The Ku heterodimer Ku70/80 is required for the NHEJ (non-homologous end-joining) DNA DSB repair pathway. The INHAT (inhibitor of histone acetyltransferases) complex subunit, SET/TAF-Iβ, can inhibit p300- and PCAF-mediated acetylation of both histone and p53, thereby repressing general transcription and that of p53 target genes. Here, we show that SET/TAF-Iβ interacts with Ku70/80, and that this interaction inhibits CBP- and PCAF-mediated Ku70 acetylation in an INHAT domain-dependent manner. Notably, DNA damage by UV disrupted the interaction between SET/TAF-Iβ and Ku70. Furthermore, we demonstrate that overexpressed SET/TAF-Iβ inhibits recruitment of Ku70/80 to DNA damage sites. We propose that dysregulation of SET/TAF-Iβ expression prevents repair of damaged DNA and also contributes to cellular proliferation. All together, our findings indicate that SET/TAF-Iβ interacts with Ku70/80 in the nucleus and inhibits Ku70 acetylation. Upon DNA damage, SET/TAF-Iβ dissociates from the Ku complex and releases Ku70/Ku80, which are then recruited to DNA DSB sites via the NHEJ DNA repair pathway.

Stripped-down DNA repair in a highly reduced parasite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fast Naomi M

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a member of a distinctive group of single-celled parasitic eukaryotes called microsporidia, which are closely related to fungi. Some of these organisms, including E. cuniculi, also have uniquely small genomes that are within the prokaryotic range. Thus, E. cuniculi has undergone a massive genome reduction which has resulted in a loss of genes from diverse biological pathways, including those that act in DNA repair. DNA repair is essential to any living cell. A loss of these mechanisms invariably results in accumulation of mutations and/or cell death. Six major pathways of DNA repair in eukaryotes include: non-homologous end joining (NHEJ, homologous recombination repair (HRR, mismatch repair (MMR, nucleotide excision repair (NER, base excision repair (BER and methyltransferase repair. DNA polymerases are also critical players in DNA repair processes. Given the close relationship between microsporidia and fungi, the repair mechanisms present in E. cuniculi were compared to those of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ascertain how the process of genome reduction has affected the DNA repair pathways. Results E. cuniculi lacks 16 (plus another 6 potential absences of the 56 DNA repair genes sought via BLASTP and PSI-BLAST searches. Six of 14 DNA polymerases or polymerase subunits are also absent in E. cuniculi. All of these genes are relatively well conserved within eukaryotes. The absence of genes is not distributed equally among the different repair pathways; some pathways lack only one protein, while there is a striking absence of many proteins that are components of both double strand break repair pathways. All specialized repair polymerases are also absent. Conclusion Given the large number of DNA repair genes that are absent from the double strand break repair pathways, E. cuniculi is a prime candidate for the study of double strand break repair with minimal machinery. Strikingly, all of the

Chromosome End Repair and Genome Stability in Plasmodium falciparum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susannah F. Calhoun

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates within circulating red blood cells, where it is subjected to conditions that frequently cause DNA damage. The repair of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs is thought to rely almost exclusively on homologous recombination (HR, due to a lack of efficient nonhomologous end joining. However, given that the parasite is haploid during this stage of its life cycle, the mechanisms involved in maintaining genome stability are poorly understood. Of particular interest are the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes, which contain the majority of the multicopy variant antigen-encoding genes responsible for virulence and disease severity. Here, we show that parasites utilize a competitive balance between de novo telomere addition, also called “telomere healing,” and HR to stabilize chromosome ends. Products of both repair pathways were observed in response to DSBs that occurred spontaneously during routine in vitro culture or resulted from experimentally induced DSBs, demonstrating that both pathways are active in repairing DSBs within subtelomeric regions and that the pathway utilized was determined by the DNA sequences immediately surrounding the break. In combination, these two repair pathways enable parasites to efficiently maintain chromosome stability while also contributing to the generation of genetic diversity.

Loss of CHD1 causes DNA repair defects and enhances prostate cancer therapeutic responsiveness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kari, Vijayalakshmi; Mansour, Wael Yassin; Raul, Sanjay Kumar

2016-01-01

The CHD1 gene, encoding the chromo-domain helicase DNA-binding protein-1, is one of the most frequently deleted genes in prostate cancer. Here, we examined the role of CHD1 in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in prostate cancer cells. We show that CHD1 is required for the recruitment of Ct......-homologous end joining. Together, we provide evidence for a previously unknown role of CHD1 in DNA DSB repair via HR and show that CHD1 depletion sensitizes cells to PARP inhibitors, which has potential therapeutic relevance. Our findings suggest that CHD1 deletion, like BRCA1/2 mutation in ovarian cancer, may...... serve as a marker for prostate cancer patient stratification and the utilization of targeted therapies such as PARP inhibitors, which specifically target tumors with HR defects....

DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase As Molecular Target for Radiosensitization of Neuroblastoma Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolman, M Emmy M; van der Ploeg, Ida; Koster, Jan; Bate-Eya, Laurel Tabe; Versteeg, Rogier; Caron, Huib N; Molenaar, Jan J

2015-01-01

Tumor cells might resist therapy with ionizing radiation (IR) by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) of IR-induced double-strand breaks. One of the key players in NHEJ is DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). The catalytic subunit of DNA-PK, i.e. DNA-PKcs, can be inhibited with the small-molecule inhibitor NU7026. In the current study, the in vitro potential of NU7026 to radiosensitize neuroblastoma cells was investigated. DNA-PKcs is encoded by the PRKDC (protein kinase, DNA-activated, catalytic polypeptide) gene. We showed that PRKDC levels were enhanced in neuroblastoma patients and correlated with a more advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis, making DNA-PKcs an interesting target for radiosensitization of neuroblastoma tumors. Optimal dose finding for combination treatment with NU7026 and IR was performed using NGP cells. One hour pre-treatment with 10 μM NU7026 synergistically sensitized NGP cells to 0.63 Gy IR. Radiosensitizing effects of NU7026 increased in time, with maximum effects observed from 96 h after IR-exposure on. Combined treatment of NGP cells with 10 μM NU7026 and 0.63 Gy IR resulted in apoptosis, while no apoptotic response was observed for either of the therapies alone. Inhibition of IR-induced DNA-PK activation by NU7026 confirmed the capability of NGP cells to, at least partially, resist IR by NHEJ. NU7026 also synergistically radiosensitized other neuroblastoma cell lines, while no synergistic effect was observed for low DNA-PKcs-expressing non-cancerous fibroblasts. Results obtained for NU7026 were confirmed by PRKDC knockdown in NGP cells. Taken together, the current study shows that DNA-PKcs is a promising target for neuroblastoma radiosensitization.

Low concentrations of antimony impair DNA damage signaling and the repair of radiation-induced DSB in HeLa S3 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Barbara; Maser, Elena; Hartwig, Andrea

2017-12-01

Antimony is utilized in a large variety of industrial applications, leading to significant environmental and occupational exposure. Mainly based on animal experiments, the IARC and MAK Commission have classified antimony and its inorganic compounds as Group 2B or 2 carcinogens, respectively. However, the underlying mode(s) of action are still largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the impact of non-cytotoxic up to cytotoxic concentrations of SbCl 3 on DNA DSB repair and cell cycle control in HeLa S3 cells. We induced DSB by γ-irradiation and analyzed inhibitory actions of antimony on potential molecular targets of the DSB repair machinery. Antimony disturbed cell cycle control, affecting phosphorylation of Chk1. Furthermore, the repair of DSB was impaired in the presence of antimony, as monitored by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and γH2AX foci formation of cells in G1 and G2 phase. Specifically, BRCA1 and RAD51 were identified as molecular targets. Our results point towards an interference with both non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR), and inhibitory effects may be explained by interactions with critical cysteine groups; this needs to be further investigated. Altogether, the results provide further evidence for the impairment of DNA repair processes as one underlying mechanism in antimony-induced carcinogenicity.

RYBP Is a K63-Ubiquitin-Chain-Binding Protein that Inhibits Homologous Recombination Repair

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad A.M. Ali

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Summary: Ring1-YY1-binding protein (RYBP is a member of the non-canonical polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1, and like other PRC1 members, it is best described as a transcriptional regulator. However, several PRC1 members were recently shown to function in DNA repair. Here, we report that RYBP preferentially binds K63-ubiquitin chains via its Npl4 zinc finger (NZF domain. Since K63-linked ubiquitin chains are assembled at DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs, we examined the contribution of RYBP to DSB repair. Surprisingly, we find that RYBP is K48 polyubiquitylated by RNF8 and rapidly removed from chromatin upon DNA damage by the VCP/p97 segregase. High expression of RYBP competitively inhibits recruitment of BRCA1 repair complex to DSBs, reducing DNA end resection and homologous recombination (HR repair. Moreover, breast cancer cell lines expressing high endogenous RYBP levels show increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP inhibition. These data suggest that RYBP negatively regulates HR repair by competing for K63-ubiquitin chain binding. : Ali et al. find that RYBP binds K63-linked ubiquitin chains and is removed from DNA damage sites. This K63-ubiquitin binding allows RYBP to hinder the recruitment of BRCA1 and Rad51 to DNA double-strand breaks, thus inhibiting homologous recombination repair. Accordingly, cancer cells expressing high RYBP are more sensitive to DNA-damaging therapies. Keywords: DNA damage response, homologous recombination, ubiquitylation, RYBP, polycomb proteins, double-strand break repair, chromatin, histone modification

Formation of base triplets by non-Watson-Crick bonds mediates homologous recognition in RecA recombination filaments.

OpenAIRE

Rao, B J; Radding, C M

1994-01-01

Whereas complementary strands of DNA recognize one another by forming Watson-Crick base pairs, the way in which RecA protein enables a single strand to recognize homology in duplex DNA has remained unknown. Recent experiments, however, have shown that a single plus strand in the RecA filament can recognize an identical plus strand via bonds that, by definition, are non-Watson-Crick. In experiments reported here, base substitutions had the same qualitative and quantitative effects on the pairi...

Gel-based proteomic approach to unravel the extreme radiation resistance of deinococcus radiodurans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, Bhakti; Apte, Shree Kumar

2013-01-01

The extremophile, Deinococcus radiodurans, is endowed with an extraordinary DNA repair ability and oxidative stress alleviation mechanisms that render it virtually resistant to all types of DNA damaging stressors such as ionizing radiations, UV or years of desiccation. Following DNA damage, the microbe reassembles its complete genome from multiple DNA fragments with impeccable fidelity. The deinococcal genome encodes functional homologues of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA repair pathways, such as RecFOR mediated homologous recombination (HR), nucleotide/base excision repair (NER/BER), strand annealing (SA) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), but lacks homologues for universal prokaryotic DNA repair pathways such as RecBCD mediated HR, photo-reactivation and SOS response. It also harbors multiple enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidative stress defense mechanisms. Proteomic approaches were employed to study the response of D. radiodurans to LD50 dose of gamma irradiation during the post-irradiation growth arrest phase by two dimensional protein electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry to reveal kinetics and dynamics of DNA repair, oxidative stress alleviation and resynthesis of damaged proteins, preceding growth recovery

Transient elevation of glycolysis confers radio-resistance by facilitating DNA repair in cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatt, Anant Narayan; Chauhan, Ankit; Khanna, Suchit; Rai, Yogesh; Singh, Saurabh; Soni, Ravi; Kalra, Namita; Dwarakanath, Bilikere S

2015-01-01

Cancer cells exhibit increased glycolysis for ATP production (the Warburg effect) and macromolecular biosynthesis; it is also linked with therapeutic resistance that is generally associated with compromised respiratory metabolism. Molecular mechanisms underlying radio-resistance linked to elevated glycolysis remain incompletely understood. We stimulated glycolysis using mitochondrial respiratory modifiers (MRMs viz. di-nitro phenol, DNP; Photosan-3, PS3; Methylene blue, MB) in established human cell lines (HEK293, BMG-1 and OCT-1). Glucose utilization and lactate production, levels of glucose transporters and glycolytic enzymes were investigated as indices of glycolysis. Clonogenic survival, DNA repair and cytogenetic damage were studied as parameters of radiation response. MRMs induced the glycolysis by enhancing the levels of two important regulators of glucose metabolism GLUT-1 and HK-II and resulted in 2 fold increase in glucose consumption and lactate production. This increase in glycolysis resulted in resistance against radiation-induced cell death (clonogenic survival) in different cell lines at an absorbed dose of 5 Gy. Inhibition of glucose uptake and glycolysis (using fasentin, 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 3-bromopyruvate) in DNP treated cells failed to increase the clonogenic survival of irradiated cells, suggesting that radio-resistance linked to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration is glycolysis dependent. Elevated glycolysis also facilitated rejoining of radiation-induced DNA strand breaks by activating both non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) pathways of DNA double strand break repair leading to a reduction in radiation-induced cytogenetic damage (micronuclei formation) in these cells. These findings suggest that enhanced glycolysis generally observed in cancer cells may be responsible for the radio-resistance, partly by enhancing the repair of DNA damage

N-terminal domains of human DNA polymerase lambda promote primer realignment during translesion DNA synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Taggart, David J.; Dayeh, Daniel M.; Fredrickson, Saul W.; Suo, Zucai

2014-01-01

within the non-homologous end joining pathway. PMID:25108835

Fast and sensitive detection of indels induced by precise gene targeting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Zhang; Steentoft, Catharina; Hauge, Camilla

2015-01-01

The nuclease-based gene editing tools are rapidly transforming capabilities for altering the genome of cells and organisms with great precision and in high throughput studies. A major limitation in application of precise gene editing lies in lack of sensitive and fast methods to detect...... and characterize the induced DNA changes. Precise gene editing induces double-stranded DNA breaks that are repaired by error-prone non-homologous end joining leading to introduction of insertions and deletions (indels) at the target site. These indels are often small and difficult and laborious to detect...

Role of XRCC4 phosphorylation by DNA-PK in the regulation of NHEJ repair pathway of DNA double strand break

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Mukesh Kumar; Imamichi, Shoji; Fukuchi, Mikoto; Kamdar, Radhika P.; Sicheng, Liu; Wanotayan, Rujira; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

2014-01-01

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the predominant pathway of DNA double strand breaks in higher eukaryotes and is active throughout the cell cycle. NHEJ repair includes many factors as Ku70/86, DNA-PKcs, XRCC4-Ligase IV complex and XLF (also known as Cernunnos). In these factors, DNA-PKcs acts as central regulator in NHEJ repair. It recruited at the DNA damages site after DNA damage and after association with Ku its kinase activity is activated. It phosphorylates many of important NHEJ proteins in vitro including XRCC4, Ku 70/86, Artemis, and even DNA-PKcs but till now, very less studies have been done to know the role and significance of phosphorylation in the NHEJ repair. Studies by other researchers identified various phosphorylation sites in XRCC4 by DNA-PK using mass spectrometry but these phosphorylation sites were shown to be dispensable for DSB repair. In the present investigation, we identified 3 serine and one new threonine phosphorylation sites in XRCC4 protein by DNA-PK. In vivo phosphorylation at these sites was verified by generating phosphorylation specific antibodies and the requirement for DNA-PK therein was verified by using DNA-PK inhibitor and DNA-PK proficient and deficient cell lines in response to radiation and zeocin treatment. We have also found that phosphorylation at these sites showed dose dependency in response to radiation treatment. The two serine and one threonine phosphorylation site is also biological important as their mutation into alanine significantly elevated radiosensitivity as measured by colony formation assay. Neutral comet assay showed delayed kinetics in DSB repair of these mutants. Furthermore, we have found a protein, with putative DSB repair function, which interacts with domain including the phosphorylation sites.These results indicate that these phosphorylation sites would mediate functional link between XRCC4 and DNA-PK. (author)

Tolerance of DNA Mismatches in Dmc1 Recombinase-mediated DNA Strand Exchange*

Science.gov (United States)

Borgogno, María V.; Monti, Mariela R.; Zhao, Weixing; Sung, Patrick; Argaraña, Carlos E.; Pezza, Roberto J.

2016-01-01

Recombination between homologous chromosomes is required for the faithful meiotic segregation of chromosomes and leads to the generation of genetic diversity. The conserved meiosis-specific Dmc1 recombinase catalyzes homologous recombination triggered by DNA double strand breaks through the exchange of parental DNA sequences. Although providing an efficient rate of DNA strand exchange between polymorphic alleles, Dmc1 must also guard against recombination between divergent sequences. How DNA mismatches affect Dmc1-mediated DNA strand exchange is not understood. We have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer to study the mechanism of Dmc1-mediated strand exchange between DNA oligonucleotides with different degrees of heterology. The efficiency of strand exchange is highly sensitive to the location, type, and distribution of mismatches. Mismatches near the 3′ end of the initiating DNA strand have a small effect, whereas most mismatches near the 5′ end impede strand exchange dramatically. The Hop2-Mnd1 protein complex stimulates Dmc1-catalyzed strand exchange on homologous DNA or containing a single mismatch. We observed that Dmc1 can reject divergent DNA sequences while bypassing a few mismatches in the DNA sequence. Our findings have important implications in understanding meiotic recombination. First, Dmc1 acts as an initial barrier for heterologous recombination, with the mismatch repair system providing a second level of proofreading, to ensure that ectopic sequences are not recombined. Second, Dmc1 stepping over infrequent mismatches is likely critical for allowing recombination between the polymorphic sequences of homologous chromosomes, thus contributing to gene conversion and genetic diversity. PMID:26709229

Genome Editing in Escherichia coli with Cas9 and synthetic CRISPRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Ze; Richardson, Sarah; Robinson, David; Deutsch, Samuel; Cheng, Jan-Fang

2014-03-14

Recently, the Cas9-CRISPR system has proven to be a useful tool for genome editing in eukaryotes, which repair the double stranded breaks made by Cas9 with non-homologous end joining or homologous recombination. Escherichia coli lacks non-homologous end joining and has a very low homologous recombination rate, effectively rendering targeted Cas9 activity lethal. We have developed a heat curable, serializable, plasmid based system for selectionless Cas9 editing in arbitrary E. coli strains that uses synthetic CRISPRs for targeting and -red to effect repairs of double stranded breaks. We have demonstrated insertions, substitutions, and multi-target deletions with our system, which we have tested in several strains.

DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase As Molecular Target for Radiosensitization of Neuroblastoma Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Emmy M Dolman

Full Text Available Tumor cells might resist therapy with ionizing radiation (IR by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ of IR-induced double-strand breaks. One of the key players in NHEJ is DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK. The catalytic subunit of DNA-PK, i.e. DNA-PKcs, can be inhibited with the small-molecule inhibitor NU7026. In the current study, the in vitro potential of NU7026 to radiosensitize neuroblastoma cells was investigated. DNA-PKcs is encoded by the PRKDC (protein kinase, DNA-activated, catalytic polypeptide gene. We showed that PRKDC levels were enhanced in neuroblastoma patients and correlated with a more advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis, making DNA-PKcs an interesting target for radiosensitization of neuroblastoma tumors. Optimal dose finding for combination treatment with NU7026 and IR was performed using NGP cells. One hour pre-treatment with 10 μM NU7026 synergistically sensitized NGP cells to 0.63 Gy IR. Radiosensitizing effects of NU7026 increased in time, with maximum effects observed from 96 h after IR-exposure on. Combined treatment of NGP cells with 10 μM NU7026 and 0.63 Gy IR resulted in apoptosis, while no apoptotic response was observed for either of the therapies alone. Inhibition of IR-induced DNA-PK activation by NU7026 confirmed the capability of NGP cells to, at least partially, resist IR by NHEJ. NU7026 also synergistically radiosensitized other neuroblastoma cell lines, while no synergistic effect was observed for low DNA-PKcs-expressing non-cancerous fibroblasts. Results obtained for NU7026 were confirmed by PRKDC knockdown in NGP cells. Taken together, the current study shows that DNA-PKcs is a promising target for neuroblastoma radiosensitization.

Recovery of arrested replication forks by homologous recombination is error-prone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Iraqui

Full Text Available Homologous recombination is a universal mechanism that allows repair of DNA and provides support for DNA replication. Homologous recombination is therefore a major pathway that suppresses non-homology-mediated genome instability. Here, we report that recovery of impeded replication forks by homologous recombination is error-prone. Using a fork-arrest-based assay in fission yeast, we demonstrate that a single collapsed fork can cause mutations and large-scale genomic changes, including deletions and translocations. Fork-arrest-induced gross chromosomal rearrangements are mediated by inappropriate ectopic recombination events at the site of collapsed forks. Inverted repeats near the site of fork collapse stimulate large-scale genomic changes up to 1,500 times over spontaneous events. We also show that the high accuracy of DNA replication during S-phase is impaired by impediments to fork progression, since fork-arrest-induced mutation is due to erroneous DNA synthesis during recovery of replication forks. The mutations caused are small insertions/duplications between short tandem repeats (micro-homology indicative of replication slippage. Our data establish that collapsed forks, but not stalled forks, recovered by homologous recombination are prone to replication slippage. The inaccuracy of DNA synthesis does not rely on PCNA ubiquitination or trans-lesion-synthesis DNA polymerases, and it is not counteracted by mismatch repair. We propose that deletions/insertions, mediated by micro-homology, leading to copy number variations during replication stress may arise by progression of error-prone replication forks restarted by homologous recombination.

DNA Breaks and End Resection Measured Genome-wide by End Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Canela, Andres; Sridharan, Sriram; Sciascia, Nicholas; Tubbs, Anthony; Meltzer, Paul; Sleckman, Barry P; Nussenzweig, André

2016-09-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) arise during physiological transcription, DNA replication, and antigen receptor diversification. Mistargeting or misprocessing of DSBs can result in pathological structural variation and mutation. Here we describe a sensitive method (END-seq) to monitor DNA end resection and DSBs genome-wide at base-pair resolution in vivo. We utilized END-seq to determine the frequency and spectrum of restriction-enzyme-, zinc-finger-nuclease-, and RAG-induced DSBs. Beyond sequence preference, chromatin features dictate the repertoire of these genome-modifying enzymes. END-seq can detect at least one DSB per cell among 10,000 cells not harboring DSBs, and we estimate that up to one out of 60 cells contains off-target RAG cleavage. In addition to site-specific cleavage, we detect DSBs distributed over extended regions during immunoglobulin class-switch recombination. Thus, END-seq provides a snapshot of DNA ends genome-wide, which can be utilized for understanding genome-editing specificities and the influence of chromatin on DSB pathway choice. Published by Elsevier Inc.

FBH1 influences DNA replication fork stability and homologous recombination through ubiquitylation of RAD51

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chu, Wai Kit; Payne, Miranda J; Beli, Petra

2015-01-01

Unscheduled homologous recombination (HR) can lead to genomic instability, which greatly increases the threat of neoplastic transformation in humans. The F-box DNA helicase 1 (FBH1) is a 3'-5' DNA helicase with a putative function as a negative regulator of HR. It is the only known DNA helicase t...

DNA repair in neurons: So if they don't divide what's to repair?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fishel, Melissa L.; Vasko, Michael R.; Kelley, Mark R.

2007-01-01

Neuronal DNA repair remains one of the most exciting areas for investigation, particularly as a means to compare the DNA repair response in mitotic (cancer) vs. post-mitotic (neuronal) cells. In addition, the role of DNA repair in neuronal cell survival and response to aging and environmental insults is of particular interest. DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as generated by mitochondrial respiration includes altered bases, abasic sites, and single- and double-strand breaks which can be prevented by the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway. Oxidative stress accumulates in the DNA of the human brain over time especially in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and is proposed to play a critical role in aging and in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, ALS, and Alzheimer's diseases. Because DNA damage accumulates in the mtDNA more than nuclear DNA, there is increased interest in DNA repair pathways and the consequence of DNA damage in the mitochondria of neurons. The type of damage that is most likely to occur in neuronal cells is oxidative DNA damage which is primarily removed by the BER pathway. Following the notion that the bulk of neuronal DNA damage is acquired by oxidative DNA damage and ROS, the BER pathway is a likely area of focus for neuronal studies of DNA repair. BER variations in brain aging and pathology in various brain regions and tissues are presented. Therefore, the BER pathway is discussed in greater detail in this review than other repair pathways. Other repair pathways including direct reversal, nucleotide excision repair (NER), mismatch repair (MMR), homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining are also discussed. Finally, there is a growing interest in the role that DNA repair pathways play in the clinical arena as they relate to the neurotoxicity and neuropathy associated with cancer treatments. Among the numerous side effects of cancer treatments, major clinical effects

Avoiding cross hybridization by choosing nonredundant targets on cDNA arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Henrik Bjørn; Knudsen, Steen

2002-01-01

PROBEWIZ designs PCR primers for amplifying probes for cDNA arrays. The probes are designed to have minimal homology to other expressed sequences from a given organism. The primer selection is based on user-defined penalties for homology, primer quality, and proximity to the 3' end.......PROBEWIZ designs PCR primers for amplifying probes for cDNA arrays. The probes are designed to have minimal homology to other expressed sequences from a given organism. The primer selection is based on user-defined penalties for homology, primer quality, and proximity to the 3' end....

Studying DNA looping by single-molecule FRET.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Tung T; Kim, Harold D

2014-06-28

Bending of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is associated with many important biological processes such as DNA-protein recognition and DNA packaging into nucleosomes. Thermodynamics of dsDNA bending has been studied by a method called cyclization which relies on DNA ligase to covalently join short sticky ends of a dsDNA. However, ligation efficiency can be affected by many factors that are not related to dsDNA looping such as the DNA structure surrounding the joined sticky ends, and ligase can also affect the apparent looping rate through mechanisms such as nonspecific binding. Here, we show how to measure dsDNA looping kinetics without ligase by detecting transient DNA loop formation by FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer). dsDNA molecules are constructed using a simple PCR-based protocol with a FRET pair and a biotin linker. The looping probability density known as the J factor is extracted from the looping rate and the annealing rate between two disconnected sticky ends. By testing two dsDNAs with different intrinsic curvatures, we show that the J factor is sensitive to the intrinsic shape of the dsDNA.

Tolerance of DNA Mismatches in Dmc1 Recombinase-mediated DNA Strand Exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgogno, María V; Monti, Mariela R; Zhao, Weixing; Sung, Patrick; Argaraña, Carlos E; Pezza, Roberto J

2016-03-04

Recombination between homologous chromosomes is required for the faithful meiotic segregation of chromosomes and leads to the generation of genetic diversity. The conserved meiosis-specific Dmc1 recombinase catalyzes homologous recombination triggered by DNA double strand breaks through the exchange of parental DNA sequences. Although providing an efficient rate of DNA strand exchange between polymorphic alleles, Dmc1 must also guard against recombination between divergent sequences. How DNA mismatches affect Dmc1-mediated DNA strand exchange is not understood. We have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer to study the mechanism of Dmc1-mediated strand exchange between DNA oligonucleotides with different degrees of heterology. The efficiency of strand exchange is highly sensitive to the location, type, and distribution of mismatches. Mismatches near the 3' end of the initiating DNA strand have a small effect, whereas most mismatches near the 5' end impede strand exchange dramatically. The Hop2-Mnd1 protein complex stimulates Dmc1-catalyzed strand exchange on homologous DNA or containing a single mismatch. We observed that Dmc1 can reject divergent DNA sequences while bypassing a few mismatches in the DNA sequence. Our findings have important implications in understanding meiotic recombination. First, Dmc1 acts as an initial barrier for heterologous recombination, with the mismatch repair system providing a second level of proofreading, to ensure that ectopic sequences are not recombined. Second, Dmc1 stepping over infrequent mismatches is likely critical for allowing recombination between the polymorphic sequences of homologous chromosomes, thus contributing to gene conversion and genetic diversity. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Domain structure of a NHEJ DNA repair ligase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitcher, Robert S; Tonkin, Louise M; Green, Andrew J; Doherty, Aidan J

2005-08-19

A prokaryotic non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) system for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), composed of a Ku homodimer (Mt-Ku) and a multidomain multifunctional ATP-dependent DNA ligase (Mt-Lig), has been described recently in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mt-Lig exhibits polymerase and nuclease activity in addition to DNA ligation activity. These functions were ascribed to putative polymerase, nuclease and ligase domains that together constitute a monomeric protein. Here, the separate polymerase, nuclease and ligase domains of Mt-Lig were cloned individually, over-expressed and the soluble proteins purified to homogeneity. The polymerase domain demonstrated DNA-dependent RNA primase activity, catalysing the synthesis of unprimed oligoribonucleotides on single-stranded DNA templates. The polymerase domain can also extend DNA in a template-dependent manner. This activity was eliminated when the catalytic aspartate residues were replaced with alanine. The ligase domain catalysed the sealing of nicked double-stranded DNA designed to mimic a DSB, consistent with the role of Mt-Lig in NHEJ. Deletion of the active-site lysine residue prevented the formation of an adenylated ligase complex and consequently thwarted ligation. The nuclease domain did not function independently as a 3'-5' exonuclease. DNA-binding assays revealed that both the polymerase and ligase domains bind DNA in vitro, the latter with considerably higher affinity. Mt-Ku directly stimulated the polymerase and nuclease activities of Mt-Lig. The polymerase domain bound Mt-Ku in vitro, suggesting it may recruit Mt-Lig to Ku-bound DNA in vivo. Consistent with these data, Mt-Ku stimulated the primer extension activity of the polymerase domain, suggestive of a functional interaction relevant to NHEJ-mediated DSB repair processes.

RPA coordinates DNA end resection and prevents formation of DNA hairpins.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huan; Lisby, Michael; Symington, Lorraine S

2013-05-23

Replication protein A (RPA) is an essential eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding protein with a central role in DNA metabolism. RPA directly participates in DNA double-strand break repair by stimulating 5'-3' end resection by the Sgs1/BLM helicase and Dna2 endonuclease in vitro. Here we investigated the role of RPA in end resection in vivo, using a heat-inducible degron system that allows rapid conditional depletion of RPA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that RPA depletion eliminated both the Sgs1-Dna2- and Exo1-dependent extensive resection pathways and synergized with mre11Δ to prevent end resection. The short single-stranded DNA tails formed in the absence of RPA were unstable due to 3' strand loss and the formation of fold-back hairpin structures that required resection initiation and Pol32-dependent DNA synthesis. Thus, RPA is required to generate ssDNA, and also to protect ssDNA from degradation and inappropriate annealing that could lead to genome rearrangements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cas9-catalyzed DNA Cleavage Generates Staggered Ends: Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Zhicheng; Liu, Jin

2016-11-01

The CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (spCas9) along with a single guide RNA (sgRNA) has emerged as a versatile toolbox for genome editing. Despite recent advances in the mechanism studies on spCas9-sgRNA-mediated double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) recognition and cleavage, it is still unclear how the catalytic Mg2+ ions induce the conformation changes toward the catalytic active state. It also remains controversial whether Cas9 generates blunt-ended or staggered-ended breaks with overhangs in the DNA. To investigate these issues, here we performed the first all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the spCas9-sgRNA-dsDNA system with and without Mg2+ bound. The simulation results showed that binding of two Mg2+ ions at the RuvC domain active site could lead to structurally and energetically favorable coordination ready for the non-target DNA strand cleavage. Importantly, we demonstrated with our simulations that Cas9-catalyzed DNA cleavage produces 1-bp staggered ends rather than generally assumed blunt ends.

Kub5-Hera, the human Rtt103 homolog, plays dual functional roles in transcription termination and DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Julio C; Richard, Patricia; Rommel, Amy; Fattah, Farjana J; Motea, Edward A; Patidar, Praveen L; Xiao, Ling; Leskov, Konstantin; Wu, Shwu-Yuan; Hittelman, Walter N; Chiang, Cheng-Ming; Manley, James L; Boothman, David A

2014-04-01

Functions of Kub5-Hera (In Greek Mythology Hera controlled Artemis) (K-H), the human homolog of the yeast transcription termination factor Rtt103, remain undefined. Here, we show that K-H has functions in both transcription termination and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. K-H forms distinct protein complexes with factors that repair DSBs (e.g. Ku70, Ku86, Artemis) and terminate transcription (e.g. RNA polymerase II). K-H loss resulted in increased basal R-loop levels, DSBs, activated DNA-damage responses and enhanced genomic instability. Significantly lowered Artemis protein levels were detected in K-H knockdown cells, which were restored with specific K-H cDNA re-expression. K-H deficient cells were hypersensitive to cytotoxic agents that induce DSBs, unable to reseal complex DSB ends, and showed significantly delayed γ-H2AX and 53BP1 repair-related foci regression. Artemis re-expression in K-H-deficient cells restored DNA-repair function and resistance to DSB-inducing agents. However, R loops persisted consistent with dual roles of K-H in transcription termination and DSB repair.

Role of teh Rad52 Amino-terminal DNA Binding Activity in DNA Strand Capture in Homologous Recombination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shi, Idina; Hallwyl, Swee Chuang Lim; Seong, Changhyun

2009-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad52 protein promotes homologous recombination by nucleating the Rad51 recombinase onto replication protein A-coated single-stranded DNA strands and also by directly annealing such strands. We show that the purified rad52-R70A mutant protein, with a compromised amino-ter...

Chromosome End Repair and Genome Stability in Plasmodium falciparum.

Science.gov (United States)

Calhoun, Susannah F; Reed, Jake; Alexander, Noah; Mason, Christopher E; Deitsch, Kirk W; Kirkman, Laura A

2017-08-08

The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates within circulating red blood cells, where it is subjected to conditions that frequently cause DNA damage. The repair of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) is thought to rely almost exclusively on homologous recombination (HR), due to a lack of efficient nonhomologous end joining. However, given that the parasite is haploid during this stage of its life cycle, the mechanisms involved in maintaining genome stability are poorly understood. Of particular interest are the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes, which contain the majority of the multicopy variant antigen-encoding genes responsible for virulence and disease severity. Here, we show that parasites utilize a competitive balance between de novo telomere addition, also called "telomere healing," and HR to stabilize chromosome ends. Products of both repair pathways were observed in response to DSBs that occurred spontaneously during routine in vitro culture or resulted from experimentally induced DSBs, demonstrating that both pathways are active in repairing DSBs within subtelomeric regions and that the pathway utilized was determined by the DNA sequences immediately surrounding the break. In combination, these two repair pathways enable parasites to efficiently maintain chromosome stability while also contributing to the generation of genetic diversity. IMPORTANCE Malaria is a major global health threat, causing approximately 430,000 deaths annually. This mosquito-transmitted disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites, with infection with the species Plasmodium falciparum being the most lethal. Mechanisms underlying DNA repair and maintenance of genome integrity in P. falciparum are not well understood and represent a gap in our understanding of how parasites survive the hostile environment of their vertebrate and insect hosts. Our work examines DNA repair in real time by using single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing focused on the subtelomeric

DNA double-strand break repair: a tale of pathway choices

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jing Li; Xingzhi Xu

2016-01-01

Deoxyribonucleic acid double-strand breaks (DSBs) are cytotoxic lesions that must be repaired either through homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways.DSB repair is critical for genome integrity,cellular homeostasis and also constitutes the biological foundation for radiotherapy and the majority of chemotherapy.The choice between HR and NHEJ is a complex yet not completely understood process that will entail more future efforts.Herein we review our current understandings about how the choice is made over an antagonizing balance between p53-binding protein 1 and breast cancer 1 in the context of cell cycle stages,downstream effects,and distinct chromosomal histone marks.These exciting areas of research will surely bring more mechanistic insights about DSB repair and be utilized in the clinical settings.

Caffeine inhibits gene conversion by displacing Rad51 from ssDNA

Science.gov (United States)

Tsabar, Michael; Mason, Jennifer M.; Chan, Yuen-Ling; Bishop, Douglas K.; Haber, James E.

2015-01-01

Efficient repair of chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination relies on the formation of a Rad51 recombinase filament that forms on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) created at DSB ends. This filament facilitates the search for a homologous donor sequence and promotes strand invasion. Recently caffeine treatment has been shown to prevent gene targeting in mammalian cells by increasing non-productive Rad51 interactions between the DSB and random regions of the genome. Here we show that caffeine treatment prevents gene conversion in yeast, independently of its inhibition of the Mec1ATR/Tel1ATM-dependent DNA damage response or caffeine's inhibition of 5′ to 3′ resection of DSB ends. Caffeine treatment results in a dosage-dependent eviction of Rad51 from ssDNA. Gene conversion is impaired even at low concentrations of caffeine, where there is no discernible dismantling of the Rad51 filament. Loss of the Rad51 filament integrity is independent of Srs2's Rad51 filament dismantling activity or Rad51's ATPase activity and does not depend on non-specific Rad51 binding to undamaged double-stranded DNA. Caffeine treatment had similar effects on irradiated HeLa cells, promoting loss of previously assembled Rad51 foci. We conclude that caffeine treatment can disrupt gene conversion by disrupting Rad51 filaments. PMID:26019181

Efficient Oligo nucleotide mediated CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing in Aspergilli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nødvig, Christina Spuur; Hoof, Jakob Blæsbjerg; Kogle, Martin Engelhard

2018-01-01

CRISPR-Cas9 technologies are revolutionizing fungal gene editing. Here we show that survival of specific Cas9/sgRNA mediated DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) depends on the non-homologous end-joining, NHEJ, DNA repair pathway and we use this observation to develop a tool to assess protospacer....... niger, and in A. oryzae indicating that this type of repair may be wide spread in filamentous fungi. Importantly, we demonstrate that by using single-stranded oligo nucleotides for CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing it is possible to introduce specific point mutations as well gene deletions...

Quercetin alters the DNA damage response in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells via TopoII- and PI3K-dependent mechanisms synergizing in leukemogenic rearrangements.

Science.gov (United States)

Biechonski, Shahar; Gourevich, Dana; Rall, Melanie; Aqaqe, Nasma; Yassin, Muhammad; Zipin-Roitman, Adi; Trakhtenbrot, Luba; Olender, Leonid; Raz, Yael; Jaffa, Ariel J; Grisaru, Dan; Wiesmuller, Lisa; Elad, David; Milyavsky, Michael

2017-02-15

Quercetin (Que) is an abundant flavonoid in the human diet and high-concentration food supplement with reported pro- and anti-carcinogenic activities. Topoisomerase II (TopoII) inhibition and subsequent DNA damage induction by Que was implicated in the mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL) rearrangements that can induce infant and adult leukemias. This notion raised concerns regarding possible genotoxicities of Que in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, molecular targets mediating Que effects on DNA repair relevant to MLL translocations have not been defined. In this study we describe novel and potentially genotoxic Que activities in suppressing non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination pathways downstream of MLL cleavage. Using pharmacological dissection of DNA-PK, ATM and PI3K signalling we defined PI3K inhibition by Que with a concomitant decrease in the abundance of key DNA repair genes to be responsible for DNA repair inhibition. Evidence for the downstream TopoII-independent mutagenic potential of Que was obtained by documenting further increased frequencies of MLL rearrangements in human HSPCs concomitantly treated with Etoposide and Que versus single treatments. Importantly, by engaging a tissue engineered placental barrier, we have established the extent of Que transplacental transfer and hence provided the evidence for Que reaching fetal HSPCs. Thus, Que exhibits genotoxic effects in human HSPCs via different mechanisms when applied continuously and at high concentrations. In light of the demonstrated Que transfer to the fetal compartment our findings are key to understanding the mechanisms underlying infant leukemia and provide molecular markers for the development of safety values. © 2016 UICC.

DNA-PK dependent targeting of DNA-ends to a protein complex assembled on matrix attachment region DNA sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mauldin, S.K.; Getts, R.C.; Perez, M.L.; DiRienzo, S.; Stamato, T.D.

2003-01-01

Full text: We find that nuclear protein extracts from mammalian cells contain an activity that allows DNA ends to associate with circular pUC18 plasmid DNA. This activity requires the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK (DNA-PKcs) and Ku since it was not observed in mutants lacking Ku or DNA-PKcs but was observed when purified Ku/DNA-PKcs was added to these mutant extracts. Competition experiments between pUC18 and pUC18 plasmids containing various nuclear matrix attachment region (MAR) sequences suggest that DNA ends preferentially associate with plasmids containing MAR DNA sequences. At a 1:5 mass ratio of MAR to pUC18, approximately equal amounts of DNA end binding to the two plasmids were observed, while at a 1:1 ratio no pUC18 end-binding was observed. Calculation of relative binding activities indicates that DNA-end binding activities to MAR sequences was 7 to 21 fold higher than pUC18. Western analysis of proteins bound to pUC18 and MAR plasmids indicates that XRCC4, DNA ligase IV, scaffold attachment factor A, topoisomerase II, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase preferentially associate with the MAR plasmid in the absence or presence of DNA ends. In contrast, Ku and DNA-PKcs were found on the MAR plasmid only in the presence of DNA ends. After electroporation of a 32P-labeled DNA probe into human cells and cell fractionation, 87% of the total intercellular radioactivity remained in nuclei after a 0.5M NaCl extraction suggesting the probe was strongly bound in the nucleus. The above observations raise the possibility that DNA-PK targets DNA-ends to a repair and/or DNA damage signaling complex which is assembled on MAR sites in the nucleus

Functional Interplay of the Mre11 Nuclease and Ku in the Response to Replication-Associated DNA Damage ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Steven S.; Balestrini, Alessia; Petrini, John H. J.

2011-01-01

The Mre11 complex is a central component of the DNA damage response, with roles in damage sensing, molecular bridging, and end resection. We have previously shown that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ku70 (yKu70) deficiency reduces the ionizing radiation sensitivity of mre11Δ mutants. In this study, we show that yKu70 deficiency suppressed the camptothecin (CPT) and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) sensitivity of nuclease-deficient mre11-3 and sae2Δ mutants in an Exo1-dependent manner. CPT-induced G2/M arrest, γ-H2AX persistence, and chromosome breaks were elevated in mre11-3 mutants. These outcomes were reduced by yKu70 deficiency. Given that the genotoxic effects of CPT are manifest during DNA replication, these data suggest that Ku limits Exo1-dependent double-strand break (DSB) resection during DNA replication, inhibiting the initial processing steps required for homology-directed repair. We propose that Mre11 nuclease- and Sae2-dependent DNA end processing, which initiates DSB resection prevents Ku from engaging DSBs, thus promoting Exo1-dependent resection. In agreement with this idea, we show that Ku affinity for binding to short single-stranded overhangs is much lower than for blunt DNA ends. Collectively, the data define a nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ)-independent, S-phase-specific function of the Ku heterodimer. PMID:21876003

Homologous and non-homologous recombination differentially affect DNA damage repair in mice.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Essers (Jeroen); H. van Steeg (Harry); J. de Wit (Jan); M. Vermeij (Marcel); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); R. Kanaar (Roland); S.M.A. Swagemakers (Sigrid)

2000-01-01

textabstractIonizing radiation and interstrand DNA crosslinking compounds provide important treatments against cancer due to their extreme genotoxicity for proliferating cells. Both the efficacies of such treatments and the mutagenic potential of these agents are modulated by

Interaction between HIV-1 Tat and DNA-PKcs modulates HIV transcription and class switch recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shi-Meng; Zhang, He; Yang, Tian-Yi; Ying, Tian-Yi; Yang, Pei-Xiang; Liu, Xiao-Dan; Tang, Sheng-Jian; Zhou, Ping-Kun

2014-01-01

HIV-1 tat targets a variety of host cell proteins to facilitate viral transcription and disrupts host cellular immunity by inducing lymphocyte apoptosis, but whether it influences humoral immunity remains unclear. Previously, our group demonstrated that tat depresses expression of DNA-PKcs, a critical component of the non-homologous end joining pathway (NHEJ) of DNA double-strand breaks repair, immunoglobulin class switch recombination (CSR) and V(D)J recombination, and sensitizes cells to ionizing radiation. In this study, we demonstrated that HIV-1 Tat down-regulates DNA-PKcs expression by directly binding to the core promoter sequence. In addition, Tat interacts with and activates the kinase activity of DNA-PKcs in a dose-dependent and DNA independent manner. Furthermore, Tat inhibits class switch recombination (CSR) at low concentrations (≤ 4 µg/ml) and stimulates CSR at high concentrations (≥ 8 µg/ml). On the other hand, low protein level and high kinase activity of DNA-PKcs promotes HIV-1 transcription, while high protein level and low kinase activity inhibit HIV-1 transcription. Co-immunoprecipitation results revealed that DNA-PKcs forms a large complex comprised of Cyclin T1, CDK9 and Tat via direct interacting with CDK9 and Tat but not Cyclin T1. Taken together, our results provide new clues that Tat regulates host humoral immunity via both transcriptional depression and kinase activation of DNA-PKcs. We also raise the possibility that inhibitors and interventions directed towards DNA-PKcs may inhibit HIV-1 transcription in AIDS patients.

The histone H3K9 methylation and RNAi pathways regulate normalnucleolar and repeated DNA organization by inhibiting formation ofextrachromosomal DNAs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Jamy C.; Karpen, Gary H.

2006-06-15

In order to identify regulators of nuclear organization, Drosophila mutants in the Su(var)3-9 histone H3K9 methyltransferase, RNAi pathway components, and other regulators of heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing were examined for altered nucleoli and positioning of repeated DNAs. Animals lacking components of the H3K9 methylation and RNAi pathways contained disorganized nucleoli, ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and satellite DNAs. The levels of H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) in chromatin associated with repeated DNAs decreased dramatically in Su(var)3-9 and dcr-2 (dicer-2) mutant tissues compared to wild type. We also observed a substantial increase in extrachromosomal repeated DNAs in mutant tissues. The disorganized nucleolus phenotype depends on the presence of Ligase 4 (Lig4), and ecc DNA formation is not induced by removal of cohesin. We conclude that H3K9 methylation of rDNA and satellites, maintained by Su(var)3-9, HP1, and the RNAi pathway, is necessary for the structural stability of repeated DNAs, which is mediated through suppression of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). These results suggest a mechanism for how local chromatin structure can regulate genome stability, and the organization of chromosomal elements and nuclear organelles.

Promotion of BRCA2-Dependent Homologous Recombination by DSS1 via RPA Targeting and DNA Mimicry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Weixing; Vaithiyalingam, Sivaraja; San Filippo, Joseph; Maranon, David G; Jimenez-Sainz, Judit; Fontenay, Gerald V; Kwon, Youngho; Leung, Stanley G; Lu, Lucy; Jensen, Ryan B; Chazin, Walter J; Wiese, Claudia; Sung, Patrick

2015-07-16

The tumor suppressor BRCA2 is thought to facilitate the handoff of ssDNA from replication protein A (RPA) to the RAD51 recombinase during DNA break and replication fork repair by homologous recombination. However, we find that RPA-RAD51 exchange requires the BRCA2 partner DSS1. Biochemical, structural, and in vivo analyses reveal that DSS1 allows the BRCA2-DSS1 complex to physically and functionally interact with RPA. Mechanistically, DSS1 acts as a DNA mimic to attenuate the affinity of RPA for ssDNA. A mutation in the solvent-exposed acidic domain of DSS1 compromises the efficacy of RPA-RAD51 exchange. Thus, by targeting RPA and mimicking DNA, DSS1 functions with BRCA2 in a two-component homologous recombination mediator complex in genome maintenance and tumor suppression. Our findings may provide a paradigm for understanding the roles of DSS1 in other biological processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beyond repair foci: DNA double-strand break repair in euchromatic and heterochromatic compartments analyzed by transmission electron microscopy.

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Yvonne Lorat

Full Text Available DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs generated by ionizing radiation pose a serious threat to the preservation of genetic and epigenetic information. The known importance of local chromatin configuration in DSB repair raises the question of whether breaks in different chromatin environments are recognized and repaired by the same repair machinery and with similar efficiency. An essential step in DSB processing by non-homologous end joining is the high-affinity binding of Ku70-Ku80 and DNA-PKcs to double-stranded DNA ends that holds the ends in physical proximity for subsequent repair.Using transmission electron microscopy to localize gold-labeled pKu70 and pDNA-PKcs within nuclear ultrastructure, we monitored the formation and repair of actual DSBs within euchromatin (electron-lucent and heterochromatin (electron-dense in cortical neurons of irradiated mouse brain.While DNA lesions in euchromatin (characterized by two pKu70-gold beads, reflecting the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer are promptly sensed and rejoined, DNA packaging in heterochromatin appears to retard DSB processing, due to the time needed to unravel higher-order chromatin structures. Complex pKu70-clusters formed in heterochromatin (consisting of 4 or ≥ 6 gold beads may represent multiple breaks in close proximity caused by ionizing radiation of highly-compacted DNA. All pKu70-clusters disappeared within 72 hours post-irradiation, indicating efficient DSB rejoining. However, persistent 53BP1 clusters in heterochromatin (comprising ≥ 10 gold beads, occasionally co-localizing with γH2AX, but not pKu70 or pDNA-PKcs, may reflect incomplete or incorrect restoration of chromatin structure rather than persistently unrepaired DNA damage.Higher-order organization of chromatin determines the accessibility of DNA lesions to repair complexes, defining how readily DSBs are detected and processed. DNA lesions in heterochromatin appear to be more complex, with multiple breaks in spatial vicinity inducing

DNA repair in neurons: So if they don't divide what's to repair?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fishel, Melissa L. [Department of Pediatrics (Section of Hematology/Oncology), Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut, Room 302C, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (United States); Vasko, Michael R. [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 (United States); Kelley, Mark R. [Department of Pediatrics (Section of Hematology/Oncology), Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut, Room 302C, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (United States) and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 (United States) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut, Room 302C, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (United States)]. E-mail: mkelley@iupui.edu

2007-01-03

Neuronal DNA repair remains one of the most exciting areas for investigation, particularly as a means to compare the DNA repair response in mitotic (cancer) vs. post-mitotic (neuronal) cells. In addition, the role of DNA repair in neuronal cell survival and response to aging and environmental insults is of particular interest. DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as generated by mitochondrial respiration includes altered bases, abasic sites, and single- and double-strand breaks which can be prevented by the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway. Oxidative stress accumulates in the DNA of the human brain over time especially in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and is proposed to play a critical role in aging and in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, ALS, and Alzheimer's diseases. Because DNA damage accumulates in the mtDNA more than nuclear DNA, there is increased interest in DNA repair pathways and the consequence of DNA damage in the mitochondria of neurons. The type of damage that is most likely to occur in neuronal cells is oxidative DNA damage which is primarily removed by the BER pathway. Following the notion that the bulk of neuronal DNA damage is acquired by oxidative DNA damage and ROS, the BER pathway is a likely area of focus for neuronal studies of DNA repair. BER variations in brain aging and pathology in various brain regions and tissues are presented. Therefore, the BER pathway is discussed in greater detail in this review than other repair pathways. Other repair pathways including direct reversal, nucleotide excision repair (NER), mismatch repair (MMR), homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining are also discussed. Finally, there is a growing interest in the role that DNA repair pathways play in the clinical arena as they relate to the neurotoxicity and neuropathy associated with cancer treatments. Among the numerous side effects of cancer treatments, major

Mechanism of Homologous Recombination and Implications for Aging-Related Deletions in Mitochondrial DNA

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Homologous recombination is a universal process, conserved from bacteriophage to human, which is important for the repair of double-strand DNA breaks. Recombination in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was documented more than 4 decades ago, but the underlying molecular mechanism has remained elusive. Recent studies have revealed the presence of a Rad52-type recombination system of bacteriophage origin in mitochondria, which operates by a single-strand annealing mechanism independent of the canonical RecA/Rad51-type recombinases. Increasing evidence supports the notion that, like in bacteriophages, mtDNA inheritance is a coordinated interplay between recombination, repair, and replication. These findings could have profound implications for understanding the mechanism of mtDNA inheritance and the generation of mtDNA deletions in aging cells. PMID:24006472

Physical and biological parameters affecting DNA double strand break misrejoining in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehne, M.; Rothkamm, K.; Loebrich, M.

2002-01-01

In an attempt to investigate the effect of radiation quality, dose and specific repair pathways on correct and erroneous rejoining of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), an assay was applied that allows the identification and quantification of incorrectly rejoined DSB ends produced by ionising radiation. While substantial misrejoining occurs in mammalian cells after high acute irradiation doses, decreasing misrejoining frequencies were observed in dose fractionation experiments with X rays. In line with this finding, continuous irradiation with gamma rays at low dose rate leads to non detectable misrejoining. This indicates that the probability for a DSB to be misrejoined decreases drastically when DSBs are separated in time and space. The same dose fractionation approach was applied to determine DSB misrejoining after a particle exposure. In contrast to the results with X rays, there was no significant decrease in DSB misrejoining with increasing fractionation. This suggests that DSB misrejoining after a irradiation is not significantly affected by a separation of particle tracks. To identify the enzymatic pathways that are involved in DSB misrejoining, cell lines deficient in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) were examined. After high X ray doses, DSB misrejoining is considerable reduced in NHEJ mutants. Low dose rate experiments show elevated DSB misrejoining in NHEJ mutants compared with wild-type cells. The authors propose that NHEJ serves as an efficient pathway for rejoining correct break ends in situations of separated breaks but generates genomic rearrangements if DSBs are close in time and space. (author)

Autophosphorylation of DNA-PKCS regulates its dynamics at DNA double-strand breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Uematsu, Naoya; Weterings, Eric; Yano, Ken-ichi; Morotomi-Yano, Keiko; Jakob, Burkhard; Taucher-Scholz, Gisela; Mari, Pierre-Olivier; van Gent, Dik C; Chen, Benjamin P C; Chen, David J

2007-04-23

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) plays an important role during the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). It is recruited to DNA ends in the early stages of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) process, which mediates DSB repair. To study DNA-PK(CS) recruitment in vivo, we used a laser system to introduce DSBs in a specified region of the cell nucleus. We show that DNA-PK(CS) accumulates at DSB sites in a Ku80-dependent manner, and that neither the kinase activity nor the phosphorylation status of DNA-PK(CS) influences its initial accumulation. However, impairment of both of these functions results in deficient DSB repair and the maintained presence of DNA-PK(CS) at unrepaired DSBs. The use of photobleaching techniques allowed us to determine that the kinase activity and phosphorylation status of DNA-PK(CS) influence the stability of its binding to DNA ends. We suggest a model in which DNA-PK(CS) phosphorylation/autophosphorylation facilitates NHEJ by destabilizing the interaction of DNA-PK(CS) with the DNA ends.

Direct and inverted repeats elicit genetic instability by both exploiting and eluding DNA double-strand break repair systems in mycobacteria.

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Ewelina A Wojcik

Full Text Available Repetitive DNA sequences with the potential to form alternative DNA conformations, such as slipped structures and cruciforms, can induce genetic instability by promoting replication errors and by serving as a substrate for DNA repair proteins, which may lead to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs. However, the contribution of each of the DSB repair pathways, homologous recombination (HR, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ and single-strand annealing (SSA, to this sort of genetic instability is not fully understood. Herein, we assessed the genome-wide distribution of repetitive DNA sequences in the Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli genomes, and determined the types and frequencies of genetic instability induced by direct and inverted repeats, both in the presence and in the absence of HR, NHEJ, and SSA. All three genomes are strongly enriched in direct repeats and modestly enriched in inverted repeats. When using chromosomally integrated constructs in M. smegmatis, direct repeats induced the perfect deletion of their intervening sequences ~1,000-fold above background. Absence of HR further enhanced these perfect deletions, whereas absence of NHEJ or SSA had no influence, suggesting compromised replication fidelity. In contrast, inverted repeats induced perfect deletions only in the absence of SSA. Both direct and inverted repeats stimulated excision of the constructs from the attB integration sites independently of HR, NHEJ, or SSA. With episomal constructs, direct and inverted repeats triggered DNA instability by activating nucleolytic activity, and absence of the DSB repair pathways (in the order NHEJ>HR>SSA exacerbated this instability. Thus, direct and inverted repeats may elicit genetic instability in mycobacteria by 1 directly interfering with replication fidelity, 2 stimulating the three main DSB repair pathways, and 3 enticing L5 site-specific recombination.

Direct and inverted repeats elicit genetic instability by both exploiting and eluding DNA double-strand break repair systems in mycobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojcik, Ewelina A; Brzostek, Anna; Bacolla, Albino; Mackiewicz, Pawel; Vasquez, Karen M; Korycka-Machala, Malgorzata; Jaworski, Adam; Dziadek, Jaroslaw

2012-01-01

Repetitive DNA sequences with the potential to form alternative DNA conformations, such as slipped structures and cruciforms, can induce genetic instability by promoting replication errors and by serving as a substrate for DNA repair proteins, which may lead to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, the contribution of each of the DSB repair pathways, homologous recombination (HR), non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and single-strand annealing (SSA), to this sort of genetic instability is not fully understood. Herein, we assessed the genome-wide distribution of repetitive DNA sequences in the Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli genomes, and determined the types and frequencies of genetic instability induced by direct and inverted repeats, both in the presence and in the absence of HR, NHEJ, and SSA. All three genomes are strongly enriched in direct repeats and modestly enriched in inverted repeats. When using chromosomally integrated constructs in M. smegmatis, direct repeats induced the perfect deletion of their intervening sequences ~1,000-fold above background. Absence of HR further enhanced these perfect deletions, whereas absence of NHEJ or SSA had no influence, suggesting compromised replication fidelity. In contrast, inverted repeats induced perfect deletions only in the absence of SSA. Both direct and inverted repeats stimulated excision of the constructs from the attB integration sites independently of HR, NHEJ, or SSA. With episomal constructs, direct and inverted repeats triggered DNA instability by activating nucleolytic activity, and absence of the DSB repair pathways (in the order NHEJ>HR>SSA) exacerbated this instability. Thus, direct and inverted repeats may elicit genetic instability in mycobacteria by 1) directly interfering with replication fidelity, 2) stimulating the three main DSB repair pathways, and 3) enticing L5 site-specific recombination.

De novo CNV formation in mouse embryonic stem cells occurs in the absence of Xrcc4-dependent nonhomologous end joining.

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Martin F Arlt

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Spontaneous copy number variant (CNV mutations are an important factor in genomic structural variation, genomic disorders, and cancer. A major class of CNVs, termed nonrecurrent CNVs, is thought to arise by nonhomologous DNA repair mechanisms due to the presence of short microhomologies, blunt ends, or short insertions at junctions of normal and de novo pathogenic CNVs, features recapitulated in experimental systems in which CNVs are induced by exogenous replication stress. To test whether the canonical nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ pathway of double-strand break (DSB repair is involved in the formation of this class of CNVs, chromosome integrity was monitored in NHEJ-deficient Xrcc4(-/- mouse embryonic stem (ES cells following treatment with low doses of aphidicolin, a DNA replicative polymerase inhibitor. Mouse ES cells exhibited replication stress-induced CNV formation in the same manner as human fibroblasts, including the existence of syntenic hotspot regions, such as in the Auts2 and Wwox loci. The frequency and location of spontaneous and aphidicolin-induced CNV formation were not altered by loss of Xrcc4, as would be expected if canonical NHEJ were the predominant pathway of CNV formation. Moreover, de novo CNV junctions displayed a typical pattern of microhomology and blunt end use that did not change in the absence of Xrcc4. A number of complex CNVs were detected in both wild-type and Xrcc4(-/- cells, including an example of a catastrophic, chromothripsis event. These results establish that nonrecurrent CNVs can be, and frequently are, formed by mechanisms other than Xrcc4-dependent NHEJ.

Concordant and opposite roles of DNA-PK and the "facilitator of chromatin transcription" (FACT in DNA repair, apoptosis and necrosis after cisplatin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calkins Anne S

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Platinum-containing chemotherapy produces specific DNA damage and is used to treat several human solid tumors. Tumors initially sensitive to platinum-based drugs frequently become resistant. Inhibition of DNA repair is a potential strategy to enhance cisplatin effectiveness. After cisplatin treatment, a balance between repair and apoptosis determines whether cancer cells proliferate or die. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK binds to DNA double strand breaks (DSBs through its Ku subunits and initiates non-homologous end joining. Inhibition of DNA-PK sensitizes cancer cells to cisplatin killing. The goal of this study is to elucidate the mechanism underlying the effects of DNA-PK on cisplatin sensitivity. Results Silencing the expression of the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK (DNA-PKcs increased sensitivity to cisplatin and decreased the appearance of γH2AX after cisplatin treatment. We purified DNA-PK by its Ku86 subunit and identified interactors by tandem mass spectrometry before and after cisplatin treatment. The structure specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1, Spt16 and γH2AX appeared in the Ku86 complex 5 hours after cisplatin treatment. SSRP1 and Spt16 form the facilitator of chromatin transcription (FACT. The cisplatin-induced association of FACT with Ku86 and γH2AX was abrogated by DNase treatment. In living cells, SSRP1 and Ku86 were recruited at sites of DSBs induced by laser beams. Silencing SSRP1 expression increased sensitivity to cisplatin and decreased γH2AX appearance. However, while silencing SSRP1 in cisplatin-treated cells increased both apoptosis and necrosis, DNA-PKcs silencing, in contrast, favored necrosis over apoptosis. Conclusions DNA-PK and FACT both play roles in DNA repair. Therefore both are putative targets for therapeutic inhibition. Since DNA-PK regulates apoptosis, silencing DNA-PKcs redirects cells treated with cisplatin toward necrosis. Silencing FACT however, allows both apoptosis and

Impact of nuclear organization and chromatin structure on DNA repair and genome stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batte, Amandine

2016-01-01

The non-random organization of the eukaryotic cell nucleus and the folding of genome in chromatin more or less condensed can influence many functions related to DNA metabolism, including genome stability. Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most deleterious DNA damages for the cells. To preserve genome integrity, eukaryotic cells thus developed DSB repair mechanisms conserved from yeast to human, among which homologous recombination (HR) that uses an intact homologous sequence to repair a broken chromosome. HR can be separated in two sub-pathways: Gene Conversion (GC) transfers genetic information from one molecule to its homologous and Break Induced Replication (BIR) establishes a replication fork than can proceed until the chromosome end. My doctorate work was focused on the contribution of the chromatin context and 3D genome organization on DSB repair. In S. cerevisiae, nuclear organization and heterochromatin spreading at sub-telomeres can be modified through the overexpression of the Sir3 or sir3A2Q mutant proteins. We demonstrated that reducing the physical distance between homologous sequences increased GC rates, reinforcing the notion that homology search is a limiting step for recombination. We also showed that hetero-chromatinization of DSB site fine-tunes DSB resection, limiting the loss of the DSB ends required to perform homology search and complete HR. Finally, we noticed that the presence of heterochromatin at the donor locus decreased both GC and BIR efficiencies, probably by affecting strand invasion. This work highlights new regulatory pathways of DNA repair. (author) [fr

Genomic survey and expression analysis of DNA repair genes in the genus Leptospira.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins-Pinheiro, Marinalva; Schons-Fonseca, Luciane; da Silva, Josefa B; Domingos, Renan H; Momo, Leonardo Hiroyuki Santos; Simões, Ana Carolina Quirino; Ho, Paulo Lee; da Costa, Renata M A

2016-04-01

Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis with important economic and public health consequences and is caused by pathogenic leptospires. The genus Leptospira belongs to the order Spirochaetales and comprises saprophytic (L. biflexa), pathogenic (L. interrogans) and host-dependent (L. borgpetersenii) members. Here, we present an in silico search for DNA repair pathways in Leptospira spp. The relevance of such DNA repair pathways was assessed through the identification of mRNA levels of some genes during infection in animal model and after exposition to spleen cells. The search was performed by comparison of available Leptospira spp. genomes in public databases with known DNA repair-related genes. Leptospires exhibit some distinct and unexpected characteristics, for instance the existence of a redundant mechanism for repairing a chemically diverse spectrum of alkylated nucleobases, a new mutS-like gene and a new shorter version of uvrD. Leptospira spp. shares some characteristics from Gram-positive, as the presence of PcrA, two RecQ paralogs and two SSB proteins; the latter is considered a feature shared by naturally competent bacteria. We did not find a significant reduction in the number of DNA repair-related genes in both pathogenic and host-dependent species. Pathogenic leptospires were enriched for genes dedicated to base excision repair and non-homologous end joining. Their evolutionary history reveals a remarkable importance of lateral gene transfer events for the evolution of the genus. Up-regulation of specific DNA repair genes, including components of SOS regulon, during infection in animal model validates the critical role of DNA repair mechanisms for the complex interplay between host/pathogen.

Towards mastering CRISPR-induced gene knock-in in plants: Survey of key features and focus on the model Physcomitrella patens.

Science.gov (United States)

Collonnier, Cécile; Guyon-Debast, Anouchka; Maclot, François; Mara, Kostlend; Charlot, Florence; Nogué, Fabien

2017-05-15

Beyond its predominant role in human and animal therapy, the CRISPR-Cas9 system has also become an essential tool for plant research and plant breeding. Agronomic applications rely on the mastery of gene inactivation and gene modification. However, if the knock-out of genes by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)-mediated repair of the targeted double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by the CRISPR-Cas9 system is rather well mastered, the knock-in of genes by homology-driven repair or end-joining remains difficult to perform efficiently in higher plants. In this review, we describe the different approaches that can be tested to improve the efficiency of CRISPR-induced gene modification in plants, which include the use of optimal transformation and regeneration protocols, the design of appropriate guide RNAs and donor templates and the choice of nucleases and means of delivery. We also present what can be done to orient DNA repair pathways in the target cells, and we show how the moss Physcomitrella patens can be used as a model plant to better understand what DNA repair mechanisms are involved, and how this knowledge could eventually be used to define more performant strategies of CRISPR-induced gene knock-in. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure-Based Virtual Ligand Screening on the XRCC4/DNA Ligase IV Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Menchon, Grégory; Bombarde, Oriane; Trivedi, Mansi; Négrel, Aurélie; Inard, Cyril; Giudetti, Brigitte; Baltas, Michel; Milon, Alain; Modesti, Mauro; Czaplicki, Georges; Calsou, Patrick

2016-03-01

The association of DNA Ligase IV (Lig4) with XRCC4 is essential for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in humans. DSBs cytotoxicity is largely exploited in anticancer therapy. Thus, NHEJ is an attractive target for strategies aimed at increasing the sensitivity of tumors to clastogenic anticancer treatments. However the high affinity of the XRCC4/Lig4 interaction and the extended protein-protein interface make drug screening on this target particularly challenging. Here, we conducted a pioneering study aimed at interfering with XRCC4/Lig4 assembly. By Molecular Dynamics simulation using the crystal structure of the complex, we first delineated the Lig4 clamp domain as a limited suitable target. Then, we performed in silico screening of ~95,000 filtered molecules on this Lig4 subdomain. Hits were evaluated by Differential Scanning Fluorimetry, Saturation Transfer Difference - NMR spectroscopy and interaction assays with purified recombinant proteins. In this way we identified the first molecule able to prevent Lig4 binding to XRCC4 in vitro. This compound has a unique tripartite interaction with the Lig4 clamp domain that suggests a starting chemotype for rational design of analogous molecules with improved affinity.

A Role for BLM in Double-Strand Break Repair Pathway Choice: Prevention of CtIP/Mre11-Mediated Alternative Nonhomologous End-Joining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grabarz, Anastazja; Guirouilh-Barbat, Josée; Barascu, Aurelia

2013-01-01

The choice of the appropriate double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway is essential for the maintenance of genomic stability. Here, we show that the Bloom syndrome gene product, BLM, counteracts CtIP/MRE11-dependent long-range deletions (>200 bp) generated by alternative end-joining (A-EJ). BLM...... represses A-EJ in an epistatic manner with 53BP1 and RIF1 and is required for ionizing-radiation-induced 53BP1 focus assembly. Conversely, in the absence of 53BP1 or RIF1, BLM promotes formation of A-EJ long deletions, consistent with a role for BLM in DSB end resection. These data highlight a dual role...... for BLM that influences the DSB repair pathway choice: (1) protection against CtIP/MRE11 long-range deletions associated with A-EJ and (2) promotion of DNA resection. These antagonist roles can be regulated, according to cell-cycle stage, by interacting partners such as 53BP1 and TopIII, to avoid...

ATM loss leads to synthetic lethality in BRCA1 BRCT mutant mice associated with exacerbated defects in homology-directed repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chun-Chin; Kass, Elizabeth M; Yen, Wei-Feng; Ludwig, Thomas; Moynahan, Mary Ellen; Chaudhuri, Jayanta; Jasin, Maria

2017-07-18

BRCA1 is essential for homology-directed repair (HDR) of DNA double-strand breaks in part through antagonism of the nonhomologous end-joining factor 53BP1. The ATM kinase is involved in various aspects of DNA damage signaling and repair, but how ATM participates in HDR and genetically interacts with BRCA1 in this process is unclear. To investigate this question, we used the Brca1 S1598F mouse model carrying a mutation in the BRCA1 C-terminal domain of BRCA1. Whereas ATM loss leads to a mild HDR defect in adult somatic cells, we find that ATM inhibition leads to severely reduced HDR in Brca1 S1598F cells. Consistent with a critical role for ATM in HDR in this background, loss of ATM leads to synthetic lethality of Brca1 S1598F mice. Whereas both ATM and BRCA1 promote end resection, which can be regulated by 53BP1, 53bp1 deletion does not rescue the HDR defects of Atm mutant cells, in contrast to Brca1 mutant cells. These results demonstrate that ATM has a role in HDR independent of the BRCA1-53BP1 antagonism and that its HDR function can become critical in certain contexts.

Impact of DNA3'pp5'G capping on repair reactions at DNA 3' ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Ushati; Chauleau, Mathieu; Ordonez, Heather; Shuman, Stewart

2014-08-05

Many biological scenarios generate "dirty" DNA 3'-PO4 ends that cannot be sealed by classic DNA ligases or extended by DNA polymerases. The noncanonical ligase RtcB can "cap" these ends via a unique chemical mechanism entailing transfer of GMP from a covalent RtcB-GMP intermediate to a DNA 3'-PO4 to form DNA3'pp5'G. Here, we show that capping protects DNA 3' ends from resection by Escherichia coli exonucleases I and III and from end-healing by T4 polynucleotide 3' phosphatase. By contrast, the cap is an effective primer for DNA synthesis. E. coli DNA polymerase I and Mycobacterium DinB1 extend the DNAppG primer to form an alkali-labile DNApp(rG)pDNA product. The addition of dNTP depends on pairing of the cap guanine with an opposing cytosine in the template strand. Aprataxin, an enzyme implicated in repair of A5'pp5'DNA ends formed during abortive ligation by classic ligases, is highly effective as a DNA 3' decapping enzyme, converting DNAppG to DNA3'p and GMP. We conclude that the biochemical impact of DNA capping is to prevent resection and healing of a 3'-PO4 end, while permitting DNA synthesis, at the price of embedding a ribonucleotide and a pyrophosphate linkage in the repaired strand. Aprataxin affords a means to counter the impact of DNA capping.

Mitochondrial respiratory modifiers confer survival advantage by facilitating DNA repair in cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauhan, Ankit; Khanna, Suchit; Singh, Saurabh; Rai, Yogesh; Soni, Ravi; Kalra, Namita; Dwarakanath, B.S.; Bhatt, Anant Narayan

2014-01-01

High rate of aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect), one of the primary hallmarks of cancer cells, acquired during the multistep development of tumors is also responsible for therapeutic resistance. Underlying this hallmark is the compromised respiratory metabolism that contributes to the acquisition of the glycolytic phenotype for sustained ATP production and cell proliferation. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms underlying the glycolysis-linked radio-resistance in cancer cells remain elusive. In this study, we transiently elevated glycolysis by treating human cell lines (HEK293, BMG-1 and OCT-1) with mitochondrial respiratory modifiers (MRMs) viz. 2,4-dinitrophenol, Photosan-3, and Methylene blue to examine if transient stimulation of glycolysis before irradiation using MRMs is sufficient to confer radioresistance. Treatment with MRMs led to a significant (two-fold) increase in glucose consumption and lactate production together with a robust increase in the protein levels of two key regulators of glucose metabolism, i.e. GLUT-1 and HK-II. MRMs also enhanced the clonogenic survival and facilitated DNA repair by activating both non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) pathways of DNA double strand break repair leading to reduction in radiation-induced cytogenetic damage (micronuclei formation) in these cells. Inhibition of glucose uptake by inhibitors like 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), 3-bromo pyruvate (3-BP) and fasentin under conditions of stimulated glycolysis not only reversed the effect but also sensitized the cells to radiation more profoundly. The inhibition of glycolysis using 2-DG also reduced the levels of Ku 70 (NHEJ) and Rad-51 (HR) proteins. Thus, our results suggest that enhanced glycolysis in cancer cells may confer radio-resistance and offers survival advantage partly by enhancing the repair of DNA damage. (author)

Monitoring Replication Protein A (RPA) dynamics in homologous recombination through site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Pokhrel, Nilisha; Origanti, Sofia; Davenport, Eric Parker; Gandhi, Disha; Kaniecki, Kyle; Mehl, Ryan A; Greene, Eric C; Dockendorff, Chris; Antony, Edwin

2017-09-19

An essential coordinator of all DNA metabolic processes is Replication Protein A (RPA). RPA orchestrates these processes by binding to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and interacting with several other DNA binding proteins. Determining the real-time kinetics of single players such as RPA in the presence of multiple DNA processors to better understand the associated mechanistic events is technically challenging. To overcome this hurdle, we utilized non-canonical amino acids and bio-orthogonal chemistry to site-specifically incorporate a chemical fluorophore onto a single subunit of heterotrimeric RPA. Upon binding to ssDNA, this fluorescent RPA (RPAf) generates a quantifiable change in fluorescence, thus serving as a reporter of its dynamics on DNA in the presence of multiple other DNA binding proteins. Using RPAf, we describe the kinetics of facilitated self-exchange and exchange by Rad51 and mediator proteins during various stages in homologous recombination. RPAf is widely applicable to investigate its mechanism of action in processes such as DNA replication, repair and telomere maintenance. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

TALE nucleases and next generation GM crops.

KAUST Repository

Mahfouz, Magdy M.

2011-04-01

Site-specific and adaptable DNA binding domains are essential modules to develop genome engineering technologies for crop improvement. Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) proteins are used to provide a highly specific and adaptable DNA binding modules. TALE chimeric nucleases (TALENs) were used to generate site-specific double strand breaks (DSBs) in vitro and in yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, mammalian and plant cells. The genomic DSBs can be generated at predefined and user-selected loci and repaired by either the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homology dependent repair (HDR). Thus, TALENs can be used to achieve site-specific gene addition, stacking, deletion or inactivation. TALE-based genome engineering tools should be powerful to develop new agricultural biotechnology approaches for crop improvement. Here, we discuss the recent research and the potential applications of TALENs to accelerate the generation of genomic variants through targeted mutagenesis and to produce a non-transgenic GM crops with the desired phenotype.

A robust network of double-strand break repair pathways governs genome integrity during C. elegans development.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pontier, D.B.; Tijsterman, M.

2009-01-01

To preserve genomic integrity, various mechanisms have evolved to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Depending on cell type or cell cycle phase, DSBs can be repaired error-free, by homologous recombination, or with concomitant loss of sequence information, via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ)

Zinc Finger Nuclease induced DNA double stranded breaks and rearrangements in MLL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do, To Uyen; Ho, Bay; Shih, Shyh-Jen; Vaughan, Andrew

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) targeting a leukemogenic hot spot for rearrangement in MLL is created. ► The novel ZFN efficiently cleaves MLL exon 13. ► Despite MLL cleavage and evidence of mis-repair, no leukemogenic translocations were produced. ► MLL cleavage alone is insufficient to generate leukemogenic translocations. - Abstract: Radiation treatment or chemotherapy has been linked with a higher risk of secondary cancers such as therapy related Acute Myeloid Leukemia (tAML). Several of these cancers have been shown to be correlated to the introduction of double stranded breaks (DSB) and rearrangements within the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene. We used Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) to introduce precise cuts within MLL to examine how a single DNA DSB might lead to chromosomal rearrangements. A ZFN targeting exon 13 within the Breakpoint Cluster Region of MLL was transiently expressed in a human lymphoblast cell line originating from a CML patient. Although FISH analysis showed ZFN DSB at this region increased the rate of MLL fragmentation, we were unable to detect leukemogenic rearrangements or translocations via inverse PCR. Interestingly, gene fragmentation as well as small interstitial deletions, insertions and base substitutions increased with the inhibition of DNA-PK, suggesting repair of this particular DSB is linked to non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Although mis-repair of DSBs may be necessary for the initiation of leukemogenic translocations, a MLL targeted DNA break alone is insufficient

Zinc Finger Nuclease induced DNA double stranded breaks and rearrangements in MLL

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Do, To Uyen [Graduate Group in Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis, Sacramento CA 95817 (United States); Ho, Bay; Shih, Shyh-Jen [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis, Sacramento CA 95817 (United States); Vaughan, Andrew, E-mail: Andrew.vaughan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu [Graduate Group in Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis, Sacramento CA 95817 (United States)

2012-12-15

Highlights: ► A Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) targeting a leukemogenic hot spot for rearrangement in MLL is created. ► The novel ZFN efficiently cleaves MLL exon 13. ► Despite MLL cleavage and evidence of mis-repair, no leukemogenic translocations were produced. ► MLL cleavage alone is insufficient to generate leukemogenic translocations. - Abstract: Radiation treatment or chemotherapy has been linked with a higher risk of secondary cancers such as therapy related Acute Myeloid Leukemia (tAML). Several of these cancers have been shown to be correlated to the introduction of double stranded breaks (DSB) and rearrangements within the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene. We used Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) to introduce precise cuts within MLL to examine how a single DNA DSB might lead to chromosomal rearrangements. A ZFN targeting exon 13 within the Breakpoint Cluster Region of MLL was transiently expressed in a human lymphoblast cell line originating from a CML patient. Although FISH analysis showed ZFN DSB at this region increased the rate of MLL fragmentation, we were unable to detect leukemogenic rearrangements or translocations via inverse PCR. Interestingly, gene fragmentation as well as small interstitial deletions, insertions and base substitutions increased with the inhibition of DNA-PK, suggesting repair of this particular DSB is linked to non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Although mis-repair of DSBs may be necessary for the initiation of leukemogenic translocations, a MLL targeted DNA break alone is insufficient.

Phenylbutyrate inhibits homologous recombination induced by camptothecin and methyl methanesulfonate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Gitte S; Germann, Susanne M; Westergaard, Tine; Lisby, Michael

2011-08-01

Homologous recombination is accompanied by extensive changes to chromatin organization at the site of DNA damage. Some of these changes are mediated through acetylation/deacetylation of histones. Here, we show that recombinational repair of DNA damage induced by the anti-cancer drug camptothecin (CPT) and the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) is blocked by sodium phenylbutyrate (PBA) in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, PBA suppresses CPT- and MMS-induced genetic recombination as well as DNA double-strand break repair during mating-type interconversion. Treatment with PBA is accompanied by a dramatic reduction in histone H4 lysine 8 acetylation. Live cell imaging of homologous recombination proteins indicates that repair of CPT-induced DNA damage is redirected to a non-recombinogenic pathway in the presence of PBA without loss in cell viability. In contrast, the suppression of MMS-induced recombination by PBA is accompanied by a dramatic loss in cell viability. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PBA inhibits DNA damage-induced homologous recombination likely by mediating changes in chromatin acetylation. Moreover, the combination of PBA with genotoxic agents can lead to different cell fates depending on the type of DNA damage inflicted. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sequence homology and expression profile of genes associated with DNA repair pathways in Mycobacterium leprae.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Mukul; Vedithi, Sundeep Chaitanya; Das, Madhusmita; Roy, Anindya; Ebenezer, Mannam

2017-01-01

Survival of Mycobacterium leprae, the causative bacteria for leprosy, in the human host is dependent to an extent on the ways in which its genome integrity is retained. DNA repair mechanisms protect bacterial DNA from damage induced by various stress factors. The current study is aimed at understanding the sequence and functional annotation of DNA repair genes in M. leprae. T he genome of M. leprae was annotated using sequence alignment tools to identify DNA repair genes that have homologs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli. A set of 96 genes known to be involved in DNA repair mechanisms in E. coli and Mycobacteriaceae were chosen as a reference. Among these, 61 were identified in M. leprae based on sequence similarity and domain architecture. The 61 were classified into 36 characterized gene products (59%), 11 hypothetical proteins (18%), and 14 pseudogenes (23%). All these genes have homologs in M. tuberculosis and 49 (80.32%) in E. coli. A set of 12 genes which are absent in E. coli were present in M. leprae and in Mycobacteriaceae. These 61 genes were further investigated for their expression profiles in the whole transcriptome microarray data of M. leprae which was obtained from the signal intensities of 60bp probes, tiling the entire genome with 10bp overlaps. It was noted that transcripts corresponding to all the 61 genes were identified in the transcriptome data with varying expression levels ranging from 0.18 to 2.47 fold (normalized with 16SrRNA). The mRNA expression levels of a representative set of seven genes ( four annotated and three hypothetical protein coding genes) were analyzed using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) assays with RNA extracted from skin biopsies of 10 newly diagnosed, untreated leprosy cases. It was noted that RNA expression levels were higher for genes involved in homologous recombination whereas the genes with a low level of expression are involved in the direct repair pathway. This study provided

Repair kinetics of DNA double-strand breaks and incidence of apoptosis in mouse neural stem/progenitor cells and their differentiated neurons exposed to ionizing radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kashiwagi, Hiroki; Shiraishi, Kazunori; Sakaguchi, Kenta; Nakahama, Tomoya; Kodama, Seiji

2018-05-01

Neuronal loss leads to neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Because of their long lifespans, neurons are assumed to possess highly efficient DNA repair ability and to be able to protect themselves from deleterious DNA damage such as DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) produced by intrinsic and extrinsic sources. However, it remains largely unknown whether the DSB repair ability of neurons is more efficient compared with that of other cells. Here, we investigated the repair kinetics of X-ray-induced DSBs in mouse neural cells by scoring the number of phosphorylated 53BP1 foci post irradiation. We found that p53-independent apoptosis was induced time dependently during differentiation from neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) into neurons in culture for 48 h. DSB repair in neurons differentiated from NSPCs in culture was faster than that in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), possibly due to the higher DNA-dependent protein kinase activity, but it was similar to that in NSPCs. Further, the incidence of p53-dependent apoptosis induced by X-irradiation in neurons was significantly higher than that in NSPCs. This difference in response of X-ray-induced apoptosis between neurons and NSPCs may reflect a difference in the fidelity of non-homologous end joining or a differential sensitivity to DNA damage other than DSBs.

Incidence of genome structure, DNA asymmetry, and cell physiology on T-DNA integration in chromosomes of the phytopathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourras, Salim; Meyer, Michel; Grandaubert, Jonathan; Lapalu, Nicolas; Fudal, Isabelle; Linglin, Juliette; Ollivier, Benedicte; Blaise, Françoise; Balesdent, Marie-Hélène; Rouxel, Thierry

2012-08-01

The ever-increasing generation of sequence data is accompanied by unsatisfactory functional annotation, and complex genomes, such as those of plants and filamentous fungi, show a large number of genes with no predicted or known function. For functional annotation of unknown or hypothetical genes, the production of collections of mutants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) associated with genotyping and phenotyping has gained wide acceptance. ATMT is also widely used to identify pathogenicity determinants in pathogenic fungi. A systematic analysis of T-DNA borders was performed in an ATMT-mutagenized collection of the phytopathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans to evaluate the features of T-DNA integration in its particular transposable element-rich compartmentalized genome. A total of 318 T-DNA tags were recovered and analyzed for biases in chromosome and genic compartments, existence of CG/AT skews at the insertion site, and occurrence of microhomologies between the T-DNA left border (LB) and the target sequence. Functional annotation of targeted genes was done using the Gene Ontology annotation. The T-DNA integration mainly targeted gene-rich, transcriptionally active regions, and it favored biological processes consistent with the physiological status of a germinating spore. T-DNA integration was strongly biased toward regulatory regions, and mainly promoters. Consistent with the T-DNA intranuclear-targeting model, the density of T-DNA insertion correlated with CG skew near the transcription initiation site. The existence of microhomologies between promoter sequences and the T-DNA LB flanking sequence was also consistent with T-DNA integration to host DNA mediated by homologous recombination based on the microhomology-mediated end-joining pathway.

DNA repair-related genes in sugarcane expressed sequence tags (ESTs

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R.M.A. Costa

2001-12-01

Full Text Available There is much interest in the identification and characterization of genes involved in DNA repair because of their importance in the maintenance of the genome integrity. The high level of conservation of DNA repair genes means that these genetic elements may be used in phylogenetic studies as a source of information on the genetic origin and evolution of species. The mechanisms by which damaged DNA is repaired are well understood in bacteria, yeast and mammals, but much remains to be learned as regards plants. We identified genes involved in DNA repair mechanisms in sugarcane using a similarity search of the Brazilian Sugarcane Expressed Sequence Tag (SUCEST database against known sequences deposited in other public databases (National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI database and the Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS Arabidopsis thaliana database. This search revealed that most of the various proteins involved in DNA repair in sugarcane are similar to those found in other eukaryotes. However, we also identified certain intriguing features found only in plants, probably due to the independent evolution of this kingdom. The DNA repair mechanisms investigated include photoreactivation, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, non-homologous end joining, homologous recombination repair and DNA lesion tolerance. We report the main differences found in the DNA repair machinery in plant cells as compared to other organisms. These differences point to potentially different strategies plants employ to deal with DNA damage, that deserve further investigation.A identificação e caracterização de genes envolvidos com reparo de DNA são de grande interesse, dada a sua importância na manutenção da integridade genômica. Além disso, a alta conservação dos genes de reparo de DNA faz com que possam ser utilizados como fonte de informação no que diz respeito à origem e evolução das esp

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ku can bind to nuclear DNA damage and sensitize mammalian cells to bleomycin sulfate.

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Castore, Reneau; Hughes, Cameron; Debeaux, Austin; Sun, Jingxin; Zeng, Cailing; Wang, Shih-Ya; Tatchell, Kelly; Shi, Runhua; Lee, Kyung-Jong; Chen, David J; Harrison, Lynn

2011-11-01

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are effective cancer treatments due to their ability to generate DNA damage. The major lethal lesion is the DNA double-strand break (DSB). Human cells predominantly repair DSBs by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which requires Ku70, Ku80, DNA-PKcs, DNA ligase IV and accessory proteins. Repair is initiated by the binding of the Ku heterodimer at the ends of the DSB and this recruits DNA-PKcs, which initiates damage signaling and functions in repair. NHEJ also exists in certain types of bacteria that have dormant phases in their life cycle. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ku (Mt-Ku) resembles the DNA-binding domain of human Ku but does not have the N- and C-terminal domains of Ku70/80 that have been implicated in binding mammalian NHEJ repair proteins. The aim of this work was to determine whether Mt-Ku could be used as a tool to bind DSBs in mammalian cells and sensitize cells to DNA damage. We generated a fusion protein (KuEnls) of Mt-Ku, EGFP and a nuclear localization signal that is able to perform bacterial NHEJ and hence bind DSBs. Using transient transfection, we demonstrated that KuEnls is able to bind laser damage in the nucleus of Ku80-deficient cells within 10 sec and remains bound for up to 2 h. The Mt-Ku fusion protein was over-expressed in U2OS cells and this increased the sensitivity of the cells to bleomycin sulfate. Hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation do not predominantly produce DSBs and there was little or no change in sensitivity to these agents. Since in vitro studies were unable to detect binding of Mt-Ku to DNA-PKcs or human Ku70/80, this work suggests that KuEnls sensitizes cells by binding DSBs, preventing human NHEJ. This study indicates that blocking or decreasing the binding of human Ku to DSBs could be a method for enhancing existing cancer treatments.

Non-homologous isofunctional enzymes: a systematic analysis of alternative solutions in enzyme evolution.

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Omelchenko, Marina V; Galperin, Michael Y; Wolf, Yuri I; Koonin, Eugene V

2010-04-30

Evolutionarily unrelated proteins that catalyze the same biochemical reactions are often referred to as analogous - as opposed to homologous - enzymes. The existence of numerous alternative, non-homologous enzyme isoforms presents an interesting evolutionary problem; it also complicates genome-based reconstruction of the metabolic pathways in a variety of organisms. In 1998, a systematic search for analogous enzymes resulted in the identification of 105 Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers that included two or more proteins without detectable sequence similarity to each other, including 34 EC nodes where proteins were known (or predicted) to have distinct structural folds, indicating independent evolutionary origins. In the past 12 years, many putative non-homologous isofunctional enzymes were identified in newly sequenced genomes. In addition, efforts in structural genomics resulted in a vastly improved structural coverage of proteomes, providing for definitive assessment of (non)homologous relationships between proteins. We report the results of a comprehensive search for non-homologous isofunctional enzymes (NISE) that yielded 185 EC nodes with two or more experimentally characterized - or predicted - structurally unrelated proteins. Of these NISE sets, only 74 were from the original 1998 list. Structural assignments of the NISE show over-representation of proteins with the TIM barrel fold and the nucleotide-binding Rossmann fold. From the functional perspective, the set of NISE is enriched in hydrolases, particularly carbohydrate hydrolases, and in enzymes involved in defense against oxidative stress. These results indicate that at least some of the non-homologous isofunctional enzymes were recruited relatively recently from enzyme families that are active against related substrates and are sufficiently flexible to accommodate changes in substrate specificity.

Influence of the complexity of radiation-induced DNA damage on enzyme recognition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmer, Philip

2002-01-01

Ionising radiation is unique in inducing DNA clustered damage together with the simple isolated lesions. Understanding how these complex lesions are recognised and repaired by the cell is key to understanding the health risks associated with radiation exposure. This study focuses on whether ionising radiation-induced complex single-strand breaks (SSB) are recognised by DNA-PK and PARP, and whether the complexity of DSB influence their ligation by either DNA ligase lV/XRCC4 (LX) complex or T4 DNA ligase. Plasmid DNA, irradiated in aqueous solution using sparsely ionising γ-rays and densely ionising α-particles produce different yields of complex DNA damages, used as substrates for in vitro DNA-PK and PARP activity assays. The activity of DNA-PK to phosphorylate a peptide was determined using HF19 cell nuclear extracts as a source of DNA-PK. PARP ADP-ribosylation activity was determined using purified PARP enzyme. The activation of DNA-PK and PARP by irradiated DNA is due to SSB and not the low yield of DSB (linear plasmid DNA <10%). A ∼2 fold increase in DNA-PK activation and a ∼3-fold reduction in PARP activity seen on increasing the ionising density of the radiation (proportion of complex damage) are proposed to reflect changes in the complexity of SSB and may relate to damage signalling. Complex DSB synthesised as double-stranded oligonucleotides, with a 2 bp 5'-overhang, and containing modified lesions, 8-oxoguanine and abasic sites, at known positions relative to the termini were used as substrates for in vitro ligation by DNA ligase IV/XRCC4 or T4 ligase. The presence of a modified lesion 2 or 3 bp but not 4 bp from the 3'-termini and 2 or 6 bp from the 5'-termini caused a drastic reduction in the extent of ligation. Therefore, the presence of modified lesions near to the termini of a DSB may compromise their rejoining by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) involving the LX complex. (author)

miR-19, a component of the oncogenic miR-17∼92 cluster, targets the DNA-end resection factor CtIP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hühn, D; Kousholt, A N; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard

2014-01-01

MicroRNA-19 (miR-19) was recently identified as the key oncogenic component of the polycistronic miR-17∼92 cluster, also known as oncomiR-1, which is frequently upregulated or amplified in multiple tumor types. However, the gene targets and the pathways underlying the tumor-promoting activity of mi......R-19 still remain largely elusive. CtIP/RBBP8 promotes DNA-end resection, a critical step in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination (HR), and is considered to function as a tumor suppressor. In this study, we show that miR-19 downregulates CtIP expression by binding...... to two highly conserved sequences located in the 3'-untranslated region of CtIP mRNA. We further demonstrate that CtIP expression is repressed by miR-19 during continuous genotoxic stress in a p53-dependent manner. Finally, we report that miR-19 impairs CtIP-mediated DNA-end resection, which results...

Double strand break repair: two mechanisms in competition but tightly linked to cell cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delacote, F.

2002-11-01

DNA double strand breaks (DSB) are highly toxic damage although they can be induced to create genetic diversity. Two distinct pathways can repair DSB: Homologous Recombination (HR) and Non Homologous End Joining (NHEJ). If un- or mis-repaired, this damage can lead to cancer. Thus, it is essential to investigate how these two pathways are regulated for DSB repair. NHEJ inhibition leads to HR DSB repair stimulation. However, this channeling to HR is tightly linked to cell cycle since NHEJ and HR are active in G1/early S and late S/G2, respectively. Our results suggest that G1-unrepaired DSB go through S phase to be repaired by HR in G2. Those results allow a better understanding of DSB repair mechanisms regulation. (author)

In Vitro Expansion of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alters DNA Double Strand Break Repair of Etoposide Induced DNA Damage

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Ian Hare

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs are of interest for use in diverse cellular therapies. Ex vivo expansion of MSCs intended for transplantation must result in generation of cells that maintain fidelity of critical functions. Previous investigations have identified genetic and phenotypic alterations of MSCs with in vitro passage, but little is known regarding how culturing influences the ability of MSCs to repair double strand DNA breaks (DSBs, the most severe of DNA lesions. To investigate the response to DSB stress with passage in vitro, primary human MSCs were exposed to etoposide (VP16 at various passages with subsequent evaluation of cellular damage responses and DNA repair. Passage number did not affect susceptibility to VP16 or the incidence and repair kinetics of DSBs. Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ transcripts showed little alteration with VP16 exposure or passage; however, homologous recombination (HR transcripts were reduced following VP16 exposure with this decrease amplified as MSCs were passaged in vitro. Functional evaluations of NHEJ and HR showed that MSCs were unable to activate NHEJ repair following VP16 stress in cells after successive passage. These results indicate that ex vivo expansion of MSCs alters their ability to perform DSB repair, a necessary function for cells intended for transplantation.

In Vitro Expansion of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alters DNA Double Strand Break Repair of Etoposide Induced DNA Damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Hare, Ian; Gencheva, Marieta; Evans, Rebecca; Fortney, James; Piktel, Debbie; Vos, Jeffrey A; Howell, David; Gibson, Laura F

2016-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of interest for use in diverse cellular therapies. Ex vivo expansion of MSCs intended for transplantation must result in generation of cells that maintain fidelity of critical functions. Previous investigations have identified genetic and phenotypic alterations of MSCs with in vitro passage, but little is known regarding how culturing influences the ability of MSCs to repair double strand DNA breaks (DSBs), the most severe of DNA lesions. To investigate the response to DSB stress with passage in vitro, primary human MSCs were exposed to etoposide (VP16) at various passages with subsequent evaluation of cellular damage responses and DNA repair. Passage number did not affect susceptibility to VP16 or the incidence and repair kinetics of DSBs. Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) transcripts showed little alteration with VP16 exposure or passage; however, homologous recombination (HR) transcripts were reduced following VP16 exposure with this decrease amplified as MSCs were passaged in vitro. Functional evaluations of NHEJ and HR showed that MSCs were unable to activate NHEJ repair following VP16 stress in cells after successive passage. These results indicate that ex vivo expansion of MSCs alters their ability to perform DSB repair, a necessary function for cells intended for transplantation.

Evolutionary insight on localization of 18S, 28S rDNA genes on homologous chromosomes in Primates genomes

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Mazzoleni, Sofia; Rovatsos, Michail; Schillaci, Odessa; Dumas, Francesca

2018-01-01

Abstract We explored the topology of 18S and 28S rDNA units by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in the karyotypes of thirteen species representatives from major groups of Primates and Tupaia minor (Günther, 1876) (Scandentia), in order to expand our knowledge of Primate genome reshuffling and to identify the possible dispersion mechanisms of rDNA sequences. We documented that rDNA probe signals were identified on one to six pairs of chromosomes, both acrocentric and metacentric ones. In addition, we examined the potential homology of chromosomes bearing rDNA genes across different species and in a wide phylogenetic perspective, based on the DAPI-inverted pattern and their synteny to human. Our analysis revealed an extensive variability in the topology of the rDNA signals across studied species. In some cases, closely related species show signals on homologous chromosomes, thus representing synapomorphies, while in other cases, signal was detected on distinct chromosomes, leading to species specific patterns. These results led us to support the hypothesis that different mechanisms are responsible for the distribution of the ribosomal DNA cluster in Primates. PMID:29416829

Evolutionary insight on localization of 18S, 28S rDNA genes on homologous chromosomes in Primates genomes

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Sofia Mazzoleni

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We explored the topology of 18S and 28S rDNA units by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH in the karyotypes of thirteen species representatives from major groups of Primates and Tupaia minor (Günther, 1876 (Scandentia, in order to expand our knowledge of Primate genome reshuffling and to identify the possible dispersion mechanisms of rDNA sequences. We documented that rDNA probe signals were identified on one to six pairs of chromosomes, both acrocentric and metacentric ones. In addition, we examined the potential homology of chromosomes bearing rDNA genes across different species and in a wide phylogenetic perspective, based on the DAPI-inverted pattern and their synteny to human. Our analysis revealed an extensive variability in the topology of the rDNA signals across studied species. In some cases, closely related species show signals on homologous chromosomes, thus representing synapomorphies, while in other cases, signal was detected on distinct chromosomes, leading to species specific patterns. These results led us to support the hypothesis that different mechanisms are responsible for the distribution of the ribosomal DNA cluster in Primates.

Sequence homology and expression profile of genes associated with dna repair pathways in Mycobacterium leprae

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Mukul Sharma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Survival of Mycobacterium leprae, the causative bacteria for leprosy, in the human host is dependent to an extent on the ways in which its genome integrity is retained. DNA repair mechanisms protect bacterial DNA from damage induced by various stress factors. The current study is aimed at understanding the sequence and functional annotation of DNA repair genes in M. leprae. Methods: T he genome of M. leprae was annotated using sequence alignment tools to identify DNA repair genes that have homologs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli. A set of 96 genes known to be involved in DNA repair mechanisms in E. coli and Mycobacteriaceae were chosen as a reference. Among these, 61 were identified in M. leprae based on sequence similarity and domain architecture. The 61 were classified into 36 characterized gene products (59%, 11 hypothetical proteins (18%, and 14 pseudogenes (23%. All these genes have homologs in M. tuberculosis and 49 (80.32% in E. coli. A set of 12 genes which are absent in E. coli were present in M. leprae and in Mycobacteriaceae. These 61 genes were further investigated for their expression profiles in the whole transcriptome microarray data of M. leprae which was obtained from the signal intensities of 60bp probes, tiling the entire genome with 10bp overlaps. Results: It was noted that transcripts corresponding to all the 61 genes were identified in the transcriptome data with varying expression levels ranging from 0.18 to 2.47 fold (normalized with 16SrRNA. The mRNA expression levels of a representative set of seven genes ( four annotated and three hypothetical protein coding genes were analyzed using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR assays with RNA extracted from skin biopsies of 10 newly diagnosed, untreated leprosy cases. It was noted that RNA expression levels were higher for genes involved in homologous recombination whereas the genes with a low level of expression are involved in the

DNA-dependent protein kinase inhibits AID-induced antibody gene conversion.

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Adam J L Cook

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Affinity maturation and class switching of antibodies requires activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID-dependent hypermutation of Ig V(DJ rearrangements and Ig S regions, respectively, in activated B cells. AID deaminates deoxycytidine bases in Ig genes, converting them into deoxyuridines. In V(DJ regions, subsequent excision of the deaminated bases by uracil-DNA glycosylase, or by mismatch repair, leads to further point mutation or gene conversion, depending on the species. In Ig S regions, nicking at the abasic sites produced by AID and uracil-DNA glycosylases results in staggered double-strand breaks, whose repair by nonhomologous end joining mediates Ig class switching. We have tested whether nonhomologous end joining also plays a role in V(DJ hypermutation using chicken DT40 cells deficient for Ku70 or the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs. Inactivation of the Ku70 or DNA-PKcs genes in DT40 cells elevated the rate of AID-induced gene conversion as much as 5-fold. Furthermore, DNA-PKcs-deficiency appeared to reduce point mutation. The data provide strong evidence that double-strand DNA ends capable of recruiting the DNA-dependent protein kinase complex are important intermediates in Ig V gene conversion.

Polychlorinated biphenyl quinone induces oxidative DNA damage and repair responses: The activations of NHEJ, BER and NER via ATM-p53 signaling axis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Hui; Shi, Qiong; Song, Xiufang; Fu, Juanli; Hu, Lihua; Xu, Demei; Su, Chuanyang; Xia, Xiaomin; Song, Erqun; Song, Yang, E-mail: songyangwenrong@hotmail.com

2015-07-01

Our previous studies demonstrated that polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) quinone induced oxidative DNA damage in HepG2 cells. To promote genomic integrity, DNA damage response (DDR) coordinates cell-cycle transitions, DNA repair and apoptosis. PCB quinone-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis have been documented, however, whether PCB quinone insult induce DNA repair signaling is still unknown. In this study, we identified the activation of DDR and corresponding signaling events in HepG2 cells upon the exposure to a synthetic PCB quinone, PCB29-pQ. Our data illustrated that PCB29-pQ induces the phosphorylation of p53, which was mediated by ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase. The observed phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) foci and the elevation of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) indicated that DDR was stimulated by PCB29-pQ treatment. Additionally, we found PCB29-pQ activates non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), base excision repair (BER) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) signalings. However, these repair pathways are not error-free processes and aberrant repair of DNA damage may cause the potential risk of carcinogenesis and mutagenesis. - Highlights: • Polychlorinated biphenyl quinone induces oxidative DNA damage in HepG2 cells. • The elevation of γ-H2AX and 8-OHdG indicates the activation of DNA damage response. • ATM-p53 signaling acts as the DNA damage sensor and effector. • Polychlorinated biphenyl quinone activates NHEJ, BER and NER signalings.

RPA Stabilization of Single-Stranded DNA Is Critical for Break-Induced Replication.

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Ruff, Patrick; Donnianni, Roberto A; Glancy, Eleanor; Oh, Julyun; Symington, Lorraine S

2016-12-20

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are cytotoxic lesions that must be accurately repaired to maintain genome stability. Replication protein A (RPA) plays an important role in homology-dependent repair of DSBs by protecting the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) intermediates formed by end resection and by facilitating Rad51 loading. We found that hypomorphic mutants of RFA1 that support intra-chromosomal homologous recombination are profoundly defective for repair processes involving long tracts of DNA synthesis, in particular break-induced replication (BIR). The BIR defects of the rfa1 mutants could be partially suppressed by eliminating the Sgs1-Dna2 resection pathway, suggesting that Dna2 nuclease attacks the ssDNA formed during end resection when not fully protected by RPA. Overexpression of Rad51 was also found to suppress the rfa1 BIR defects. We suggest that Rad51 binding to the ssDNA formed by excessive end resection and during D-loop migration can partially compensate for dysfunctional RPA. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Telomeres and genomic damage repair. Their implication in human pathology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, Maria del R.; Dubner, Diana; Michelin, Severino; Gisone, Pablo; Carosella, Edgardo D.

2002-01-01

Telomeres, functional complexed that protect eukaryotic chromosome ends, participate in the regulation of cell proliferation and could play a role in the stabilization of genomic regions in response to genotoxic stress. Their significance in human pathology becomes evident in several diseases sharing genomic instability as a common trait, in which alterations of the telomere metabolism have been demonstrated. Many of them are also associated with hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation and cancer susceptibility. Besides the specific proteins belonging to the telomeric complex, other proteins involved in the DNA repair machinery, such as ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, PARP/tankyrase system, DNA-PK and RAD50-MRE11-NBS1 complexes, are closely related with the telomere. This suggests that the telomere sequesters DNA repair proteins for its own structure maintenance, with could also be released toward damaged sites in the genomic DNA. This communication describes essential aspects of telomere structure and function and their links with homologous recombination, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), V(D)J system and mismatch-repair (MMR). Several pathological conditions exhibiting alterations in some of these mechanisms are also considered. The cell response to ionizing radiation and its relationship with the telomeric metabolism is particularly taken into account as a model for studying genotoxicity. (author)

Induction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 envelope specific cell-mediated immunity by a non-homologous synthetic peptide.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ammar Achour

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Cell mediated immunity, including efficient CTL response, is required to prevent HIV-1 from cell-to-cell transmission. In previous investigations, we have shown that B1 peptide derived by Fourier transformation of HIV-1 primary structures and sharing no sequence homology with the parent proteins was able to generate antiserum which recognizes envelope and Tat proteins. Here we have investigated cellular immune response towards a novel non-homologous peptide, referred to as cA1 peptide.The 20 amino acid sequence of cA1 peptide was predicted using the notion of peptide hydropathic properties; the peptide is encoded by the complementary anti-sense DNA strand to the sense strand of previously described non-homologous A1 peptide. In this report we demonstrate that the cA1 peptide can be a target for major histocompatibility complex (MHC class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes in HIV-1-infected or envelope-immunized individuals. The cA1 peptide is recognized in association with different MHC class I allotypes and could prime in vitro CTLs, derived from gp160-immunized individuals capable to recognize virus variants.For the first time a theoretically designed immunogen involved in broad-based cell-immune memory activation is described. Our findings may thus contribute to the advance in vaccine research by describing a novel strategy to develop a synthetic AIDS vaccine.

Proteomics of post-irradiation recovery in D. radiodurans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, Bhakti; Apte, Shree Kumar

2012-01-01

An extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans is bestowed with an extraordinary DNA repair ability that renders it virtually resistant to all known forms of DNA damage caused by ionizing radiations (10 kGy of gamma rays), UV (1 kJ/m 2 ) or weeks of desiccation etc. The genome of D. radiodurans encodes a unique combination of DNA repair pathways such as prokaryotic type RecFOR mediated homologous recombination (HR) and nucleotide/base excision repair along with eukaryotic type strand annealing (SA) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), but is devoid of universal prokaryotic DNA repair pathways such as RecBCD mediated HR, photo-reactivation and SOS response. Collective evidence obtained so far from multiple approaches, have indicated (i) that all genes essential for DNA repair are not necessarily induced following radiation stress (ii) early RecA independent DNA assembly occurs, and (iii) absolute necessity of RecA dependent HR for final genome restitution. The 6 kGy gamma irradiation inducible proteome dynamics were mapped during the post-irradiation growth arrest phase by 2D protein electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. Radiation inducible expression of at least 33 proteins was evident in the first 1h of post irradiation recovery

Bidirectional gene sequences with similar homology to functional proteins of alkane degrading bacterium pseudomonas fredriksbergensis DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Megeed, A.A.

2011-01-01

The potential for two overlapping fragments of DNA from a clone of newly isolated alkanes degrading bacterium Pseudomonas frederiksbergensis encoding sequences with similar homology to two parts of functional proteins is described. One strand contains a sequence with high homology to alkanes monooxygenase (alkB), a member of the alkanes hydroxylase family, and the other strand contains a sequence with some homology to alcohol dehydrogenase gene (alkJ). Overlapping of the genes on opposite strands has been reported in eukaryotic species, and is now reported in a bacterial species. The sequence comparisons and ORFS results revealed that the regulation and the genes organization involved in alkane oxidation represented in Pseudomonas frederiksberghensis varies among the different known alkane degrading bacteria. The alk gene cluster containing homologues to the known alkane monooxygenase (alkB), and rubredoxin (alkG) are oriented in the same direction, whereas alcohol dehydrogenase (alkJ) is oriented in the opposite direction. Such genomes encode messages on both strands of the DNA, or in an overlapping but different reading frames, of the same strand of DNA. The possibility of creating novel genes from pre-existing sequences, known as overprinting, which is a widespread phenomenon in small viruses. Here, the origin and evolution of the gene overlap to bacteriophages belonging to the family Microviridae have been investigated. Such a phenomenon is most widely described in extremely small genomes such as those of viruses or small plasmids, yet here is a unique phenomenon. (author)

Interaction and dynamics of homologous pairing protein 2 (HOP2) and DNA studied by MD simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Moktan, Hem; Pezza, Roberto; Zhou, Donghua

2015-03-01

The homologous pairing protein 2 (Hop2) plays an important role in meiosis and DNA repair. Together with protein Mnd1, Hop2 enhances the strand invasion activity of recombinase Dmc1 by over 30 times, facilitating proper synapsis of homologous chromosomes. We recently determined the NMR structure of the N-terminal domain of Hop2 and proposed a model of Protein-DNA complex based on NMR chemical shift perturbations and mutagenesis studies (Moktan, J Biol Chem 2014 10.1074/jbc.M114.548180). However structure and dynamics of the complex have not been studied at the atomic level yet. Here, we used classical MD simulations to study the interactions between the N-terminal HOP2 and DNA. The simulated results indicate that helix3 (H3) interacts with DNA in major groove and wing1 (W1) interacts mostly in minor groove mainly via direct hydrogen bonds. Also it is found that binding leads to reduced fluctuations in both protein and DNA. Several water bridge interactions have been identified. The residue-wise contributions to the interaction energy were evaluated. Also the functional motion of the protein is analyzed using principal component analysis. The results confirmed the importance of H3 and W1 for the stability of the complex, which is consistent with our previous experimental studies.

Significant accumulation of persistent organic pollutants and dysregulation in multiple DNA damage repair pathways in the electronic-waste-exposed populations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Xiaobo; Jing, Yaqing; Wang, Jianhai; Li, Keqiu [Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070 (China); Yang, Qiaoyun [Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070 (China); Zhao, Yuxia [Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070 (China); Li, Ran [State Key Joint Laboratory for Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ge, Jie [Department of Breast Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060 (China); Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060 (China); Qiu, Xinghua, E-mail: xhqiu@pku.edu.cn [State Key Joint Laboratory for Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Li, Guang, E-mail: lig@tijmu.edu.cn [Basic Medical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070 (China)

2015-02-15

Electronic waste (e-waste) has created a worldwide environmental and health problem, by generating a diverse group of hazardous compounds such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Our previous studies demonstrated that populations from e-waste exposed region have a significantly higher level of chromosomal aberrancy and incidence of DNA damage. In this study, we further demonstrated that various POPs persisted at a significantly higher concentration in the exposed group than those in the unexposed group. The level of reactive oxygen species and micronucleus rate were also significantly elevated in the exposed group. RNA sequencing analysis revealed 31 genes in DNA damage responses and repair pathways that were differentially expressed between the two groups (Log 2 ratio >1 or <−1). Our data demonstrated that both females and males of the exposed group have activated a series of DNA damage response genes; however many important DNA repair pathways have been dysregulated. Expressions of NEIL1/3 and RPA3, which are critical in initiating base pair and nucleotide excision repairs respectively, have been downregulated in both females and males of the exposed group. In contrast, expression of RNF8, an E3 ligase involved in an error prone non-homologous end joining repair for DNA double strand break, was upregulated in both genders of the exposed group. The other genes appeared to be differentially expressed only when the males or females of the two groups were compared respectively. Importantly, the expression of cell cycle regulatory gene CDC25A that has been implicated in multiple kinds of malignant transformation was significantly upregulated among the exposed males while downregulated among the exposed females. In conclusion, our studies have demonstrated significant correlations between e-waste disposing and POPs accumulation, DNA lesions and dysregulation of multiple DNA damage repair mechanisms in the residents of the e-waste exposed region. - Highlights: �

The contribution of alu elements to mutagenic DNA double-strand break repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Maria E; White, Travis B; Streva, Vincent A; DeFreece, Cecily B; Hedges, Dale J; Deininger, Prescott L

2015-03-01

Alu elements make up the largest family of human mobile elements, numbering 1.1 million copies and comprising 11% of the human genome. As a consequence of evolution and genetic drift, Alu elements of various sequence divergence exist throughout the human genome. Alu/Alu recombination has been shown to cause approximately 0.5% of new human genetic diseases and contribute to extensive genomic structural variation. To begin understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to these rearrangements in mammalian cells, we constructed Alu/Alu recombination reporter cell lines containing Alu elements ranging in sequence divergence from 0%-30% that allow detection of both Alu/Alu recombination and large non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) deletions that range from 1.0 to 1.9 kb in size. Introduction of as little as 0.7% sequence divergence between Alu elements resulted in a significant reduction in recombination, which indicates even small degrees of sequence divergence reduce the efficiency of homology-directed DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Further reduction in recombination was observed in a sequence divergence-dependent manner for diverged Alu/Alu recombination constructs with up to 10% sequence divergence. With greater levels of sequence divergence (15%-30%), we observed a significant increase in DSB repair due to a shift from Alu/Alu recombination to variable-length NHEJ which removes sequence between the two Alu elements. This increase in NHEJ deletions depends on the presence of Alu sequence homeology (similar but not identical sequences). Analysis of recombination products revealed that Alu/Alu recombination junctions occur more frequently in the first 100 bp of the Alu element within our reporter assay, just as they do in genomic Alu/Alu recombination events. This is the first extensive study characterizing the influence of Alu element sequence divergence on DNA repair, which will inform predictions regarding the effect of Alu element sequence divergence on both

Studies on the repair of double strand break of DNA and cellular carcinogenesis, and consideration on the concept of extinction of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teraoka, Hirobumi

2013-01-01

This paper describes the relationship between the repair of double strand break (DSB) of DNA and cellular carcinogenesis mainly on author's investigations, and his recent thought aiming at the extinction of nuclear power. The molecular repairing system is explained about DNA DSB induced by radiation and chemicals. When DSB occurs, nucleosome consisting from 4 core-histones participates to link the broken ends and then repair mechanisms of homologous recombination (HRR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) begin to work. The latter is dominant in mammalians. Thus the genetic defect in these systems of DSB response and repair is a course of disorders such as ataxia telangiectasia (AT) (DSB sensor defect), genetic breast cancer (HRR defect), and radiosensitive-severe combined immunodeficiency (RS-SCID) (NHEJ defect), all of which result in cancer formation. NHEJ repair is known to be error-prone. Against multi-step carcinogenesis where accumulated gene mutations lead to the cancer formation, the author thinks chromosomal instability is one of important carcinogenic causes: the instability can be a trigger of producing cancer stem cells because the cells can be yielded from mouse embryonic stem cells where DSB is shown to participate in the process. Low dose radiation produces a small amount of DSB, to which the repair response is less sensitive at G2/M checkpoint, ultimately leading to genomic instability. Considering effects of the low dose radiation exposure above, and of the internal exposure to 3 H-thymidine beta ray in cells, of indoor Rn participating 16% of lung cancer incidence (Canadian epidemiological data) and so on, together with moral and social responsibility of scientist and technologist, the author says to have attained to the concept of the ''Extinction of Nuclear Power''. (T.T)

Homologous Recombination-Independent Large Gene Cassette Knock-in in CHO Cells Using TALEN and MMEJ-Directed Donor Plasmids

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Tetsushi Sakuma

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Gene knock-in techniques have rapidly evolved in recent years, along with the development and maturation of genome editing technology using programmable nucleases. We recently reported a novel strategy for microhomology-mediated end-joining-dependent integration of donor DNA by using TALEN or CRISPR/Cas9 and optimized targeting vectors, named PITCh (Precise Integration into Target Chromosome vectors. Here we describe TALEN and PITCh vector-mediated integration of long gene cassettes, including a single-chain Fv-Fc (scFv-Fc gene, in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO cells, with comparison of targeting and cloning efficiency among several donor design and culture conditions. We achieved 9.6-kb whole plasmid integration and 7.6-kb backbone-free integration into a defined genomic locus in CHO cells. Furthermore, we confirmed the reasonable productivity of recombinant scFv-Fc protein of the knock-in cells. Using our protocol, the knock-in cell clones could be obtained by a single transfection and a single limiting dilution using a 96-well plate, without constructing targeting vectors containing long homology arms. Thus, the study described herein provides a highly practical strategy for gene knock-in of large DNA in CHO cells, which accelerates high-throughput generation of cell lines stably producing any desired biopharmaceuticals, including huge antibody proteins.

Homologous Recombination-Independent Large Gene Cassette Knock-in in CHO Cells Using TALEN and MMEJ-Directed Donor Plasmids.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuma, Tetsushi; Takenaga, Mitsumasa; Kawabe, Yoshinori; Nakamura, Takahiro; Kamihira, Masamichi; Yamamoto, Takashi

2015-10-09

Gene knock-in techniques have rapidly evolved in recent years, along with the development and maturation of genome editing technology using programmable nucleases. We recently reported a novel strategy for microhomology-mediated end-joining-dependent integration of donor DNA by using TALEN or CRISPR/Cas9 and optimized targeting vectors, named PITCh (Precise Integration into Target Chromosome) vectors. Here we describe TALEN and PITCh vector-mediated integration of long gene cassettes, including a single-chain Fv-Fc (scFv-Fc) gene, in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, with comparison of targeting and cloning efficiency among several donor design and culture conditions. We achieved 9.6-kb whole plasmid integration and 7.6-kb backbone-free integration into a defined genomic locus in CHO cells. Furthermore, we confirmed the reasonable productivity of recombinant scFv-Fc protein of the knock-in cells. Using our protocol, the knock-in cell clones could be obtained by a single transfection and a single limiting dilution using a 96-well plate, without constructing targeting vectors containing long homology arms. Thus, the study described herein provides a highly practical strategy for gene knock-in of large DNA in CHO cells, which accelerates high-throughput generation of cell lines stably producing any desired biopharmaceuticals, including huge antibody proteins.

Homologous Recombination as a Replication Fork Escort: Fork-Protection and Recovery

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Audrey Costes

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Homologous recombination is a universal mechanism that allows DNA repair and ensures the efficiency of DNA replication. The substrate initiating the process of homologous recombination is a single-stranded DNA that promotes a strand exchange reaction resulting in a genetic exchange that promotes genetic diversity and DNA repair. The molecular mechanisms by which homologous recombination repairs a double-strand break have been extensively studied and are now well characterized. However, the mechanisms by which homologous recombination contribute to DNA replication in eukaryotes remains poorly understood. Studies in bacteria have identified multiple roles for the machinery of homologous recombination at replication forks. Here, we review our understanding of the molecular pathways involving the homologous recombination machinery to support the robustness of DNA replication. In addition to its role in fork-recovery and in rebuilding a functional replication fork apparatus, homologous recombination may also act as a fork-protection mechanism. We discuss that some of the fork-escort functions of homologous recombination might be achieved by loading of the recombination machinery at inactivated forks without a need for a strand exchange step; as well as the consequence of such a model for the stability of eukaryotic genomes.

Intron loss from the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 gene of lettuce mitochondrial DNA: evidence for homologous recombination of a cDNA intermediate.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiss, K T; Abbas, G M; Makaroff, C A

1994-04-01

The mitochondrial gene coding for subunit 4 of the NADH dehydrogenase complex I (nad4) has been isolated and characterized from lettuce, Lactuca sativa. Analysis of nad4 genes in a number of plants by Southern hybridization had previously suggested that the intron content varied between species. Characterization of the lettuce gene confirms this observation. Lettuce nad4 contains two exons and one group IIA intron, whereas previously sequenced nad4 genes from turnip and wheat contain three group IIA introns. Northern analysis identified a transcript of 1600 nucleotides, which represents the mature nad4 mRNA and a primary transcript of 3200 nucleotides. Sequence analysis of lettuce and turnip nad4 cDNAs was used to confirm the intron/exon border sequences and to examine RNA editing patterns. Editing is observed at the 5' and 3' ends of the lettuce transcript, but is absent from sequences that correspond to exons two, three and the 5' end of exon four in turnip and wheat. In contrast, turnip transcripts are highly edited in this region, suggesting that homologous recombination of an edited and spliced cDNA intermediate was involved in the loss of introns two and three from an ancestral lettuce nad4 gene.

Joining of advanced materials

CERN Document Server

Messler, Robert W

1993-01-01

Provides an unusually complete and readable compilation of the primary and secondary options for joining conventional materials in non-conventional ways. Provides unique coverage of adhesive bonding using both organic and inorganic adhesives, cements and mortars. Focuses on materials issues without ignoring issues related to joint design, production processing, quality assurance, process economics, and joining performance in service.Joining of advanced materials is a unique treatment of joining of both conventional and advanced metals andalloys, intermetallics, ceramics, glasses, polymers, a

Chromatin mobility is increased at sites of DNA double-strand breaks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krawczyk, P. M.; Borovski, T.; Stap, J.; Cijsouw, T.; ten Cate, R.; Medema, J. P.; Kanaar, R.; Franken, N. A. P.; Aten, J. A.

2012-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can efficiently kill cancer cells, but they can also produce unwanted chromosome rearrangements when DNA ends from different DSBs are erroneously joined. Movement of DSB-containing chromatin domains might facilitate these DSB interactions and promote the formation of

Bacteriophage T5 encodes a homolog of the eukaryotic transcription coactivator PC4 implicated in recombination-dependent DNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Steigemann, Birthe; Schulz, Annina; Werten, Sebastiaan

2013-11-15

The RNA polymerase II cofactor PC4 globally regulates transcription of protein-encoding genes through interactions with unwinding DNA, the basal transcription machinery and transcription activators. Here, we report the surprising identification of PC4 homologs in all sequenced representatives of the T5 family of bacteriophages, as well as in an archaeon and seven phyla of eubacteria. We have solved the crystal structure of the full-length T5 protein at 1.9Å, revealing a striking resemblance to the characteristic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding core domain of PC4. Intriguing novel structural features include a potential regulatory region at the N-terminus and a C-terminal extension of the homodimerisation interface. The genome organisation of T5-related bacteriophages points at involvement of the PC4 homolog in recombination-dependent DNA replication, strongly suggesting that the protein corresponds to the hitherto elusive replicative ssDNA-binding protein of the T5 family. Our findings imply that PC4-like factors intervene in multiple unwinding-related processes by acting as versatile modifiers of nucleic acid conformation and raise the possibility that the eukaryotic transcription coactivator derives from ancestral DNA replication, recombination and repair factors. © 2013.

Effect of Wortmannin on the repair profiles of DNA double-strand breaks in the whole genome and in interstitial telomeric sequences of Chinese hamster cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losada, Raquel; Rivero, Maria Teresa; Slijepcevic, Predrag; Goyanes, Vicente; Fernandez, Jose Luis

2005-01-01

The DNA breakage detection-fluorescence in situ hybridization (DBD-FISH) procedure was applied to analyze the effect of Wortmannin (WM) in the rejoining kinetics of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the whole genome and in the long interstitial telomeric repeat sequence (ITRS) blocks from Chinese hamster cell lines. The results indicate that the ITRS blocks from wild-type Chinese hamster cell lines, CHO9 and V79B, exhibit a slower initial rejoining rate of ionizing radiation-induced DSBs than the genome overall. Neither Rad51C nor the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) activities, involved in homologous recombination (HR) and in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways of DSB repair respectively, influenced the rejoining kinetics within ITRS in contrast to DNA sequences in the whole genome. Nevertheless, DSB removal rate within ITRS was decreased in the absence of Ku86 activity, though at a lower affectation level than in the whole genome, thus homogenizing both rejoining kinetics rates. WM treatment slowed down the DSB rejoining kinetics rate in ITRS, this effect being more pronounced in the whole genome, resulting in a similar pattern to that of the Ku86 deficient cells. In fact, no WM effect was detected in the Ku86 deficient Chinese hamster cells, so probably WM does not add further impairment in DSB rejoining than that resulted as a consequence of absence of Ku activity. The same slowing effect was also observed after treatment of Rad51C and DNA-PKcs defective hamster cells by WM, suggesting that: (1) there is no potentiation of the HR when the NHEJ is impaired by WM, either in the whole genome or in the ITRS, and (2) that this impairment may probably involve more targets than DNA-PKcs. These results suggest that there is an intragenomic heterogeneity in DSB repair, as well as in the effect of WM on this process

De novo-engineered transcription activator-like effector (TALE) hybrid nuclease with novel DNA binding specificity creates double-strand breaks

KAUST Repository

Mahfouz, Magdy M.

2011-01-24

Site-specific and rare cutting nucleases are valuable tools for genome engineering. The generation of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) promotes homologous recombination in eukaryotes and can facilitate gene targeting, additions, deletions, and inactivation. Zinc finger nucleases have been used to generate DSBs and subsequently, for genome editing but with low efficiency and reproducibility. The transcription activator-like family of type III effectors (TALEs) contains a central domain of tandem repeats that could be engineered to bind specific DNA targets. Here, we report the generation of a Hax3-based hybrid TALE nuclease with a user-selected DNA binding specificity. We show that the engineered TALE nuclease can bind to its target sequence in vitro and that the homodimeric TALE nuclease can cleave double-stranded DNA in vitro if the DNA binding sites have the proper spacing and orientation. Transient expression assays in tobacco leaves suggest that the hybrid nuclease creates DSB in its target sequence, which is subsequently repaired by nonhomologous end-joining repair. Taken together, our data show the feasibility of engineering TALE-based hybrid nucleases capable of generating site-specific DSBs and the great potential for site-specific genome modification in plants and eukaryotes in general.

Differential radiosensitivity phenotypes of DNA-PKcs mutations affecting NHEJ and HRR systems following irradiation with gamma-rays or very low fluences of alpha particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yu-Fen; Nagasawa, Hatsumi; Little, John B; Kato, Takamitsu A; Shih, Hung-Ying; Xie, Xian-Jin; Wilson, Paul F; Brogan, John R; Kurimasa, Akihiro; Chen, David J; Bedford, Joel S; Chen, Benjamin P C

2014-01-01

We have examined cell-cycle dependence of chromosomal aberration induction and cell killing after high or low dose-rate γ irradiation in cells bearing DNA-PKcs mutations in the S2056 cluster, the T2609 cluster, or the kinase domain. We also compared sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) production by very low fluences of α-particles in DNA-PKcs mutant cells, and in homologous recombination repair (HRR) mutant cells including Rad51C, Rad51D, and Fancg/xrcc9. Generally, chromosomal aberrations and cell killing by γ-rays were similarly affected by mutations in DNA-PKcs, and these mutant cells were more sensitive in G1 than in S/G2 phase. In G1-irradiated DNA-PKcs mutant cells, both chromosome- and chromatid-type breaks and exchanges were in excess than wild-type cells. For cells irradiated in late S/G2 phase, mutant cells showed very high yields of chromatid breaks compared to wild-type cells. Few exchanges were seen in DNA-PKcs-null, Ku80-null, or DNA-PKcs kinase dead mutants, but exchanges in excess were detected in the S2506 or T2609 cluster mutants. SCE induction by very low doses of α-particles is resulted from bystander effects in cells not traversed by α-particles. SCE seen in wild-type cells was completely abolished in Rad51C- or Rad51D-deficient cells, but near normal in Fancg/xrcc9 cells. In marked contrast, very high levels of SCEs were observed in DNA-PKcs-null, DNA-PKcs kinase-dead and Ku80-null mutants. SCE induction was also abolished in T2609 cluster mutant cells, but was only slightly reduced in the S2056 cluster mutant cells. Since both non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and HRR systems utilize initial DNA lesions as a substrate, these results suggest the possibility of a competitive interference phenomenon operating between NHEJ and at least the Rad51C/D components of HRR; the level of interaction between damaged DNA and a particular DNA-PK component may determine the level of interaction of such DNA with a relevant HRR component.

PCR artifact in testing for homologous recombination in genomic editing in zebrafish.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minho Won

Full Text Available We report a PCR-induced artifact in testing for homologous recombination in zebrafish. We attempted to replace the lnx2a gene with a donor cassette, mediated by a TALEN induced double stranded cut. The donor construct was flanked with homology arms of about 1 kb at the 5' and 3' ends. Injected embryos (G0 were raised and outcrossed to wild type fish. A fraction of the progeny appeared to have undergone the desired homologous recombination, as tested by PCR using primer pairs extending from genomic DNA outside the homology region to a site within the donor cassette. However, Southern blots revealed that no recombination had taken place. We conclude that recombination happened during PCR in vitro between the donor integrated elsewhere in the genome and the lnx2a locus. We conclude that PCR alone may be insufficient to verify homologous recombination in genome editing experiments in zebrafish.

Genetic variation in DNA repair gene XRCC7 (G6721T) and susceptibility to breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasiri, Meysam; Saadat, Iraj; Omidvari, Shahpour; Saadat, Mostafa

2012-08-15

The human XRCC7 is a DNA double-strand break (DSBs) repair gene, involved in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). It is speculated that DNA DSBs repair have an important role during development of breast cancer. The human XRCC7 is a NHEJ DSBs repair gene. Genetic variation G6721T of XRCC7 (rs7003908) is located in the intron 8 of the gene. This polymorphism may regulate splicing and cause mRNA instability. In the present study, we specifically investigated whether common G6721T genetic variant of XRCC7 was associated with an altered risk of breast cancer. The present study included 362 females with breast cancer. Age frequency-matched controls (362 persons) were randomly selected from the healthy female blood donors, according to the age distribution of the cases. Using RFLP-PCR based method, the polymorphism of XRCC7 was determined. The TG (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 0.83-1.74, P=0.320) and TT (OR=1.01, 95% CI: 0.67-1.53, P=0.933) genotypes had no significant effect on risk of breast cancer, in comparison with the GG genotype. Our present findings indicate that the TT and TG genotypes were not associated with an altered breast cancer risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chromosomal Integrity after UV Irradiation Requires FANCD2-Mediated Repair of Double Strand Breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Federico, María Belén; Vallerga, María Belén; Radl, Analía; Paviolo, Natalia Soledad; Bocco, José Luis; Di Giorgio, Marina; Soria, Gastón; Gottifredi, Vanesa

2016-01-01

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypersensitivity to inter-strand crosslinks (ICLs). FANCD2, a central factor of the FA pathway, is essential for the repair of double strand breaks (DSBs) generated during fork collapse at ICLs. While lesions different from ICLs can also trigger fork collapse, the contribution of FANCD2 to the resolution of replication-coupled DSBs generated independently from ICLs is unknown. Intriguingly, FANCD2 is readily activated after UV irradiation, a DNA-damaging agent that generates predominantly intra-strand crosslinks but not ICLs. Hence, UV irradiation is an ideal tool to explore the contribution of FANCD2 to the DNA damage response triggered by DNA lesions other than ICL repair. Here we show that, in contrast to ICL-causing agents, UV radiation compromises cell survival independently from FANCD2. In agreement, FANCD2 depletion does not increase the amount of DSBs generated during the replication of UV-damaged DNA and is dispensable for UV-induced checkpoint activation. Remarkably however, FANCD2 protects UV-dependent, replication-coupled DSBs from aberrant processing by non-homologous end joining, preventing the accumulation of micronuclei and chromatid aberrations including non-homologous chromatid exchanges. Hence, while dispensable for cell survival, FANCD2 selectively safeguards chromosomal stability after UV-triggered replication stress.

Accumulation of DNA damage-induced chromatin alterations in tissue-specific stem cells: the driving force of aging?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Schuler

Full Text Available Accumulation of DNA damage leading to stem cell exhaustion has been proposed to be a principal mechanism of aging. Using 53BP1-foci as a marker for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs, hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs in mouse epidermis were analyzed for age-related DNA damage response (DDR. We observed increasing amounts of 53BP1-foci during the natural aging process independent of telomere shortening and after protracted low-dose radiation, suggesting substantial accumulation of DSBs in HFSCs. Electron microscopy combined with immunogold-labeling showed multiple small 53BP1 clusters diffusely distributed throughout the highly compacted heterochromatin of aged HFSCs, but single large 53BP1 clusters in irradiated HFSCs. These remaining 53BP1 clusters did not colocalize with core components of non-homologous end-joining, but with heterochromatic histone modifications. Based on these results we hypothesize that these lesions were not persistently unrepaired DSBs, but may reflect chromatin rearrangements caused by the repair or misrepair of DSBs. Flow cytometry showed increased activation of repair proteins and damage-induced chromatin modifications, triggering apoptosis and cellular senescence in irradiated, but not in aged HFSCs. These results suggest that accumulation of DNA damage-induced chromatin alterations, whose structural dimensions reflect the complexity of the initial genotoxic insult, may lead to different DDR events, ultimately determining the biological outcome of HFSCs. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that aging might be largely the remit of structural changes to chromatin potentially leading to epigenetically induced transcriptional deregulation.

PAXX Is an Accessory c-NHEJ Factor that Associates with Ku70 and Has Overlapping Functions with XLF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satish K. Tadi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In mammalian cells, classical non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ is critical for DNA double-strand break repair induced by ionizing radiation and during V(DJ recombination in developing B and T lymphocytes. Recently, PAXX was identified as a c-NHEJ core component. We report here that PAXX-deficient cells exhibit a cellular phenotype uncharacteristic of a deficiency in c-NHEJ core components. PAXX-deficient cells display normal sensitivity to radiomimetic drugs, are proficient in transient V(DJ recombination assays, and do not shift toward higher micro-homology usage in plasmid repair assays. Although PAXX-deficient cells lack c-NHEJ phenotypes, PAXX forms a stable ternary complex with Ku bound to DNA. Formation of this complex involves an interaction with Ku70 and requires a bare DNA extension for stability. Moreover, the relatively weak Ku-dependent stimulation of LIG4/XRCC4 activity by PAXX is unmasked by XLF ablation. Thus, PAXX plays an accessory role during c-NHEJ that is largely overlapped by XLF’s function.

Mycobacterial UvrD1 is a Ku-dependent DNA helicase that plays a role in multiple DNA repair events, including double-strand break repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Krishna Murari; Stephanou, Nicolas C; Gao, Feng; Glickman, Michael S; Shuman, Stewart

2007-05-18

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other bacterial pathogens have a Ku-dependent nonhomologous end joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. Here we identify mycobacterial UvrD1 as a novel interaction partner for Ku in a genome-wide yeast two-hybrid screen. UvrD1 per se is a vigorous DNA-dependent ATPase but a feeble DNA helicase. Ku stimulates UvrD1 to catalyze ATP-dependent unwinding of 3'-tailed DNAs. UvrD1, Ku, and DNA form a stable ternary complex in the absence of ATP. The Ku binding determinants are located in the distinctive C-terminal segment of UvrD1. A second mycobacterial paralog, UvrD2, is a vigorous Ku-independent DNA helicase. Ablation of UvrD1 sensitizes Mycobacterium smegmatis to killing by ultraviolet and ionizing radiation and to a single chromosomal break generated by I-SceI endonuclease. The physical and functional interactions of bacterial Ku and UvrD1 highlight the potential for cross-talk between components of nonhomologous end joining and nucleotide excision repair pathways.

Recombinant protein production from stable mammalian cell lines and pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacker, David L; Balasubramanian, Sowmya

2016-06-01

We highlight recent developments for the production of recombinant proteins from suspension-adapted mammalian cell lines. We discuss the generation of stable cell lines using transposons and lentivirus vectors (non-targeted transgene integration) and site-specific recombinases (targeted transgene integration). Each of these methods results in the generation of cell lines with protein yields that are generally superior to those achievable through classical plasmid transfection that depends on the integration of the transfected DNA by non-homologous DNA end-joining. This is the main reason why these techniques can also be used for the generation of stable cell pools, heterogenous populations of recombinant cells generated by gene delivery and genetic selection without resorting to single cell cloning. This allows the time line from gene transfer to protein production to be reduced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 Is a Potent Inhibitor of ATM- and DNA-PKCs-Mediated DNA Damage Responses

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Bipasha Mukherjee

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Inhibitors of PI3K/Akt signaling are being actively developed for tumor therapy owing to the frequent mutational activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 pathway in many cancers, including glioblastomas (GBMs. NVP-BEZ235 is a novel and potent dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor that is currently in phase 1/2 clinical trials for advanced solid tumors. Here, we show that NVP-BEZ235 also potently inhibits ATM and DNA-PKcs, the two major kinases responding to ionizing radiation (IR-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs. Consequently, NVP-BEZ235 blocks both nonhomologous end joining and homologous recombination DNA repair pathways resulting in significant attenuation of DSB repair. In addition, phosphorylation of ATMtargets and implementation of the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint are also attenuated by this drug. As a result, NVP-BEZ235 confers an extreme degree of radiosensitization and impairs DSB repair in a panel of GBM cell lines irrespective of their Akt activation status. NVP-BEZ235 also significantly impairs DSB repair in a mouse tumor model thereby validating the efficacy of this drug as a DNA repair inhibitor in vivo. Our results, showing that NVP-BEZ235 is a potent and novel inhibitor of ATM and DNA-PKcs, have important implications for the informed and rational design of clinical trials involving this drug and also reveal the potential utility of NVP-BEZ235 as an effective radiosensitizer for GBMs in the clinic.

Exploring the utility of DNA barcoding in species delimitation of Polypedilum (Tripodura) non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Chao; Wang, Qian; Zhang, Ruilei; Sun, Bingjiao; Wang, Xinhua

2016-02-16

In this study, we tested the utility of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) as the barcode region to deal with taxonomical problems of Polypedilum (Tripodura) non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). The 114 DNA barcodes representing 27 morphospecies are divided into 33 well separated clusters based on both Neighbor Joining and Maximum Likelihood methods. DNA barcodes revealed an 82% success rate in matching with morphospecies. The selected DNA barcode data support 37-64 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on the methods of Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and Poisson Tree Process (PTP). Furthermore, a priori species based on consistent phenotypic variations were attested by molecular analysis, and a taxonomical misidentification of barcode sequences from GenBank was found. We could not observe a distinct barcode gap but an overlap ranged from 9-12%. Our results supported DNA barcoding as an ideal method to detect cryptic species, delimit sibling species, and associate different life stages in non-biting midges.

Detecting false positive sequence homology: a machine learning approach.

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Fujimoto, M Stanley; Suvorov, Anton; Jensen, Nicholas O; Clement, Mark J; Bybee, Seth M

2016-02-24

Accurate detection of homologous relationships of biological sequences (DNA or amino acid) amongst organisms is an important and often difficult task that is essential to various evolutionary studies, ranging from building phylogenies to predicting functional gene annotations. There are many existing heuristic tools, most commonly based on bidirectional BLAST searches that are used to identify homologous genes and combine them into two fundamentally distinct classes: orthologs and paralogs. Due to only using heuristic filtering based on significance score cutoffs and having no cluster post-processing tools available, these methods can often produce multiple clusters constituting unrelated (non-homologous) sequences. Therefore sequencing data extracted from incomplete genome/transcriptome assemblies originated from low coverage sequencing or produced by de novo processes without a reference genome are susceptible to high false positive rates of homology detection. In this paper we develop biologically informative features that can be extracted from multiple sequence alignments of putative homologous genes (orthologs and paralogs) and further utilized in context of guided experimentation to verify false positive outcomes. We demonstrate that our machine learning method trained on both known homology clusters obtained from OrthoDB and randomly generated sequence alignments (non-homologs), successfully determines apparent false positives inferred by heuristic algorithms especially among proteomes recovered from low-coverage RNA-seq data. Almost ~42 % and ~25 % of predicted putative homologies by InParanoid and HaMStR respectively were classified as false positives on experimental data set. Our process increases the quality of output from other clustering algorithms by providing a novel post-processing method that is both fast and efficient at removing low quality clusters of putative homologous genes recovered by heuristic-based approaches.

Impaired TIP60-mediated H4K16 acetylation accounts for the aberrant chromatin accumulation of 53BP1 and RAP80 in Fanconi anemia pathway-deficient cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Renaud, Emilie; Barascu, Aurelia; Rosselli, Filippo

2016-01-29

To rescue collapsed replication forks cells utilize homologous recombination (HR)-mediated mechanisms to avoid the induction of gross chromosomal abnormalities that would be generated by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Using DNA interstrand crosslinks as a replication barrier, we investigated how the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway promotes HR at stalled replication forks. FA pathway inactivation results in Fanconi anemia, which is associated with a predisposition to cancer. FANCD2 monoubiquitination and assembly in subnuclear foci appear to be involved in TIP60 relocalization to the chromatin to acetylates histone H4K16 and prevents the binding of 53BP1 to its docking site, H4K20Me2. Thus, FA pathway loss-of-function results in accumulation of 53BP1, RIF1 and RAP80 at damaged chromatin, which impair DNA resection at stalled replication fork-associated DNA breaks and impede HR. Consequently, DNA repair in FA cells proceeds through the NHEJ pathway, which is likely responsible for the accumulation of chromosome abnormalities. We demonstrate that the inhibition of NHEJ or deacetylase activity rescue HR in FA cells. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Properties of Thermus ruber Strains Isolated from Icelandic Hot Springs and DNA:DNA Homology of Thermus ruber and Thermus aquaticus

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Richard J.; Williams, Ralph A. D.

1988-01-01

Seventeen pink-pigmented strains of the genus Thermus were isolated from samples collected from thermal areas of Iceland. The strains were examined by using phenotypic characterization and DNA:DNA homology and were compared with recognized strains. Visually, the strains could be divided into three groups based on their pigmentation; however, spectroscopic studies of the pigments indicated little difference among them. Most strains required a vitamin supplement for growth and used fructose, maltose, mannose, or sucrose as the sole carbon source. In the presence of nitrate, two strains were able to grow under anaerobic conditions. The optimum growth temperature was 60°C; growth did not occur at 30 or 70°C. PMID:16347714

Exonuclease 1 is a critical mediator of survival during DNA double strand break repair in nonquiescent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Amar; Qing, Yulan; Gerson, Stanton L

2014-02-01

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) populations require DNA repair pathways to maintain their long-term survival and reconstitution capabilities, but mediators of these processes are still being elucidated. Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) participates in homologous recombination (HR) and Exo1 loss results in impaired 5' HR end resection. We use cultured Exo1(mut) fibroblasts and bone marrow to demonstrate that loss of Exo1 function results in defective HR in cycling cells. Conversely, in Exo1(mut) mice HR is not required for maintenance of quiescent HSCs at steady state, confirming the steady state HSC reliance on nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Exo1(mut) mice sustained serial repopulation, displayed no defect in competitive repopulation or niche occupancy, and exhibited no increased sensitivity to whole body ionizing radiation. However, when Exo1(mut) HSCs were pushed into cell cycle in vivo with 5-fluorouracil or poly IC, the hematopoietic population became hypersensitive to IR, resulting in HSC defects and animal death. We propose Exo1-mediated HR is dispensable for stem cell function in quiescent HSC, whereas it is essential to HSC response to DNA damage processing after cell cycle entry, and its loss is not compensated by intact NHEJ. In HSCs, the maintenance of stem cell function after DNA damage is dependent on the DNA repair capacity, segregated by active versus quiescent points in cell cycle. © AlphaMed Press.

Role of Double-Strand Break End-Tethering during Gene Conversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Suvi Jain

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Correct repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs is critical for maintaining genome stability. Whereas gene conversion (GC-mediated repair is mostly error-free, repair by break-induced replication (BIR is associated with non-reciprocal translocations and loss of heterozygosity. We have previously shown that a Recombination Execution Checkpoint (REC mediates this competition by preventing the BIR pathway from acting on DSBs that can be repaired by GC. Here, we asked if the REC can also determine whether the ends that are engaged in a GC-compatible configuration belong to the same break, since repair involving ends from different breaks will produce potentially deleterious translocations. We report that the kinetics of repair are markedly delayed when the two DSB ends that participate in GC belong to different DSBs (termed Trans compared to the case when both DSB ends come from the same break (Cis. However, repair in Trans still occurs by GC rather than BIR, and the overall efficiency of repair is comparable. Hence, the REC is not sensitive to the "origin" of the DSB ends. When the homologous ends for GC are in Trans, the delay in repair appears to reflect their tethering to sequences on the other side of the DSB that themselves recombine with other genomic locations with which they share sequence homology. These data support previous observations that the two ends of a DSB are usually tethered to each other and that this tethering facilitates both ends encountering the same donor sequence. We also found that the presence of homeologous/repetitive sequences in the vicinity of a DSB can distract the DSB end from finding its bona fide homologous donor, and that inhibition of GC by such homeologous sequences is markedly increased upon deleting Sgs1 but not Msh6.

In normal human fibroblasts variation in DSB repair capacity cannot be ascribed to radiation-induced changes in the localisation, expression or activity of major NHEJ proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasten-Pisula, Ulla; Vronskaja, Svetlana; Overgaard, Jens

2008-01-01

in the activity of the DNA-PK complex induced upon irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: For normal human fibroblasts, the level or activity of NHEJ proteins measured prior to or after irradiation cannot be used to predict the DSB repair capacity or cellular radiosensitivity. Udgivelsesdato: 2008-Mar......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to test whether for normal human fibroblasts the variation in double-strand break (DSB) repair capacity results from radiation-induced differences in localisation, expression or activity of major non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) proteins....... MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were performed with 11 normal human fibroblast strains AF01-11. NHEJ proteins were determined by Western blot and DNA-PK activity by pulldown-assay. RESULTS: The four NHEJ proteins tested (Ku70, Ku80, XRCC4 and DNA-PKcs) were found to be localised almost exclusively...

In vivo genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9 mediated homology-independent targeted integration

KAUST Repository

Suzuki, Keiichiro; Tsunekawa, Yuji; Herná ndez-Bení tez, Reyna; Wu, Jun; Zhu, Jie; Kim, Euiseok J.; Hatanaka, Fumiyuki; Yamamoto, Mako; Araoka, Toshikazu; Li, Zhe; Kurita, Masakazu; Hishida, Tomoaki; Li, Mo; Aizawa, Emi; Guo, Shicheng; Chen, Song; Goebl, April; Soligalla, Rupa Devi; Qu, Jing; Jiang, Tingshuai; Fu, Xin; Jafari, Maryam; Esteban, Concepcion Rodriguez; Berggren, W. Travis; Lajara, Jeronimo; Nuñ ez-Delicado, Estrella; Guillen, Pedro; Campistol, Josep M.; Matsuzaki, Fumio; Liu, Guang-Hui; Magistretti, Pierre J.; Zhang, Kun; Callaway, Edward M.; Zhang, Kang; Belmonte, Juan Carlos Izpisua

2016-01-01

regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9)3, 4 technology, here we devise a homology-independent targeted integration (HITI) strategy, which allows for robust DNA knock-in in both dividing and non-dividing cells in vitro and, more

Effects of expression level of DNA repair-related genes involved in the NHEJ pathway on radiation-induced cognitive impairment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Liyuan; Chen Liesong; Sun Rui; Ji Shengjun; Ding Yanyan; Wu Jia; Tian Ye

2013-01-01

Cranial radiation therapy can induce cognitive decline. Impairments of hippocampal neurogenesis are thought to be a paramountly important mechanism underlying radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction. In the mature nervous system, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are mainly repaired by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways. It has been demonstrated that NHEJ deficiencies are associated with impaired neurogenesis. In our study, rats were randomly divided into five groups to be irradiated by single doses of 0 (control), 0 (anesthesia control), 2, 10, and 20 Gy, respectively. The cognitive function of the irradiated rats was measured by open field, Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. Real-time PCR was also used to detect the expression level of DNA DSB repair-related genes involved in the NHEJ pathway, such as XRCC4, XRCC5 and XRCC6, in the hippocampus. The influence of different radiation doses on cognitive function in rats was investigated. From the results of the behavior tests, we found that rats receiving 20 Gy irradiation revealed poorer learning and memory, while no significant loss of learning and memory existed in rats receiving irradiation from 0-10 Gy. The real-time PCR and Western blot results showed no significant difference in the expression level of DNA repair-related genes between the 10 and 20 Gy groups, which may help to explain the behavioral results, id est (i.e.) DNA damage caused by 0-10 Gy exposure was appropriately repaired, however, damage induced by 20 Gy exceeded the body's maximum DSB repair ability. Ionizing radiation-induced cognitive impairments depend on the radiation dose, and more directly on the body's own ability to repair DNA DSBs via the NHEJ pathway. (author)

Induction of intrachromosomal homologous recombination in whole plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puchta, H.; Swoboda, P.; Hohn, B.

1995-01-01

The influence of different factors on frequencies of intrachromosomal homologous recombination in whole Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco plants was analyzed using a disrupted β-glucuronidase marker gene. Recombination frequencies were enhanced several fold by DNA damaging agents like UV-light or MMS (methyl methanesulfonate). Applying 3-methoxybenzamide (3-MB), an inhibitor of poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP), an enzyme that is postulated to be involved in DNA repair, enhanced homologous recombination frequencies strongly. These findings indicate that homologous recombination is involved in DNA repair and can (at least partially) compensate for other DNA repair pathways. Indications that recombination in plants can be induced by environmental stress factors that are not likely to be involved in DNA metabolism were also found; Arabidopsis plants growing in a medium containing 0.1 M NaCl exhibited elevated recombination frequencies. The possible general effects of ‘environmental’ challenges on genome flexibility are discussed. (author)

Evaluation of the efficiency and utility of recombinant enzyme-free seamless DNA cloning methods

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Ken Motohashi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Simple and low-cost recombinant enzyme-free seamless DNA cloning methods have recently become available. In vivo Escherichia coli cloning (iVEC can directly transform a mixture of insert and vector DNA fragments into E. coli, which are ligated by endogenous homologous recombination activity in the cells. Seamless ligation cloning extract (SLiCE cloning uses the endogenous recombination activity of E. coli cellular extracts in vitro to ligate insert and vector DNA fragments. An evaluation of the efficiency and utility of these methods is important in deciding the adoption of a seamless cloning method as a useful tool. In this study, both seamless cloning methods incorporated inserting DNA fragments into linearized DNA vectors through short (15–39 bp end homology regions. However, colony formation was 30–60-fold higher with SLiCE cloning in end homology regions between 15 and 29 bp than with the iVEC method using DH5α competent cells. E. coli AQ3625 strains, which harbor a sbcA gene mutation that activates the RecE homologous recombination pathway, can be used to efficiently ligate insert and vector DNA fragments with short-end homology regions in vivo. Using AQ3625 competent cells in the iVEC method improved the rate of colony formation, but the efficiency and accuracy of SLiCE cloning were still higher. In addition, the efficiency of seamless cloning methods depends on the intrinsic competency of E. coli cells. The competency of chemically competent AQ3625 cells was lower than that of competent DH5α cells, in all cases of chemically competent cell preparations using the three different methods. Moreover, SLiCE cloning permits the use of both homemade and commercially available competent cells because it can use general E. coli recA− strains such as DH5α as host cells for transformation. Therefore, between the two methods, SLiCE cloning provides both higher efficiency and better utility than the iVEC method for seamless DNA plasmid

Productive homologous and non-homologous recombination of hepatitis C virus in cell culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheel, Troels K H; Galli, Andrea; Li, Yi-Ping

2013-01-01

. In addition, recombination is an important regulatory mechanism of cytopathogenicity for the related pestiviruses. Here we describe recombination of HCV RNA in cell culture leading to production of infectious virus. Initially, hepatoma cells were co-transfected with a replicating JFH1ΔE1E2 genome (genotype 2a......) lacking functional envelope genes and strain J6 (2a), which has functional envelope genes but does not replicate in culture. After an initial decrease in the number of HCV positive cells, infection spread after 13-36 days. Sequencing of recovered viruses revealed non-homologous recombinants with J6...

Concerning the dynamic instability of actin homolog ParM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popp, David; Yamamoto, Akihiro; Iwasa, Mitsusada; Narita, Akihiro; Maeda, Kayo; Maeda, Yuichiro