Regulation of homologous recombination in eukaryotes

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Heyer, Wolf-Dietrich; Ehmsen, Kirk T.; Liu, Jie

2010-01-01

Homologous recombination is required for accurate chromosome segregation during the first meiotic division and constitutes a key repair and tolerance pathway for complex DNA damage including DNA double-stranded breaks, interstrand crosslinks, and DNA gaps. In addition, recombination and replication are inextricably linked, as recombination recovers stalled and broken replication forks enabling the evolution of larger genomes/replicons. Defects in recombination lead to genomic instability and ...

RPA homologs and ssDNA processing during meiotic recombination.

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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.

Examining a DNA Replication Requirement for Bacteriophage λ Red- and Rac Prophage RecET-Promoted Recombination in Escherichia coli.

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Thomason, Lynn C; Costantino, Nina; Court, Donald L

2016-09-13

-strand regions may be created during DNA replication or by single-strand exonuclease digestion of linear duplex DNA. Previously, in vitro studies reported that these recombinases promote the single-strand annealing of two complementary DNAs and also strand invasion of a single DNA strand into duplex DNA to create a three-stranded region. Here, in vivo experiments show that recombinase-mediated annealing of complementary single-stranded DNA is the predominant recombination pathway in E. coli. Copyright © 2016 Thomason et al.

Direct and indirect control of the initiation of meiotic recombination by DNA damage checkpoint mechanisms in budding yeast.

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Bilge Argunhan

Full Text Available Meiotic recombination plays an essential role in the proper segregation of chromosomes at meiosis I in many sexually reproducing organisms. Meiotic recombination is initiated by the scheduled formation of genome-wide DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs. The timing of DSB formation is strictly controlled because unscheduled DSB formation is detrimental to genome integrity. Here, we investigated the role of DNA damage checkpoint mechanisms in the control of meiotic DSB formation using budding yeast. By using recombination defective mutants in which meiotic DSBs are not repaired, the effect of DNA damage checkpoint mutations on DSB formation was evaluated. The Tel1 (ATM pathway mainly responds to unresected DSB ends, thus the sae2 mutant background in which DSB ends remain intact was employed. On the other hand, the Mec1 (ATR pathway is primarily used when DSB ends are resected, thus the rad51 dmc1 double mutant background was employed in which highly resected DSBs accumulate. In order to separate the effect caused by unscheduled cell cycle progression, which is often associated with DNA damage checkpoint defects, we also employed the ndt80 mutation which permanently arrests the meiotic cell cycle at prophase I. In the absence of Tel1, DSB formation was reduced in larger chromosomes (IV, VII, II and XI whereas no significant reduction was found in smaller chromosomes (III and VI. On the other hand, the absence of Rad17 (a critical component of the ATR pathway lead to an increase in DSB formation (chromosomes VII and II were tested. We propose that, within prophase I, the Tel1 pathway facilitates DSB formation, especially in bigger chromosomes, while the Mec1 pathway negatively regulates DSB formation. We also identified prophase I exit, which is under the control of the DNA damage checkpoint machinery, to be a critical event associated with down-regulating meiotic DSB formation.

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

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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

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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.

Somatic DNA recombination yielding circular DNA and deletion of a genomic region in embryonic brain

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Maeda, Toyoki; Chijiiwa, Yoshiharu; Tsuji, Hideo; Sakoda, Saburo; Tani, Kenzaburo; Suzuki, Tomokazu

2004-01-01

In this study, a mouse genomic region is identified that undergoes DNA rearrangement and yields circular DNA in brain during embryogenesis. External region-directed inverse polymerase chain reaction on circular DNA extracted from late embryonic brain tissue repeatedly detected DNA of this region containing recombination joints. Wide-range genomic PCR and digestion-circularization PCR analysis showed this region underwent recombination accompanied with deletion of intervening sequences, including the circularized regions. This region was mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization to C1 on mouse chromosome 16, where no gene and no physiological DNA rearrangement had been identified. DNA sequence in the region has segmental homology to an orthologous region on human chromosome 3q.13. These observations demonstrated somatic DNA recombination yielding genomic deletions in brain during embryogenesis

RecO protein initiates DNA recombination and strand annealing through two alternative DNA binding mechanisms.

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Ryzhikov, Mikhail; Gupta, Richa; Glickman, Michael; Korolev, Sergey

2014-10-17

Recombination mediator proteins (RMPs) are important for genome stability in all organisms. Several RMPs support two alternative reactions: initiation of homologous recombination and DNA annealing. We examined mechanisms of RMPs in both reactions with Mycobacterium smegmatis RecO (MsRecO) and demonstrated that MsRecO interacts with ssDNA by two distinct mechanisms. Zinc stimulates MsRecO binding to ssDNA during annealing, whereas the recombination function is zinc-independent and is regulated by interaction with MsRecR. Thus, different structural motifs or conformations of MsRecO are responsible for interaction with ssDNA during annealing and recombination. Neither annealing nor recombinase loading depends on MsRecO interaction with the conserved C-terminal tail of single-stranded (ss) DNA-binding protein (SSB), which is known to bind Escherichia coli RecO. However, similarly to E. coli proteins, MsRecO and MsRecOR do not dismiss SSB from ssDNA, suggesting that RMPs form a complex with SSB-ssDNA even in the absence of binding to the major protein interaction motif. We propose that alternative conformations of such complexes define the mechanism by which RMPs initiate the repair of stalled replication and support two different functions during recombinational repair of DNA breaks. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

DNA damage tolerance pathway involving DNA polymerase ι and the tumor suppressor p53 regulates DNA replication fork progression.

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Hampp, Stephanie; Kiessling, Tina; Buechle, Kerstin; Mansilla, Sabrina F; Thomale, Jürgen; Rall, Melanie; Ahn, Jinwoo; Pospiech, Helmut; Gottifredi, Vanesa; Wiesmüller, Lisa

2016-07-26

DNA damage tolerance facilitates the progression of replication forks that have encountered obstacles on the template strands. It involves either translesion DNA synthesis initiated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen monoubiquitination or less well-characterized fork reversal and template switch mechanisms. Herein, we characterize a novel tolerance pathway requiring the tumor suppressor p53, the translesion polymerase ι (POLι), the ubiquitin ligase Rad5-related helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF), and the SWI/SNF catalytic subunit (SNF2) translocase zinc finger ran-binding domain containing 3 (ZRANB3). This novel p53 activity is lost in the exonuclease-deficient but transcriptionally active p53(H115N) mutant. Wild-type p53, but not p53(H115N), associates with POLι in vivo. Strikingly, the concerted action of p53 and POLι decelerates nascent DNA elongation and promotes HLTF/ZRANB3-dependent recombination during unperturbed DNA replication. Particularly after cross-linker-induced replication stress, p53 and POLι also act together to promote meiotic recombination enzyme 11 (MRE11)-dependent accumulation of (phospho-)replication protein A (RPA)-coated ssDNA. These results implicate a direct role of p53 in the processing of replication forks encountering obstacles on the template strand. Our findings define an unprecedented function of p53 and POLι in the DNA damage response to endogenous or exogenous replication stress.

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

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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.

The Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway: structural and functional insights into a complex disorder.

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Walden, Helen; Deans, Andrew J

2014-01-01

Mutations in any of at least sixteen FANC genes (FANCA-Q) cause Fanconi anemia, a disorder characterized by sensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslinking agents. The clinical features of cytopenia, developmental defects, and tumor predisposition are similar in each group, suggesting that the gene products participate in a common pathway. The Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway consists of an anchor complex that recognizes damage caused by interstrand crosslinks, a multisubunit ubiquitin ligase that monoubiquitinates two substrates, and several downstream repair proteins including nucleases and homologous recombination enzymes. We review progress in the use of structural and biochemical approaches to understanding how each FANC protein functions in this pathway.

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.

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

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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.

Single Molecule Study of DNA Organization and Recombination

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Xiao, Botao

We have studied five projects related to DNA organization and recombination using mainly single molecule force-spectroscopy and statistical tools. First, HU is one of the most abundant DNA-organizing proteins in bacterial chromosomes and participates in gene regulation. We report experiments that study the dependence of DNA condensation by HU on force, salt and HU concentration. A first important result is that at physiological salt levels, HU only bends DNA, resolving a previous paradox of why a chromosome-compacting protein should have a DNA-stiffening function. A second major result is quantitative demonstration of strong dependencies of HU-DNA dissociation on both salt concentration and force. Second, we have used a thermodynamic Maxwell relation to count proteins driven off large DNAs by tension, an effect important to understanding DNA organization. Our results compare well with estimates of numbers of proteins HU and Fis in previous studies. We have also shown that a semi-flexible polymer model describes our HU experimental data well. The force-dependent binding suggests mechano-chemical mechanisms for gene regulation. Third, the elusive role of protein H1 in chromatin has been clarified with purified H1 and Xenopus extracts. We find that H1 compacts DNA by both bending and looping. Addition of H1 enhances chromatin formation and maintains the plasticity of the chromatin. Fourth, the topology and mechanics of DNA twisting are critical to DNA organization and recombination. We have systematically measured DNA extension as a function of linking number density from 0.08 to -2 with holding forces from 0.2 to 2.4 pN. Unlike previous proposals, the DNA extension decreases with negative linking number. Finally, DNA recombination is a dynamic process starting from enzyme-DNA binding. We report that the Int-DBD domain of lambda integrase binds to DNA without compaction at low Int-DBD concentration. High concentration of Int-DBD loops DNA below a threshold force

Recombination Promoted by DNA Viruses: Phage λ to Herpes Simplex Virus

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Weller, Sandra K.; Sawitzke, James A.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this review is to explore recombination strategies in DNA viruses. Homologous recombination is a universal genetic process that plays multiple roles in the biology of all organisms, including viruses. Recombination and DNA replication are interconnected, with recombination being essential for repairing DNA damage and supporting replication of the viral genome. Recombination also creates genetic diversity, and viral recombination mechanisms have important implications for understanding viral origins as well as the dynamic nature of viral-host interactions. Both bacteriophage λ and herpes simplex virus (HSV) display high rates of recombination, both utilizing their own proteins and commandeering cellular proteins to promote recombination reactions. We focus primarily on λ and HSV, as they have proven amenable to both genetic and biochemical analysis and have recently been shown to exhibit some surprising similarities that will guide future studies. PMID:25002096

Stress and DNA repair biology of the Fanconi anemia pathway

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Longerich, Simonne; Li, Jian; Xiong, Yong; Sung, Patrick

2014-01-01

Fanconi anemia (FA) represents a paradigm of rare genetic diseases, where the quest for cause and cure has led to seminal discoveries in cancer biology. Although a total of 16 FA genes have been identified thus far, the biochemical function of many of the FA proteins remains to be elucidated. FA is rare, yet the fact that 5 FA genes are in fact familial breast cancer genes and FA gene mutations are found frequently in sporadic cancers suggest wider applicability in hematopoiesis and oncology. Establishing the interaction network involving the FA proteins and their associated partners has revealed an intersection of FA with several DNA repair pathways, including homologous recombination, DNA mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, and translesion DNA synthesis. Importantly, recent studies have shown a major involvement of the FA pathway in the tolerance of reactive aldehydes. Moreover, despite improved outcomes in stem cell transplantation in the treatment of FA, many challenges remain in patient care. PMID:25237197

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

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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.

Pathways of DNA unlinking: A story of stepwise simplification.

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Stolz, Robert; Yoshida, Masaaki; Brasher, Reuben; Flanner, Michelle; Ishihara, Kai; Sherratt, David J; Shimokawa, Koya; Vazquez, Mariel

2017-09-29

In Escherichia coli DNA replication yields interlinked chromosomes. Controlling topological changes associated with replication and returning the newly replicated chromosomes to an unlinked monomeric state is essential to cell survival. In the absence of the topoisomerase topoIV, the site-specific recombination complex XerCD- dif-FtsK can remove replication links by local reconnection. We previously showed mathematically that there is a unique minimal pathway of unlinking replication links by reconnection while stepwise reducing the topological complexity. However, the possibility that reconnection preserves or increases topological complexity is biologically plausible. In this case, are there other unlinking pathways? Which is the most probable? We consider these questions in an analytical and numerical study of minimal unlinking pathways. We use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm with Multiple Markov Chain sampling to model local reconnection on 491 different substrate topologies, 166 knots and 325 links, and distinguish between pathways connecting a total of 881 different topologies. We conclude that the minimal pathway of unlinking replication links that was found under more stringent assumptions is the most probable. We also present exact results on unlinking a 6-crossing replication link. These results point to a general process of topology simplification by local reconnection, with applications going beyond DNA.

Evidence of animal mtDNA recombination between divergent populations of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida.

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Hoolahan, Angelique H; Blok, Vivian C; Gibson, Tracey; Dowton, Mark

2012-03-01

Recombination is typically assumed to be absent in animal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA). However, the maternal mode of inheritance means that recombinant products are indistinguishable from their progenitor molecules. The majority of studies of mtDNA recombination assess past recombination events, where patterns of recombination are inferred by comparing the mtDNA of different individuals. Few studies assess contemporary mtDNA recombination, where recombinant molecules are observed as direct mosaics of known progenitor molecules. Here we use the potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, to investigate past and contemporary recombination. Past recombination was assessed within and between populations of G. pallida, and contemporary recombination was assessed in the progeny of experimental crosses of these populations. Breeding of genetically divergent organisms may cause paternal mtDNA leakage, resulting in heteroplasmy and facilitating the detection of recombination. To assess contemporary recombination we looked for evidence of recombination between the mtDNA of the parental populations within the mtDNA of progeny. Past recombination was detected between a South American population and several UK populations of G. pallida, as well as between two South American populations. This suggests that these populations may have interbred, paternal mtDNA leakage occurred, and the mtDNA of these populations subsequently recombined. This evidence challenges two dogmas of animal mtDNA evolution; no recombination and maternal inheritance. No contemporary recombination between the parental populations was detected in the progeny of the experimental crosses. This supports current arguments that mtDNA recombination events are rare. More sensitive detection methods may be required to adequately assess contemporary mtDNA recombination in animals.

Evaluation of the efficiency and utility of recombinant enzyme-free seamless DNA cloning methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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

Recent advances in yeast molecular biology: recombinant DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-09-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 25 papers presented at a workshop focusing on chromosomal structure, gene regulation, recombination, DNA repair, and cell type control, that have been obtained by experimental approaches incorporating the new technologies of yeast DNA transformation, molecular cloning, and DNA sequence analysis

Self-regulation of recombinant DNA technology in Japan in the 1970s.

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Nagai, Hiroyuki; Nukaga, Yoshio; Saeki, Koji; Akabayashi, Akira

2009-07-01

Recombinant DNA technology was developed in the United States in the early 1970s. Leading scientists held an international Asilomar Conference in 1975 to examine the self regulation of recombinant DNA technology, followed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health drafting the Recombinant DNA Research Guidelines in 1976. The result of this conference significantly affected many nations, including Japan. However, there have been few historical studies on the self-regulation of recombinant technologies conducted by scientists and government officials in Japan. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the Science Council of Japan, the Ministry of Education, Science adn Culture, and the Science and Technology Agency developed self-regulation policies for recombinant DNA technology in Japan in the 1970s. Groups of molecular biologist and geneticists played a key role in establishing guidelines in cooperation with government officials. Our findings suggest that self-regulation policies on recombinant DNA technology have influenced safety management for the life sciences and establishment of institutions for review in Japan.

Generating and repairing genetically programmed DNA breaks during immunoglobulin class switch recombination

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Nicolas, Laura; Cols, Montserrat; Choi, Jee Eun; Chaudhuri, Jayanta; Vuong, Bao

2018-01-01

Adaptive immune responses require the generation of a diverse repertoire of immunoglobulins (Igs) that can recognize and neutralize a seemingly infinite number of antigens. V(D)J recombination creates the primary Ig repertoire, which subsequently is modified by somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR). SHM promotes Ig affinity maturation whereas CSR alters the effector function of the Ig. Both SHM and CSR require activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to produce dU:dG mismatches in the Ig locus that are transformed into untemplated mutations in variable coding segments during SHM or DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in switch regions during CSR. Within the Ig locus, DNA repair pathways are diverted from their canonical role in maintaining genomic integrity to permit AID-directed mutation and deletion of gene coding segments. Recently identified proteins, genes, and regulatory networks have provided new insights into the temporally and spatially coordinated molecular interactions that control the formation and repair of DSBs within the Ig locus. Unravelling the genetic program that allows B cells to selectively alter the Ig coding regions while protecting non-Ig genes from DNA damage advances our understanding of the molecular processes that maintain genomic integrity as well as humoral immunity. PMID:29744038

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

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

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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

Construction of recombinant DNA clone for bovine viral diarrhea virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeo, S.G.; Cho, H.J.; Masri, S.A.

1992-01-01

Molecular cloning was carried out on the Danish strain of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) to construct strategy for the diagnostic tools and effective vaccine of BVD afterwards. A recombinant DNA clone (No. 29) was established successfully from cDNA for viral RNA tailed with adenine homopolymer at 3 -end. 32 P-labeled DNA probes of 300~1, 800bp fragments, originating from the clone 29, directed specific DNA-RNA hybridization results with BVDV RNA. Recombinant DNA of the clone 29 was about 5,200bp representing 41.6% of the full length of Danish strain's RNA, and restriction sites were recognized for EooR I, Sst I, Hind III and Pst I restriction enzymes in the DNA fragment

Transcription and recombination: when RNA meets DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilera, Andrés; Gaillard, Hélène

2014-08-01

A particularly relevant phenomenon in cell physiology and proliferation is the fact that spontaneous mitotic recombination is strongly enhanced by transcription. The most accepted view is that transcription increases the occurrence of double-strand breaks and/or single-stranded DNA gaps that are repaired by recombination. Most breaks would arise as a consequence of the impact that transcription has on replication fork progression, provoking its stalling and/or breakage. Here, we discuss the mechanisms responsible for the cross talk between transcription and recombination, with emphasis on (1) the transcription-replication conflicts as the main source of recombinogenic DNA breaks, and (2) the formation of cotranscriptional R-loops as a major cause of such breaks. The new emerging questions and perspectives are discussed on the basis of the interference between transcription and replication, as well as the way RNA influences genome dynamics. Copyright © 2014 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

The role of the Fanconi anemia pathway in DNA repair and maintenance of genome stability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra M. Koczorowska

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The Fanconi anemia (FA pathway is one of the DNA repair systems involved in removal of DNA crosslinks. Proteins which belong to this pathway are crucial to the protection of genetic information, whereas disturbances in their function have serious implications for the whole organism. Biallelic mutations in FA genes are the cause of Fanconi anemia – a genetic disease which manifests itself through numerous congenital abnormalities, chromosomal instability and increased predisposition to cancer. The FA pathway is composed of fifteen proteins. Eight of them, in the presence of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs, form a nuclear core complex responsible for monoubiquitination of FANCD2 and FANCI, which is a key step of ICL repair. FA proteins which are not involved in the monoubiquitination step participate in repair of DNA double strand breaks via homologous recombination. Some of the FA proteins, besides having a direct role in the repair of DNA damage, are engaged in replication, cell cycle control and mitosis. The unperturbed course of those processes determines the maintenance of genome stability.

Contribution of a caffeine-sensitive recombinational repair pathway to survival and mutagenesis in UV-irradiated Schizosaccharomyces pombe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentner, N.E.; Werner, M.M.; Hannan, M.A.; Nasim, A.

1978-01-01

Cells of wild-type Schizosacharomyces pombe exposed to UV radiation in either G1 or G2 phase show enhanced inactivation of colony-forming ability if plated in the presence of caffeine. This UV-sensitization by caffeine is abolished in both G1 an G2 phase cells by the radlmutation; since both caffeine and the radl mutation markedly reduce recombinational events, this suggests that a recombinational repair process is active in cells irradiated either in G1 or G2 phase. Caffeine-sensitive repair begins immediately and is completed before resumption of DNA synthesis. Caffeine-sensitive repair of UV-damage in G1 cells displays a considerable lag and then occurs concomitantly with DNA synthesis. UV-induced mutagenesis was examined in wild-type and rad mutants using a forward mutation system. Rad mutants which show higher UV-induced mutation rates than wild-type retain the recombinational mechanism. In contrast, rad strains which are relatively UV-immutable compared to wild-type do not possess the caffeine-sensitive UV-repair process. The recombinational process therefore may be the major pathway responsible for UV-induced mutation. (orig./AJ) [de

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)

Recent advances in DNA repair and recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanejko, L A; Jones, N J

1998-09-11

The subjects of the talks at this 1-day DNA Repair Network meeting, held at City University, London on December 15, 1997, encompassed a range of topics and reflected some of the current areas of research in the United Kingdom. Topics included DNA double-strand break repair, V(D)J recombination, DNA ligases, the RecQ family of helicases and Bloom's syndrome, UVB and immunosuppression, the repair of oxidative damage and mismatch repair mechanisms.

DNA repair and its relation to recombination-deficient and other mutations in Bacillus subtilis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganesan, A.T.

1975-01-01

DNA repair processes operating in Bacillus subtilis are similar to other transformable bacterial systems. Radiation-sensitive, recombination-deficient mutants are blocked in distinct steps leading to recombination. DNA polymerase I is essential for the repair of x-ray-induced damage to DNA but not for recombination

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henrique Barreta, Marcos [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario de Curitibanos, Curitibanos, SC (Brazil); Laboratorio de Biotecnologia e Reproducao Animal-BioRep, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Garziera Gasperin, Bernardo; Braga Rissi, Vitor; Cesaro, Matheus Pedrotti de [Laboratorio de Biotecnologia e Reproducao Animal-BioRep, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Ferreira, Rogerio [Centro de Educacao Superior do Oeste-Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Chapeco, SC (Brazil); Oliveira, Joao Francisco de; Goncalves, Paulo Bayard Dias [Laboratorio de Biotecnologia e Reproducao Animal-BioRep, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Bordignon, Vilceu, E-mail: vilceu.bordignon@mcgill.ca [Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, QC (Canada)

2012-10-01

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.

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.

Effects of DNA double-strand and single-strand breaks on intrachromosomal recombination events in cell-cycle-arrested yeast cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galli, A.; Schiestl, R.H.

1998-01-01

Intrachromosomal recombination between repeated elements can result in deletion (DEL recombination) events. We investigated the inducibility of such intrachromosomal recombination events at different stages of the cell cycle and the nature of the primary DNA lesions capable of initiating these events. Two genetic systems were constructed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that select for DEL recombination events between duplicated alleles of CDC28 and TUB2. We determined effects of double-strand breaks (DSBs) and single-strand breaks (SSBs) between the duplicated alleles on DEL recombination when induced in dividing cells or cells arrested in G1 or G2. Site-specific DSBs and SSBs were produced by overexpression of the I-Sce I endonuclease and the gene II protein (gIIp), respectively. I-Sce I-induced DSBs caused an increase in DEL recombination frequencies in both dividing and cell-cycle-arrested cells, indicating that G1- and G2-arrested cells are capable of completing DSB repair. In contrast, gIIp-induced SSBs caused an increase in DEL recombination frequency only in dividing cells. To further examine these phenomena we used both γ-irradiation, inducing DSBs as its most relevant lesion, and UV, inducing other forms of DNA damage. UV irradiation did not increase DEL recombination frequencies in G1 or G2, whereas γ-rays increased DEL recombination frequencies in both phases. Both forms of radiation, however, induced DEL recombination in dividing cells. The results suggest that DSBsbut not SSBs induce DEL recombination, probably via the single-strand annealing pathway. Further, DSBs in dividing cells may result from the replication of a UV or SSB-damaged template. Alternatively, UV induced events may occur by replication slippage after DNA polymerase pausing in front of the damage. (author)

In vitro recombination of bacteriophage T7 DNA damaged by uv radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masker, W.E.; Kuemmerle, N.B.

1980-01-01

A system capable of in vitro packaging of exogenous bacteriophage T7 DNA has been used to monitor the biological activity of DNA replicated in vitro. This system has been used to follow the effects of uv radiation on in vitro replication and recombination. During the in vitro replication process, a considerable exchange of genetic information occurs between T7 DNA molecules present in the reaction mixture. This in vitro recombination is reflected in the genotype of the T7 phage produced after in vitro encapsulation; depending on the genetic markers selected, recombinants can comprise nearly 20% of the total phage production. When uv-irradiated DNA is incubated in this system, the amount of in vitro synthesis is reduced and the total amount of viable phage produced after in vitro packaging is diminished. In vitro recombination rates are also lower when the participating DNA molecules have been exposed to uv. However, biochemical and genetic measurements confirmed that there is little or no transfer of pyrimidine dimers from irradiated DNA into undamaged molecules

Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of the thermo-treatment process to dispose of recombinant DNA waste from biological research laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Meng-Nan; Zheng, Guang-Hong; Wang, Lei; Xiao, Wei; Fu, Xiao-Hua; Le, Yi-Quan; Ren, Da-Ming

2009-01-01

The discharge of recombinant DNA waste from biological laboratories into the eco-system may be one of the pathways resulting in horizontal gene transfer or "gene pollution". Heating at 100 degrees C for 5-10 min is a common method for treating recombinant DNA waste in biological research laboratories in China. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and the safety of the thermo-treatment method in the disposal of recombinant DNA waste. Quantitative PCR, plasmid transformation and electrophoresis technology were used to evaluate the decay/denaturation efficiency during the thermo-treatment process of recombinant plasmid, pET-28b. Results showed that prolonging thermo-treatment time could improve decay efficiency of the plasmid, and its decay half-life was 2.7-4.0 min during the thermo-treatment at 100 degrees C. However, after 30 min of thermo-treatment some transforming activity remained. Higher ionic strength could protect recombinant plasmid from decay during the treatment process. These results indicate that thermo-treatment at 100 degrees C cannot decay and inactivate pET-28b completely. In addition, preliminary results showed that thermo-treated recombinant plasmids were not degraded completely in a short period when they were discharged into an aquatic environment. This implies that when thermo-treated recombinant DNAs are discharged into the eco-system, they may have enough time to re-nature and transform, thus resulting in gene diffusion.

Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of the thermo-treatment process to dispose of recombinant DNA waste from biological research laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Mengnan; Zheng Guanghong; Wang Lei; Xiao Wei; Fu Xiaohua; Le Yiquan; Ren Daming

2009-01-01

The discharge of recombinant DNA waste from biological laboratories into the eco-system may be one of the pathways resulting in horizontal gene transfer or 'gene pollution'. Heating at 100 deg. C for 5-10 min is a common method for treating recombinant DNA waste in biological research laboratories in China. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and the safety of the thermo-treatment method in the disposal of recombinant DNA waste. Quantitative PCR, plasmid transformation and electrophoresis technology were used to evaluate the decay/denaturation efficiency during the thermo-treatment process of recombinant plasmid, pET-28b. Results showed that prolonging thermo-treatment time could improve decay efficiency of the plasmid, and its decay half-life was 2.7-4.0 min during the thermo-treatment at 100 deg. C. However, after 30 min of thermo-treatment some transforming activity remained. Higher ionic strength could protect recombinant plasmid from decay during the treatment process. These results indicate that thermo-treatment at 100 deg. C cannot decay and inactivate pET-28b completely. In addition, preliminary results showed that thermo-treated recombinant plasmids were not degraded completely in a short period when they were discharged into an aquatic environment. This implies that when thermo-treated recombinant DNAs are discharged into the eco-system, they may have enough time to re-nature and transform, thus resulting in gene diffusion

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.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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.

Breaks in the 45S rDNA Lead to Recombination-Mediated Loss of Repeats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniël O. Warmerdam

2016-03-01

Full Text Available rDNA repeats constitute the most heavily transcribed region in the human genome. Tumors frequently display elevated levels of recombination in rDNA, indicating that the repeats are a liability to the genomic integrity of a cell. However, little is known about how cells deal with DNA double-stranded breaks in rDNA. Using selective endonucleases, we show that human cells are highly sensitive to breaks in 45S but not the 5S rDNA repeats. We find that homologous recombination inhibits repair of breaks in 45S rDNA, and this results in repeat loss. We identify the structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 5 (SMC5 as contributing to recombination-mediated repair of rDNA breaks. Together, our data demonstrate that SMC5-mediated recombination can lead to error-prone repair of 45S rDNA repeats, resulting in their loss and thereby reducing cellular viability.

Repair pathways independent of the Fanconi anemia nuclear core complex play a predominant role in mitigating formaldehyde-induced DNA damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Taichi; Takahashi, Akihisa; Kondo, Natsuko; Mori, Eiichiro; Okamoto, Noritomo; Nakagawa, Yosuke; Ohnishi, Ken; Zdzienicka, Malgorzata Z.; Thompson, Larry H.; Helleday, Thomas; Asada, Hideo

2011-01-01

The role of the Fanconi anemia (FA) repair pathway for DNA damage induced by formaldehyde was examined in the work described here. The following cell types were used: mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines FANCA -/- , FANCC -/- , FANCA -/- C -/- , FANCD2 -/- and their parental cells, the Chinese hamster cell lines FANCD1 mutant (mt), FANCGmt, their revertant cells, and the corresponding wild-type (wt) cells. Cell survival rates were determined with colony formation assays after formaldehyde treatment. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) were detected with an immunocytochemical γH2AX-staining assay. Although the sensitivity of FANCA -/- , FANCC -/- and FANCA -/- C -/- cells to formaldehyde was comparable to that of proficient cells, FANCD1mt, FANCGmt and FANCD2 -/- cells were more sensitive to formaldehyde than the corresponding proficient cells. It was found that homologous recombination (HR) repair was induced by formaldehyde. In addition, γH2AX foci in FANCD1mt cells persisted for longer times than in FANCD1wt cells. These findings suggest that formaldehyde-induced DSBs are repaired by HR through the FA repair pathway which is independent of the FA nuclear core complex. -- Research highlights: → We examined to clarify the repair pathways of formaldehyde-induced DNA damage. Formaldehyde induces DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). → DSBs are repaired through the Fanconi anemia (FA) repair pathway. → This pathway is independent of the FA nuclear core complex. → We also found that homologous recombination repair was induced by formaldehyde.

Breaks in the 45S rDNA Lead to Recombination-Mediated Loss of Repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Warmerdam, Daniël O; van den Berg, Jeroen; Medema, René H

2016-03-22

rDNA repeats constitute the most heavily transcribed region in the human genome. Tumors frequently display elevated levels of recombination in rDNA, indicating that the repeats are a liability to the genomic integrity of a cell. However, little is known about how cells deal with DNA double-stranded breaks in rDNA. Using selective endonucleases, we show that human cells are highly sensitive to breaks in 45S but not the 5S rDNA repeats. We find that homologous recombination inhibits repair of breaks in 45S rDNA, and this results in repeat loss. We identify the structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 5 (SMC5) as contributing to recombination-mediated repair of rDNA breaks. Together, our data demonstrate that SMC5-mediated recombination can lead to error-prone repair of 45S rDNA repeats, resulting in their loss and thereby reducing cellular viability. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new potential secretion pathway for recombinant proteins in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guangqiang; Xia, Yongjun; Gu, Zhennan; Zhang, Hao; Chen, Yong Q; Chen, Haiqin; Ai, Lianzhong; Chen, Wei

2015-11-10

Secretion of cytoplasmic expressed proteins into growth media has significant advantages. Due to the lack of an outer membrane, Bacillus subtilis is considered as a desirable 'cell factory' for the secretion of recombinant proteins. However, bottlenecks in the classical pathway for the secretion of recombinant proteins limit its use on a wide scale. In this study, we attempted to use four typical non-classically secreted proteins as signals to export three recombinant model proteins to the culture medium. All four non-classically secreted proteins can direct the export of the intrinsically disordered nucleoskeletal-like protein (Nsp). Two of them can guide the secretion of alkaline phosphatase (PhoA). One can lead the secretion of the thermostable β-galactosidase BgaB, which cannot be secreted with the aid of typical Sec-dependent signal peptides. Our results show that the non-classically secreted proteins lead the recombinant proteins to the culture medium, and thus non-classical protein secretion pathways can be exploited as a novel secretion pathway for recombinant proteins.

A role for recombination junctions in the segregation of mitochondrial DNA in yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockshon, D; Zweifel, S G; Freeman-Cook, L L; Lorimer, H E; Brewer, B J; Fangman, W L

1995-06-16

In S. cerevisiae, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecules, in spite of their high copy number, segregate as if there were a small number of heritable units. The rapid segregation of mitochondrial genomes can be analyzed using mtDNA deletion variants. These small, amplified genomes segregate preferentially from mixed zygotes relative to wild-type mtDNA. This segregation advantage is abolished by mutations in a gene, MGT1, that encodes a recombination junction-resolving enzyme. We show here that resolvase deficiency causes a larger proportion of molecules to be linked together by recombination junctions, resulting in the aggregation of mtDNA into a small number of cytological structures. This change in mtDNA structure can account for the increased mitotic loss of mtDNA and the altered pattern of mtDNA segregation from zygotes. We propose that the level of unresolved recombination junctions influences the number of heritable units of mtDNA.

A Cross-Cancer Genetic Association Analysis of the DNA Repair and DNA Damage Signaling Pathways for Lung, Ovary, Prostate, Breast, and Colorectal Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Scarbrough, Peter M; Weber, Rachel Palmieri; Iversen, Edwin S; Brhane, Yonathan; Amos, Christopher I; Kraft, Peter; Hung, Rayjean J; Sellers, Thomas A; Witte, John S; Pharoah, Paul; Henderson, Brian E; Gruber, Stephen B; Hunter, David J; Garber, Judy E; Joshi, Amit D; McDonnell, Kevin; Easton, Doug F; Eeles, Ros; Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Muir, Kenneth; Doherty, Jennifer A; Schildkraut, Joellen M

2016-01-01

DNA damage is an established mediator of carcinogenesis, although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified few significant loci. This cross-cancer site, pooled analysis was performed to increase the power to detect common variants of DNA repair genes associated with cancer susceptibility. We conducted a cross-cancer analysis of 60,297 single nucleotide polymorphisms, at 229 DNA repair gene regions, using data from the NCI Genetic Associations and Mechanisms in Oncology (GAME-ON) Network. Our analysis included data from 32 GWAS and 48,734 controls and 51,537 cases across five cancer sites (breast, colon, lung, ovary, and prostate). Because of the unavailability of individual data, data were analyzed at the aggregate level. Meta-analysis was performed using the Association analysis for SubSETs (ASSET) software. To test for genetic associations that might escape individual variant testing due to small effect sizes, pathway analysis of eight DNA repair pathways was performed using hierarchical modeling. We identified three susceptibility DNA repair genes, RAD51B (P cancer risk in the base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, and homologous recombination pathways. Only three susceptibility loci were identified, which had all been previously reported. In contrast, hierarchical modeling identified several pleiotropic cancer risk associations in key DNA repair pathways. Results suggest that many common variants in DNA repair genes are likely associated with cancer susceptibility through small effect sizes that do not meet stringent significance testing criteria. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

MEIOB targets single-strand DNA and is necessary for meiotic recombination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benoit Souquet

Full Text Available Meiotic recombination is a mandatory process for sexual reproduction. We identified a protein specifically implicated in meiotic homologous recombination that we named: meiosis specific with OB domain (MEIOB. This protein is conserved among metazoan species and contains single-strand DNA binding sites similar to those of RPA1. Our studies in vitro revealed that both recombinant and endogenous MEIOB can be retained on single-strand DNA. Those in vivo demonstrated the specific expression of Meiob in early meiotic germ cells and the co-localization of MEIOB protein with RPA on chromosome axes. MEIOB localization in Dmc1 (-/- spermatocytes indicated that it accumulates on resected DNA. Homologous Meiob deletion in mice caused infertility in both sexes, due to a meiotic arrest at a zygotene/pachytene-like stage. DNA double strand break repair and homologous chromosome synapsis were impaired in Meiob (-/- meiocytes. Interestingly MEIOB appeared to be dispensable for the initial loading of recombinases but was required to maintain a proper number of RAD51 and DMC1 foci beyond the zygotene stage. In light of these findings, we propose that RPA and this new single-strand DNA binding protein MEIOB, are essential to ensure the proper stabilization of recombinases which is required for successful homology search and meiotic recombination.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Cell biology of homologous recombination in yeast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckert-Boulet, Nadine Valerie; Rothstein, Rodney; Lisby, Michael

2011-01-01

Homologous recombination is an important pathway for error-free repair of DNA lesions, such as single- and double-strand breaks, and for rescue of collapsed replication forks. Here, we describe protocols for live cell imaging of single-lesion recombination events in the yeast Saccharomyces...

Efficient preparation of shuffled DNA libraries through recombination (Gateway) cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehtonen, Soili I; Taskinen, Barbara; Ojala, Elina; Kukkurainen, Sampo; Rahikainen, Rolle; Riihimäki, Tiina A; Laitinen, Olli H; Kulomaa, Markku S; Hytönen, Vesa P

2015-01-01

Efficient and robust subcloning is essential for the construction of high-diversity DNA libraries in the field of directed evolution. We have developed a more efficient method for the subcloning of DNA-shuffled libraries by employing recombination cloning (Gateway). The Gateway cloning procedure was performed directly after the gene reassembly reaction, without additional purification and amplification steps, thus simplifying the conventional DNA shuffling protocols. Recombination-based cloning, directly from the heterologous reassembly reaction, conserved the high quality of the library and reduced the time required for the library construction. The described method is generally compatible for the construction of DNA-shuffled gene libraries. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Recent advances in yeast molecular biology: recombinant DNA. [Lead abstract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-09-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 25 papers presented at a workshop focusing on chromosomal structure, gene regulation, recombination, DNA repair, and cell type control, that have been obtained by experimental approaches incorporating the new technologies of yeast DNA transformation, molecular cloning, and DNA sequence analysis. (KRM)

Repair pathways independent of the Fanconi anemia nuclear core complex play a predominant role in mitigating formaldehyde-induced DNA damage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noda, Taichi [Department of Biology, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); Takahashi, Akihisa [Department of Biology, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); Kondo, Natsuko [Particle Radiation Oncology Research Center, Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494 (Japan); Mori, Eiichiro [Department of Biology, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); Okamoto, Noritomo [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); Nakagawa, Yosuke [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); Ohnishi, Ken [Department of Biology, Ibaraki Prefectual University of Health Sciences, 4669-2 Ami, Ami-mati, Inasiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-0394 (Japan); Zdzienicka, Malgorzata Z. [Department of Molecular Cell Genetics, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus-Copernicus-University in Torun, ul. Sklodowskiej-Curie 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz (Poland); Thompson, Larry H. [Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, L452, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551-0808 (United States); Helleday, Thomas [Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Off Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ (United Kingdom); Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Asada, Hideo [Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521 (Japan); and others

2011-01-07

The role of the Fanconi anemia (FA) repair pathway for DNA damage induced by formaldehyde was examined in the work described here. The following cell types were used: mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines FANCA{sup -/-}, FANCC{sup -/-}, FANCA{sup -/-}C{sup -/-}, FANCD2{sup -/-} and their parental cells, the Chinese hamster cell lines FANCD1 mutant (mt), FANCGmt, their revertant cells, and the corresponding wild-type (wt) cells. Cell survival rates were determined with colony formation assays after formaldehyde treatment. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) were detected with an immunocytochemical {gamma}H2AX-staining assay. Although the sensitivity of FANCA{sup -/-}, FANCC{sup -/-} and FANCA{sup -/-}C{sup -/-} cells to formaldehyde was comparable to that of proficient cells, FANCD1mt, FANCGmt and FANCD2{sup -/-} cells were more sensitive to formaldehyde than the corresponding proficient cells. It was found that homologous recombination (HR) repair was induced by formaldehyde. In addition, {gamma}H2AX foci in FANCD1mt cells persisted for longer times than in FANCD1wt cells. These findings suggest that formaldehyde-induced DSBs are repaired by HR through the FA repair pathway which is independent of the FA nuclear core complex. -- Research highlights: {yields} We examined to clarify the repair pathways of formaldehyde-induced DNA damage. Formaldehyde induces DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). {yields} DSBs are repaired through the Fanconi anemia (FA) repair pathway. {yields} This pathway is independent of the FA nuclear core complex. {yields} We also found that homologous recombination repair was induced by formaldehyde.

Homologous Recombination DNA Repair Genes Play a Critical Role in Reprogramming to a Pluripotent State

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Federico González

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs hold great promise for personalized regenerative medicine. However, recent studies show that iPSC lines carry genetic abnormalities, suggesting that reprogramming may be mutagenic. Here, we show that the ectopic expression of reprogramming factors increases the level of phosphorylated histone H2AX, one of the earliest cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs. Additional mechanistic studies uncover a direct role of the homologous recombination (HR pathway, a pathway essential for error-free repair of DNA DSBs, in reprogramming. This role is independent of the use of integrative or nonintegrative methods in introducing reprogramming factors, despite the latter being considered a safer approach that circumvents genetic modifications. Finally, deletion of the tumor suppressor p53 rescues the reprogramming phenotype in HR-deficient cells primarily through the restoration of reprogramming-dependent defects in cell proliferation and apoptosis. These mechanistic insights have important implications for the design of safer approaches to creating iPSCs.

Evidence for a Chk2-BRCA1-BRCA2 pathway in controlling homologous recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, S.N.

2003-01-01

The BRCA2 protein is thought to play a role as a supportive protein for the assembly of Rad51 filaments at the sites of DNA damage or stalled DNA replication, and thereby facilitates the process of homologous recombination (HR). We provide direct evidence that the interaction of BRCA2 and Rad51, via the BRC repeat motifs of BRCA2, is the key to its function in HR. Furthermore, the BRCA2's role to facilitate HR is dependent on a replicating DNA template, closely linking the process of HR to DNA replication. To date, no other role for BRCA2 has been elucidated in-vivo. BRCA1, by contrast, has a complex series of functions including a supportive role in HR, a possible role in non-homologous recombination (NHR), transcriptional co-activation and E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. The protein undergoes extensive post-translational modification, principally by phosphorylation, in both S-phase and in response to DNA damage. We show that ATM-dependent modifications of BRCA1 are important for S-phase and G2/M checkpoints, but have no direct impact on DNA repair. However, a chk2 dependent modification of BRCA1 at serine-988, appears critical for the promotion of Rad51-dependent HR and the inhibition of Mre11/Rad50/NBS1- dependent repair. Direct modification of chk2 kinase activity, by over-expression of a kinase-dead chk2, results in an identical phenotype as seen with the S988A mutation of BRCA1. Taken together, these results suggest that a chk2-BRCA1-BRCA2 dependent pathway promotes error-free HR, suppresses error-prone NHR and thereby maintains genomic stability

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.

Breaks in the 45S rDNA Lead to Recombination-Mediated Loss of Repeats

OpenAIRE

Warmerdam, Daniël O.; van den Berg, Jeroen; Medema, René H.

2016-01-01

rDNA repeats constitute the most heavily transcribed region in the human genome. Tumors frequently display elevated levels of recombination in rDNA, indicating that the repeats are a liability to the genomic integrity of a cell. However, little is known about how cells deal with DNA double-stranded breaks in rDNA. Using selective endonucleases, we show that human cells are highly sensitive to breaks in 45S but not the 5S rDNA repeats. We find that homologous recombination inhibits repair of b...

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.

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

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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.

Quantification and persistence of recombinant DNA of Roundup Ready corn and soybean in rotation.

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Lerat, Sylvain; Gulden, Robert H; Hart, Miranda M; Powell, Jeff R; England, Laura S; Pauls, K Peter; Swanton, Clarence J; Klironomos, John N; Trevors, Jack T

2007-12-12

The presence of the recombinant cp4 epsps gene from Roundup Ready (RR) corn and RR soybean was quantified using real-time PCR in soil samples from a field experiment growing RR and conventional corn and soybean in rotation. RR corn and RR soybean cp4 epsps persisted in soil for up to 1 year after seeding. The concentration of recombinant DNA in soil peaked in July and August in RR corn and RR soybean plots, respectively. A small fraction of soil samples from plots seeded with conventional crops contained recombinant DNA, suggesting transgene dispersal by means of natural process or agricultural practices. This research will aid in the understanding of the persistence of recombinant DNA in agricultural cropping systems.

Unveiling novel RecO distant orthologues involved in homologous recombination.

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Stéphanie Marsin

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The generation of a RecA filament on single-stranded DNA is a critical step in homologous recombination. Two main pathways leading to the formation of the nucleofilament have been identified in bacteria, based on the protein complexes mediating RecA loading: RecBCD (AddAB and RecFOR. Many bacterial species seem to lack some of the components involved in these complexes. The current annotation of the Helicobacter pylori genome suggests that this highly diverse bacterial pathogen has a reduced set of recombination mediator proteins. While it is now clear that homologous recombination plays a critical role in generating H. pylori diversity by allowing genomic DNA rearrangements and integration through transformation of exogenous DNA into the chromosome, no complete mediator complex is deduced from the sequence of its genome. Here we show by bioinformatics analysis the presence of a RecO remote orthologue that allowed the identification of a new set of RecO proteins present in all bacterial species where a RecR but not RecO was previously identified. HpRecO shares less than 15% identity with previously characterized homologues. Genetic dissection of recombination pathways shows that this novel RecO and the remote RecB homologue present in H. pylori are functional in repair and in RecA-dependent intrachromosomal recombination, defining two initiation pathways with little overlap. We found, however, that neither RecOR nor RecB contributes to transformation, suggesting the presence of a third, specialized, RecA-dependent pathway responsible for the integration of transforming DNA into the chromosome of this naturally competent bacteria. These results provide insight into the mechanisms that this successful pathogen uses to generate genetic diversity and adapt to changing environments and new hosts.

Exploring optimization parameters to increase ssDNA recombineering in Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus reuteri.

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Van Pijkeren, Jan-Peter; Neoh, Kar Mun; Sirias, Denise; Findley, Anthony S; Britton, Robert A

2012-01-01

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) recombineering is a technology which is used to make subtle changes in the chromosome of several bacterial genera. Cells which express a single-stranded DNA binding protein (RecT or Bet) are transformed with an oligonucleotide which is incorporated via an annealing and replication-dependent mechanism. By in silico analysis we identified ssDNA binding protein homologs in the genus Lactobacillus and Lactococcus lactis. To assess whether we could further improve the recombineering efficiency in Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 we expressed several RecT homologs in this strain. RecT derived from Enterococcus faecalis CRMEN 19 yielded comparable efficiencies compared with a native RecT protein, but none of the other proteins further increased the recombineering efficiency. We successfully improved recombineering efficiency 10-fold in L. lactis by increasing oligonucleotide concentration combined with the use of oligonucleotides containing phosphorothioate-linkages (PTOs). Surprisingly, neither increased oligonucleotide concentration nor PTO linkages enhanced recombineering in L. reuteri 6475. To emphasize the utility of this technology in improving probiotic features we modified six bases in a transcriptional regulatory element region of the pdu-operon of L. reuteri 6475, yielding a 3-fold increase in the production of the antimicrobial compound reuterin. Directed genetic modification of lactic acid bacteria through ssDNA recombineering will simplify strain improvement in a way that, when mutating a single base, is genetically indistinguishable from strains obtained through directed evolution.

Examining a DNA Replication Requirement for Bacteriophage λ Red- and Rac Prophage RecET-Promoted Recombination in Escherichia coli

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Lynn C. Thomason

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Recombineering, in vivo genetic engineering with bacteriophage homologous recombination systems, is a powerful technique for making genetic modifications in bacteria. Two systems widely used in Escherichia coli are the Red system from phage λ and RecET from the defective Rac prophage. We investigated the in vivo dependence of recombineering on DNA replication of the recombining substrate using plasmid targets. For λ Red recombination, when DNA replication of a circular target plasmid is prevented, recombination with single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides is greatly reduced compared to that under replicating conditions. For RecET recombination, when DNA replication of the targeted plasmid is prevented, the recombination frequency is also reduced, to a level identical to that seen for the Red system in the absence of replication. The very low level of oligonucleotide recombination observed in the absence of any phage recombination functions is the same in the presence or absence of DNA replication. In contrast, both the Red and RecET systems recombine a nonreplicating linear dimer plasmid with high efficiency to yield a circular monomer. Therefore, the DNA replication requirement is substrate dependent. Our data are consistent with recombination by both the Red and RecET systems occurring predominately by single-strand annealing rather than by strand invasion.

Rogue athletes and recombinant DNA technology: challenges for doping control.

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Azzazy, Hassan M E; Mansour, Mai M H

2007-10-01

The quest for athletic excellence holds no limit for some athletes, and the advances in recombinant DNA technology have handed these athletes the ultimate doping weapons: recombinant proteins and gene doping. Some detection methods are now available for several recombinant proteins that are commercially available as pharmaceuticals and being abused by dopers. However, researchers are struggling to come up with efficient detection methods in preparation for the imminent threat of gene doping, expected in the 2008 Olympics. This Forum article presents the main detection strategies for recombinant proteins and the forthcoming detection strategies for gene doping as well as the prime analytical challenges facing them.

Recombinant DNA. Rifkin's regulatory revivalism runs riot.

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David, P

Jeremy Rifkin, activist opponent of genetic engineering, has adopted tactics of litigation, persuasion, and confrontation in his campaign to halt genetic experimentation. The Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee of the National Institutes of Health has often been the target of his criticism, most recently for its failure to prepare an environmental risk assessment for some DNA tests it approved. Rifkin has won support for his position from religious organizations in the United States, and in June 1983 persuaded an ecumenical group of religious leaders to ask Congress to ban genetic experiments that would affect the human germ line.

The SRS2 suppressor of rad6 mutations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae acts by channeling DNA lesions into the RAD52 DNA repair pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiestl, R.H.; Prakash, S.; Prakash, L.

1990-01-01

rad6 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are defective in the repair of damaged DNA, DNA damage induced mutagenesis, and sporulation. In order to identify genes that can substitute for RAD6 function, the authors have isolated genomic suppressors of the UV sensitivity of rad6 deletion (rad6Δ) mutations and show that they also suppress the γ-ray sensitivity but not the UV mutagenesis or sporulation defects of rad6. The suppressors show semidominance for suppression of UV sensitivity and dominance for suppression of γ-ray sensitivity. The six suppressor mutations they isolated are all alleles of the same locus and are also allelic to a previously described suppressor of the rad6-1 nonsense mutation, SRS2. They show that suppression of rad6Δ is dependent on the RAD52 recombinational repair pathway since suppression is not observed in the rad6Δ SRS2 strain containing an additional mutation in either the RAD51, RAD52, RAD54, RAD55 or RAD57 genes. Possible mechanisms by which SRS2 may channel unrepaired DNA lesions into the RAD52 DNA repair pathway are discussed

Comparative Genomics of DNA Recombination and Repair in Cyanobacteria: Biotechnological Implications

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Cassier-Chauvat, Corinne; Veaudor, Théo; Chauvat, Franck

2016-01-01

Cyanobacteria are fascinating photosynthetic prokaryotes that are regarded as the ancestors of the plant chloroplast; the purveyors of oxygen and biomass for the food chain; and promising cell factories for an environmentally friendly production of chemicals. In colonizing most waters and soils of our planet, cyanobacteria are inevitably challenged by environmental stresses that generate DNA damages. Furthermore, many strains engineered for biotechnological purposes can use DNA recombination to stop synthesizing the biotechnological product. Hence, it is important to study DNA recombination and repair in cyanobacteria for both basic and applied research. This review reports what is known in a few widely studied model cyanobacteria and what can be inferred by mining the sequenced genomes of morphologically and physiologically diverse strains. We show that cyanobacteria possess many E. coli-like DNA recombination and repair genes, and possibly other genes not yet identified. E. coli-homolog genes are unevenly distributed in cyanobacteria, in agreement with their wide genome diversity. Many genes are extremely well conserved in cyanobacteria (mutMS, radA, recA, recFO, recG, recN, ruvABC, ssb, and uvrABCD), even in small genomes, suggesting that they encode the core DNA repair process. In addition to these core genes, the marine Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus strains harbor recBCD (DNA recombination), umuCD (mutational DNA replication), as well as the key SOS genes lexA (regulation of the SOS system) and sulA (postponing of cell division until completion of DNA reparation). Hence, these strains could possess an E. coli-type SOS system. In contrast, several cyanobacteria endowed with larger genomes lack typical SOS genes. For examples, the two studied Gloeobacter strains lack alkB, lexA, and sulA; and Synechococcus PCC7942 has neither lexA nor recCD. Furthermore, the Synechocystis PCC6803 lexA product does not regulate DNA repair genes. Collectively, these findings

Genetic recombination pathways and their application for genome modification of human embryonic stem cells.

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Nieminen, Mikko; Tuuri, Timo; Savilahti, Harri

2010-10-01

Human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells derived from early human embryo and retain a potential to differentiate into all adult cell types. They provide vast opportunities in cell replacement therapies and are expected to become significant tools in drug discovery as well as in the studies of cellular and developmental functions of human genes. The progress in applying different types of DNA recombination reactions for genome modification in a variety of eukaryotic cell types has provided means to utilize recombination-based strategies also in human embryonic stem cells. Homologous recombination-based methods, particularly those utilizing extended homologous regions and those employing zinc finger nucleases to boost genomic integration, have shown their usefulness in efficient genome modification. Site-specific recombination systems are potent genome modifiers, and they can be used to integrate DNA into loci that contain an appropriate recombination signal sequence, either naturally occurring or suitably pre-engineered. Non-homologous recombination can be used to generate random integrations in genomes relatively effortlessly, albeit with a moderate efficiency and precision. DNA transposition-based strategies offer substantially more efficient random strategies and provide means to generate single-copy insertions, thus potentiating the generation of genome-wide insertion libraries applicable in genetic screens. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic recombination in escherichia coli and its relationship with DNA replication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddiqui, O.

1974-01-01

Relationship of DNA replication with genetic recombination in Escherichia Coli was investigated by mating Hfr donors labelled with H 3 -thymine, C 13 and N 15 to C 13 N 15 labelled recipients. The DNA extracted from the zygotes was analysed on CsCl density gradients. The results show that all of the biparentally labelled DNA arises from the single strand insertions of the donor DNA. (M.G.B.)

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.

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.

[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.

Jeremy Rifkin challenges recombinant DNA research: A rhetoric of heresy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Futrell, W.M.

1992-01-01

One significant issue to come before the public in recent years is recombinant DNA research or genetic engineering and its applications. An important spokesman on this issue is Jeremy Rifkin. Rifkin is of rhetorical interest because of his strategies to sustain the dialogue and define the parameters in which it occurs. This dissertation analyzes a broad range of Rifkin's rhetorical artifacts and those of scientists engaged in recombinant DNA research. They are examined against criteria developed to identify and understand heresy. The five areas of analysis are: the nearness/remoteness phenomenon, the social construction of heresy, the social consequences of heresy, the doctrinal consequences of heresy, and the heresy-hunt ritual. The first two criteria focus on the rhetorical strategies of the heretic. The last three concentrate on the rhetorical strategies of the defenders of the institutional orthodoxy. This dissertation examines the rhetorical strategies of a heretical challenge to the scientific establishment and the consequences of that challenge. This dissertation also analyzes the rhetorical strategies employed by the defenders of the scientific orthodoxy. Although an understanding of the rhetorical strategies employed on both sides of this conflict is important, the implications for the role of rhetoric in highly controversial issues such as recombinant DNA are even more critical.

Recombinational DNA repair is regulated by compartmentalization of DNA lesions at the nuclear pore complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Géli, Vincent; Lisby, Michael

2015-01-01

and colleagues shows that also physiological threats to genome integrity such as DNA secondary structure-forming triplet repeat sequences relocalize to the NPC during DNA replication. Mutants that fail to reposition the triplet repeat locus to the NPC cause repeat instability. Here, we review the types of DNA...... lesions that relocalize to the NPC, the putative mechanisms of relocalization, and the types of recombinational repair that are stimulated by the NPC, and present a model for NPC-facilitated repair....

Selection of LNA-containing DNA aptamers against recombinant human CD73

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elle, Ida C; Karlsen, Kasper K; Terp, Mikkel G

2015-01-01

tested by surface plasmon resonance. Truncated variants of these aptamers and variants where the LNA nucleotides were substituted for the DNA equivalent also exhibited affinity for the recombinant CD73 in the low nanomolar range. In enzyme inhibition assays with recombinant CD73 the aptamer sequences......LNA-containing DNA aptamers against CD73 (human ecto-5'-nucleotidase), a protein frequently overexpressed in solid tumours, were isolated by SELEX. A pre-defined stem-loop library, containing LNA in the forward primer region, was enriched with CD73 binding sequences through six rounds of SELEX...... with recombinant his-tagged CD73 immobilised on anti-his plates. Enriched pools isolated from rounds one, three and six were subjected to next-generation sequencing and analysed for enrichment using custom bioinformatics software. The software identified aptamer sequences via the primers and then performed several...

Differences in mutagenic and recombinational DNA repair in enterobacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedgwick, S.G.; Goodwin, P.A.

1985-01-01

The incidence of recombinational DNA repair and inducible mutagenic DNA repair has been examined in Escherichia coli and 11 related species of enterobacteria. Recombinational repair was found to be a common feature of the DNA repair repertoire of at least 6 genera of enterobacteria. This conclusion is based on observations of (i) damage-induced synthesis of RecA-like proteins, (ii) nucleotide hybridization between E. coli recA sequences and some chromosomal DNAs, and (iii) recA-negative complementation by plasmids showing SOS-inducible expression of truncated E. coli recA genes. The mechanism of DNA damage-induced gene expression is therefore sufficiently conserved to allow non-E. coli regulatory elements to govern expression of these cloned truncated E. coli recA genes. In contrast, the process of mutagenic repair, which uses umuC+ umuD+ gene products in E. coli, appeared less widespread. Little ultraviolet light-induced mutagenesis to rifampicin resistance was detected outside the genus Escherichia, and even within the genus induced mutagenesis was detected in only 3 out of 6 species. Nucleotide hybridization showed that sequences like the E. coli umuCD+ gene are not found in these poorly mutable organisms. Evolutionary questions raised by the sporadic incidence of inducible mutagenic repair are discussed

LDsplit: screening for cis-regulatory motifs stimulating meiotic recombination hotspots by analysis of DNA sequence polymorphisms.

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Yang, Peng; Wu, Min; Guo, Jing; Kwoh, Chee Keong; Przytycka, Teresa M; Zheng, Jie

2014-02-17

As a fundamental genomic element, meiotic recombination hotspot plays important roles in life sciences. Thus uncovering its regulatory mechanisms has broad impact on biomedical research. Despite the recent identification of the zinc finger protein PRDM9 and its 13-mer binding motif as major regulators for meiotic recombination hotspots, other regulators remain to be discovered. Existing methods for finding DNA sequence motifs of recombination hotspots often rely on the enrichment of co-localizations between hotspots and short DNA patterns, which ignore the cross-individual variation of recombination rates and sequence polymorphisms in the population. Our objective in this paper is to capture signals encoded in genetic variations for the discovery of recombination-associated DNA motifs. Recently, an algorithm called "LDsplit" has been designed to detect the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and proximal meiotic recombination hotspots. The association is measured by the difference of population recombination rates at a hotspot between two alleles of a candidate SNP. Here we present an open source software tool of LDsplit, with integrative data visualization for recombination hotspots and their proximal SNPs. Applying LDsplit on SNPs inside an established 7-mer motif bound by PRDM9 we observed that SNP alleles preserving the original motif tend to have higher recombination rates than the opposite alleles that disrupt the motif. Running on SNP windows around hotspots each containing an occurrence of the 7-mer motif, LDsplit is able to guide the established motif finding algorithm of MEME to recover the 7-mer motif. In contrast, without LDsplit the 7-mer motif could not be identified. LDsplit is a software tool for the discovery of cis-regulatory DNA sequence motifs stimulating meiotic recombination hotspots by screening and narrowing down to hotspot associated SNPs. It is the first computational method that utilizes the genetic variation of

Multiple repair pathways mediate cellular tolerance to resveratrol-induced DNA damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Wu, Xiaohua; Hu, Xiaoqing; Chen, Ziyuan; Liu, Hao; Takeda, Shunichi; Qing, Yong

2017-08-01

Resveratrol (RSV) has been reported to exert health benefits for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including cancer. The anticancer mechanisms of RSV seem to be complex and may be associated with genotoxic potential. To better understand the genotoxic mechanisms, we used wild-type (WT) and a panel of isogenic DNA-repair deficient DT40 cell lines to identify the DNA damage effects and molecular mechanisms of cellular tolerance to RSV. Our results showed that RSV induced significant formation of γ-H2AX foci and chromosome aberrations (CAs) in WT cells, suggesting direct DNA damage effects. Comparing the survival of WT with isogenic DNA-repair deficient DT40 cell lines demonstrated that single strand break repair (SSBR) deficient cell lines of Parp1 -/- , base excision repair (BER) deficient cell lines of Polβ -/- , homologous recombination (HR) mutants of Brca1 -/- and Brca2 -/- and translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) mutants of Rev3 -/- and Rad18 -/- were more sensitive to RSV. The sensitivities of cells were associated with enhanced DNA damage comparing the accumulation of γ-H2AX foci and number of CAs of isogenic DNA-repair deficient DT40 cell lines with WT cells. These results clearly demonstrated that RSV-induced DNA damage in DT40 cells, and multiple repair pathways including BER, SSBR, HR and TLS, play critical roles in response to RSV- induced genotoxicity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Efficient generation of recombinant RNA viruses using targeted recombination-mediated mutagenesis of bacterial artificial chromosomes containing full-length cDNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun; Risager, Peter Christian; Fahnøe, Ulrik

2013-01-01

Background Infectious cDNA clones are a prerequisite for directed genetic manipulation of RNA viruses. Here, a strategy to facilitate manipulation and rescue of classical swine fever viruses (CSFVs) from full-length cDNAs present within bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) is described....... This strategy allows manipulation of viral cDNA by targeted recombination-mediated mutagenesis within bacteria. Results A new CSFV-BAC (pBeloR26) derived from the Riems vaccine strain has been constructed and subsequently modified in the E2 coding sequence, using the targeted recombination strategy to enable...

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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...

Cold Spring Harbor symposia on quantitative biology: Volume 49, Recombination at the DNA level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

This volume contains full papers prepared by the participants to the 1984 Cold Springs Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology. This year's theme is entitled Recombination at the DNA level. The volume consists of 93 articles grouped into subject areas entitled chromosome mechanics, yeast systems, mammalian homologous recombination, transposons, mu, plant transposons/T4 recombination, topoisomerase, resolvase and gyrase, Escherichia coli general recombination, RecA, repair, leukaryotic enzymes, integration and excision of bacteriophage, site-specific recombination, and recombination in vitro

DNA repair and recombination in higher plants: insights from comparative genomics of arabidopsis and rice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Choudhury Swarup

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The DNA repair and recombination (DRR proteins protect organisms against genetic damage, caused by environmental agents and other genotoxic agents, by removal of DNA lesions or helping to abide them. Results We identified genes potentially involved in DRR mechanisms in Arabidopsis and rice using similarity searches and conserved domain analysis against proteins known to be involved in DRR in human, yeast and E. coli. As expected, many of DRR genes are very similar to those found in other eukaryotes. Beside these eukaryotes specific genes, several prokaryotes specific genes were also found to be well conserved in plants. In Arabidopsis, several functionally important DRR gene duplications are present, which do not occur in rice. Among DRR proteins, we found that proteins belonging to the nucleotide excision repair pathway were relatively more conserved than proteins needed for the other DRR pathways. Sub-cellular localization studies of DRR gene suggests that these proteins are mostly reside in nucleus while gene drain in between nucleus and cell organelles were also found in some cases. Conclusions The similarities and dissimilarities in between plants and other organisms' DRR pathways are discussed. The observed differences broaden our knowledge about DRR in the plants world, and raises the potential question of whether differentiated functions have evolved in some cases. These results, altogether, provide a useful framework for further experimental studies in these organisms.

DNA repair and recombination in higher plants: insights from comparative genomics of Arabidopsis and rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sanjay K; Roy, Sujit; Choudhury, Swarup Roy; Sengupta, Dibyendu N

2010-07-21

The DNA repair and recombination (DRR) proteins protect organisms against genetic damage, caused by environmental agents and other genotoxic agents, by removal of DNA lesions or helping to abide them. We identified genes potentially involved in DRR mechanisms in Arabidopsis and rice using similarity searches and conserved domain analysis against proteins known to be involved in DRR in human, yeast and E. coli. As expected, many of DRR genes are very similar to those found in other eukaryotes. Beside these eukaryotes specific genes, several prokaryotes specific genes were also found to be well conserved in plants. In Arabidopsis, several functionally important DRR gene duplications are present, which do not occur in rice. Among DRR proteins, we found that proteins belonging to the nucleotide excision repair pathway were relatively more conserved than proteins needed for the other DRR pathways. Sub-cellular localization studies of DRR gene suggests that these proteins are mostly reside in nucleus while gene drain in between nucleus and cell organelles were also found in some cases. The similarities and dissimilarities in between plants and other organisms' DRR pathways are discussed. The observed differences broaden our knowledge about DRR in the plants world, and raises the potential question of whether differentiated functions have evolved in some cases. These results, altogether, provide a useful framework for further experimental studies in these organisms.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

BRIT1/MCPH1 is essential for mitotic and meiotic recombination DNA repair and maintaining genomic stability in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulong Liang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available BRIT1 protein (also known as MCPH1 contains 3 BRCT domains which are conserved in BRCA1, BRCA2, and other important molecules involved in DNA damage signaling, DNA repair, and tumor suppression. BRIT1 mutations or aberrant expression are found in primary microcephaly patients as well as in cancer patients. Recent in vitro studies suggest that BRIT1/MCPH1 functions as a novel key regulator in the DNA damage response pathways. To investigate its physiological role and dissect the underlying mechanisms, we generated BRIT1(-/- mice and identified its essential roles in mitotic and meiotic recombination DNA repair and in maintaining genomic stability. Both BRIT1(-/- mice and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs were hypersensitive to gamma-irradiation. BRIT1(-/- MEFs and T lymphocytes exhibited severe chromatid breaks and reduced RAD51 foci formation after irradiation. Notably, BRIT1(-/- mice were infertile and meiotic homologous recombination was impaired. BRIT1-deficient spermatocytes exhibited a failure of chromosomal synapsis, and meiosis was arrested at late zygotene of prophase I accompanied by apoptosis. In mutant spermatocytes, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs were formed, but localization of RAD51 or BRCA2 to meiotic chromosomes was severely impaired. In addition, we found that BRIT1 could bind to RAD51/BRCA2 complexes and that, in the absence of BRIT1, recruitment of RAD51 and BRCA2 to chromatin was reduced while their protein levels were not altered, indicating that BRIT1 is involved in mediating recruitment of RAD51/BRCA2 to the damage site. Collectively, our BRIT1-null mouse model demonstrates that BRIT1 is essential for maintaining genomic stability in vivo to protect the hosts from both programmed and irradiation-induced DNA damages, and its depletion causes a failure in both mitotic and meiotic recombination DNA repair via impairing RAD51/BRCA2's function and as a result leads to infertility and genomic instability in mice.

Meiotic recombination hotspots - a comparative view.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Kyuha; Henderson, Ian R

2015-07-01

During meiosis homologous chromosomes pair and undergo reciprocal genetic exchange, termed crossover. Meiotic recombination has a profound effect on patterns of genetic variation and is an important tool during crop breeding. Crossovers initiate from programmed DNA double-stranded breaks that are processed to form single-stranded DNA, which can invade a homologous chromosome. Strand invasion events mature into double Holliday junctions that can be resolved as crossovers. Extensive variation in the frequency of meiotic recombination occurs along chromosomes and is typically focused in narrow hotspots, observed both at the level of DNA breaks and final crossovers. We review methodologies to profile hotspots at different steps of the meiotic recombination pathway that have been used in different eukaryote species. We then discuss what these studies have revealed concerning specification of hotspot locations and activity and the contributions of both genetic and epigenetic factors. Understanding hotspots is important for interpreting patterns of genetic variation in populations and how eukaryotic genomes evolve. In addition, manipulation of hotspots will allow us to accelerate crop breeding, where meiotic recombination distributions can be limiting. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Escherichia coli ArgR mutants defective in cer/Xer recombination, but not in DNA binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Sénéchal, Hélène; Delesques, Jérémy; Szatmari, George

2010-04-01

The Escherichia coli arginine repressor (ArgR) is an L-arginine-dependent DNA-binding protein that controls the expression of the arginine biosynthetic genes and is required as an accessory factor for Xer site-specific recombination at cer and related recombination sites in plasmids. We used the technique of pentapeptide scanning mutagenesis to isolate a series of ArgR mutants that were considerably reduced in cer recombination, but were still able to repress an argA::lacZ fusion. DNA sequence analysis showed that all of the mutants mapped to the same nucleotide, resulting in a five amino acid insertion between residues 149 and 150 of ArgR, corresponding to the end of the alpha6 helix. A truncated ArgR containing a stop codon at residue 150 displayed the same phenotype as the protein with the five amino acid insertion, and both mutants displayed sequence-specific DNA-binding activity that was L-arginine dependent. These results show that the C-terminus of ArgR is more important in cer/Xer site-specific recombination than in DNA binding.

DMPD: All is not Toll: new pathways in DNA recognition. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 16446382 All is not Toll: new pathways in DNA recognition. Wagner H, Bauer S. J Exp... Med. 2006 Feb 20;203(2):265-8. Epub 2006 Jan 30. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show All is not Toll: new pathways in DNA recognition.... PubmedID 16446382 Title All is not Toll: new pathways in DNA recognition. Authors

Specific modifications of histone tails, but not DNA methylation, mirror the temporal variation of mammalian recombination hotspots.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Jia; Yi, Soojin V

2014-10-16

Recombination clusters nonuniformly across mammalian genomes at discrete genomic loci referred to as recombination hotspots. Despite their ubiquitous presence, individual hotspots rapidly lose their activities, and the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying such frequent hotspot turnovers (the so-called "recombination hotspot paradox") remain unresolved. Even though some sequence motifs are significantly associated with hotspots, multiple lines of evidence indicate that factors other than underlying sequences, such as epigenetic modifications, may affect the evolution of recombination hotspots. Thus, identifying epigenetic factors that covary with recombination at fine-scale is a promising step for this important research area. It was previously reported that recombination rates correlate with indirect measures of DNA methylation in the human genome. Here, we analyze experimentally determined DNA methylation and histone modification of human sperms, and show that the correlation between DNA methylation and recombination in long-range windows does not hold with respect to the spatial and temporal variation of recombination at hotspots. On the other hand, two histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K27me3) overlap extensively with recombination hotspots. Similar trends were observed in mice. These results indicate that specific histone modifications rather than DNA methylation are associated with the rapid evolution of recombination hotspots. Furthermore, many human recombination hotspots occupy "bivalent" chromatin regions that harbor both active (H3K4me3) and repressive (H3K27me3) marks. This may explain why human recombination hotspots tend to occur in nongenic regions, in contrast to yeast and Arabidopsis hotspots that are characterized by generally active chromatins. Our results highlight the dynamic epigenetic underpinnings of recombination hotspot evolution. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for

DNA Sequence-Mediated, Evolutionarily Rapid Redistribution of Meiotic Recombination Hotspots

Science.gov (United States)

Wahls, Wayne P.; Davidson, Mari K.

2011-01-01

Hotspots regulate the position and frequency of Spo11 (Rec12)-initiated meiotic recombination, but paradoxically they are suicidal and are somehow resurrected elsewhere in the genome. After the DNA sequence-dependent activation of hotspots was discovered in fission yeast, nearly two decades elapsed before the key realizations that (A) DNA site-dependent regulation is broadly conserved and (B) individual eukaryotes have multiple different DNA sequence motifs that activate hotspots. From our perspective, such findings provide a conceptually straightforward solution to the hotspot paradox and can explain other, seemingly complex features of meiotic recombination. We describe how a small number of single-base-pair substitutions can generate hotspots de novo and dramatically alter their distribution in the genome. This model also shows how equilibrium rate kinetics could maintain the presence of hotspots over evolutionary timescales, without strong selective pressures invoked previously, and explains why hotspots localize preferentially to intergenic regions and introns. The model is robust enough to account for all hotspots of humans and chimpanzees repositioned since their divergence from the latest common ancestor. PMID:22084420

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)

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

Successful development of recombinant DNA-derived pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, R G; Pommer, C H

1990-11-01

Successful development of recombinant DNA-derived pharmaceuticals, a new class of therapeutic agents, is determined by a variety of factors affecting the selection and positioning of the compound under development. For an efficient development it is of utmost importance that the mechanism of action of the compound selected be understood on a molecular level. The compound's potential therapeutical profile and a strong patent position are key positioning considerations, as well as vital elements in shortening the development phase and protecting innovation. Installation of an interdisciplinary project management team, along with a clear definition of team members' responsibilities, is required to avoid delays and improve communication during development. Selection of the organism to be used in production must take into consideration both the structure of the protein and the quality and safety of the final product. New technologies require a considerable investment in new manufacturing facilities and equipment. Often, the decision for such an investment must be made early and with a high degree of uncertainty. Desired product yield, expected dosage, and estimated market potential are the most important considerations in this decision. Following public disclosure of the plan to develop recombinant DNA-derived products, approval of the production plant and expansion or adaptation to the new process and technology may be delayed. For this reason, they should be considered as a critical step in the overall development phase. Recruitment of qualified staff is a time-consuming and critical element of the production process. Its impact on the product timeline should not be underestimated, especially if such technologies are new to the company. The entire production process must be validated in respect to identity, purity, and safety of the product to guarantee constant product quality, as well as for safety aspects in the environment. Adequate in-process and final product

Recombinant methods for screening human DNA excision repair proficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Athas, W.F.

1988-01-01

A method for measuring DNA excision repair in response to ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced DNA damage has been developed, validated, and field-tested in cultured human lymphocytes. The methodology is amenable to population-based screening and should facilitate future epidemiologic studies seeking to investigate associations between excision repair proficiency and cancer susceptibility. The impetus for such endeavors derives from the belief that the high incidence of skin cancer in the genetic disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) primarily is a result of the reduced capacity of patients cells to repair UV-induced DNA damage. For assay, UV-irradiated non-replicating recombinant plasmid DNA harboring a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) indicator gene is introduced into lymphocytes using DEAE-dextran short-term transfection conditions. Exposure to UV induces transcriptionally-inactivating DNA photoproducts in the plasmid DNA which inactivate CAT gene expression. Excision repair of the damaged CAT gene is monitored indirectly as a function of reactivated CAT enzyme activity following a 40 hour repair/expression incubation period

Epigenetic telomere protection by Drosophila DNA damage response pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Oikemus, Sarah R; Queiroz-Machado, Joana; Lai, KuanJu; McGinnis, Nadine; Sunkel, Claudio; Brodsky, Michael H

2006-05-01

Analysis of terminal deletion chromosomes indicates that a sequence-independent mechanism regulates protection of Drosophila telomeres. Mutations in Drosophila DNA damage response genes such as atm/tefu, mre11, or rad50 disrupt telomere protection and localization of the telomere-associated proteins HP1 and HOAP, suggesting that recognition of chromosome ends contributes to telomere protection. However, the partial telomere protection phenotype of these mutations limits the ability to test if they act in the epigenetic telomere protection mechanism. We examined the roles of the Drosophila atm and atr-atrip DNA damage response pathways and the nbs homolog in DNA damage responses and telomere protection. As in other organisms, the atm and atr-atrip pathways act in parallel to promote telomere protection. Cells lacking both pathways exhibit severe defects in telomere protection and fail to localize the protection protein HOAP to telomeres. Drosophila nbs is required for both atm- and atr-dependent DNA damage responses and acts in these pathways during DNA repair. The telomere fusion phenotype of nbs is consistent with defects in each of these activities. Cells defective in both the atm and atr pathways were used to examine if DNA damage response pathways regulate telomere protection without affecting telomere specific sequences. In these cells, chromosome fusion sites retain telomere-specific sequences, demonstrating that loss of these sequences is not responsible for loss of protection. Furthermore, terminally deleted chromosomes also fuse in these cells, directly implicating DNA damage response pathways in the epigenetic protection of telomeres. We propose that recognition of chromosome ends and recruitment of HP1 and HOAP by DNA damage response proteins is essential for the epigenetic protection of Drosophila telomeres. Given the conserved roles of DNA damage response proteins in telomere function, related mechanisms may act at the telomeres of other organisms.

Induction and repair of DNA double strand breaks: The increasing spectrum of non-homologous end joining pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mladenov, Emil; Iliakis, George

2011-01-01

A defining characteristic of damage induced in the DNA by ionizing radiation (IR) is its clustered character that leads to the formation of complex lesions challenging the cellular repair mechanisms. The most widely investigated such complex lesion is the DNA double strand break (DSB). DSBs undermine chromatin stability and challenge the repair machinery because an intact template strand is lacking to assist restoration of integrity and sequence in the DNA molecule. Therefore, cells have evolved a sophisticated machinery to detect DSBs and coordinate a response on the basis of inputs from various sources. A central function of cellular responses to DSBs is the coordination of DSB repair. Two conceptually different mechanisms can in principle remove DSBs from the genome of cells of higher eukaryotes. Homologous recombination repair (HRR) uses as template a homologous DNA molecule and is therefore error-free; it functions preferentially in the S and G2 phases. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), on the other hand, simply restores DNA integrity by joining the two ends, is error prone as sequence is only fortuitously preserved and active throughout the cell cycle. The basis of DSB repair pathway choice remains unknown, but cells of higher eukaryotes appear programmed to utilize preferentially NHEJ. Recent work suggests that when the canonical DNA-PK dependent pathway of NHEJ (D-NHEJ), becomes compromised an alternative NHEJ pathway and not HRR substitutes in a quasi-backup function (B-NHEJ). Here, we outline aspects of DSB induction by IR and review the mechanisms of their processing in cells of higher eukaryotes. We place particular emphasis on backup pathways of NHEJ and summarize their increasing significance in various cellular processes, as well as their potential contribution to carcinogenesis.

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 degradation and reduced recombination following UV irradiation during meiosis in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salts, Y.; Pinon, R.; Simchen, G.

1976-01-01

Irradiation of meiotic yeast cells with moderate doses of ultraviolet irradiation (1,600 erg/mm 2 ) leads to the arrest of premeiotic DNA synthesis, massive (5-40%) DNA degradation, and a 40-50% loss of cell viability. In contrast, such doses of UV irradiation had a minor effect on viability (15-20% loss) of logarithmically growing cells, and no comparable DNA degradation was observed in irradiated synchronized vegetative cells. Meiotic recombination is also affected by UV irradiation. When administered at a stage comparable to meiotic prophase, low doses of irradiation result in a reduction in recombination frequency without significantly affecting cell viability. (orig.) [de

Disruption of mouse RAD54 reduces ionizing radiation resistance and homologous recombination.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Essers (Jeroen); R.W. Hendriks (Rudi); S.M.A. Swagemakers (Sigrid); C. Troelstra (Christine); J. de Wit (Jan); D. Bootsma (Dirk); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); R. Kanaar (Roland)

1997-01-01

textabstractDouble-strand DNA break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination occurs through the RAD52 pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Its biological importance is underscored by the conservation of many RAD52 pathway genes, including RAD54, from fungi to humans. We have analyzed the phenotype

Yeast Srs2 Helicase Promotes Redistribution of Single-Stranded DNA-Bound RPA and Rad52 in Homologous Recombination Regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luisina De Tullio

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Srs2 is a super-family 1 helicase that promotes genome stability by dismantling toxic DNA recombination intermediates. However, the mechanisms by which Srs2 remodels or resolves recombination intermediates remain poorly understood. Here, single-molecule imaging is used to visualize Srs2 in real time as it acts on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA bound by protein factors that function in recombination. We demonstrate that Srs2 is highly processive and translocates rapidly (∼170 nt per second in the 3′→5′ direction along ssDNA saturated with replication protein A (RPA. We show that RPA is evicted from DNA during the passage of Srs2. Remarkably, Srs2 also readily removes the recombination mediator Rad52 from RPA-ssDNA and, in doing so, promotes rapid redistribution of both Rad52 and RPA. These findings have important mechanistic implications for understanding how Srs2 and related nucleic acid motor proteins resolve potentially pathogenic nucleoprotein intermediates.

An att site-based recombination reporter system for genome engineering and synthetic DNA assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Bland, Michael J; Ducos-Galand, Magaly; Val, Marie-Eve; Mazel, Didier

2017-07-14

Direct manipulation of the genome is a widespread technique for genetic studies and synthetic biology applications. The tyrosine and serine site-specific recombination systems of bacteriophages HK022 and ΦC31 are widely used for stable directional exchange and relocation of DNA sequences, making them valuable tools in these contexts. We have developed site-specific recombination tools that allow the direct selection of recombination events by embedding the attB site from each system within the β-lactamase resistance coding sequence (bla). The HK and ΦC31 tools were developed by placing the attB sites from each system into the signal peptide cleavage site coding sequence of bla. All possible open reading frames (ORFs) were inserted and tested for recombination efficiency and bla activity. Efficient recombination was observed for all tested ORFs (3 for HK, 6 for ΦC31) as shown through a cointegrate formation assay. The bla gene with the embedded attB site was functional for eight of the nine constructs tested. The HK/ΦC31 att-bla system offers a simple way to directly select recombination events, thus enhancing the use of site-specific recombination systems for carrying out precise, large-scale DNA manipulation, and adding useful tools to the genetics toolbox. We further show the power and flexibility of bla to be used as a reporter for recombination.

Failure to induce a DNA repair gene, RAD54, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not affect DNA repair or recombination phenotypes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cole, G.M.; Mortimer, R.K.

1989-01-01

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD54 gene is transcriptionally regulated by a broad spectrum of DNA-damaging agents. Induction of RAD54 by DNA-damaging agents is under positive control. Sequences responsible for DNA damage induction (the DRS element) lie within a 29-base-pair region from -99 to -70 from the most proximal transcription start site. This inducible promoter element is functionally separable from a poly(dA-dT) region immediately downstream which is required for constitutive expression. Deletions which eliminate induction of RAD54 transcription by DNA damage but do not affect constitutive expression have no effect on growth or survival of noninducible strains relative to wild-type strains in the presence of DNA-damaging agents. The DRS element is also not required for homothallic mating type switching, transcriptional induction of RAD54 during meiosis, meiotic recombination, or spontaneous or X-ray-induced mitotic recombination. We find no phenotype for a lack of induction of RAD54 message via the damage-inducible DRS, which raises significant questions about the physiology of DNA damage induction in S. cerevisiae

Breaks in the 45S rDNA Lead to Recombination-Mediated Loss of Repeats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Warmerdam, Daniel O.; van den Berg, Jeroen; Medema, Rene H.

2016-01-01

rDNA repeats constitute the most heavily transcribed region in the human genome. Tumors frequently display elevated levels of recombination in rDNA, indicating that the repeats are a liability to the genomic integrity of a cell. However, little is known about how cells deal with DNA double-stranded

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.

Recombination at DNA replication fork barriers is not universal and is differentially regulated by Swi1.

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Pryce, David W; Ramayah, Soshila; Jaendling, Alessa; McFarlane, Ramsay J

2009-03-24

DNA replication stress has been implicated in the etiology of genetic diseases, including cancers. It has been proposed that genomic sites that inhibit or slow DNA replication fork progression possess recombination hotspot activity and can form potential fragile sites. Here we used the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to demonstrate that hotspot activity is not a universal feature of replication fork barriers (RFBs), and we propose that most sites within the genome that form RFBs do not have recombination hotspot activity under nonstressed conditions. We further demonstrate that Swi1, the TIMELESS homologue, differentially controls the recombination potential of RFBs, switching between being a suppressor and an activator of recombination in a site-specific fashion.

Molecular requirements for radiation-activated recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, Craig W.; Zeng Ming; Stamato, Thomas; Cerniglia, George

1997-01-01

% of treated cells) into cellular DNA. The mechanism of radiation enhanced stable gene transfer requires effector proteins to accomplish the recombination. The Ku proteins, which are required for V(D)J recombination, account for at least 90% of radiation induced recombination. There is also an absolute requirement for the Ataxia Telangiectasia gene (ATM) for any radiation induced recombination to occur, although the transfection efficiency in unirradiated cells is unaffected by ATM. Removal of p53 by transfection of E6 (Human Papilloma Virus) significantly inhibits radiation activated recombination, and this is confirmed in nuclear extract recombination assays. Conclusions: Ionizing radiation activates a recombination pathway which may be useful in gene therapy. The molecular mechanism of radiation activated recombination requires a number of DNA-damage-repair proteins

Rev1 Recruits Ung to Switch Regions and Enhances dU Glycosylation for Immunoglobulin Class Switch DNA Recombination

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Hong Zan

2012-11-01

Full Text Available By diversifying the biological effector functions of antibodies, class switch DNA recombination (CSR plays a critical role in the maturation of the immune response. It is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID-mediated deoxycytosine deamination, yielding deoxyuridine (dU, and dU glycosylation by uracil DNA glycosylase (Ung in antibody switch (S region DNA. Here we showed that the translesion DNA synthesis polymerase Rev1 directly interacted with Ung and targeted in an AID-dependent and Ung-independent fashion the S regions undergoing CSR. Rev1−/− Ung+/+ B cells reduced Ung recruitment to S regions, DNA-dU glycosylation, and CSR. Together with an S region spectrum of mutations similar to that of Rev1+/+ Ung−/− B cells, this suggests that Rev1 operates in the same pathway as Ung, as emphasized by further decreased CSR in Rev1−/− Msh2−/− B cells. Rescue of CSR in Rev1−/− B cells by a catalytically inactive Rev1 mutant shows that the important role of Rev1 in CSR is mediated by Rev1’s scaffolding function, not its enzymatic function.

Room temperature electrocompetent bacterial cells improve DNA transformation and recombineering efficiency.

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Tu, Qiang; Yin, Jia; Fu, Jun; Herrmann, Jennifer; Li, Yuezhong; Yin, Yulong; Stewart, A Francis; Müller, Rolf; Zhang, Youming

2016-04-20

Bacterial competent cells are essential for cloning, construction of DNA libraries, and mutagenesis in every molecular biology laboratory. Among various transformation methods, electroporation is found to own the best transformation efficiency. Previous electroporation methods are based on washing and electroporating the bacterial cells in ice-cold condition that make them fragile and prone to death. Here we present simple temperature shift based methods that improve DNA transformation and recombineering efficiency in E. coli and several other gram-negative bacteria thereby economizing time and cost. Increased transformation efficiency of large DNA molecules is a significant advantage that might facilitate the cloning of large fragments from genomic DNA preparations and metagenomics samples.

Yeast Srs2 Helicase Promotes Redistribution of Single-Stranded DNA-Bound RPA and Rad52 in Homologous Recombination Regulation.

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De Tullio, Luisina; Kaniecki, Kyle; Kwon, Youngho; Crickard, J Brooks; Sung, Patrick; Greene, Eric C

2017-10-17

Srs2 is a super-family 1 helicase that promotes genome stability by dismantling toxic DNA recombination intermediates. However, the mechanisms by which Srs2 remodels or resolves recombination intermediates remain poorly understood. Here, single-molecule imaging is used to visualize Srs2 in real time as it acts on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) bound by protein factors that function in recombination. We demonstrate that Srs2 is highly processive and translocates rapidly (∼170 nt per second) in the 3'→5' direction along ssDNA saturated with replication protein A (RPA). We show that RPA is evicted from DNA during the passage of Srs2. Remarkably, Srs2 also readily removes the recombination mediator Rad52 from RPA-ssDNA and, in doing so, promotes rapid redistribution of both Rad52 and RPA. These findings have important mechanistic implications for understanding how Srs2 and related nucleic acid motor proteins resolve potentially pathogenic nucleoprotein intermediates. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Formation of (DNA)2-LNA triplet with recombinant base recognition: A quantum mechanical study

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Mall, Vijaya Shri; Tiwari, Rakesh Kumar

2018-05-01

The formation of DNA triple helix offers the verity of new possibilities in molecular biology. However its applications are limited to purine and pyrimidine rich sequences recognized by forming Hoogsteen/Reverse Hoogsteen triplets in major groove sites of DNA duplex. To overcome this drawback modification in bases backbone and glucose of nucleotide unit of DNA have been proposed so that the third strand base recognized by both the bases of DNA duplex by forming Recombinant type(R-type) of bonding in mixed sequences. Here we performed Quanrum Mechanical (Hartree-Fock and DFT) methodology on natural DNA and Locked Nucleic Acids(LNA) triplets using 6-31G and some other new advance basis sets. Study suggests energetically stable conformation has been observed for recombinant triplets in order of G-C*G > A-T*A > G-C*C > T-A*T for both type of triplets. Interestingly LNA leads to more stable conformation in all set of triplets, clearly suggests an important biological tool to overcome above mentioned drawbacks.

Mechanisms and Regulation of Mitotic Recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Science.gov (United States)

Symington, Lorraine S.; Rothstein, Rodney; Lisby, Michael

2014-01-01

Homology-dependent exchange of genetic information between DNA molecules has a profound impact on the maintenance of genome integrity by facilitating error-free DNA repair, replication, and chromosome segregation during cell division as well as programmed cell developmental events. This chapter will focus on homologous mitotic recombination in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, there is an important link between mitotic and meiotic recombination (covered in the forthcoming chapter by Hunter et al. 2015) and many of the functions are evolutionarily conserved. Here we will discuss several models that have been proposed to explain the mechanism of mitotic recombination, the genes and proteins involved in various pathways, the genetic and physical assays used to discover and study these genes, and the roles of many of these proteins inside the cell. PMID:25381364

Recombinant protein expression in Pichia pastoris strains with an engineered methanol utilization pathway

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Βackground The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has become an important host organism for recombinant protein production and is able to use methanol as a sole carbon source. The methanol utilization pathway describes all the catalytic reactions, which happen during methanol metabolism. Despite the importance of certain key enzymes in this pathway, so far very little is known about possible effects of overexpressing either of these key enzymes on the overall energetic behavior, the productivity and the substrate uptake rate in P. pastoris strains. Results A fast and easy-to-do approach based on batch cultivations with methanol pulses was used to characterize different P. pastoris strains. A strain with MutS phenotype was found to be superior over a strain with Mut+ phenotype in both the volumetric productivity and the efficiency in expressing recombinant horseradish peroxidase C1A. Consequently, either of the enzymes dihydroxyacetone synthase, transketolase or formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which play key roles in the methanol utilization pathway, was co-overexpressed in MutS strains harboring either of the reporter enzymes horseradish peroxidase or Candida antarctica lipase B. Although the co-overexpression of these enzymes did not change the stoichiometric yields of the recombinant MutS strains, significant changes in the specific growth rate, the specific substrate uptake rate and the specific productivity were observed. Co-overexpression of dihydroxyacetone synthase yielded a 2- to 3-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate methanol into product, but also resulted in a reduced volumetric productivity. Co-overexpression of formaldehyde dehydrogenase resulted in a 2-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate into product and at least similar volumetric productivities compared to strains without an engineered methanol utilization pathway, and thus turned out to be a valuable strategy to improve recombinant protein production. Conclusions Co

Recombinant protein expression in Pichia pastoris strains with an engineered methanol utilization pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krainer Florian W

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Βackground The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has become an important host organism for recombinant protein production and is able to use methanol as a sole carbon source. The methanol utilization pathway describes all the catalytic reactions, which happen during methanol metabolism. Despite the importance of certain key enzymes in this pathway, so far very little is known about possible effects of overexpressing either of these key enzymes on the overall energetic behavior, the productivity and the substrate uptake rate in P. pastoris strains. Results A fast and easy-to-do approach based on batch cultivations with methanol pulses was used to characterize different P. pastoris strains. A strain with MutS phenotype was found to be superior over a strain with Mut+ phenotype in both the volumetric productivity and the efficiency in expressing recombinant horseradish peroxidase C1A. Consequently, either of the enzymes dihydroxyacetone synthase, transketolase or formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which play key roles in the methanol utilization pathway, was co-overexpressed in MutS strains harboring either of the reporter enzymes horseradish peroxidase or Candida antarctica lipase B. Although the co-overexpression of these enzymes did not change the stoichiometric yields of the recombinant MutS strains, significant changes in the specific growth rate, the specific substrate uptake rate and the specific productivity were observed. Co-overexpression of dihydroxyacetone synthase yielded a 2- to 3-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate methanol into product, but also resulted in a reduced volumetric productivity. Co-overexpression of formaldehyde dehydrogenase resulted in a 2-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate into product and at least similar volumetric productivities compared to strains without an engineered methanol utilization pathway, and thus turned out to be a valuable strategy to improve recombinant protein

Distinct DNA-binding surfaces in the ATPase and linker domains of MutLγ determine its substrate specificities and exert separable functions in meiotic recombination and mismatch repair.

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Corentin Claeys Bouuaert

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Mlh1-Mlh3 (MutLγ is a mismatch repair factor with a central role in formation of meiotic crossovers, presumably through resolution of double Holliday junctions. MutLγ has DNA-binding, nuclease, and ATPase activities, but how these relate to one another and to in vivo functions are unclear. Here, we combine biochemical and genetic analyses to characterize Saccharomyces cerevisiae MutLγ. Limited proteolysis and atomic force microscopy showed that purified recombinant MutLγ undergoes ATP-driven conformational changes. In vitro, MutLγ displayed separable DNA-binding activities toward Holliday junctions (HJ and, surprisingly, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA, which was not predicted from current models. MutLγ bound DNA cooperatively, could bind multiple substrates simultaneously, and formed higher-order complexes. FeBABE hydroxyl radical footprinting indicated that the DNA-binding interfaces of MutLγ for ssDNA and HJ substrates only partially overlap. Most contacts with HJ substrates were located in the linker regions of MutLγ, whereas ssDNA contacts mapped within linker regions as well as the N-terminal ATPase domains. Using yeast genetic assays for mismatch repair and meiotic recombination, we found that mutations within different DNA-binding surfaces exert separable effects in vivo. For example, mutations within the Mlh1 linker conferred little or no meiotic phenotype but led to mismatch repair deficiency. Interestingly, mutations in the N-terminal domain of Mlh1 caused a stronger meiotic defect than mlh1Δ, suggesting that the mutant proteins retain an activity that interferes with alternative recombination pathways. Furthermore, mlh3Δ caused more chromosome missegregation than mlh1Δ, whereas mlh1Δ but not mlh3Δ partially alleviated meiotic defects of msh5Δ mutants. These findings illustrate functional differences between Mlh1 and Mlh3 during meiosis and suggest that their absence impinges on chromosome segregation not only via reduced

Involvement of the yeast DNA polymerase delta in DNA repair in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giot, L. [State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY. (United States); Chanet, R.; Simon, M.; Facca, C.; Faye, G.

1997-08-15

The POL3 encoded catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase delta possesses a highly conserved C-terminal cysteine-rich domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mutations in some of its cysteine codons display a lethal phenotype, which demonstrates an essential function of this domain. The thermosensitive mutant pol3-13, in which a serine replaces a cysteine of this domain, exhibits a range of defects in DNA repair, such as hypersensitivity to different DNA-damaging agents and deficiency for induced mutagenesis and for recombination. These phenotypes are observed at 24 degrees, a temperature at which DNA replication is almost normal; this differentiates the functions of POL3 in DNA repair and DNA replication. Since spontaneous mutagenesis and spontaneous recombination are efficient in pol3-13, we propose that POL3 plays an important role in DNA repair after irradiation, particularly in the error-prone and recombinational pathways. Extragenic suppressors of pol3-13 are allelic to sdp5-1, previously identified as an extragenic suppressor of pol3-11. SDP5, which is identical to HYS2, encodes a protein homologous to the p50 subunit of bovine and human DNA polymerase delta. SDP5 is most probably the p55 subunit of Pol delta of S. cerevisiae and seems to be associated with the catalytic subunit for both DNA replication and DNA repair. (author)

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.

Activation of DNA damage repair pathways by murine polyomavirus

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Heiser, Katie; Nicholas, Catherine; Garcea, Robert L., E-mail: Robert.Garcea@Colorado.edu

2016-10-15

Nuclear replication of DNA viruses activates DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways, which are thought to detect and inhibit viral replication. However, many DNA viruses also depend on these pathways in order to optimally replicate their genomes. We investigated the relationship between murine polyomavirus (MuPyV) and components of DDR signaling pathways including CHK1, CHK2, H2AX, ATR, and DNAPK. We found that recruitment and retention of DDR proteins at viral replication centers was independent of H2AX, as well as the viral small and middle T-antigens. Additionally, infectious virus production required ATR kinase activity, but was independent of CHK1, CHK2, or DNAPK signaling. ATR inhibition did not reduce the total amount of viral DNA accumulated, but affected the amount of virus produced, indicating a defect in virus assembly. These results suggest that MuPyV may utilize a subset of DDR proteins or non-canonical DDR signaling pathways in order to efficiently replicate and assemble. -- Highlights: •Murine polyomavirus activates and recruits DNA damage repair (DDR) proteins to replication centers. •Large T-antigen mediates recruitment of DDR proteins to viral replication centers. •Inhibition or knockout of CHK1, CHK2, DNA-PK or H2AX do not affect viral titers. •Inhibition of ATR activity reduces viral titers, but not viral DNA accumulation.

Characterization of DNA binding, transcriptional activation, and regulated nuclear association of recombinant human NFATp

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Seto Anita G

2000-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background NFATp is one member of a family of transcriptional activators whose nuclear accumulation and hence transcriptional activity is regulated in mammalian cells. Human NFATp exists as a phosphoprotein in the cytoplasm of naive T cells. Upon antigen stimulation, NFATp is dephosphorylated, accumulates in nuclei, and functions to regulate transcription of genes including those encoding cytokines. While the properties of the DNA binding domain of NFATp have been investigated in detail, biochemical studies of the transcriptional activation and regulated association with nuclei have remained unexplored because of a lack of full length, purified recombinant NFATp. Results We developed methods for expressing and purifying full length recombinant human NFATp that has all of the properties known to be associated with native NFATp. The recombinant NFATp binds DNA on its own and cooperatively with AP-1 proteins, activates transcription in vitro, is phosphorylated, can be dephosphorylated by calcineurin, and exhibits regulated association with nuclei in vitro. Importantly, activation by recombinant NFATp in a reconstituted transcription system required regions of the protein outside of the central DNA binding domain. Conclusions We conclude that NFATp is a bona fide transcriptional activator. Moreover, the reagents and methods that we developed will facilitate future studies on the mechanisms of transcriptional activation and nuclear accumulation by NFATp, a member of an important family of transcriptional regulatory proteins.

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...

Components of a Fanconi-like pathway control Pso2-independent DNA interstrand crosslink repair in yeast.

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Thomas A Ward

Full Text Available Fanconi anemia (FA is a devastating genetic disease, associated with genomic instability and defects in DNA interstrand cross-link (ICL repair. The FA repair pathway is not thought to be conserved in budding yeast, and although the yeast Mph1 helicase is a putative homolog of human FANCM, yeast cells disrupted for MPH1 are not sensitive to ICLs. Here, we reveal a key role for Mph1 in ICL repair when the Pso2 exonuclease is inactivated. We find that the yeast FANCM ortholog Mph1 physically and functionally interacts with Mgm101, a protein previously implicated in mitochondrial DNA repair, and the MutSα mismatch repair factor (Msh2-Msh6. Co-disruption of MPH1, MGM101, MSH6, or MSH2 with PSO2 produces a lesion-specific increase in ICL sensitivity, the elevation of ICL-induced chromosomal rearrangements, and persistence of ICL-associated DNA double-strand breaks. We find that Mph1-Mgm101-MutSα directs the ICL-induced recruitment of Exo1 to chromatin, and we propose that Exo1 is an alternative 5'-3' exonuclease utilised for ICL repair in the absence of Pso2. Moreover, ICL-induced Rad51 chromatin loading is delayed when both Pso2 and components of the Mph1-Mgm101-MutSα and Exo1 pathway are inactivated, demonstrating that the homologous recombination stages of ICL repair are inhibited. Finally, the FANCJ- and FANCP-related factors Chl1 and Slx4, respectively, are also components of the genetic pathway controlled by Mph1-Mgm101-MutSα. Together this suggests that a prototypical FA-related ICL repair pathway operates in budding yeast, which acts redundantly with the pathway controlled by Pso2, and is required for the targeting of Exo1 to chromatin to execute ICL repair.

Mixed infection of Sida jamaicensis in Jamaica reveals the presence of three recombinant begomovirus DNA A components.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Cheryl; Kon, Tatsuya; Rojas, Maria; Graham, André; Martin, Darren; Gilbertson, Robert; Roye, Marcia

2014-09-01

Begomoviruses impose serious constraints on agriculture throughout the temperate, tropical and subtropical regions. Previously, we characterised a sida golden yellow vein virus isolate, SiGYVV-[JM:Lig2:08] (HQ009519-20) from a symptomatic Sida jamaicensis plant. With the aim of establishing whether it was hosting a mixed infection that could facilitate recombination, PCR-RFLP was done on DNA extracted from this plant, and the results suggested the presence of two additional genetically distinct DNA-A molecules. Sequence analysis of these two DNA-A molecules (relying on BLAST searches and the CLUSTAL V algorithm within the DNASTAR MegAlign module) revealed that they belonged to novel species, and we have tentatively named these viruses sida golden mosaic Braco virus-[Jamaica:Liguanea:2008] and sida golden mosaic Liguanea virus-[Jamaica:1:2008]. Using RDP4 (recombination detection program), we determined that all three viruses were recombinant, with bases ~10 to ~440 of both SiGMLigV-[JM:Lig:08] and SiGYVV-[JM:Lig2:08] having been derived from a relative of SiGMBV-[JM:Lig:08] (P<2.070×10(-7) for all seven of the recombination detection methods). SiGMBV-[JM:Lig:08] was itself a product of recombination, deriving bases ~490-1195 from a virus that was ~92% similar to malvastrum yellow mosaic Helshire virus. Phylogenetically, these DNA-A components are most closely related to those of malvaceous weed-infecting begomoviruses from Jamaica, Cuba, Florida and Mexico. The SiGMBV DNA-A was able to elicit symptomatic infection in N. benthamiana.

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

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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.

Recombinational DSBs-intersected genes converge on specific disease- and adaptability-related pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhi-Kai; Luo, Hao; Zhang, Yanming; Wang, Baijing; Gao, Feng

2018-05-03

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model species powerful for studying the recombination of eukaryotes. Although many recombination studies have been performed for this species by experimental methods, the population genomic study based on bioinformatics analyses is urgently needed to greatly increase the range and accuracy of recombination detection. Here, we carry out the population genomic analysis of recombination in S. cerevisiae to reveal the potential rules between recombination and evolution in eukaryotes. By population genomic analysis, we discover significantly more and longer recombination events in clinical strains, which indicates that adverse environmental conditions create an obviously wider range of genetic combination in response to the selective pressure. Based on the analysis of recombinational DSBs-intersected genes (RDIGs), we find that RDIGs significantly converge on specific disease- and adaptability-related pathways, indicating that recombination plays a biologically key role in the repair of DSBs related to diseases and environmental adaptability, especially the human neurological disorders (NDs). By evolutionary analysis of RDIGs, we find that the RDIGs highly prevailing in populations of yeast tend to be more evolutionarily conserved, indicating the accurate repair of DSBs in these RDIGs is critical to ensure the eukaryotic survival or fitness. fgao@tju.edu.cn. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Are High School Students Ready for Recombinant DNA?: The UOP Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Minch, Michael J.

1989-01-01

Discusses a three-week summer college honors course for talented high school juniors with three exams, lab six days a week, a research paper, field trips, and student panel discussions. Presents an overview of the course. Describes the lab which uses "E. coli" for DNA recombination. (MVL)

Genetic dependence of recombination in recD mutants of Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovett, S.T.; Luisi-DeLuca, C.; Kolodner, R.D.

1988-01-01

RecBCD enzyme has multiple activities including helicase, exonuclease and endonuclease activities. Mutations in the genes recB or recC, encoding two subunits of the enzyme, reduce the frequency of many types of recombinational events. Mutations in recD, encoding the third subunit, do not reduce recombination even though most of the activities of the RecBCD enzyme are severely reduced. In this study, the genetic dependence of different types of recombination in recD mutants has been investigated. The effects of mutations in genes in the RecBCD pathway (recA and recC) as well as the genes specific for the RecF pathway (recF, recJ, recN, recO, recQ, ruv and lexA) were tested on conjugational, transductional and plasmid recombination, and on UV survival. recD mutants were hyper-recombinogenic for all the monitored recombination events, especially those involving plasmids, and all recombination events in recD strains required recA and recC. In addition, unlike recD+ strains, chromosomal recombination events and the repair of UV damage to DNA in recD strains were dependent on one RecF pathway gene, recJ. Only a subset of the tested recombination events were affected by ruv, recN, recQ, recO and lexA mutations

DNA Repair Mechanisms and the Bypass of DNA Damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Science.gov (United States)

Boiteux, Serge; Jinks-Robertson, Sue

2013-01-01

DNA repair mechanisms are critical for maintaining the integrity of genomic DNA, and their loss is associated with cancer predisposition syndromes. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have played a central role in elucidating the highly conserved mechanisms that promote eukaryotic genome stability. This review will focus on repair mechanisms that involve excision of a single strand from duplex DNA with the intact, complementary strand serving as a template to fill the resulting gap. These mechanisms are of two general types: those that remove damage from DNA and those that repair errors made during DNA synthesis. The major DNA-damage repair pathways are base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair, which, in the most simple terms, are distinguished by the extent of single-strand DNA removed together with the lesion. Mistakes made by DNA polymerases are corrected by the mismatch repair pathway, which also corrects mismatches generated when single strands of non-identical duplexes are exchanged during homologous recombination. In addition to the true repair pathways, the postreplication repair pathway allows lesions or structural aberrations that block replicative DNA polymerases to be tolerated. There are two bypass mechanisms: an error-free mechanism that involves a switch to an undamaged template for synthesis past the lesion and an error-prone mechanism that utilizes specialized translesion synthesis DNA polymerases to directly synthesize DNA across the lesion. A high level of functional redundancy exists among the pathways that deal with lesions, which minimizes the detrimental effects of endogenous and exogenous DNA damage. PMID:23547164

Quantification and Sequencing of Crossover Recombinant Molecules from Arabidopsis Pollen DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Kyuha; Yelina, Nataliya E; Serra, Heïdi; Henderson, Ian R

2017-01-01

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo recombination, which can result in formation of reciprocal crossover molecules. Crossover frequency is highly variable across the genome, typically occurring in narrow hotspots, which has a significant effect on patterns of genetic diversity. Here we describe methods to measure crossover frequency in plants at the hotspot scale (bp-kb), using allele-specific PCR amplification from genomic DNA extracted from the pollen of F 1 heterozygous plants. We describe (1) titration methods that allow amplification, quantification and sequencing of single crossover molecules, (2) quantitative PCR methods to more rapidly measure crossover frequency, and (3) application of high-throughput sequencing for study of crossover distributions within hotspots. We provide detailed descriptions of key steps including pollen DNA extraction, prior identification of hotspot locations, allele-specific oligonucleotide design, and sequence analysis approaches. Together, these methods allow the rate and recombination topology of plant hotspots to be robustly measured and compared between varied genetic backgrounds and environmental conditions.

Effect of mutagens, chemotherapeutic agents and defects in DNA repair genes on recombination in F' partial diploid Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norin, A.J.; Goldschmidt, E.P.

1979-01-01

The ability of mutagenic agents, nonmutagenic substances and defects in DNA repair to alter the genotype of F' partial diploid (F30) Escherichia coli was determined. The frequency of auxotrophic mutants and histidine requiring (His - ) haploid colonies was increased by mutagen treatment but Hfr colonies were not detected in F30 E. coli even with specific selection techniques. Genotype changes due to nonreciprocal recombination were determined by measuring the frequency of His - homogenotes, eg. F' hisC780, hisI + /hisC780, hisI + , arising from a His + heterogenote, F' hisC780 hisI + /hisC + , his1903. At least 75% of the recombinants were homozygous for histidine alleles which were present on the F' plasmid (exogenote) of the parental hetergenote rather than for histidine alleles on the chromosome. Mutagens, chemotherapeutic agents which block DNA synthesis and a defective DNA polymerase I gene, polA1, were found to increase the frequency of nonreciprocal recombination. A defect in the ability to excise thymine dimers, uvrC34, did not increase spontaneous nonreciprocal recombination. However, UV irradiation but not methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) induced greater recombination in this excision-repair defective mutant than in DNA-repair-proficient strains. (Auth.)

The participation of the Fanconi anemia pathway in the replication of UV-damage DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Federico, M.B.; Vallerga, M.B.; Mansilla, S.F.; Speroni, J.; Habif, M.; D'Alessio, C.; Gottifredi, V.

2011-01-01

When cells are challenged with genotoxic agents, replicating cells must use damaged DNA as templates. In this way, active replication forks do not collapse and cell viability is protected. After UV irradiation a specialized DNA polymerase pol eta uses UV damaged DNA as template. Intriguingly, Pol eta lost in human cells does not steeply increase UV sensitivity. This suggests that compensatory mechanisms promote cell survival when pol eta is absent. We have found an increase and sustained FANCD2 ubiquitination and focal formation after UV irradiation when pol eta is lost. FANCD2 is a key marker of the activation of the FANCONI ANEMIA (FA) pathway. While there is limited information regarding a role of the FA pathway after UV irradiation, it is well established that FANCD2 ubiquitination is linked to the recruitment of homologous recombination (HR) specific markers to other lesions. We therefore thought that cell viability in the absence of pol eta might result from the activation of FANDC2-dependent HR at collapsed replication forks. We are currently analyzing markers of damage such as γH2AX phosphorylation, markers of HR such as Rad51, markers of double strand breaks accumulation such as 53BP1 and setting up viability assays. This information might allow us to predict if FANCD2 can trigger HR after UV and if this contributes to cell viability when pol eta is absent. (authors)

The PCNA interaction protein box sequence in Rad54 is an integral part of its ATPase domain and is required for efficient DNA repair and recombination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burgess, Rebecca C; Sebesta, Marek; Sisakova, Alexandra

2013-01-01

Rad54 is an ATP-driven translocase involved in the genome maintenance pathway of homologous recombination (HR). Although its activity has been implicated in several steps of HR, its exact role(s) at each step are still not fully understood. We have identified a new interaction between Rad54...... and the replicative DNA clamp, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). This interaction was only mildly weakened by the mutation of two key hydrophobic residues in the highly-conserved PCNA interaction motif (PIP-box) of Rad54 (Rad54-AA). Intriguingly, the rad54-AA mutant cells displayed sensitivity to DNA damage...

Detection of circular telomeric DNA without 2D gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dlaska, Margit; Anderl, Conrad; Eisterer, Wolfgang; Bechter, Oliver E

2008-09-01

The end of linear chromosomes forms a lasso-like structure called the t-loop. Such t-loops resemble a DNA recombination intermediate, where the single-stranded 3' overhang is arrested in a stretch of duplex DNA. Presumably, such a t-loop can also be deleted via a recombination process. This would result in the occurrence of circular extrachromosomal telomeric DNA (t-circles), which are known to be abundantly present in immortal cells engaging the recombination-based alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway (ALT pathway). Little is known about the basic mechanism of telomeric recombination in these cells and what ultimately causes the generation of such t-circles. Current standard procedures for detecting these molecules involve 2D gel electrophoresis or electron microscopy. However, both methods are labor intense and sophisticated to perform. Here, we present a simpler, faster, and equally sensitive method for detecting t-circles. Our approach is a telomere restriction fragment assay that involves the enzymatic preservation of circular DNA with Klenow enzyme followed by Bal31 degradation of the remaining linear DNA molecules. We show that with this approach t-circles can be detected in ALT cell lines, whereas no t-circles are present in telomerase-positive cell lines. We consider our approach a valid method in which t-circle generation is the experimental readout.

The "Frankenplasmid" Lab: An Investigative Exercise for Teaching Recombinant DNA Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Derek M.; Wilder, Jason A.

2011-01-01

We describe an investigative laboratory module designed to give college undergraduates strong practical and theoretical experience with recombinant DNA methods within 3 weeks. After deducing restriction enzyme maps for two different plasmids, students ligate the plasmids together in the same reaction, transform "E. coli" with this mixture of…

DNA damage response pathway in radioadaptive response.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Masao S; Ejima, Yosuke; Tachibana, Akira; Yamada, Toshiko; Ishizaki, Kanji; Shimizu, Takashi; Nomura, Taisei

2002-07-25

Radioadaptive response is a biological defense mechanism in which low-dose ionizing irradiation elicits cellular resistance to the genotoxic effects of subsequent irradiation. However, its molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. We previously demonstrated that the dose recognition and adaptive response could be mediated by a feedback signaling pathway involving protein kinase C (PKC), p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and phospholipase C (PLC). Further, to elucidate the downstream effector pathway, we studied the X-ray-induced adaptive response in cultured mouse and human cells with different genetic background relevant to the DNA damage response pathway, such as deficiencies in TP53, DNA-PKcs, ATM and FANCA genes. The results showed that p53 protein played a key role in the adaptive response while DNA-PKcs, ATM and FANCA were not responsible. Wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), mimicked the priming irradiation in that the inhibitor alone rendered the cells resistant against the induction of chromosome aberrations and apoptosis by the subsequent X-ray irradiation. The adaptive response, whether it was afforded by low-dose X-rays or wortmannin, occurred in parallel with the reduction of apoptotic cell death by challenging doses. The inhibitor of p38MAPK which blocks the adaptive response did not suppress apoptosis. These observations indicate that the adaptive response and apoptotic cell death constitute a complementary defense system via life-or-death decisions. The p53 has a pivotal role in channeling the radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into an adaptive legitimate repair pathway, where the signals are integrated into p53 by a circuitous PKC-p38MAPK-PLC damage sensing pathway, and hence turning off the signals to an alternative pathway to illegitimate repair and apoptosis. A possible molecular mechanism of adaptive response to low-dose ionizing irradiation has been discussed in relation to

The 3'-to-5' exonuclease activity of vaccinia virus DNA polymerase is essential and plays a role in promoting virus genetic recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Gammon, Don B; Evans, David H

2009-05-01

Poxviruses are subjected to extraordinarily high levels of genetic recombination during infection, although the enzymes catalyzing these reactions have never been identified. However, it is clear that virus-encoded DNA polymerases play some unknown yet critical role in virus recombination. Using a novel, antiviral-drug-based strategy to dissect recombination and replication reactions, we now show that the 3'-to-5' proofreading exonuclease activity of the viral DNA polymerase plays a key role in promoting recombination reactions. Linear DNA substrates were prepared containing the dCMP analog cidofovir (CDV) incorporated into the 3' ends of the molecules. The drug blocked the formation of concatemeric recombinant molecules in vitro in a process that was catalyzed by the proofreading activity of vaccinia virus DNA polymerase. Recombinant formation was also blocked when CDV-containing recombination substrates were transfected into cells infected with wild-type vaccinia virus. These inhibitory effects could be overcome if CDV-containing substrates were transfected into cells infected with CDV-resistant (CDV(r)) viruses, but only when resistance was linked to an A314T substitution mutation mapping within the 3'-to-5' exonuclease domain of the viral polymerase. Viruses encoding a CDV(r) mutation in the polymerase domain still exhibited a CDV-induced recombination deficiency. The A314T substitution also enhanced the enzyme's capacity to excise CDV molecules from the 3' ends of duplex DNA and to recombine these DNAs in vitro, as judged from experiments using purified mutant DNA polymerase. The 3'-to-5' exonuclease activity appears to be an essential virus function, and our results suggest that this might be because poxviruses use it to promote genetic exchange.

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

KAUST Repository

Blomme, Jonas; Van Aken, Olivier; Van Leene, Jelle; Jé gu, Teddy; De Rycke, Riet Maria; De Bruyne, Michiel; Vercruysse, Jasmien; Nolf, Jonah; Van Daele, Twiggy; De Milde, Liesbeth; Vermeersch, Mattias; Colas des Francs-Small, Catherine; De Jaeger, Geert; Benhamed, Moussa; Millar, A. Harvey; Inzé , Dirk; Gonzalez, Nathalie

2017-01-01

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

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...

Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Durandy, Anne; Kracker, Sven

2012-07-30

Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies (Ig-CSR-Ds) are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by defective switched isotype (IgG/IgA/IgE) production. Depending on the molecular defect in question, the Ig-CSR-D may be combined with an impairment in somatic hypermutation (SHM). Some of the mechanisms underlying Ig-CSR and SHM have been described by studying natural mutants in humans. This approach has revealed that T cell-B cell interaction (resulting in CD40-mediated signaling), intrinsic B-cell mechanisms (activation-induced cytidine deaminase-induced DNA damage), and complex DNA repair machineries (including uracil-N-glycosylase and mismatch repair pathways) are all involved in class-switch recombination and SHM. However, several of the mechanisms required for full antibody maturation have yet to be defined. Elucidation of the molecular defects underlying the diverse set of Ig-CSR-Ds is essential for understanding Ig diversification and has prompted better definition of the clinical spectrum of diseases and the development of increasingly accurate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Regulatory Control of the Resolution of DNA Recombination Intermediates during Meiosis and Mitosis

OpenAIRE

Matos, Joao; Blanco, Miguel G.; Maslen, Sarah; Skehel, J. Mark; West, Stephen C.

2011-01-01

The efficient and timely resolution of DNA recombination intermediates is essential for bipolar chromosome segregation. Here, we show that the specialized chromosome segregation patterns of meiosis and mitosis, which require the coordination of recombination with cell-cycle progression, are achieved by regulating the timing of activation of two crossover-promoting endonucleases. In yeast meiosis, Mus81-Mms4 and Yen1 are controlled by phosphorylation events that lead to their sequential activa...

Active site electrostatics protect genome integrity by blocking abortive hydrolysis during DNA recombination

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chien-Hui; Rowley, Paul A; Macieszak, Anna; Guga, Piotr; Jayaram, Makkuni

2009-01-01

Water, acting as a rogue nucleophile, can disrupt transesterification steps of important phosphoryl transfer reactions in DNA and RNA. We have unveiled this risk, and identified safeguards instituted against it, during strand cleavage and joining by the tyrosine site-specific recombinase Flp. Strand joining is threatened by a latent Flp endonuclease activity (type I) towards the 3′-phosphotyrosyl intermediate resulting from strand cleavage. This risk is not alleviated by phosphate electrostatics; neutralizing the negative charge on the scissile phosphate through methylphosphonate (MeP) substitution does not stimulate type I endonuclease. Rather, protection derives from the architecture of the recombination synapse and conformational dynamics within it. Strand cleavage is protected against water by active site electrostatics. Replacement of the catalytic Arg-308 of Flp by alanine, along with MeP substitution, elicits a second Flp endonuclease activity (type II) that directly targets the scissile phosphodiester bond in DNA. MeP substitution, combined with appropriate active site mutations, will be useful in revealing anti-hydrolytic mechanisms engendered by systems that mediate DNA relaxation, DNA transposition, site-specific recombination, telomere resolution, RNA splicing and retrohoming of mobile introns. PMID:19440204

DNA secondary structures are associated with recombination in major Plasmodium falciparum variable surface antigen gene families

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sander, Adam F.; Lavstsen, Thomas; Rask, Thomas Salhøj

2014-01-01

falciparum-erythrocyte membrane protein 1 class on the infected erythrocyte surface. Recombination clearly generates var diversity, but the nature and control of the genetic exchanges involved remain unclear. By experimental and bioinformatic identification of recombination events and genome...... of recombination during DNA replication in P. falciparum sexual stages, and that these DSS-regulated genetic exchanges generate functional and diverse P. falciparum adhesion antigens. DSS-induced recombination may represent a common mechanism for optimizing the evolvability of virulence gene families in pathogens....

Expression of human DNA polymerase β in Escherichia coli and characterization of the recombinant enzyme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbotts, J.; SenGupta, D.N.; Zmudzka, B.; Widen, S.G.; Notario, V.; Wilson, S.H.

1988-01-01

The coding region of a human β-polymerase cDNA, predicting a 335 amino acid protein, was subcloned in the Escherichia coli expression plasmid pRC23. After induction of transformed cells, the crude soluble extract was found to contain a new protein immunoreactive with β-polymerase antibody and corresponding in size to the protein deduced from the cDNA. This protein was purified in a yield of 1-2 mg/50 g of cells. The recombinant protein had about the same DNA polymerase specific activity as β-polymerase purified from mammalian tissues, and template-primer specificity and immunological properties of the recombinant polymerase were similar to those of natural β-polymerases. The purified enzyme was free of nuclease activity. The authors studied detailed catalytic properties of the recombinant β-polymerase using defined template-primer systems. The results indicate that this β-polymerase is essentially identical with natural β-polymerases. The recombinant enzyme is distributive in mode of synthesis and is capable of detecting changes in the integrity of the single-stranded template, such as methylated bases and a double-stranded region. The enzyme recognizes a template region four to seven bases downstream of the primer 3' end and utilizes alternative primers if this downstream template region is double stranded. The enzyme is unable to synthesize past methylated bases N 3 -methyl-dT or O 6 -methyl-dG

Multiple repair pathways mediate tolerance to chemotherapeutic cross-linking agents in vertebrate cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Nojima, Kuniharu; Hochegger, Helfrid; Saberi, Alihossein; Fukushima, Toru; Kikuchi, Koji; Yoshimura, Michio; Orelli, Brian J; Bishop, Douglas K; Hirano, Seiki; Ohzeki, Mioko; Ishiai, Masamichi; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Takata, Minoru; Arakawa, Hiroshi; Buerstedde, Jean-Marie; Yamazoe, Mitsuyoshi; Kawamoto, Takuo; Araki, Kasumi; Takahashi, Jun A; Hashimoto, Nobuo; Takeda, Shunichi; Sonoda, Eiichiro

2005-12-15

Cross-linking agents that induce DNA interstrand cross-links (ICL) are widely used in anticancer chemotherapy. Yeast genetic studies show that nucleotide excision repair (NER), Rad6/Rad18-dependent postreplication repair, homologous recombination, and cell cycle checkpoint pathway are involved in ICL repair. To study the contribution of DNA damage response pathways in tolerance to cross-linking agents in vertebrates, we made a panel of gene-disrupted clones from chicken DT40 cells, each defective in a particular DNA repair or checkpoint pathway, and measured the sensitivities to cross-linking agents, including cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin), mitomycin C, and melphalan. We found that cells harboring defects in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), Fanconi anemia complementation groups (FANC), or homologous recombination displayed marked hypersensitivity to all the cross-linking agents, whereas NER seemed to play only a minor role. This effect of replication-dependent repair pathways is distinctively different from the situation in yeast, where NER seems to play a major role in dealing with ICL. Cells deficient in Rev3, the catalytic subunit of TLS polymerase Polzeta, showed the highest sensitivity to cisplatin followed by fanc-c. Furthermore, epistasis analysis revealed that these two mutants work in the same pathway. Our genetic comprehensive study reveals a critical role for DNA repair pathways that release DNA replication block at ICLs in cellular tolerance to cross-linking agents and could be directly exploited in designing an effective chemotherapy.

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.

A BAC-bacterial recombination method to generate physically linked multiple gene reporter DNA constructs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gong Shiaochin

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Reporter gene mice are valuable animal models for biological research providing a gene expression readout that can contribute to cellular characterization within the context of a developmental process. With the advancement of bacterial recombination techniques to engineer reporter gene constructs from BAC genomic clones and the generation of optically distinguishable fluorescent protein reporter genes, there is an unprecedented capability to engineer more informative transgenic reporter mouse models relative to what has been traditionally available. Results We demonstrate here our first effort on the development of a three stage bacterial recombination strategy to physically link multiple genes together with their respective fluorescent protein (FP reporters in one DNA fragment. This strategy uses bacterial recombination techniques to: (1 subclone genes of interest into BAC linking vectors, (2 insert desired reporter genes into respective genes and (3 link different gene-reporters together. As proof of concept, we have generated a single DNA fragment containing the genes Trap, Dmp1, and Ibsp driving the expression of ECFP, mCherry, and Topaz FP reporter genes, respectively. Using this DNA construct, we have successfully generated transgenic reporter mice that retain two to three gene readouts. Conclusion The three stage methodology to link multiple genes with their respective fluorescent protein reporter works with reasonable efficiency. Moreover, gene linkage allows for their common chromosomal integration into a single locus. However, the testing of this multi-reporter DNA construct by transgenesis does suggest that the linkage of two different genes together, despite their large size, can still create a positional effect. We believe that gene choice, genomic DNA fragment size and the presence of endogenous insulator elements are critical variables.

A BAC-bacterial recombination method to generate physically linked multiple gene reporter DNA constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Maye, Peter; Stover, Mary Louise; Liu, Yaling; Rowe, David W; Gong, Shiaochin; Lichtler, Alexander C

2009-03-13

Reporter gene mice are valuable animal models for biological research providing a gene expression readout that can contribute to cellular characterization within the context of a developmental process. With the advancement of bacterial recombination techniques to engineer reporter gene constructs from BAC genomic clones and the generation of optically distinguishable fluorescent protein reporter genes, there is an unprecedented capability to engineer more informative transgenic reporter mouse models relative to what has been traditionally available. We demonstrate here our first effort on the development of a three stage bacterial recombination strategy to physically link multiple genes together with their respective fluorescent protein (FP) reporters in one DNA fragment. This strategy uses bacterial recombination techniques to: (1) subclone genes of interest into BAC linking vectors, (2) insert desired reporter genes into respective genes and (3) link different gene-reporters together. As proof of concept, we have generated a single DNA fragment containing the genes Trap, Dmp1, and Ibsp driving the expression of ECFP, mCherry, and Topaz FP reporter genes, respectively. Using this DNA construct, we have successfully generated transgenic reporter mice that retain two to three gene readouts. The three stage methodology to link multiple genes with their respective fluorescent protein reporter works with reasonable efficiency. Moreover, gene linkage allows for their common chromosomal integration into a single locus. However, the testing of this multi-reporter DNA construct by transgenesis does suggest that the linkage of two different genes together, despite their large size, can still create a positional effect. We believe that gene choice, genomic DNA fragment size and the presence of endogenous insulator elements are critical variables.

Targeting the Fanconi Anemia Pathway to Identify Tailored Anticancer Therapeutics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chelsea Jenkins

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Fanconi Anemia (FA pathway consists of proteins involved in repairing DNA damage, including interstrand cross-links (ICLs. The pathway contains an upstream multiprotein core complex that mediates the monoubiquitylation of the FANCD2 and FANCI heterodimer, and a downstream pathway that converges with a larger network of proteins with roles in homologous recombination and other DNA repair pathways. Selective killing of cancer cells with an intact FA pathway but deficient in certain other DNA repair pathways is an emerging approach to tailored cancer therapy. Inhibiting the FA pathway becomes selectively lethal when certain repair genes are defective, such as the checkpoint kinase ATM. Inhibiting the FA pathway in ATM deficient cells can be achieved with small molecule inhibitors, suggesting that new cancer therapeutics could be developed by identifying FA pathway inhibitors to treat cancers that contain defects that are synthetic lethal with FA.

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.

Overexpressed of RAD51 suppresses recombination defects: a possible mechanism to reverse genomic instability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schild, David; Wiese, Claudia

2009-10-15

RAD51, a key protein in the homologous recombinational DNA repair (HRR) pathway, is the major strand-transferase required for mitotic recombination. An important early step in HRR is the formation of single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) coated by RPA (a ss-DNA binding protein). Displacement of RPA by RAD51 is highly regulated and facilitated by a number of different proteins known as the 'recombination mediators'. To assist these recombination mediators, a second group of proteins also is required and we are defining these proteins here as 'recombination co-mediators'. Defects in either recombination mediators or comediators, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, lead to impaired HRR that can genetically be complemented for (i.e. suppressed) by overexpression of RAD51. Defects in HRR have long been known to contribute to genomic instability leading to tumor development. Since genomic instability also slows cell growth, precancerous cells presumably require genomic restabilization to gain a growth advantage. RAD51 is overexpressed in many tumors, and therefore, we hypothesize that the complementing ability of elevated levels of RAD51 in tumors with initial HRR defects limits genomic instability during carcinogenic progression. Of particular interest, this model may also help explain the high frequency of TP53 mutations in human cancers, since wild-type p53 represses RAD51.

Regulation of Rad51-Mediated Homologous Recombination by BRCA2, DSS1 and RAD52

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rants, Louise Olthaver Juhl

Homologous recombination (HR) provides a mechanism to restore integrity and maintain stability of the genetic material. HR is a major pathway for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), recovery of broken replication forks and generation of meiotic crossovers. The defining step in HR is homolog......Homologous recombination (HR) provides a mechanism to restore integrity and maintain stability of the genetic material. HR is a major pathway for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), recovery of broken replication forks and generation of meiotic crossovers. The defining step in HR...... is homologous strand exchange directed by the RecA-related recombinase Rad51. BRCA2 participates in HR by mediating Rad51 homology-directed repair. Both BRCA2 and Rad51 are essential for HR, DNA repair, and the maintenance of genome stability. In the present study, we seek to understand the mechanism of BRCA2...... with RAD52-mediated repair at sites of CPT-induced DNA damage. The synthetic lethality approach using RAD52 small molecule inhibitors in brca-deficient cancers is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment....

Genetic polymorphisms in homologous recombination repair genes in healthy Slovenian population and their influence on DNA damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goricar, Katja; Erculj, Nina; Zadel, Maja; Dolzan, Vita

2012-01-01

Homologous recombination (HR) repair is an important mechanism involved in repairing double-strand breaks in DNA and for maintaining genomic stability. Polymorphisms in genes coding for enzymes involved in this pathway may influence the capacity for DNA repair. The aim of this study was to select tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in specific genes involved in HR repair, to determine their allele frequencies in a healthy Slovenian population and their influence on DNA damage detected with comet assay. In total 373 individuals were genotyped for nine tag SNPs in three genes: XRCC3 722C>T, XRCC3 -316A>G, RAD51 -98G>C, RAD51 -61G>T, RAD51 1522T>G, NBS1 553G>C, NBS1 1197A>G, NBS1 37117C>T and NBS1 3474A>C using competitive allele-specific amplification (KASPar assay). Comet assay was performed in a subgroup of 26 individuals to determine the influence of selected SNPs on DNA damage. We observed that age significantly affected genotype frequencies distribution of XRCC3 -316A>G (P = 0.039) in healthy male blood donors. XRCC3 722C>T (P = 0.005), RAD51 -61G>T (P = 0.023) and NBS1 553G>C (P = 0.008) had a statistically significant influence on DNA damage. XRCC3 722C>T, RAD51 -61G>T and NBS1 553G>C polymorphisms significantly affect the repair of damaged DNA and may be of clinical importance as they are common in Slovenian population

[HPV DNA vaccines expressing recombinant CRT/HPV6bE7 fusion protein inhibit tumor growth and angiogenic activity].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yan; Cheng, Hao; Zhao, Ke-Jia; Zhu, Ke-Jian; Zhang, Xing

2007-11-01

This paper was to study the angiogenic inhibitory effect and the potential antitumor effect of the constructed recombinant DNA vaccine CRT/HPV6bE7 in vivo. The C57BL/6 mice were vaccinated respectively with recombinant CRT/HPV6bE7 DNA plamids. The inhibitory effects on angiogenesis of generated vaccines in vivo were evaluated by a bFGF-induced angiogenesis assay using the Matrigel kit. To investigate the potential antitumor effect, the mean tumor weights, sizes and tumor appearing times were measured in C57BL/6 mice treated with HPV6bE7-expressing B16 cells. The results indicated that the recombinants CRT180/HPV6bE7 and CRT180 showed strong anti-angiogenic effects in bFGF-induced angiogenesis in vivo. Moreover, CRT180/HPV6bE7 and CRT180 DNA vaccines could significantly inhibit the tumor growth in tumor challenge experiment, and CRT180/HPV6bE7 was superior to other vaccines in delaying tumor formation time, limiting tumor size and weight in tumor protection experiment. In conclusion, recombinant CRT180/HPV6bE7 DNA could elicit a most efficient anti-angiogenic effect and inhibit tumor growth in mice inoculated with DNA vaccines. The antiangiogenic activity of CRT were suggested residing in a domain between CRT 120-180 aa.

RPA mediates recombination repair during replication stress and is displaced from DNA by checkpoint signalling in human cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sleeth, Kate M; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard; Issaeva, Natalia

2007-01-01

The replication protein A (RPA) is involved in most, if not all, nuclear metabolism involving single-stranded DNA. Here, we show that RPA is involved in genome maintenance at stalled replication forks by the homologous recombination repair system in humans. Depletion of the RPA protein inhibited...... the formation of RAD51 nuclear foci after hydroxyurea-induced replication stalling leading to persistent unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). We demonstrate a direct role of RPA in homology directed recombination repair. We find that RPA is dispensable for checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) activation...... and that RPA directly binds RAD52 upon replication stress, suggesting a direct role in recombination repair. In addition we show that inhibition of Chk1 with UCN-01 decreases dissociation of RPA from the chromatin and inhibits association of RAD51 and RAD52 with DNA. Altogether, our data suggest a direct role...

Guiding the folding pathway of DNA origami.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Katherine E; Dannenberg, Frits; Ouldridge, Thomas E; Kwiatkowska, Marta; Turberfield, Andrew J; Bath, Jonathan

2015-09-03

DNA origami is a robust assembly technique that folds a single-stranded DNA template into a target structure by annealing it with hundreds of short 'staple' strands. Its guiding design principle is that the target structure is the single most stable configuration. The folding transition is cooperative and, as in the case of proteins, is governed by information encoded in the polymer sequence. A typical origami folds primarily into the desired shape, but misfolded structures can kinetically trap the system and reduce the yield. Although adjusting assembly conditions or following empirical design rules can improve yield, well-folded origami often need to be separated from misfolded structures. The problem could in principle be avoided if assembly pathway and kinetics were fully understood and then rationally optimized. To this end, here we present a DNA origami system with the unusual property of being able to form a small set of distinguishable and well-folded shapes that represent discrete and approximately degenerate energy minima in a vast folding landscape, thus allowing us to probe the assembly process. The obtained high yield of well-folded origami structures confirms the existence of efficient folding pathways, while the shape distribution provides information about individual trajectories through the folding landscape. We find that, similarly to protein folding, the assembly of DNA origami is highly cooperative; that reversible bond formation is important in recovering from transient misfoldings; and that the early formation of long-range connections can very effectively enforce particular folds. We use these insights to inform the design of the system so as to steer assembly towards desired structures. Expanding the rational design process to include the assembly pathway should thus enable more reproducible synthesis, particularly when targeting more complex structures. We anticipate that this expansion will be essential if DNA origami is to continue its

The cell pole: the site of cross talk between the DNA uptake and genetic recombination machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidane, Dawit; Ayora, Silvia; Sweasy, Joann B; Graumann, Peter L; Alonso, Juan C

2012-01-01

Natural transformation is a programmed mechanism characterized by binding of free double-stranded (ds) DNA from the environment to the cell pole in rod-shaped bacteria. In Bacillus subtilis some competence proteins, which process the dsDNA and translocate single-stranded (ss) DNA into the cytosol, recruit a set of recombination proteins mainly to one of the cell poles. A subset of single-stranded binding proteins, working as "guardians", protects ssDNA from degradation and limit the RecA recombinase loading. Then, the "mediators" overcome the inhibitory role of guardians, and recruit RecA onto ssDNA. A RecA·ssDNA filament searches for homology on the chromosome and, in a process that is controlled by "modulators", catalyzes strand invasion with the generation of a displacement loop (D-loop). A D-loop resolvase or "resolver" cleaves this intermediate, limited DNA replication restores missing information and a DNA ligase seals the DNA ends. However, if any step fails, the "rescuers" will repair the broken end to rescue chromosomal transformation. If the ssDNA does not share homology with resident DNA, but it contains information for autonomous replication, guardian and mediator proteins catalyze plasmid establishment after inhibition of RecA. DNA replication and ligation reconstitute the molecule (plasmid transformation). In this review, the interacting network that leads to a cross talk between proteins of the uptake and genetic recombination machinery will be placed into prospective.

Top3 processes recombination intermediates and modulates checkpoint activity after DNA damage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mankouri, Hocine W; Hickson, Ian D

2006-01-01

Mutation of TOP3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes poor growth, hyperrecombination, and a failure to fully activate DNA damage checkpoints in S phase. Here, we report that overexpression of a dominant-negative allele of TOP3, TOP3(Y356F), which lacks the catalytic (decatenation) activity of Top3......, the catalytic activity of Top3 is not required for DNA damage checkpoint activation, but it is required for normal S-phase progression after DNA damage. We also present evidence that the checkpoint-mediated cell cycle delay and persistence of X-shaped DNA molecules resulting from overexpression of TOP3(Y356F......) are downstream of Rad51 function. We propose that Top3 functions in S phase to both process homologous recombination intermediates and modulate checkpoint activity....

Homologous Recombination in Protozoan Parasites and Recombinase Inhibitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew A. Kelso

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Homologous recombination (HR is a DNA double-strand break (DSB repair pathway that utilizes a homologous template to fully repair the damaged DNA. HR is critical to maintain genome stability and to ensure genetic diversity during meiosis. A specialized class of enzymes known as recombinases facilitate the exchange of genetic information between sister chromatids or homologous chromosomes with the help of numerous protein accessory factors. The majority of the HR machinery is highly conserved among eukaryotes. In many protozoan parasites, HR is an essential DSB repair pathway that allows these organisms to adapt to environmental conditions and evade host immune systems through genetic recombination. Therefore, small molecule inhibitors, capable of disrupting HR in protozoan parasites, represent potential therapeutic options. A number of small molecule inhibitors were identified that disrupt the activities of the human recombinase RAD51. Recent studies have examined the effect of two of these molecules on the Entamoeba recombinases. Here, we discuss the current understandings of HR in the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Plasmodium, and Entamoeba, and we review the small molecule inhibitors known to disrupt human RAD51 activity.

SV40 host-substituted variants: a new look at the monkey DNA inserts and recombinant junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, Maxine; Winocour, Ernest

2011-04-10

The available monkey genomic data banks were examined in order to determine the chromosomal locations of the host DNA inserts in 8 host-substituted SV40 variant DNAs. Five of the 8 variants contained more than one linked monkey DNA insert per tandem repeat unit and in all cases but one, the 19 monkey DNA inserts in the 8 variants mapped to different locations in the monkey genome. The 50 parental DNAs (32 monkey and 18 SV40 DNA segments) which spanned the crossover and flanking regions that participated in monkey/monkey and monkey/SV40 recombinations were characterized by substantial levels of microhomology of up to 8 nucleotides in length; the parental DNAs also exhibited direct and inverted repeats at or adjacent to the crossover sequences. We discuss how the host-substituted SV40 variants arose and the nature of the recombination mechanisms involved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anti-replicative recombinant 5S rRNA molecules can modulate the mtDNA heteroplasmy in a glucose-dependent manner.

Science.gov (United States)

Loutre, Romuald; Heckel, Anne-Marie; Jeandard, Damien; Tarassov, Ivan; Entelis, Nina

2018-01-01

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA are an important source of severe and incurable human diseases. The vast majority of these mutations are heteroplasmic, meaning that mutant and wild-type genomes are present simultaneously in the same cell. Only a very high proportion of mutant mitochondrial DNA (heteroplasmy level) leads to pathological consequences. We previously demonstrated that mitochondrial targeting of small RNAs designed to anneal with mutant mtDNA can decrease the heteroplasmy level by specific inhibition of mutant mtDNA replication, thus representing a potential therapy. We have also shown that 5S ribosomal RNA, partially imported into human mitochondria, can be used as a vector to deliver anti-replicative oligoribonucleotides into human mitochondria. So far, the efficiency of cellular expression of recombinant 5S rRNA molecules bearing therapeutic insertions remained very low. In the present study, we designed new versions of anti-replicative recombinant 5S rRNA targeting a large deletion in mitochondrial DNA which causes the KSS syndrome, analyzed their specific annealing to KSS mitochondrial DNA and demonstrated their import into mitochondria of cultured human cells. To obtain an increased level of the recombinant 5S rRNA stable expression, we created transmitochondrial cybrid cell line bearing a site for Flp-recombinase and used this system for the recombinase-mediated integration of genes coding for the anti-replicative recombinant 5S rRNAs into nuclear genome. We demonstrated that stable expression of anti-replicative 5S rRNA versions in human transmitochondrial cybrid cells can induce a shift in heteroplasmy level of KSS mutation in mtDNA. This shift was directly dependent on the level of the recombinant 5S rRNA expression and the sequence of the anti-replicative insertion. Quantification of mtDNA copy number in transfected cells revealed the absence of a non-specific effect on wild type mtDNA replication, indicating that the decreased proportion

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)

The association of folate pathway and DNA repair polymorphisms with susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Goričar, Katja; Erčulj, Nina; Faganel Kotnik, Barbara; Debeljak, Maruša; Hovnik, Tinka; Jazbec, Janez; Dolžan, Vita

2015-05-15

Genetic factors may play an important role in susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of our study was to evaluate the associations of genetic polymorphisms in folate pathway and DNA repair genes with susceptibility to ALL. In total, 121 children with ALL and 184 unrelated healthy controls of Slovenian origin were genotyped for 14 polymorphisms in seven genes of folate pathway, base excision repair and homologous recombination repair (TYMS, MTHFR, OGG1, XRCC1, NBN, RAD51, and XRCC3). In addition, the exon 6 of NBN was screened for the presence of mutations using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography. Twelve polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in controls and their genotype frequencies were in agreement with those reported in other Caucasian populations. Among the investigated polymorphisms and mutations, NBN Glu185Gln significantly decreased susceptibility to B-cell ALL (p=0.037), while TYMS 3R allele decreased susceptibility to T-cell ALL (p=0.011). Moreover, significantly decreased susceptibility to ALL was observed for MTHFR TA (p=0.030) and RAD51 GTT haplotypes (p=0.016). Susceptibility to ALL increased with the increasing number of risk alleles (ptrend=0.007). We also observed significant influence of hOGG-RAD51 and NBN-RAD51 interactions on susceptibility to ALL. Our results suggest that combination of several polymorphisms in DNA repair and folate pathways may significantly affect susceptibility to childhood ALL. Copyright © 2015 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

[Construction and selection of effective mouse Smad6 recombinant lenti-virus interference vectors].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jing; Qi, Mengchun; Deng, Jiupeng; Liu, Gang; Chen, Huaiqing

2010-10-01

This experiment was designed to construct mouse Smad6 recombinant RNA interference vectors and determine their interference effects on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Three recombinant Smad6 RNA interference vectors were constructed by molecular clone techniques with a lenti-virus vector expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), and the correctness of recombinant vectors was verified by DNA sequencing. Mouse BMSCs were used for transfection experiments and BMP-2 was in use for osteogenic induction of MSCs. The transfection efficiency of recombinant vectors was examined by Laser confocal scanning microscope and the interference effect of recombinant vectors on Smad6 gene expression was determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Three Smad6 recombinant RNA interference vectors were successfully constructed and their correctness was proved by DNA sequencing. After transfection, GFPs were effectively expressed in MSCs and all of three recombinant vectors gained high transfection efficiency (> 95%). Both real-time PCR and Western blot examination indicated that among three recombinant vectors, No. 2 Svector had the best interference effect and the interference effect was nearly 91% at protein level. In conclusion, Mouse recombinant Smad6 RNA interference (RNAi) vector was successfully constructed and it provided an effective tool for further studies on BMP signal pathways.

Full mitochondrial genome sequences of two endemic Philippine hornbill species (Aves: Bucerotidae) provide evidence for pervasive mitochondrial DNA recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Sammler, Svenja; Bleidorn, Christoph; Tiedemann, Ralph

2011-01-14

Although nowaday it is broadly accepted that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may undergo recombination, the frequency of such recombination remains controversial. Its estimation is not straightforward, as recombination under homoplasmy (i.e., among identical mt genomes) is likely to be overlooked. In species with tandem duplications of large mtDNA fragments the detection of recombination can be facilitated, as it can lead to gene conversion among duplicates. Although the mechanisms for concerted evolution in mtDNA are not fully understood yet, recombination rates have been estimated from "one per speciation event" down to 850 years or even "during every replication cycle". Here we present the first complete mt genome of the avian family Bucerotidae, i.e., that of two Philippine hornbills, Aceros waldeni and Penelopides panini. The mt genomes are characterized by a tandemly duplicated region encompassing part of cytochrome b, 3 tRNAs, NADH6, and the control region. The duplicated fragments are identical to each other except for a short section in domain I and for the length of repeat motifs in domain III of the control region. Due to the heteroplasmy with regard to the number of these repeat motifs, there is some size variation in both genomes; with around 21,657 bp (A. waldeni) and 22,737 bp (P. panini), they significantly exceed the hitherto longest known avian mt genomes, that of the albatrosses. We discovered concerted evolution between the duplicated fragments within individuals. The existence of differences between individuals in coding genes as well as in the control region, which are maintained between duplicates, indicates that recombination apparently occurs frequently, i.e., in every generation. The homogenised duplicates are interspersed by a short fragment which shows no sign of recombination. We hypothesize that this region corresponds to the so-called Replication Fork Barrier (RFB), which has been described from the chicken mitochondrial genome. As this RFB

Full mitochondrial genome sequences of two endemic Philippine hornbill species (Aves: Bucerotidae provide evidence for pervasive mitochondrial DNA recombination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bleidorn Christoph

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although nowaday it is broadly accepted that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA may undergo recombination, the frequency of such recombination remains controversial. Its estimation is not straightforward, as recombination under homoplasmy (i.e., among identical mt genomes is likely to be overlooked. In species with tandem duplications of large mtDNA fragments the detection of recombination can be facilitated, as it can lead to gene conversion among duplicates. Although the mechanisms for concerted evolution in mtDNA are not fully understood yet, recombination rates have been estimated from "one per speciation event" down to 850 years or even "during every replication cycle". Results Here we present the first complete mt genome of the avian family Bucerotidae, i.e., that of two Philippine hornbills, Aceros waldeni and Penelopides panini. The mt genomes are characterized by a tandemly duplicated region encompassing part of cytochrome b, 3 tRNAs, NADH6, and the control region. The duplicated fragments are identical to each other except for a short section in domain I and for the length of repeat motifs in domain III of the control region. Due to the heteroplasmy with regard to the number of these repeat motifs, there is some size variation in both genomes; with around 21,657 bp (A. waldeni and 22,737 bp (P. panini, they significantly exceed the hitherto longest known avian mt genomes, that of the albatrosses. We discovered concerted evolution between the duplicated fragments within individuals. The existence of differences between individuals in coding genes as well as in the control region, which are maintained between duplicates, indicates that recombination apparently occurs frequently, i.e., in every generation. Conclusions The homogenised duplicates are interspersed by a short fragment which shows no sign of recombination. We hypothesize that this region corresponds to the so-called Replication Fork Barrier (RFB, which has been

Generation and CRISPR/Cas9 editing of transformed progenitor B cells as a pseudo-physiological system to study DNA repair gene function in V(D)J recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenden Hasse, Hélène; Lescale, Chloé; Bianchi, Joy J; Yu, Wei; Bedora-Faure, Marie; Deriano, Ludovic

2017-12-01

Antigen receptor gene assembly is accomplished in developing lymphocytes by the V(D)J recombination reaction, which can be separated into two steps: DNA cleavage by the recombination-activating gene (RAG) nuclease and joining of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) by components of the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. Deficiencies for NHEJ factors can result in immunodeficiency and a propensity to accumulate genomic instability, thus highlighting the importance of identifying all players in this process and deciphering their functions. Bcl2 transgenic v-Abl kinase-transformed pro-B cells provide a pseudo-physiological cellular system to study V(D)J recombination. Treatment of v-Abl/Bcl2 pro-B cells with the Abl kinase inhibitor Imatinib leads to G1 cell cycle arrest, the rapid induction of Rag1/2 gene expression and V(D)J recombination. In this system, the Bcl2 transgene alleviates Imatinib-induced apoptosis enabling the analysis of induced V(D)J recombination. Although powerful, the use of mouse models carrying the Bcl2 transgene for the generation of v-Abl pro-B cell lines is time and money consuming. Here, we describe a method for generating v-Abl/Bcl2 pro-B cell lines from wild type mice and for performing gene knock-out using episomal CRISPR/Cas9 targeting vectors. Using this approach, we generated distinct NHEJ-deficient pro-B cell lines and quantified V(D)J recombination levels in these cells. Furthermore, this methodology can be adapted to generate pro-B cell lines deficient for any gene suspected to play a role in V(D)J recombination, and more generally DSB repair. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reiterative Recombination for the in vivo assembly of libraries of multigene pathways

OpenAIRE

Wingler, Laura M.; Cornish, Virginia W.

2011-01-01

The increasing sophistication of synthetic biology is creating a demand for robust, broadly accessible methodology for constructing multigene pathways inside of the cell. Due to the difficulty of rationally designing pathways that function as desired in vivo, there is a further need to assemble libraries of pathways in parallel, in order to facilitate the combinatorial optimization of performance. While some in vitro DNA assembly methods can theoretically make libraries of pathways, these tec...

Immune responses elicited by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae recombinant antigens and DNA constructs with potential for use in vaccination against porcine enzootic pneumonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Virginio, Veridiana Gomes; Gonchoroski, Taylor; Paes, Jéssica Andrade; Schuck, Desirée Cigaran; Zaha, Arnaldo; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer

2014-10-07

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the etiological agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia (PEP) and causes major economic losses to the pig industry worldwide. Commercially available vaccines provide only partial protection and are relatively expensive. In this study, we assessed the humoral and cellular immune responses to three recombinant antigens of M. hyopneumoniae. Immune responses to selected domains of the P46, HSP70 and MnuA antigens (P46102-253, HSP70212-601 and MnuA182-378), delivered as recombinant subunit or DNA vaccines, were evaluated in BALB/c mice. All purified recombinant antigens and two DNA vaccines, pcDNA3.1(+)/HSP70212-601 and pcDNA3.1(+)/MnuA182-378, elicited a strong humoral immune response, indicated by high IgG levels in the serum. The cellular immune response was assessed by detection of IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-4 in splenocyte culture supernatants. The recombinant subunit and DNA vaccines induced Th1-polarized immune responses, as evidenced by increased levels of IFN-γ. All recombinant subunit vaccines and the pcDNA3.1(+)/MnuA182-378 vaccine also induced the secretion of IL-10, a Th2-type cytokine, in large quantities. The mixed Th1/Th2-type response may elicit an effective immune response against M. hyopneumoniae, suggesting that P46102-253, HSP70212-601 and MnuA182-378 are potential novel and promising targets for the development of vaccines against PEP. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FBH1 helicase disrupts RAD51 filaments in vitro and modulates homologous recombination in mammalian cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simandlova, Jitka; Zagelbaum, Jennifer; Payne, Miranda J

2013-01-01

Efficient repair of DNA double strand breaks and interstrand cross-links requires the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, a potentially error-free process that utilizes a homologous sequence as a repair template. A key player in HR is RAD51, the eukaryotic ortholog of bacterial RecA protein. RAD......51 can polymerize on DNA to form a nucleoprotein filament that facilitates both the search for the homologous DNA sequences and the subsequent DNA strand invasion required to initiate HR. Because of its pivotal role in HR, RAD51 is subject to numerous positive and negative regulatory influences...... filaments on DNA through its ssDNA translocase function. Consistent with this, a mutant mouse embryonic stem cell line with a deletion in the FBH1 helicase domain fails to limit RAD51 chromatin association and shows hyper-recombination. Our data are consistent with FBH1 restraining RAD51 DNA binding under...

Complex DNA repair pathways as possible therapeutic targets to overcome temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimoto, Koji; Mizoguchi, Masahiro; Hata, Nobuhiro; Murata, Hideki; Hatae, Ryusuke; Amano, Toshiyuki; Nakamizo, Akira; Sasaki, Tomio

2012-01-01

Many conventional chemotherapeutic drugs exert their cytotoxic function by inducing DNA damage in the tumor cell. Therefore, a cell-inherent DNA repair pathway, which reverses the DNA-damaging effect of the cytotoxic drugs, can mediate therapeutic resistance to chemotherapy. The monofunctional DNA-alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug and the gold standard treatment for glioblastoma (GBM). Although the activity of DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) has been described as the main modulator to determine the sensitivity of GBM to TMZ, a subset of GBM does not respond despite MGMT inactivation, suggesting that another DNA repair mechanism may also modulate the tolerance to TMZ. Considerable interest has focused on MGMT, mismatch repair (MMR), and the base excision repair (BER) pathway in the mechanism of mediating TMZ resistance, but emerging roles for the DNA strand-break repair pathway have been demonstrated. In the first part of this review article, we briefly review the significant role of MGMT, MMR, and the BER pathway in the tolerance to TMZ; in the last part, we review the recent publications that demonstrate possible roles of DNA strand-break repair pathways, such as single-strand break repair and double-strand break repair, as well as the Fanconi anemia pathway in the repair process after alkylating agent-based therapy. It is possible that all of these repair pathways have a potential to modulate the sensitivity to TMZ and aid in overcoming the therapeutic resistance in the clinic.

Complex DNA repair pathways as possible therapeutic targets to overcome temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshimoto, Koji; Mizoguchi, Masahiro; Hata, Nobuhiro; Murata, Hideki; Hatae, Ryusuke; Amano, Toshiyuki; Nakamizo, Akira; Sasaki, Tomio, E-mail: kyoshimo@ns.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan)

2012-12-05

Many conventional chemotherapeutic drugs exert their cytotoxic function by inducing DNA damage in the tumor cell. Therefore, a cell-inherent DNA repair pathway, which reverses the DNA-damaging effect of the cytotoxic drugs, can mediate therapeutic resistance to chemotherapy. The monofunctional DNA-alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug and the gold standard treatment for glioblastoma (GBM). Although the activity of DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) has been described as the main modulator to determine the sensitivity of GBM to TMZ, a subset of GBM does not respond despite MGMT inactivation, suggesting that another DNA repair mechanism may also modulate the tolerance to TMZ. Considerable interest has focused on MGMT, mismatch repair (MMR), and the base excision repair (BER) pathway in the mechanism of mediating TMZ resistance, but emerging roles for the DNA strand-break repair pathway have been demonstrated. In the first part of this review article, we briefly review the significant role of MGMT, MMR, and the BER pathway in the tolerance to TMZ; in the last part, we review the recent publications that demonstrate possible roles of DNA strand-break repair pathways, such as single-strand break repair and double-strand break repair, as well as the Fanconi anemia pathway in the repair process after alkylating agent-based therapy. It is possible that all of these repair pathways have a potential to modulate the sensitivity to TMZ and aid in overcoming the therapeutic resistance in the clinic.

Human DNA repair and recombination genes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, L.H.; Weber, C.A.; Jones, N.J.

1988-09-01

Several genes involved in mammalian DNA repair pathways were identified by complementation analysis and chromosomal mapping based on hybrid cells. Eight complementation groups of rodent mutants defective in the repair of uv radiation damage are now identified. At least seven of these genes are probably essential for repair and at least six of them control the incision step. The many genes required for repair of DNA cross-linking damage show overlap with those involved in the repair of uv damage, but some of these genes appear to be unique for cross-link repair. Two genes residing on human chromosome 19 were cloned from genomic transformants using a cosmid vector, and near full-length cDNA clones of each gene were isolated and sequenced. Gene ERCC2 efficiently corrects the defect in CHO UV5, a nucleotide excision repair mutant. Gene XRCC1 normalizes repair of strand breaks and the excessive sister chromatid exchange in CHO mutant EM9. ERCC2 shows a remarkable /approximately/52% overall homology at both the amino acid and nucleotide levels with the yeast RAD3 gene. Evidence based on mutation induction frequencies suggests that ERCC2, like RAD3, might also be an essential gene for viability. 100 refs., 4 tabs

DNA hybrids suggesting a recombination process repairing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks in Ehrlich Ascites tumor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthel, H.R.

1984-01-01

The results presented suggest the possibility of repair of DNA double-strand breaks by recombination, at least in the S and G 2 -phases of the cell cycle, in mammalian cells. Further experiments with synchronized cell cultures will have to show whether this process may also occur in the G 1 -phase of the cell cycle. (orig./AJ) [de

DNA fragmentation and cytotoxicity by recombinant human tumor necrosis factor in L929 fibroblast cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosaka, T.; Kuwabara, M.; Koide, F.

1992-01-01

Induction of cell DNA fragmentation by treatment of recombinant human Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (rhTNF alpha) was examined by using mouse L929 cells derived from mouse fibroblast cells. The amount of DNA fragments derived from rhTNF alpha-treated cells, detected by alkaline elution technique, was smaller than that derived from X-irradiated cells. The rhTNF alpha caused the DNA fragmentation depending on its incubation time and concentration. The DNA damage caused by rhTNF alpha treatment correlated with its cytotoxicity. This result suggested that the DNA fragmentation is one of causes of cell death. The treatment with proteinase K of DNA obtained from rhTNF alpha-treated cells did not increase the amount of DNA fragmentation, which indicates that rhTNF alpha causes DNA-fragmentation but not DNA-protein cross-linking

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

75 FR 31795 - Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Amended Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Amended Notice of Meeting ACTION: Notice of cancellation of... information. Dated: May 26, 2010. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, Acting Director, Office of Biotechnology...

Genetic recombination induced by DNA double-strand break in bacteriophage T4: nature of the left/right bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Shcherbakov, Victor P; Shcherbakova, Tamara; Plugina, Lidiya; Sizova, Svetlana; Kudryashova, Elena; Granovsky, Igor

2008-06-01

The experimental system combining double-strand breaks (DSBs), produced site-specifically by SegC endonuclease, with the famous advantages of the bacteriophage T4 rII mutant recombination analysis was used here to elucidate the origin of the recombination bias on two sides of the DSB, especially pronounced in gene 39 (topoisomerase II) and gene 59 (41-helicase loader) mutants. Three sources were found to contribute to the bias: (1) the SegC endonuclease may remain bound to the end of the broken DNA and thus protect it from exonuclease degradation; (2) in heteroduplex heterozygotes (HHs), arising as the recombinant products in the left-hand crosses, the transcribed strands are of rII mutant phenotype, so they, in contrast to the right-hand HHs, do not produce plaques on the lawn of the lambda-lysogenic host; and (3) the intrinsic polarity of T4 chromosome, reflected in transcription, may be a cause for discrimination of promoter-proximal and promoter-distal DNA sequences. It is shown that the apparent recombination bias does not imply one-sidedness of the DSB repair but just reflects a different depth of the end processing. It is inferred that the cause, underlying the "intrinsic" bias, might be interference between strand exchange and transcription. Topoisomerase and helicase functions are necessary to turn the process in favor of strand exchange. The idea is substantiated that the double-stranded to single-stranded DNA transition edge (not ss-DNA tip) serves as an actual recombinogenic element.

Evolution of cagA oncogene of Helicobacter pylori through recombination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshikazu Furuta

Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori is a gastric pathogen that infects half the human population and causes gastritis, ulcers, and cancer. The cagA gene product is a major virulence factor associated with gastric cancer. It is injected into epithelial cells, undergoes phosphorylation by host cell kinases, and perturbs host signaling pathways. CagA is known for its geographical, structural, and functional diversity in the C-terminal half, where an EPIYA host-interacting motif is repeated. The Western version of CagA carries the EPIYA segment types A, B, and C, while the East Asian CagA carries types A, B, and D and shows higher virulence. Many structural variants such as duplications and deletions are reported. In this study, we gained insight into the relationships of CagA variants through various modes of recombination, by analyzing all known cagA variants at the DNA sequence level with the single nucleotide resolution. Processes that occurred were: (i homologous recombination between DNA sequences for CagA multimerization (CM sequence; (ii recombination between DNA sequences for the EPIYA motif; and (iii recombination between short similar DNA sequences. The left half of the EPIYA-D segment characteristic of East Asian CagA was derived from Western type EPIYA, with Amerind type EPIYA as the intermediate, through rearrangements of specific sequences within the gene. Adaptive amino acid changes were detected in the variable region as well as in the conserved region at sites to which no specific function has yet been assigned. Each showed a unique evolutionary distribution. These results clarify recombination-mediated routes of cagA evolution and provide a solid basis for a deeper understanding of its function in pathogenesis.

Development of a recombinant DNA assay system for the detection of genetic change in astronauts' cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atchley, S.V.; Chen, D.J.C.; Strniste, G.F.; Walters, R.A.; Moyzis, R.K.

1984-01-01

We are developing a new recombinant DNA system for the detection and measurement of genetic change in humans caused by exposure to low level ionizing radiation. A unique feature of the method is the use of cloned repetitive DNA probes to assay human DNA for structural changes during or after irradiation. Repetitive sequences exist in different families. Collectively they constitute over 25% of the DNA in a human cell. Repeat families have between 10 and 500,000 members. We have constructed repetitive DNA sequence libraries using recombinant DNA techniques. From these libraries we have isolated and characterized individual repeats comprising 75 to 90% of the mass of human repetitive DNA. Repeats used in our assay system exist in tandem arrays in the genome. Perturbation of these sequences in a cell, followed by detection with a repeat probe, produces a new, multimeric ''ladder'' pattern on an autoradiogram. The repeat probe used in our initial study is complementary to 1% of human DNA. Therefore, the sensitivity of this method is several orders of magnitude better than existing assays. Preliminary evidence from human skin cells exposed to acute, low-dose x-ray treatments indicates that DNA is affected at a dose as low as 5R. The radiation doses used in this system are well within the range of doses received by astronauts during spaceflight missions. Due to its small material requirements, this technique could easily be adapted for use in space. 16 refs., 1 fig

The Fanconi anemia ortholog FANCM ensures ordered homologous recombination in both somatic and meiotic cells in Arabidopsis.

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Knoll, Alexander; Higgins, James D; Seeliger, Katharina; Reha, Sarah J; Dangel, Natalie J; Bauknecht, Markus; Schröpfer, Susan; Franklin, F Christopher H; Puchta, Holger

2012-04-01

The human hereditary disease Fanconi anemia leads to severe symptoms, including developmental defects and breakdown of the hematopoietic system. It is caused by single mutations in the FANC genes, one of which encodes the DNA translocase FANCM (for Fanconi anemia complementation group M), which is required for the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links to ensure replication progression. We identified a homolog of FANCM in Arabidopsis thaliana that is not directly involved in the repair of DNA lesions but suppresses spontaneous somatic homologous recombination via a RecQ helicase (At-RECQ4A)-independent pathway. In addition, it is required for double-strand break-induced homologous recombination. The fertility of At-fancm mutant plants is compromised. Evidence suggests that during meiosis At-FANCM acts as antirecombinase to suppress ectopic recombination-dependent chromosome interactions, but this activity is antagonized by the ZMM pathway to enable the formation of interference-sensitive crossovers and chromosome synapsis. Surprisingly, mutation of At-FANCM overcomes the sterility phenotype of an At-MutS homolog4 mutant by apparently rescuing a proportion of crossover-designated recombination intermediates via a route that is likely At-MMS and UV sensitive81 dependent. However, this is insufficient to ensure the formation of an obligate crossover. Thus, At-FANCM is not only a safeguard for genome stability in somatic cells but is an important factor in the control of meiotic crossover formation.

Regulation and function of the cGAS-STING pathway of cytosolic DNA sensing.

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Chen, Qi; Sun, Lijun; Chen, Zhijian J

2016-09-20

The recognition of microbial nucleic acids is a major mechanism by which the immune system detects pathogens. Cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) is a cytosolic DNA sensor that activates innate immune responses through production of the second messenger cGAMP, which activates the adaptor STING. The cGAS-STING pathway not only mediates protective immune defense against infection by a large variety of DNA-containing pathogens but also detects tumor-derived DNA and generates intrinsic antitumor immunity. However, aberrant activation of the cGAS pathway by self DNA can also lead to autoimmune and inflammatory disease. Thus, the cGAS pathway must be properly regulated. Here we review the recent advances in understanding of the cGAS-STING pathway, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms and roles of this pathway in heath and disease.

Establishment of Cre-mediated HBV recombinant cccDNA (rcccDNA) cell line for cccDNA biology and antiviral screening assays.

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Wu, Min; Li, Jin; Yue, Lei; Bai, Lu; Li, Yaming; Chen, Jieliang; Zhang, Xiaonan; Yuan, Zhenghong

2018-04-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), existing in hepatocyte nuclei as a stable minichromosome, plays a central role in the life cycle of the virus and permits the persistence of infection. Despite being essential for HBV infection, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of cccDNA formation, regulation and degradation, and there is no therapeutic agents directly targeting cccDNA, fore mostly due to the lack of robust, reliable and quantifiable HBV cccDNA models. In this study, combined the Cre/loxP and sleeping beauty transposons system, we established HepG2-derived cell lines integrated with 2-60 copies of monomeric HBV genome flanked by loxP sites (HepG2-HBV/loxP). After Cre expression via adenoviral transduction, 3.3-kb recombinant cccDNA (rcccDNA) bearing a chimeric intron can be produced in the nuclei of these HepG2-HBV/loxP cells. The rcccDNA could be accurately quantified by quantitative PCR using specific primers and cccDNA pool generated in this model could be easily detected by Southern blotting using the digoxigenin probe system. We demonstrated that the rcccDNA was epigenetically organized as the natural minichromosome and served as the template supporting pgRNA transcription and viral replication. As the expression of HBV S antigen (HBsAg) is dependent on the newly generated cccDNA, HBsAg is the surrogate marker of cccDNA. Additionally, the efficacies of 3 classes of anti-HBV agents were evaluated in HepG2-HBV/loxP cells and antiviral activities with different mechanisms were confirmed. These data collectively suggested that HepG2-HBV/loxP cell system will be powerful platform for studying cccDNA related biological mechanisms and developing novel cccDNA targeting drugs. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A link between double-strand break-related repair and V(D)J recombination: the scid mutation

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Hendrickson, E.A.; Qin, X.Q.; Bump, E.A.; Schatz, D.G.; Oettinger, M.; Weaver, D.T.

1991-01-01

We show here that mammalian site-specific recombination and DNA-repair pathways share a common factor. The effects of DNA-damaging agents on cell lines derived from mice homozygous for the scid (severe combined immune deficiency) mutation were studied. Surprisingly, all scid cell lines exhibited a profound hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents that caused double-strand breaks (x-irradiation and bleomycin) but not to other chemicals that caused single-strand breaks or cross-links. Neutral filter elution assays demonstrated that the x-irradiation hypersensitivity could be correlated with a deficiency in repairing double-strand breaks. These data suggest that the scid gene product is involved in two pathways: DNA repair of random double-strand breaks and the site-specific and lymphoid-restricted variable-(diversity)-joining [V(D)J] DNA rearrangement process. We propose that the scid gene product performs a similar function in both pathways and may be a ubiquitous protein

Obtaining classical swine fever virus E2 recombinant protein and DNA-vaccine on the basis of one subunit

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Deryabin, O.; Deryabina, O.; Verbitskiy, P.; Kordyum, V.

2005-01-01

Three forms of E2 recombinant protein were expressed in E. coli. Swine sera obtained against different forms of the recombinant protein were cross-studied with indirect ELISA. Using individual proteins as an antigen, only 15% of sera against other forms of protein reacted positively, while 100% of heterologous sera showed positive reaction with fused protein. Challenge experiments showed the existence of protective action only from the individual protein. Specificity and activity of sera obtained from the animals after control challenge was confirmed in a blocking variant of ELISA. Genetic construction used a eukaryotic vector that contained the E2 protein gene. Immunization of mice with the resulting DNA induced synthesis of specific antibodies, the titre of which increased considerably after additional single immunization with the E2 recombinant protein, expressed in E. coli. This demonstrated the effectiveness of animal priming by DNA vaccine, and the possibility of using the E2 recombinant protein in E. coli for booster vaccination. (author)

De novo and salvage pathway precursor incorporation during DNA replication at the nuclear matrix

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Panzeter, P.L.

1988-01-01

Total nuclear DNA can be empirically subdivided into low salt-soluble (LS) DNA (75-80%), high salt-soluble (HS) DNA (18-23%), and nuclear matrix-associated (NM) DNA which remains tightly bound to the nuclear matrix (∼2%). The most-newly replicated DNA is that associated with the nuclear matrix in regenerating rat liver. Analyses of the DNA fractions after various pulse times revealed that the salvage and de novo pathway DNA precursors investigated were incorporated preferentially into NM-DNA at early pulse times, after which the radioactivity became progressively incorporated into HS- and LS-DNA, respectively. These results support two models of nuclear matrix-associated DNA replication, proposed previously, and a third model presented in this dissertation. In addition, the incorporation of de novo pathway precursors lagged significantly (> 10 minutes) behind the incorporation of precursors entering through the salvage pathway. Channeling of salvage pathway precursors to DNA replication sites would explain the more rapid uptake of salvage precursors into NM-DNA than de novo precursors. To investigate the possibility of this heretofore in vitro phenomenon, the incorporation of the salvage precursor, ( 3 H)deoxythymidine, and the de novo precursor, ( 14 C)orotic acid, into NM-DNA and dTTP was examined in regenerating rat liver. There was no significant difference between the incorporation pattern of ( 14 C)orotic acid into NM-DNA thymine and that of ( 14 C)orotic acid into soluble dTTP. Contrastingly, the salvage pathway precursor, ( 3 H)deoxythymidine, labeled NM-DNA before labeling the dTTP pool

[Improvement of thermal adaptability and fermentation of industrial ethanologenic yeast by genomic DNA mutagenesis-based genetic recombination].

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Liu, Xiuying; He, Xiuping; Lu, Ying; Zhang, Borun

2011-07-01

Ethanol is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most important ethanol producer. However, in the process of industrial production of ethanol, both cell growth and fermentation of ethanologenic S. cerevisiae are dramatically affected by environmental stresses, such as thermal stress. In this study, we improved both the thermotolerance and fermentation performance of industrial ethanologenic S. cerevisiae by combined usage of chemical mutagenesis and genomic DNA mutagenesis-based genetic recombination method. The recombinant S. cerevisiae strain T44-2 could grow at 44 degrees C, 3 degrees C higher than that of the original strain CE6. The survival rate of T44-2 was 1.84 and 1.87-fold of that of CE6 when heat shock at 48 degrees C and 52 degrees C for 1 h respectively. At temperature higher than 37 degrees C, recombinant strain T44-2 always gave higher cell growth and ethanol production than those of strain CE6. Meanwhile, from 30 degrees C to 40 degrees C, recombinant strain T44-2 produces 91.2-83.8 g/L of ethanol from 200 g/L of glucose, which indicated that the recombinant strain T44-2 had both thermotolerance and broad thermal adaptability. The work offers a novel method, called genomic DNA mutagenesis-based genetic recombination, to improve the physiological functions of S. cerevisiae.

Differential recruitment of DNA Ligase I and III to DNA repair sites

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Mortusewicz, Oliver; Rothbauer, Ulrich; Cardoso, M. Cristina; Leonhardt, Heinrich

2006-01-01

DNA ligation is an essential step in DNA replication, repair and recombination. Mammalian cells contain three DNA Ligases that are not interchangeable although they use the same catalytic reaction mechanism. To compare the recruitment of the three eukaryotic DNA Ligases to repair sites in vivo we introduced DNA lesions in human cells by laser microirradiation. Time lapse microscopy of fluorescently tagged proteins showed that DNA Ligase III accumulated at microirradiated sites before DNA Ligase I, whereas we could detect only a faint accumulation of DNA Ligase IV. Recruitment of DNA Ligase I and III to repair sites was cell cycle independent. Mutational analysis and binding studies revealed that DNA Ligase I was recruited to DNA repair sites by interaction with PCNA while DNA Ligase III was recruited via its BRCT domain mediated interaction with XRCC1. Selective recruitment of specialized DNA Ligases may have evolved to accommodate the particular requirements of different repair pathways and may thus enhance efficiency of DNA repair. PMID:16855289

A quantitative model of the major pathways for radiation-induced DNA double-strand break repair

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Belov, O.V.; Krasavin, E.A.; Lyashko, M.S.; Batmunkh, M.; Sweilam, N.H.

2014-01-01

We have developed a model approach to simulate the major pathways of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in mammalian and human cells. The proposed model shows a possible mechanistic explanation of the basic regularities of DSB processing through the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ), homologous recombination (HR), and single-strand annealing (SSA). It reconstructs the time-courses of radiation-induced foci specific to particular repair processes including the major intermediate stages. The model is validated for ionizing radiations of a wide range of linear energy transfer (0.2-236 keV/μm) including a relatively broad spectrum of heavy ions. The appropriate set of reaction rate constants was suggested to satisfy the kinetics of DSB rejoining for the considered types of exposure. The simultaneous assessment of three repair pathways allows one to describe their possible biological relations in response to radiation. With the help of the proposed approach, we reproduce several experimental data sets on γ-H2AX foci remaining in different types of cells including those defective in NHEJ, HR, or SSA functions.

Homologous recombination contributes to the repair of DNA double-strand breaks induced by high-energy iron ions

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Zafar, Faria; Seidler, Sara B.; Kronenberg, Amy; Schild, David; Wiese, Claudia

2010-06-29

To test the contribution of homologous recombinational repair (HRR) in repairing DNA damaged sites induced by high-energy iron ions, we used: (1) HRR-deficient rodent cells carrying a deletion in the RAD51D gene and (2) syngeneic human cells impaired for HRR by RAD51D or RAD51 knockdown using RNA interference. We show that in response to iron ions, HRR contributes to cell survival in rodent cells, and that HRR-deficiency abrogates RAD51 foci formation. Complementation of the HRR defect by human RAD51D rescues both enhanced cytotoxicity and RAD51 foci formation. For human cells irradiated with iron ions, cell survival is decreased, and, in p53 mutant cells, the levels of mutagenesis are increased when HRR is impaired. Human cells synchronized in S phase exhibit more pronounced resistance to iron ions as compared with cells in G1 phase, and this increase in radioresistance is diminished by RAD51 knockdown. These results implicate a role for RAD51-mediated DNA repair (i.e. HRR) in removing a fraction of clustered lesions induced by charged particle irradiation. Our results are the first to directly show the requirement for an intact HRR pathway in human cells in ensuring DNA repair and cell survival in response to high-energy high LET radiation.

Homologous recombination contributes to the repair of DNA double-strand breaks induced by high-energy iron ions

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Zafar, Faria; Seidler, Sara B.; Kronenberg, Amy; Schild, David; Wiese, Claudia

2010-01-01

To test the contribution of homologous recombinational repair (HRR) in repairing DNA damaged sites induced by high-energy iron ions, we used: (1) HRR-deficient rodent cells carrying a deletion in the RAD51D gene and (2) syngeneic human cells impaired for HRR by RAD51D or RAD51 knockdown using RNA interference. We show that in response to iron ions, HRR contributes to cell survival in rodent cells, and that HRR-deficiency abrogates RAD51 foci formation. Complementation of the HRR defect by human RAD51D rescues both enhanced cytotoxicity and RAD51 foci formation. For human cells irradiated with iron ions, cell survival is decreased, and, in p53 mutant cells, the levels of mutagenesis are increased when HRR is impaired. Human cells synchronized in S phase exhibit more pronounced resistance to iron ions as compared with cells in G1 phase, and this increase in radioresistance is diminished by RAD51 knockdown. These results implicate a role for RAD51-mediated DNA repair (i.e. HRR) in removing a fraction of clustered lesions induced by charged particle irradiation. Our results are the first to directly show the requirement for an intact HRR pathway in human cells in ensuring DNA repair and cell survival in response to high-energy high LET radiation.

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.

Human Fanconi anemia monoubiquitination pathway promotes homologous DNA repair.

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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.

A novel pathway to detect and cope with exogenous dsDNA.

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Kobayashi, Shouhei; Haraguchi, Tokuko

2015-01-01

How a living cell responds to exogenous materials is one of the fundamental questions in the life sciences. In particular, understanding the mechanisms by which a cell recognizes exogenous double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is important for immunology research because it will facilitate the control of pathogen infections that entail the presence of exogenous dsDNA in the cytoplasm of host cells. Several cytosolic dsDNA sensor proteins that trigger innate immune responses have been identified and the downstream signaling pathways have been investigated. However, the events that occur at the site of exogenous dsDNA when it is exposed to the cytosol of the host cell remain unknown. Using dsDNA-coated polystyrene beads incorporated into living cells, we recently found that barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) binds to the exogenous dsDNA immediately after its appearance in the cytosol and plays a role in DNA avoidance of autophagy. Our findings reveal a novel pathway in which BAF plays a key role in the detection of and response to exogenous dsDNA.

Systematic analysis of DNA damage induction and DNA repair pathway activation by continuous wave visible light laser micro-irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Britta Muster

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Laser micro-irradiation can be used to induce DNA damage with high spatial and temporal resolution, representing a powerful tool to analyze DNA repair in vivo in the context of chromatin. However, most lasers induce a mixture of DNA damage leading to the activation of multiple DNA repair pathways and making it impossible to study individual repair processes. Hence, we aimed to establish and validate micro-irradiation conditions together with inhibition of several key proteins to discriminate different types of DNA damage and repair pathways using lasers commonly available in confocal microscopes. Using time-lapse analysis of cells expressing fluorescently tagged repair proteins and also validation of the DNA damage generated by micro-irradiation using several key damage markers, we show that irradiation with a 405 nm continuous wave laser lead to the activation of all repair pathways even in the absence of exogenous sensitization. In contrast, we found that irradiation with 488 nm laser lead to the selective activation of non-processive short-patch base excision and single strand break repair, which were further validated by PARP inhibition and metoxyamine treatment. We conclude that these low energy conditions discriminated against processive long-patch base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair as well as double strand break repair pathways.

AID-induced decrease in topoisomerase 1 induces DNA structural alteration and DNA cleavage for class switch recombination.

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Kobayashi, Maki; Aida, Masatoshi; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Begum, Nasim A; Kitawaki, Yoko; Nakata, Mikiyo; Stanlie, Andre; Doi, Tomomitsu; Kato, Lucia; Okazaki, Il-mi; Shinkura, Reiko; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Honjo, Tasuku

2009-12-29

To initiate class switch recombination (CSR) activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) induces staggered nick cleavage in the S region, which lies 5' to each Ig constant region gene and is rich in palindromic sequences. Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) controls the supercoiling of DNA by nicking, rotating, and religating one strand of DNA. Curiously, Top1 reduction or AID overexpression causes the genomic instability. Here, we report that the inactivation of Top1 by its specific inhibitor camptothecin drastically blocked both the S region cleavage and CSR, indicating that Top1 is responsible for the S region cleavage in CSR. Surprisingly, AID expression suppressed Top1 mRNA translation and reduced its protein level. In addition, the decrease in the Top1 protein by RNA-mediated knockdown augmented the AID-dependent S region cleavage, as well as CSR. Furthermore, Top1 reduction altered DNA structure of the Smu region. Taken together, AID-induced Top1 reduction alters S region DNA structure probably to non-B form, on which Top1 can introduce nicks but cannot religate, resulting in S region cleavage.

Construction of recombinant adenovirus with Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA and study of the Egr-1 promoter's biological activity

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Cai Xuwei; Fu Xiaolong; Yang Jian; Song Houyan

2005-01-01

Objective: To construct a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus containing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA, then to evaluate the biological activity of Egr-1 promoter. Methods: Based on Adeno- X TM expression system, CMV promoter of the pShuttle vector was replaced by Egr-1 promoter, and the Smad7 cDNA was subcloned into the MCS(multiple cloning site) of pShuttle. The recombinant pShuttle was then sub-cloned into the Adeno-X TM genome, which was transformed into E. coli to get recombinant Adeno-X TM plasmid DNA. The recombinant adenovirus was packaged and amplified in the transfected HEK293 cells before it was purified and tested for viral titer. The fibroblasts (3T6 cells) infected by the recombinant adenovirus were irradiated , and the activity of Egr-1 promoter was quantitively determined by the amount of Smad7 protein expressed in the 3T6 cells using Western blot. Results: Identified by restriction endonuclease analysis and PCR, the recombinant adenovirus containing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA was constructed successfully, with a viral titer of 1.0 x 10 11 TCID 50 /ml. The expressed amount of Smad7 protein varied at different dose levels and different time points post-irradiation in the 3T6 cells infected with the recombinant adenovirus. The amount of Smad7 protein increased along with the rising of the irradiation dose, and remained at a high expression level from 8 Gy to 15 Gy. The amount of Smad7 protein started to increase at 2 hours post-irradiation, and maintained a relatively high level for the next 5 hours before it descended, which was not observed in the control 3T6 cells. Conclusions: With the aid of Adeno-X TM expression system and molecular cloning techniques, construction of recombinant adenovirus could be quick and efficient. The recombined Egr-1 promoter has the activity of regulating the expression of downstream Smad7 cDNA. The increase in Smad7 expression under control of Egr-1 promoter induced by ionizing radiation is time- and dose

Hybridization-based antibody cDNA recovery for the production of recombinant antibodies identified by repertoire sequencing.

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Valdés-Alemán, Javier; Téllez-Sosa, Juan; Ovilla-Muñoz, Marbella; Godoy-Lozano, Elizabeth; Velázquez-Ramírez, Daniel; Valdovinos-Torres, Humberto; Gómez-Barreto, Rosa E; Martinez-Barnetche, Jesús

2014-01-01

High-throughput sequencing of the antibody repertoire is enabling a thorough analysis of B cell diversity and clonal selection, which may improve the novel antibody discovery process. Theoretically, an adequate bioinformatic analysis could allow identification of candidate antigen-specific antibodies, requiring their recombinant production for experimental validation of their specificity. Gene synthesis is commonly used for the generation of recombinant antibodies identified in silico. Novel strategies that bypass gene synthesis could offer more accessible antibody identification and validation alternatives. We developed a hybridization-based recovery strategy that targets the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDRH3) for the enrichment of cDNA of candidate antigen-specific antibody sequences. Ten clonal groups of interest were identified through bioinformatic analysis of the heavy chain antibody repertoire of mice immunized with hen egg white lysozyme (HEL). cDNA from eight of the targeted clonal groups was recovered efficiently, leading to the generation of recombinant antibodies. One representative heavy chain sequence from each clonal group recovered was paired with previously reported anti-HEL light chains to generate full antibodies, later tested for HEL-binding capacity. The recovery process proposed represents a simple and scalable molecular strategy that could enhance antibody identification and specificity assessment, enabling a more cost-efficient generation of recombinant antibodies.

On the mutagenicity of homologous recombination and double-strand break repair in bacteriophage.

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Shcherbakov, Victor P; Plugina, Lidiya; Shcherbakova, Tamara; Sizova, Svetlana; Kudryashova, Elena

2011-01-02

The double-strand break (DSB) repair via homologous recombination is generally construed as a high-fidelity process. However, some molecular genetic observations show that the recombination and the recombinational DSB repair may be mutagenic and even highly mutagenic. Here we developed an effective and precise method for studying the fidelity of DSB repair in vivo by combining DSBs produced site-specifically by the SegC endonuclease with the famous advantages of the recombination analysis of bacteriophage T4 rII mutants. The method is based on the comparison of the rate of reversion of rII mutation in the presence and in the absence of a DSB repair event initiated in the proximity of the mutation. We observed that DSB repair may moderately (up to 6-fold) increase the apparent reversion frequency, the effect of being dependent on the mutation structure. We also studied the effect of the T4 recombinase deficiency (amber mutation in the uvsX gene) on the fidelity of DSB repair. We observed that DSBs are still repaired via homologous recombination in the uvsX mutants, and the apparent fidelity of this repair is higher than that seen in the wild-type background. The mutator effect of the DSB repair may look unexpected given that most of the normal DNA synthesis in bacteriophage T4 is performed via a recombination-dependent replication (RDR) pathway, which is thought to be indistinguishable from DSB repair. There are three possible explanations for the observed mutagenicity of DSB repair: (1) the origin-dependent (early) DNA replication may be more accurate than the RDR; (2) the step of replication initiation may be more mutagenic than the process of elongation; and (3) the apparent mutagenicity may just reflect some non-randomness in the pool of replicating DNA, i.e., preferential replication of the sequences already involved in replication. We discuss the DSB repair pathway in the absence of UvsX recombinase. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multifaceted regulation of V(D)J recombination

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Wang, Guannan

V(D)J recombination is responsible for generating an enormous repertoire of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors, therefore it is a centerpiece to the formation of the adaptive immune system. The V(D)J recombination process proceeds through two steps, site-specific cleavage at RSS (Recombination Signal Sequence) site mediated by the RAG recombinase (RAG1/2) and the subsequent imprecise resolution of the DNA ends, which is carried out by the ubiquitous non-homologous end joining pathway (NHEJ). The V(D)J recombination reaction is obliged to be tightly controlled under all circumstances, as it involves generations of DNA double strand breaks, which are considered the most dangerous lesion to a cell. Multifaceted regulatory mechanisms have been evolved to create great diversity of the antigen receptor repertoire while ensuring genome stability. The RAG-mediated cleavage reaction is stringently regulated at both the pre-cleavage stage and the post-cleavage stage. Specifically, RAG1/2 first forms a pre-cleavage complex assembled at the boarder of RSS and coding flank, which ensures the appropriate DNA targeting. Subsequently, this complex initiates site-specific cleavage, generating two types of double stranded DNA breaks, hairpin-ended coding ends (HP-CEs) and blunt signal ends (SEs). After the cleavage, RAG1/2 proteins bind and retain the recombination ends to form post-cleavage complexes (PCC), which collaborates with the NHEJ machinery for appropriate transfer of recombination ends to NHEJ for proper end resolution. However, little is known about the molecular basis of this collaboration, partly attributed to the lack of sensitive assays to reveal the interaction of PCC with HP-CEs. Here, for the first time, by using two complementary fluorescence-based techniques, fluorescence anisotropy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), I managed to monitor the RAG1/2-catalyzed cleavage reaction in real time, from the pre-cleavage to the post-cleavage stages. By

Homologous recombination in mammalian cells: effect of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins, replication inhibition and ionizing radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saintigny, Yannick

1999-01-01

The control of cell cycle, associated with the mechanisms of replication, DNA repair/recombination allows the cells to maintain their genetic integrity. The p53 protein ensures the control of G1/S transition. Its inactivation would allow to initial replication on damaged matrix and lead to the block of replication forks followed by DNA strand breaks, good substrates for recombination. This work shows that the expression of mutant p53 protein stimulates both spontaneous and radio-induced homologous recombination, independently of the control of cell cycle. Moreover, the use of a set of replication inhibitors show that inhibition of the replication elongation stimulates recombination more strongly than the initiation inhibition. Replication arrest by these inhibitors also significantly increases the number of DNA strand breaks. These results highlighted a point of action of p53 protein on the ultimate stages of the homologous recombination mechanism. Lastly, the expression of Bcl-2 protein inhibits apoptosis and increases survival, but specifically inhibits conservative recombination, after radiation as well as in absence of apoptotic stress. The extinction of this mechanism of DNA repair is associated with an increase of mutagenesis. Taken together, these results allow ta consider the maintenance of the genetic stability as a cellular network involving different pathways. A multiple stages model for tumoral progression can be deduced. (author) [fr

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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

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

Replication Protein A (RPA) deficiency activates the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Seok-Won; Jung, Jin Ki; Kim, Jung Min

2016-09-01

The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway regulates DNA inter-strand crosslink (ICL) repair. Despite our greater understanding of the role of FA in ICL repair, its function in the preventing spontaneous genome instability is not well understood. Here, we show that depletion of replication protein A (RPA) activates the FA pathway. RPA1 deficiency increases chromatin recruitment of FA core complex, leading to FANCD2 monoubiquitination (FANCD2-Ub) and foci formation in the absence of DNA damaging agents. Importantly, ATR depletion, but not ATM, abolished RPA1 depletion-induced FANCD2-Ub, suggesting that ATR activation mediated FANCD2-Ub. Interestingly, we found that depletion of hSSB1/2-INTS3, a single-stranded DNA-binding protein complex, induces FANCD2-Ub, like RPA1 depletion. More interestingly, depletion of either RPA1 or INTS3 caused increased accumulation of DNA damage in FA pathway deficient cell lines. Taken together, these results indicate that RPA deficiency induces activation of the FA pathway in an ATR-dependent manner, which may play a role in the genome maintenance.

DNA ligase III is involved in a DNA-PK independent pathway of NHEJ in human cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.; Perrault, A.R.; Qin, W.; Wang, H.; Iliakis, G.

2003-01-01

Full text: Double strand breaks (DSB) induced by ionizing radiation (IR) and other cytotoxic agents in the genome of higher eukaryotes are thought to be repaired either by homologous recombination repair (HRR), or non-homologous endjoining (NHEJ). We previously reported the operation of two components of NHEJ in vivo: a DNA-PK dependent component that operates with fast kinetics (D-NHEJ), and a DNA-PK independent component that acts as a backup (basic or B-NHEJ) and operates with kinetics an order of magnitude slower. To gain further insight into the mechanisms of B-NHEJ, we investigated DNA endjoining in extracts 180BR, a human cell line deficient in DNA ligase IV, using an in vitro plasmid-based DNA endjoining assay. An anti DNA ligase III antibody inhibited almost completely DNA endjoining activity in these extracts. On the other hand, an anti DNA ligase I antibody had no measurable effect in DNA endjoining activity. Immunodepletion of DNA ligase III from 180BR cell extracts abolished the DNA endjoining activity, which could be restored by addition of purified human DNA ligase IIIb. Full-length DNA ligase III bound to double stranded DNA and stimulated DNA endjoining in both intermolecular and intramolecular ligation. Furthermore, fractionation of HeLa cell extracts demonstrated the presence of an activity stimulating the function of DNA ligase III. Based on these observations we propose that DNA ligase III is the ligase operating in B-NHEJ

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase IV: possible involvement in double strand break DNA repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Leem, S H; Ropp, P A; Sugino, A

1994-08-11

We identified and purified a new DNA polymerase (DNA polymerase IV), which is similar to mammalian DNA polymerase beta, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and suggested that it is encoded by YCR14C (POLX) on chromosome III. Here, we provided a direct evidence that the purified DNA polymerase IV is indeed encoded by POLX. Strains harboring a pol4 deletion mutation exhibit neither mitotic growth defect nor a meiosis defect, suggesting that DNA polymerase IV participates in nonessential functions in DNA metabolism. The deletion strains did not exhibit UV-sensitivity. However, they did show weak sensitivity to MMS-treatment and exhibited a hyper-recombination phenotype when intragenic recombination was measured during meiosis. Furthermore, MAT alpha pol4 delta segregants had a higher frequency of illegitimate mating with a MAT alpha tester strain than that of wild-type cells. These results suggest that DNA polymerase IV participates in a double-strand break repair pathway. A 3.2kb of the POL4 transcript was weakly expressed in mitotically growing cells. During meiosis, a 2.2 kb POL4 transcript was greatly induced, while the 3.2 kb transcript stayed at constant levels. This induction was delayed in a swi4 delta strain during meiosis, while no effect was observed in a swi6 delta strain.

Quantitative real-time PCR technique for the identification of E. coli residual DNA in streptokinase recombinant product.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazelahi, Mansoureh; Kia, Vahid; Kaghazian, Hooman; Paryan, Mahdi

2017-11-26

Recombinant streptokinase is a biopharmaceutical which is usually produced in E. coli. Residual DNA as a contamination and risk factor may remain in the product. It is necessary to control the production procedure to exclude any possible contamination. The aim of the present study was to develop a highly specific and sensitive quantitative real-time PCR-based method to determine the amount of E. coli DNA in recombinant streptokinase. A specific primers and a probe was designed to detect all strains of E. coli. To determine the specificity, in addition to using NCBI BLASTn, 28 samples including human, bacterial, and viral genomes were used. The results confirmed that the assay detects no genomic DNA but E. coli's and the specificity was determined to be 100%. To determine the sensitivity and limit of detection of the assay, a 10-fold serial dilution (10 1 to 10 7 copies/µL) was tested in triplicate. The sensitivity of the test was determined to be 101 copies/µL or 35 fg/µL. Inter-assay and intra-assay were determined to be 0.86 and 1.69%, respectively. Based on the results, this assay can be used as an accurate method to evaluate the contamination of recombinant streptokinase in E. coli.

DMPD: Signal transduction pathways mediated by the interaction of CpG DNA withToll-like receptor 9. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 14751759 Signal transduction pathways mediated by the interaction of CpG DNA withTo...;16(1):17-22. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Signal transduction pathways mediated by the interaction of... CpG DNA withToll-like receptor 9. PubmedID 14751759 Title Signal transduction pathways media

Oligonucleotide recombination enabled site-specific mutagenesis in bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Recombineering refers to a strategy for engineering DNA sequences using a specialized mode of homologous recombination. This technology can be used for rapidly constructing precise changes in bacterial genome sequences in vivo. Oligo recombination is one type of recombineering that uses ssDNA olig...

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.

Cell biology of mitotic recombination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lisby, Michael; Rothstein, Rodney

2015-01-01

Homologous recombination provides high-fidelity DNA repair throughout all domains of life. Live cell fluorescence microscopy offers the opportunity to image individual recombination events in real time providing insight into the in vivo biochemistry of the involved proteins and DNA molecules as w...

Construction of C35 gene bait recombinants and T47D cell cDNA library.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Kun; Xu, Chao; Zhao, Gui-Hua; Liu, Ye; Xiao, Ting; Zhu, Song; Yan, Ge

2017-11-20

C35 is a novel tumor biomarker associated with metastasis progression. To investigate the interaction factors of C35 in its high expressed breast cancer cell lines, we constructed bait recombinant plasmids of C35 gene and T47D cell cDNA library for yeast two-hybrid screening. Full length C35 sequences were subcloned using RT-PCR from cDNA template extracted from T47D cells. Based on functional domain analysis, the full-length C35 1-348bp was also truncated into two fragments C351-153bp and C35154-348bp to avoid auto-activation. The three kinds of C35 genes were successfully amplified and inserted into pGBKT7 to construct bait recombinant plasmids pGBKT7-C351-348bp, pGBKT7-C351-153bp and pGBKT7-C35154-348bp, then transformed into Y187 yeast cells by the lithium acetate method. Auto-activation and toxicity of C35 baits were detected using nutritional deficient medium and X-α-Gal assays. The T47D cell ds cDNA was generated by SMART TM technology and the library was constructed using in vivo recombination-mediated cloning in the AH109 yeast strain using a pGADT7-Rec plasmid. The transformed Y187/pGBKT7-C351-348bp line was intensively inhibited while the truncated Y187/pGBKT7-C35 lines had no auto-activation and toxicity in yeast cells. The titer of established cDNA library was 2 × 10 7 pfu/mL with high transformation efficiency of 1.4 × 10 6 , and the insert size of ds cDNA was distributed homogeneously between 0.5-2.0 kb. Our research generated a T47D cell cDNA library with high titer, and the constructed two C35 "baits" contained a respective functional immunoreceptor tyrosine based activation motif (ITAM) and the conserved last four amino acids Cys-Ile-Leu-Val (CILV) motif, and therefore laid a foundation for screening the C35 interaction factors in a BC cell line.

Recombinant pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase, recombinant dirigent protein, and methods of use

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Norman G.; Davin, Laurence B.; Dinkova-Kostova, Albena T.; Fujita, Masayuki; Gang, David R.; Sarkanen, Simo; Ford, Joshua D.

2001-04-03

Dirigent proteins and pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases have been isolated, together with cDNAs encoding dirigent proteins and pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases. Accordingly, isolated DNA sequences are provided which code for the expression of dirigent proteins and pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases. In other aspects, replicable recombinant cloning vehicles are provided which code for dirigent proteins or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases or for a base sequence sufficiently complementary to at least a portion of dirigent protein or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase DNA or RNA to enable hybridization therewith. In yet other aspects, modified host cells are provided that have been transformed, transfected, infected and/or injected with a recombinant cloning vehicle and/or DNA sequence encoding dirigent protein or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase. Thus, systems and methods are provided for the recombinant expression of dirigent proteins and/or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases.

Recombinant VSV G proteins reveal a novel raft-dependent endocytic pathway in resorbing osteoclasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulari, Mika T.K.; Nars, Martin; Laitala-Leinonen, Tiina; Kaisto, Tuula; Metsikkoe, Kalervo; Sun Yi; Vaeaenaenen, H. Kalervo

2008-01-01

Transcytotic membrane flow delivers degraded bone fragments from the ruffled border to the functional secretory domain, FSD, in bone resorbing osteoclasts. Here we show that there is also a FSD-to-ruffled border trafficking pathway that compensates for the membrane loss during the matrix uptake process and that rafts are essential for this ruffled border-targeted endosomal pathway. Replacing the cytoplasmic tail of the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein with that of CD4 resulted in partial insolubility in Triton X-100 and retargeting from the peripheral non-bone facing plasma membrane to the FSD. Recombinant G proteins were subsequently endosytosed and delivered from the FSD to the peripheral fusion zone of the ruffled border, which were both rich in lipid rafts as suggested by viral protein transport analysis and visualizing the rafts with fluorescent recombinant cholera toxin. Cholesterol depletion by methyl-β-cyclodextrin impaired the ruffled border-targeted vesicle trafficking pathway and inhibited bone resorption dose-dependently as quantified by measuring the CTX and TRACP 5b secreted to the culture medium and by measuring the resorbed area visualized with a bi-phasic labeling method using sulpho-NHS-biotin and WGA-lectin. Thus, rafts are vital for membrane recycling from the FSD to the late endosomal/lysosomal ruffled border and bone resorption

A Novel Recombinant DNA System for High Efficiency Affinity Purification of Proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian H. Carrick

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Isolation of endogenous proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been facilitated by inserting encoding polypeptide affinity tags at the C-termini of chromosomal open reading frames (ORFs using homologous recombination of DNA fragments. Tagged protein isolation is limited by a number of factors, including high cost of affinity resins for bulk isolation and low concentration of ligands on the resin surface, leading to low isolation efficiencies and trapping of contaminants. To address this, we have created a recombinant “CelTag” DNA construct from which PCR fragments can be created to easily tag C-termini of S. cerevisiae ORFs using selection for a nat1 marker. The tag has a C-terminal cellulose binding module to be used in the first affinity step. Microgranular cellulose is very inexpensive and has an effectively continuous ligand on its surface, allowing rapid, highly efficient purification with minimal background. Cellulose-bound proteins are released by specific cleavage of an included site for TEV protease, giving nearly pure product. The tag can be lifted from the recombinant DNA construct either with or without a 13x myc epitope tag between the target ORF and the TEV protease site. Binding of CelTag protein fusions to cellulose is stable to high salt, nonionic detergents, and 1 M urea, allowing stringent washing conditions to remove loosely associated components, as needed, before specific elution. It is anticipated that this reagent could allow isolation of protein complexes from large quantities of yeast extract, including soluble, membrane-bound, or nucleic acid-associated assemblies.

IDN2 Interacts with RPA and Facilitates DNA Double-Strand Break Repair by Homologous Recombination in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mingming; Ba, Zhaoqing; Costa-Nunes, Pedro; Wei, Wei; Li, Lanxia; Kong, Fansi; Li, Yan; Chai, Jijie; Pontes, Olga; Qi, Yijun

2017-03-01

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity. We previously showed that DSB-induced small RNAs (diRNAs) facilitate homologous recombination-mediated DSB repair in Arabidopsis thaliana Here, we show that INVOLVED IN DE NOVO2 (IDN2), a double-stranded RNA binding protein involved in small RNA-directed DNA methylation, is required for DSB repair in Arabidopsis. We find that IDN2 interacts with the heterotrimeric replication protein A (RPA) complex. Depletion of IDN2 or the diRNA binding ARGONAUTE2 leads to increased accumulation of RPA at DSB sites and mislocalization of the recombination factor RAD51. These findings support a model in which IDN2 interacts with RPA and facilitates the release of RPA from single-stranded DNA tails and subsequent recruitment of RAD51 at DSB sites to promote DSB repair. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Silencing of the pentose phosphate pathway genes influences DNA replication in human fibroblasts.

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Fornalewicz, Karolina; Wieczorek, Aneta; Węgrzyn, Grzegorz; Łyżeń, Robert

2017-11-30

Previous reports and our recently published data indicated that some enzymes of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle can affect the genome replication process by changing either the efficiency or timing of DNA synthesis in human normal cells. Both these pathways are connected with the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP pathway). The PPP pathway supports cell growth by generating energy and precursors for nucleotides and amino acids. Therefore, we asked if silencing of genes coding for enzymes involved in the pentose phosphate pathway may also affect the control of DNA replication in human fibroblasts. Particular genes coding for PPP pathway enzymes were partially silenced with specific siRNAs. Such cells remained viable. We found that silencing of the H6PD, PRPS1, RPE genes caused less efficient enterance to the S phase and decrease in efficiency of DNA synthesis. On the other hand, in cells treated with siRNA against G6PD, RBKS and TALDO genes, the fraction of cells entering the S phase was increased. However, only in the case of G6PD and TALDO, the ratio of BrdU incorporation to DNA was significantly changed. The presented results together with our previously published studies illustrate the complexity of the influence of genes coding for central carbon metabolism on the control of DNA replication in human fibroblasts, and indicate which of them are especially important in this process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The chemical basis of DNA damage by the direct pathway of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Kiran Kumar K.

2013-01-01

Free radicals in living system has been implicated as playing a major role in the etiology of variety of diseases. The mechanism of free radicals in vivo involves predominantly the reaction with the DNA, producing different types of damage to the DNA. These lesions induced to the DNA could lead to mutation and even cell death. Radiolysis techniques, which uses ionizing radiation has proven to be one of the most advanced and excellent tool for studying the free radical reaction mechanisms as it can produce a host of well characterized free radicals. The effects of ionizing radiation on DNA have been studied for many years. Ionizing radiation interacts with DNA in vivo by two pathways, direct and indirect. The indirect accounts for 50-60% while the direct effect accounts for 40-50%. The chemical mechanism of the former reaction arising mainly from the reactive species produced by radiolysis of water has been extensively studied, however with respect to the later pathway, which creates holes and electrons to the DNA molecule using DNA films and crystals is an active area of research as both the pathways plays important roles in DNA damage in vivo particularly in chromosomal DNA which are tightly bound with histones and compartmentalized

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)

A simple DNA recombination screening method by RT-PCR as an alternative to Southern blot

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albers, Eliene; Sbroggiò, Mauro; Martin Gonzalez, Javier

2017-01-01

The generation of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), including knock-out (KO) and knock-in (KI) models, often requires genomic screening of many mouse ES cell (mESC) clones by Southern blot. The use of large targeting constructs facilitates the recombination of exogenous DNA in a specific...

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.

Dual recombinant Lactococcus lactis for enhanced delivery of DNA vaccine reporter plasmid pPERDBY.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagnik, Bhrugu; Sharma, Drashya; Padh, Harish; Desai, Priti

2017-04-01

Food grade Lactococcus lactis has been widely used as an antigen and DNA delivery vehicle. We have previously reported the use of non-invasive L. lactis to deliver the newly constructed immunostimulatory DNA vaccine reporter plasmid, pPERDBY. In the present report, construction of dual recombinant L. lactis expressing internalin A of Listeria monocytogenes and harboring pPERDBY (LL InlA + pPERDBY) to enhance the efficiency of delivery of DNA by L. lactis is outlined. After confirmation and validation of LL InlA + pPERDBY, its DNA delivery potential was compared with previously developed non-invasive r- L. lactis::pPERDBY. The use of invasive L. lactis resulted in around threefold increases in the number of enhanced green fluorescent protein-expressing Caco-2 cells. These findings reinforce the prospective application of invasive strain of L. lactis for delivery of DNA/RNA and antigens. © 2017 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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....

Genetic interactions between the chromosome axis-associated protein Hop1 and homologous recombination determinants in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Simon David; Jarosinska, Olga Dorota; Lorenz, Alexander

2018-03-17

Hop1 is a component of the meiosis-specific chromosome axis and belongs to the evolutionarily conserved family of HORMA domain proteins. Hop1 and its orthologs in higher eukaryotes are a major factor in promoting double-strand DNA break formation and inter-homolog recombination. In budding yeast and mammals, they are also involved in a meiotic checkpoint kinase cascade monitoring the completion of double-strand DNA break repair. We used the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which lacks a canonical synaptonemal complex to test whether Hop1 has a role beyond supporting the generation of double-strand DNA breaks and facilitating inter-homolog recombination events. We determined how mutants of homologous recombination factors genetically interact with hop1, studied the role(s) of the HORMA domain of Hop1, and characterized a bio-informatically predicted interactor of Hop1, Aho1 (SPAC688.03c). Our observations indicate that in fission yeast, Hop1 does require its HORMA domain to support wild-type levels of meiotic recombination and localization to meiotic chromatin. Furthermore, we show that hop1∆ only weakly interacts genetically with mutants of homologous recombination factors, and in fission yeast likely has no major role beyond break formation and promoting inter-homolog events. We speculate that after the evolutionary loss of the synaptonemal complex, Hop1 likely has become less important for modulating recombination outcome during meiosis in fission yeast, and that this led to a concurrent rewiring of genetic pathways controlling meiotic recombination.

The use of recombinant DNA techniques to study radiation-induced damage, repair and genetic change in mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thacker, J.

1986-01-01

A brief introduction is given to appropriate elements of recombinant DNA techniques and applications to problems in radiobiology are reviewed with illustrative detail. Examples are included of studies with both 254 nm ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation and the review progresses from the molecular analysis of DNA damage in vitro through to the nature of consequent cellular responses. The review is dealt with under the following headings: Molecular distribution of DNA damage, The use of DNA-mediated gene transfer to assess damage and repair, The DNA double strand break: use of restriction endonucleases to model radiation damage, Identification and cloning of DNA repair genes, Analysis of radiation-induced genetic change. (UK)

Mechanistically Distinct Pathways of Divergent Regulatory DNA Creation Contribute to Evolution of Human-Specific Genomic Regulatory Networks Driving Phenotypic Divergence of Homo sapiens.

Science.gov (United States)

Glinsky, Gennadi V

2016-09-19

Thousands of candidate human-specific regulatory sequences (HSRS) have been identified, supporting the hypothesis that unique to human phenotypes result from human-specific alterations of genomic regulatory networks. Collectively, a compendium of multiple diverse families of HSRS that are functionally and structurally divergent from Great Apes could be defined as the backbone of human-specific genomic regulatory networks. Here, the conservation patterns analysis of 18,364 candidate HSRS was carried out requiring that 100% of bases must remap during the alignments of human, chimpanzee, and bonobo sequences. A total of 5,535 candidate HSRS were identified that are: (i) highly conserved in Great Apes; (ii) evolved by the exaptation of highly conserved ancestral DNA; (iii) defined by either the acceleration of mutation rates on the human lineage or the functional divergence from non-human primates. The exaptation of highly conserved ancestral DNA pathway seems mechanistically distinct from the evolution of regulatory DNA segments driven by the species-specific expansion of transposable elements. Genome-wide proximity placement analysis of HSRS revealed that a small fraction of topologically associating domains (TADs) contain more than half of HSRS from four distinct families. TADs that are enriched for HSRS and termed rapidly evolving in humans TADs (revTADs) comprise 0.8-10.3% of 3,127 TADs in the hESC genome. RevTADs manifest distinct correlation patterns between placements of human accelerated regions, human-specific transcription factor-binding sites, and recombination rates. There is a significant enrichment within revTAD boundaries of hESC-enhancers, primate-specific CTCF-binding sites, human-specific RNAPII-binding sites, hCONDELs, and H3K4me3 peaks with human-specific enrichment at TSS in prefrontal cortex neurons (P sapiens is driven by the evolution of human-specific genomic regulatory networks via at least two mechanistically distinct pathways of creation of

The PCNA-associated protein PARI negatively regulates homologous recombination via the inhibition of DNA repair synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burkovics, Peter; Dome, Lili; Juhasz, Szilvia

2016-01-01

to inhibit homologous recombination (HR) events. Here, we describe a biochemical mechanism in which PARI functions as an HR regulator after replication fork stalling and during double-strand break repair. In our reconstituted biochemical system, we show that PARI inhibits DNA repair synthesis during...... recombination events in a PCNA interaction-dependent way but independently of its UvrD-like helicase domain. In accordance, we demonstrate that PARI inhibits HR in vivo, and its knockdown suppresses the UV sensitivity of RAD18-depleted cells. Our data reveal a novel human regulatory mechanism that limits...

Acute Smc5/6 depletion reveals its primary role in rDNA replication by restraining recombination at fork pausing sites.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao P Peng

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Smc5/6, a member of the conserved SMC family of complexes, is essential for growth in most organisms. Its exact functions in a mitotic cell cycle are controversial, as chronic Smc5/6 loss-of-function alleles produce varying phenotypes. To circumvent this issue, we acutely depleted Smc5/6 in budding yeast and determined the first cell cycle consequences of Smc5/6 removal. We found a striking primary defect in replication of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA array. Each rDNA repeat contains a programmed replication fork barrier (RFB established by the Fob1 protein. Fob1 removal improves rDNA replication in Smc5/6 depleted cells, implicating Smc5/6 in the management of programmed fork pausing. A similar improvement is achieved by removing the DNA helicase Mph1 whose recombinogenic activity can be inhibited by Smc5/6 under DNA damage conditions. DNA 2D gel analyses further show that Smc5/6 loss increases recombination structures at RFB regions; moreover, mph1∆ and fob1∆ similarly reduce this accumulation. These findings point to an important mitotic role for Smc5/6 in restraining recombination events when protein barriers in rDNA stall replication forks. As rDNA maintenance influences multiple essential cellular processes, Smc5/6 likely links rDNA stability to overall mitotic growth.

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.

Total DNA of Glycyrrhiza uralensis transformed into Hansenula anomala by ion implantation:Preparing Glycyrrhizic acid in recombined yeasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Xiang; Mao Peihong; Lu Jie; Ma Yuan

2010-01-01

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) in Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis) is physiologically active. In this study, the total DNA of wild G. uralensis was randomly transformed into Hansenula anomaly by implantation of low-energy Ar + and N + , to produce five recombinant yeast strains relating to biological synthesis of the GA or Glycyrrhetinic acid (GAs). After culturing in liquid medium for 96 h, the resultant GA, 18α-GAs and 18β-Gas were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and the corresponding concentrations were 114.49, 0.56, and 0.81 mg·L -1 . After one hundred primers were analyzed with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), the seven different DNA fragments were produced by the N7059 strain of recombined yeasts, and, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) verified that one of them came from the genome of G. uralensis, indicating a successful transfer of genetic information by ion implantation. (authors)

A STUDY OF INTERMEDIATES INVOLVED IN THE FOLDING PATHWAY FOR RECOMBINANT HUMAN MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (M-CSF) - EVIDENCE FOR 2 DISTINCT FOLDING PATHWAYS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WILKINS, JA; CONE, J; RANDHAWA, ZI; WOOD, D; WARREN, MK; WITKOWSKA, HE

The folding pathway for a 150-amino acid recombinant form of the dimeric cytokine human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) has been studied. All 14 cysteine residues in the biologically active homodimer are involved in disulfide linkages. The structural characteristics of folding

The use of recombinant DNA technology for the development of a bluetongue virus subunit vaccine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huismans, H.

1985-01-01

The double-standed RNA gene coding for the surface antigen responsible for inducing neutralising anti-bodies has been isolated, converted to DNA, and cloned in the plasmid pBR322. So far, only plasmids containing inserts smaller than the gene have been obtained. The recombinant plasmids were isolated by screening for specific antibiotic resistance markers and characterized by size, restriction enzymes and hybridization with a 32 P-labelled DNA probe made with BTV-m RNA as template. Possible strategies for the development of a bluetongue virus submit vaccine are discussed

Cytological studies of human meiosis: sex-specific differences in recombination originate at, or prior to, establishment of double-strand breaks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer R Gruhn

Full Text Available Meiotic recombination is sexually dimorphic in most mammalian species, including humans, but the basis for the male:female differences remains unclear. In the present study, we used cytological methodology to directly compare recombination levels between human males and females, and to examine possible sex-specific differences in upstream events of double-strand break (DSB formation and synaptic initiation. Specifically, we utilized the DNA mismatch repair protein MLH1 as a marker of recombination events, the RecA homologue RAD51 as a surrogate for DSBs, and the synaptonemal complex proteins SYCP3 and/or SYCP1 to examine synapsis between homologs. Consistent with linkage studies, genome-wide recombination levels were higher in females than in males, and the placement of exchanges varied between the sexes. Subsequent analyses of DSBs and synaptic initiation sites indicated similar male:female differences, providing strong evidence that sex-specific differences in recombination rates are established at or before the formation of meiotic DSBs. We then asked whether these differences might be linked to variation in the organization of the meiotic axis and/or axis-associated DNA and, indeed, we observed striking male:female differences in synaptonemal complex (SC length and DNA loop size. Taken together, our observations suggest that sex specific differences in recombination in humans may derive from chromatin differences established prior to the onset of the recombination pathway.

Therapeutic Recombinant Monoclonal Antibodies

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhtiar, Ray

2012-01-01

During the last two decades, the rapid growth of biotechnology-derived techniques has led to a myriad of therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibodies with significant clinical benefits. Recombinant monoclonal antibodies can be obtained from a number of natural sources such as animal cell cultures using recombinant DNA engineering. In contrast to…

Use of a ring chromosome and pulsed-field gels to study interhomolog recombination, double-strand DNA breaks and sister-chromatid exchange in yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Game, J.C.; Sitney, K.C.; Cook, V.E.; Mortimer, R.K.

1989-01-01

The authors describe a system that uses pulsed-field gels for the physical detection of recombinant DNA molecules, double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) and sister-chromatid exchange in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The system makes use of a circular variant of chromosome II (Chr. III). Meiotic recombination between this ring chromosome and a linear homolog produces new molecules of sizes distinguishable on gels from either parental molecule. They demonstrate that these recombinant molecules are not present either in strains with two linear Chr. III molecules or in rad50 mutants, which are defective in meiotic recombination. In conjunction with the molecular endpoints. They present data on the timing of commitment to meiotic recombination scored genetically. They have used x-rays to linearize circular Chr. III, both to develop a sensitive method for measuring frequency of DSB and as a means of detecting double-size circles originating in part from sister-chromatid exchange, which they find to be frequent during meiosis

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)

Evidence for the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecG helicase in DNA repair and recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Roshan S; Basavaraju, Shivakumar; Somyajit, Kumar; Jain, Akshatha; Subramanya, Shreelakshmi; Muniyappa, Kalappa; Nagaraju, Ganesh

2013-04-01

In order to survive and replicate in a variety of stressful conditions during its life cycle, Mycobacterium tuberculosis must possess mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the genome. Although DNA repair and recombination related genes are thought to play key roles in the repair of damaged DNA in all organisms, so far only a few of them have been functionally characterized in the tubercle bacillus. In this study, we show that M. tuberculosis RecG (MtRecG) expression was induced in response to different genotoxic agents. Strikingly, expression of MtRecG in Escherichia coli ∆recG mutant strain provided protection against mitomycin C, methyl methane sulfonate and UV induced cell death. Purified MtRecG exhibited higher binding affinity for the Holliday junction (HJ) compared with a number of canonical recombinational DNA repair intermediates. Notably, although MtRecG binds at the core of the mobile and immobile HJs, and with higher binding affinity for the immobile HJ, branch migration was evident only in the case of the mobile HJ. Furthermore, immobile HJs stimulate MtRecG ATPase activity less efficiently than mobile HJs. In addition to HJ substrates, MtRecG exhibited binding affinity for a variety of branched DNA structures including three-way junctions, replication forks, flap structures, forked duplex and a D-loop structure, but demonstrated strong unwinding activity on replication fork and flap DNA structures. Together, these results support that MtRecG plays an important role in processes related to DNA metabolism under normal as well as stress conditions. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.

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

DNA Damage Induced by Alkylating Agents and Repair Pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Kondo, Natsuko; Takahashi, Akihisa; Ono, Koji; Ohnishi, Takeo

2010-01-01

The cytotoxic effects of alkylating agents are strongly attenuated by cellular DNA repair processes, necessitating a clear understanding of the repair mechanisms. Simple methylating agents form adducts at N- and O-atoms. N-methylations are removed by base excision repair, AlkB homologues, or nucleotide excision repair (NER). O6-methylguanine (MeG), which can eventually become cytotoxic and mutagenic, is repaired by O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, and O6MeG:T mispairs are recognized by the mismatch repair system (MMR). MMR cannot repair the O6MeG/T mispairs, which eventually lead to double-strand breaks. Bifunctional alkylating agents form interstrand cross-links (ICLs) which are more complex and highly cytotoxic. ICLs are repaired by complex of NER factors (e.g., endnuclease xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F-excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency complementation group 1), Fanconi anemia repair, and homologous recombination. A detailed understanding of how cells cope with DNA damage caused by alkylating agents is therefore potentially useful in clinical medicine. PMID:21113301

DNA repair in Haemophilus influenzae: isolation and characterization of an ultraviolet sensitive mutator mutant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walter, R.B.

1985-01-01

DNA repair in Haemophilus influenzae appears to be quite different from that seen in Escherichia coli in that H. influenzae shows neither SOS nor adaptation phenomena. Repair of DNA lesions in H. influenzae has been seen to occur via recombinational, excision, and mismatch repair pathways acting independently of one another. The author has isolated an ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive mutator mutant (mutB1) of H. influenzae Rd which shows deficiencies in both recombinational and mismatch repair pathways. This mutant is sensitive to a variety of DNA damaging agents as well as being hypermutable by alkylating agents and base analogues. MutB1 cells do not show post-UV DNA breakdown but do begin excision after UV irradiation. Genetic transformation with UV-irradiated DNA on mut B1 recipients shows that high (HE) and low (LE) efficiency markers are transformed at a ratio of 1.0 as in the mismatch repair deficient hex 1 mutant; however, kinetics of UV-inactivation experiments indicate that HE markers are sensitized and act as LE markers do on wild type recipients. Thus, the mutB gene product appears to play a role in both DNA repair and genetic transformation. A model is outlined which presents a role for a DNA helicase in both DNA repair and genetic transformation of H. influenzae

Recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor exerts anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects in murine pneumococcal pneumonia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boogaard, F. E.; Brands, X.; Schultz, M. J.; Levi, M. [=Marcel M.; Roelofs, J. J. T. H.; van 't Veer, C.; van der Poll, T.

2011-01-01

Background: Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae is the most common causative pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia and a major cause of sepsis. Recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (rh-TFPI) attenuates sepsis-induced coagulation and has been evaluated in clinical trials involving patients

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

HSV-I and the cellular DNA damage response.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Samantha; Weller, Sandra K

2015-04-01

Peter Wildy first observed genetic recombination between strains of HSV in 1955. At the time, knowledge of DNA repair mechanisms was limited, and it has only been in the last decade that particular DNA damage response (DDR) pathways have been examined in the context of viral infections. One of the first reports addressing the interaction between a cellular DDR protein and HSV-1 was the observation by Lees-Miller et al . that DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit levels were depleted in an ICP0-dependent manner during Herpes simplex virus 1 infection. Since then, there have been numerous reports describing the interactions between HSV infection and cellular DDR pathways. Due to space limitations, this review will focus predominantly on the most recent observations regarding how HSV navigates a potentially hostile environment to replicate its genome.

The transcription fidelity factor GreA impedes DNA break repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivaramakrishnan, Priya; Sepúlveda, Leonardo A; Halliday, Jennifer A; Liu, Jingjing; Núñez, María Angélica Bravo; Golding, Ido; Rosenberg, Susan M; Herman, Christophe

2017-10-12

Homologous recombination repairs DNA double-strand breaks and must function even on actively transcribed DNA. Because break repair prevents chromosome loss, the completion of repair is expected to outweigh the transcription of broken templates. However, the interplay between DNA break repair and transcription processivity is unclear. Here we show that the transcription factor GreA inhibits break repair in Escherichia coli. GreA restarts backtracked RNA polymerase and hence promotes transcription fidelity. We report that removal of GreA results in markedly enhanced break repair via the classic RecBCD-RecA pathway. Using a deep-sequencing method to measure chromosomal exonucleolytic degradation, we demonstrate that the absence of GreA limits RecBCD-mediated resection. Our findings suggest that increased RNA polymerase backtracking promotes break repair by instigating RecA loading by RecBCD, without the influence of canonical Chi signals. The idea that backtracked RNA polymerase can stimulate recombination presents a DNA transaction conundrum: a transcription fidelity factor that compromises genomic integrity.

Assembly and dynamics of the bacteriophage T4 homologous recombination machinery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morrical Scott W

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Homologous recombination (HR, a process involving the physical exchange of strands between homologous or nearly homologous DNA molecules, is critical for maintaining the genetic diversity and genome stability of species. Bacteriophage T4 is one of the classic systems for studies of homologous recombination. T4 uses HR for high-frequency genetic exchanges, for homology-directed DNA repair (HDR processes including DNA double-strand break repair, and for the initiation of DNA replication (RDR. T4 recombination proteins are expressed at high levels during T4 infection in E. coli, and share strong sequence, structural, and/or functional conservation with their counterparts in cellular organisms. Biochemical studies of T4 recombination have provided key insights on DNA strand exchange mechanisms, on the structure and function of recombination proteins, and on the coordination of recombination and DNA synthesis activities during RDR and HDR. Recent years have seen the development of detailed biochemical models for the assembly and dynamics of presynaptic filaments in the T4 recombination system, for the atomic structure of T4 UvsX recombinase, and for the roles of DNA helicases in T4 recombination. The goal of this chapter is to review these recent advances and their implications for HR and HDR mechanisms in all organisms.

Use of homologous recombination in yeast to create chimeric bovine viral diarrhea virus cDNA clones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Arenhart

Full Text Available Abstract The open reading frame of a Brazilian bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV strain, IBSP4ncp, was recombined with the untranslated regions of the reference NADL strain by homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, resulting in chimeric full-length cDNA clones of BVDV (chi-NADL/IBSP4ncp#2 and chi-NADL/IBSP4ncp#3. The recombinant clones were successfully recovered, resulting in viable viruses, having the kinetics of replication, focus size, and morphology similar to those of the parental virus, IBSP4ncp. In addition, the chimeric viruses remained stable for at least 10 passages in cell culture, maintaining their replication efficiency unaltered. Nucleotide sequencing revealed a few point mutations; nevertheless, the phenotype of the rescued viruses was nearly identical to that of the parental virus in all experiments. Thus, genetic stability of the chimeric clones and their phenotypic similarity to the parental virus confirm the ability of the yeast-based homologous recombination to maintain characteristics of the parental virus from which the recombinant viruses were derived. The data also support possible use of the yeast system for the manipulation of the BVDV genome.

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in the DNA-damage response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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.

Unique DNA repair gene variations and potential associations with the primary antibody deficiency syndromes IgAD and CVID.

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Steven M Offer

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Despite considerable effort, the genetic factors responsible for >90% of the antibody deficiency syndromes IgAD and CVID remain elusive. To produce a functionally diverse antibody repertoire B lymphocytes undergo class switch recombination. This process is initiated by AID-catalyzed deamination of cytidine to uridine in switch region DNA. Subsequently, these residues are recognized by the uracil excision enzyme UNG2 or the mismatch repair proteins MutSalpha (MSH2/MSH6 and MutLalpha (PMS2/MLH1. Further processing by ubiquitous DNA repair factors is thought to introduce DNA breaks, ultimately leading to class switch recombination and expression of a different antibody isotype. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Defects in AID and UNG2 have been shown to result in the primary immunodeficiency hyper-IgM syndrome, leading us to hypothesize that additional, potentially more subtle, DNA repair gene variations may underlie the clinically related antibody deficiencies syndromes IgAD and CVID. In a survey of twenty-seven candidate DNA metabolism genes, markers in MSH2, RAD50, and RAD52 were associated with IgAD/CVID, prompting further investigation into these pathways. Resequencing identified four rare, non-synonymous alleles associated with IgAD/CVID, two in MLH1, one in RAD50, and one in NBS1. One IgAD patient carried heterozygous non-synonymous mutations in MLH1, MSH2, and NBS1. Functional studies revealed that one of the identified mutations, a premature RAD50 stop codon (Q372X, confers increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are consistent with a class switch recombination model in which AID-catalyzed uridines are processed by multiple DNA repair pathways. Genetic defects in these DNA repair pathways may contribute to IgAD and CVID.

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.

Distribution of exogenous DNA in upland cotton by pollen tube pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Shuhua; Ge Cailin; Zhu Jing; Wang Zegang; Luo Shishi; Ni Wanchao

2007-01-01

The distribution of exogenous DNA in upland cotton by pollen tube pathway was studied. The results showed that the exogenous DNA could be transported into ovules by dripping and injection. The optimum time for treatment is at 33 h after pollination. The radioactivity in ovules by dripping exogenous DNA was lower than that by injecting. In autoradiogram, the number of sliver grains in the treated ovules was more than that in the controls. (authors)

Mouse RAD54 affects DNA double-strand break repair and sister chromatid exchange

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.B. Beverloo (Berna); R.D. Johnson (Roger); M. Jasin (Maria); R. Kanaar (Roland); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); M.L.G. Dronkert (Mies)

2000-01-01

textabstractCells can achieve error-free repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination through gene conversion with or without crossover. In contrast, an alternative homology-dependent DSB repair pathway, single-strand annealing (SSA), results in deletions. In this study, we

Protein dynamics during presynaptic complex assembly on individual ssDNA molecules

OpenAIRE

Gibb, Bryan; Ye, Ling F.; Kwon, YoungHo; Niu, Hengyao; Sung, Patrick; Greene, Eric C.

2014-01-01

Homologous recombination is a conserved pathway for repairing double?stranded breaks, which are processed to yield single?stranded DNA overhangs that serve as platforms for presynaptic complex assembly. Here we use single?molecule imaging to reveal the interplay between Saccharomyce cerevisiae RPA, Rad52, and Rad51 during presynaptic complex assembly. We show that Rad52 binds RPA?ssDNA and suppresses RPA turnover, highlighting an unanticipated regulatory influence on protein dynamics. Rad51 b...

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

Recombinant DNA in Cambridge: lessons for nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Federow, H.

1977-09-01

The 1976 experience of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in settling the recombinant DNA research issue is unique in recent history as the first instance of essentially lay panels judging the conduct of scientific research. Furthermore, because the panel was composed of citizens who would be affected by the research, the experience suggests a model for conflict resolution in other areas of public controversy. With one of these, nuclear energy, the controversy has two important points in common: although the primary burden of any accident would be borne by the local community, benefits of the DNA research or reactor operation accrue to a much broader range of people; and in both issues there is a need to resolve the question, ''How safe is safe enough.'' It is therefore proposed that a panel similar to the Cambridge one could be established to deal with the controversy surrounding a proposed nuclear plant. In any community where there was such controversy, a panel could be convened to assess whether the plant was acceptable to that community. Such a panel would be composed of members of the community who were not affected directly by the plant. It would also have to have a restricted range of inquiry, oriented toward the specifics of the proposed plant. Such a plant review panel, under properly designed procedures, could change the licensing process to one concerned solely with safety and provide an appropriate forum for issues concerning the acceptability of nuclear power

Contributions of DNA repair and damage response pathways to the non-linear genotoxic responses of alkylating agents

Science.gov (United States)

Klapacz, Joanna; Pottenger, Lynn H.; Engelward, Bevin P.; Heinen, Christopher D.; Johnson, George E.; Clewell, Rebecca A.; Carmichael, Paul L.; Adeleye, Yeyejide; Andersen, Melvin E.

2016-01-01

From a risk assessment perspective, DNA-reactive agents are conventionally assumed to have genotoxic risks at all exposure levels, thus applying a linear extrapolation for low-dose responses. New approaches discussed here, including more diverse and sensitive methods for assessing DNA damage and DNA repair, strongly support the existence of measurable regions where genotoxic responses with increasing doses are insignificant relative to control. Model monofunctional alkylating agents have in vitro and in vivo datasets amenable to determination of points of departure (PoDs) for genotoxic effects. A session at the 2013 Society of Toxicology meeting provided an opportunity to survey the progress in understanding the biological basis of empirically-observed PoDs for DNA alkylating agents. Together with the literature published since, this review discusses cellular pathways activated by endogenous and exogenous alkylation DNA damage. Cells have evolved conserved processes that monitor and counteract a spontaneous steady-state level of DNA damage. The ubiquitous network of DNA repair pathways serves as the first line of defense for clearing of the DNA damage and preventing mutation. Other biological pathways discussed here that are activated by genotoxic stress include post-translational activation of cell cycle networks and transcriptional networks for apoptosis/cell death. The interactions of various DNA repair and DNA damage response pathways provide biological bases for the observed PoD behaviors seen with genotoxic compounds. Thus, after formation of DNA adducts, the activation of cellular pathways can lead to the avoidance a mutagenic outcome. The understanding of the cellular mechanisms acting within the low-dose region will serve to better characterize risks from exposures to DNA-reactive agents at environmentally-relevant concentrations. PMID:27036068

Opposing roles of RNF8/RNF168 and deubiquitinating enzymes in ubiquitination-dependent DNA double-strand break response signaling and DNA-repair pathway choice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakada, Shinichiro

2016-01-01

The E3 ubiquitin ligases ring finger protein (RNF) 8 and RNF168 transduce the DNA double-strand break (DSB) response (DDR) signal by ubiquitinating DSB sites. The depletion of RNF8 or RNF168 suppresses the accumulation of DNA-repair regulating factors such as 53BP1 and RAP80 at DSB sites, suggesting roles for RNF8- and RNF168-mediated ubiquitination in DSB repair. This mini-review provides a brief overview of the RNF8- and RNF168-dependent DDR-signaling and DNA-repair pathways. The choice of DNA-repair pathway when RNF8- and RNF168-mediated ubiquitination-dependent DDR signaling is negatively regulated by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) is reviewed to clarify how the opposing roles of RNF8/RNF168 and DUBs regulate ubiquitination-dependent DDR signaling and the choice of DNA-repair pathway

Protein dynamics during presynaptic complex assembly on individual ssDNA molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Gibb, Bryan; Ye, Ling F.; Kwon, YoungHo; Niu, Hengyao; Sung, Patrick; Greene, Eric C.

2014-01-01

Homologous recombination is a conserved pathway for repairing double–stranded breaks, which are processed to yield single–stranded DNA overhangs that serve as platforms for presynaptic complex assembly. Here we use single–molecule imaging to reveal the interplay between Saccharomyce cerevisiae RPA, Rad52, and Rad51 during presynaptic complex assembly. We show that Rad52 binds RPA–ssDNA and suppresses RPA turnover, highlighting an unanticipated regulatory influence on protein dynamics. Rad51 binding extends the ssDNA, and Rad52–RPA clusters remain interspersed along the presynaptic complex. These clusters promote additional binding of RPA and Rad52. Together, our work illustrates the spatial and temporal progression of RPA and Rad52 association with the presynaptic complex, and reveals a novel RPA–Rad52–Rad51–ssDNA intermediate, which has implications for understanding how the activities of Rad52 and RPA are coordinated with Rad51 during the later stages recombination. PMID:25195049

Dynamic organization of genetic recombination proteins and chromosomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essers, J.; Van Cappellen, G.; Van Drunen, E.; Theil, A.; Jaspers, N.N.G.J.; Houtsmuller, A.B.; Vermeulen, W.; Kanaar, R.

2003-01-01

Homologous recombination requires the co-ordinated action of the RAD52 group proteins, including Rad51, Rad52 and Rad54. Upon treatment of mammalian cells with ionizing radiation, these proteins accumulate into foci at sites of DSB induction. We probed the nature of the DNA damage-induced foci in living cells with the use of photobleaching techniques. These foci are not static assemblies of DNA repair proteins. Instead, they are dynamic structures of which Rad51 is a stable core component, while Rad52 and Rad54 reversibly interact with the structure. Furthermore, even though the RAD52 group proteins colocalize in the DNA damage-induced foci, the majority of the proteins are not part of the same multi-protein complex in the absence of DNA damage. Executing DNA transactions through dynamic multi-protein complexes, rather than stable holo-complexes, allows greater flexibility during the transaction. In case of DNA repair, for example, it allows cross talk between different DNA repair pathways and coupling to other DNA transactions, such as replication. In addition to the behavior of proteins in living cells, we have tracked chromosomes during cell division. Our results suggest that the relative position of chromosomes in the mother cell is conserved in its daughter cells

Recombinant DNA production of spider silk proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokareva, Olena; Michalczechen-Lacerda, Valquíria A; Rech, Elíbio L; Kaplan, David L

2013-11-01

Spider dragline silk is considered to be the toughest biopolymer on Earth due to an extraordinary combination of strength and elasticity. Moreover, silks are biocompatible and biodegradable protein-based materials. Recent advances in genetic engineering make it possible to produce recombinant silks in heterologous hosts, opening up opportunities for large-scale production of recombinant silks for various biomedical and material science applications. We review the current strategies to produce recombinant spider silks. © 2013 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

In vitro and in vivo characterization of DNA delivery using recombinant Lactococcus lactis expressing a mutated form of L. monocytogenes Internalin A

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Azevedo, de M.; Karczewski, J.; Lefevre, F.; Azevedo, V.; Miyoshi, A.; Wells, J.; Langella, P.; Chatel, J.M.

2012-01-01

Background The use of food-grade Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) as DNA delivery vehicles represents an attractive strategy to deliver DNA vaccines at the mucosal surfaces as they are generally regarded as safe (GRAS). We previously showed that either native Lactococcus lactis (LL) or recombinant

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

Analysis of TCRAD gene recombination: radio-induct rearrangement and signal joint structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Touvrey, C.

2005-09-01

We have shown that irradiation of pre-TCR-deficient CD3ε -/- mice restores thymocyte differentiation, by a p53-dependent and by a p53-independent pathway. Events normally associated during normal thymocyte development are dissociated in response to radiation exposure. Both of these pathways require LAT expression. Therefore, radiation exposure activates pre-TCR-like signals. TCRA gene rearrangement is induced following radiation exposure. The signal joints resulting from TCRA gene rearrangement have the same structure than those found in wild type mice. All signal joint analyzed in un-manipulated wild type mice do exhibit junctional diversity. This diversity results mainly from TdT activity. We present evidences that proteins involved in DNA repair and genomic stability participated in SJ formation. We propose that signal joint diversity is not an aberrant process but is a key feature of V(D)J recombination. All our work increases our understanding of molecular events associated with V(D)J recombination. (author)

Alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (Aag) in somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Longerich, Simonne; Meira, Lisiane; Shah, Dharini; Samson, Leona D; Storb, Ursula

2007-12-01

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR) of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes require the cytosine deaminase AID, which deaminates cytosine to uracil in Ig gene DNA. Paradoxically, proteins involved normally in error-free base excision repair and mismatch repair, seem to be co-opted to facilitate SHM and CSR, by recruiting error-prone translesion polymerases to DNA sequences containing deoxy-uracils created by AID. Major evidence supports at least one mechanism whereby the uracil glycosylase Ung removes AID-generated uracils creating abasic sites which may be used either as uninformative templates for DNA synthesis, or processed to nicks and gaps that prime error-prone DNA synthesis. We investigated the possibility that deamination at adenines also initiates SHM. Adenosine deamination would generate hypoxanthine (Hx), a substrate for the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (Aag). Aag would generate abasic sites which then are subject to error-prone repair as above for AID-deaminated cytosine processed by Ung. If the action of an adenosine deaminase followed by Aag were responsible for significant numbers of mutations at A, we would find a preponderance of A:T>G:C transition mutations during SHM in an Aag deleted background. However, this was not observed and we found that the frequencies of SHM and CSR were not significantly altered in Aag-/- mice. Paradoxically, we found that Aag is expressed in B lymphocytes undergoing SHM and CSR and that its activity is upregulated in activated B cells. Moreover, we did find a statistically significant, albeit low increase of T:A>C:G transition mutations in Aag-/- animals, suggesting that Aag may be involved in creating the SHM A>T bias seen in wild type mice.

REV7 counteracts DNA double-strand break resection and affects PARP inhibition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xu, Guotai; Chapman, J. Ross; Brandsma, Inger; Yuan, Jingsong; Mistrik, Martin; Bouwman, Peter; Bartkova, Jirina; Gogola, Ewa; Warmerdam, Daniël; Barazas, Marco; Jaspers, Janneke E.; Watanabe, Kenji; Pieterse, Mark; Kersbergen, Ariena; Sol, Wendy; Celie, Patrick H. N.; Schouten, Philip C.; van den Broek, Bram; Salman, Ahmed; Nieuwland, Marja; de Rink, Iris; de Ronde, Jorma; Jalink, Kees; Boulton, Simon J.; Chen, Junjie; van Gent, Dik C.; Bartek, Jiri; Jonkers, Jos; Borst, Piet; Rottenberg, Sven

2015-01-01

Error-free repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is achieved by homologous recombination (HR), and BRCA1 is an important factor for this repair pathway(1). In the absence of BRCA1-mediated HR, the administration of PARP inhibitors induces synthetic lethality of tumour cells of patients with

Mechanisms of sister chromatid recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, Sayaka; Machida, Isamu; Tsuji, Satsuki

1985-01-01

Studies using T948 as a model system have been carried out aimed at elucidating the mechanism of sister chromatid recombination (SCR). Characterization of U.V. light- and x-ray-induced SCR, the relationiship between SCR induction and DNA repair using rad mutations, and the relationship between SCR induction and the time of cell division using cdc mutations are presented. It has been supposed that SCR is induced at the phase of S-G 2 following DNA replication, that postreplication break of DNA strands is strongly involved in the induction of SCR, and that induction type of SCR, i.e., conversion type or recombination type, is dependent upon the type of molecular damage of DNA. (Namekawa, K.)

Contributions of DNA repair and damage response pathways to the non-linear genotoxic responses of alkylating agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Klapacz, Joanna; Pottenger, Lynn H; Engelward, Bevin P; Heinen, Christopher D; Johnson, George E; Clewell, Rebecca A; Carmichael, Paul L; Adeleye, Yeyejide; Andersen, Melvin E

2016-01-01

From a risk assessment perspective, DNA-reactive agents are conventionally assumed to have genotoxic risks at all exposure levels, thus applying a linear extrapolation for low-dose responses. New approaches discussed here, including more diverse and sensitive methods for assessing DNA damage and DNA repair, strongly support the existence of measurable regions where genotoxic responses with increasing doses are insignificant relative to control. Model monofunctional alkylating agents have in vitro and in vivo datasets amenable to determination of points of departure (PoDs) for genotoxic effects. A session at the 2013 Society of Toxicology meeting provided an opportunity to survey the progress in understanding the biological basis of empirically-observed PoDs for DNA alkylating agents. Together with the literature published since, this review discusses cellular pathways activated by endogenous and exogenous alkylation DNA damage. Cells have evolved conserved processes that monitor and counteract a spontaneous steady-state level of DNA damage. The ubiquitous network of DNA repair pathways serves as the first line of defense for clearing of the DNA damage and preventing mutation. Other biological pathways discussed here that are activated by genotoxic stress include post-translational activation of cell cycle networks and transcriptional networks for apoptosis/cell death. The interactions of various DNA repair and DNA damage response pathways provide biological bases for the observed PoD behaviors seen with genotoxic compounds. Thus, after formation of DNA adducts, the activation of cellular pathways can lead to the avoidance of a mutagenic outcome. The understanding of the cellular mechanisms acting within the low-dose region will serve to better characterize risks from exposures to DNA-reactive agents at environmentally-relevant concentrations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular assembly of recombinant chicken type II collagen in the yeast Pichia pastoris.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Caixia; Liu, Nan; Liang, Fei; Zhao, Xiao; Long, Juan; Yuan, Fang; Yun, Song; Sun, Yuying; Xi, Yongzhi

2018-01-09

Effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can be mediated by native chicken type II collagen (nCCII), recombinant peptide containing nCCII tolerogenic epitopes (CTEs), or a therapeutic DNA vaccine encoding the full-length CCOL2A1 cDNA. As recombinant CCII (rCCII) might avoid potential pathogenic virus contamination during nCCII preparation or chromosomal integration and oncogene activation associated with DNA vaccines, here we evaluated the importance of propeptide and telopeptide domains on rCCII triple helix molecular assembly. We constructed pC- and pN-procollagen (without N- or Cpropeptides, respectively) as well as CTEs located in the triple helical domain lacking both propeptides and telopeptides, and expressed these in yeast Pichia pastoris host strain GS115 (his4, Mut + ) simultaneously with recombinant chicken prolyl-4-hydroxylase α and β subunits. Both pC- and pN-procollagen monomers accumulated inside P. pastoris cells, whereas CTE was assembled into homotrimers with stable conformation and secreted into the supernatants, suggesting that the large molecular weight pC-or pN-procollagens were retained within the endoplasmic reticulum whereas the smaller CTEs proceeded through the secretory pathway. Furthermore, resulting recombinant chicken type II collagen pCα1(II) can induced collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model, which seems to be as effective as the current standard nCCII. Notably, protease digestion assays showed that rCCII could assemble in the absence of C- and N-propeptides or telopeptides. These findings provide new insights into the minimal structural requirements for rCCII expression and folding.

Architecture of the 99 bp DNA-six-protein regulatory complex of the lambda att site.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xingmin; Mierke, Dale F; Biswas, Tapan; Lee, Sang Yeol; Landy, Arthur; Radman-Livaja, Marta

2006-11-17

The highly directional and tightly regulated recombination reaction used to site-specifically excise the bacteriophage lambda chromosome out of its E. coli host chromosome requires the binding of six sequence-specific proteins to a 99 bp segment of the phage att site. To gain structural insights into this recombination pathway, we measured 27 FRET distances between eight points on the 99 bp regulatory DNA bound with all six proteins. Triangulation of these distances using a metric matrix distance-geometry algorithm provided coordinates for these eight points. The resulting path for the protein-bound regulatory DNA, which fits well with the genetics, biochemistry, and X-ray crystal structures describing the individual proteins and their interactions with DNA, provides a new structural perspective into the molecular mechanism and regulation of the recombination reaction and illustrates a design by which different families of higher-order complexes can be assembled from different numbers and combinations of the same few proteins.

Construction, Expression, and Characterization of Recombinant Pfu DNA Polymerase in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Wenjun; Wang, Qingsong; Bi, Qun

2016-04-01

Pfu DNA polymerase (Pfu) is a DNA polymerase isolated from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. With its excellent thermostability and high fidelity, Pfu is well known as one of the enzymes widely used in the polymerase chain reaction. In this study, the recombinant plasmid pLysS His6-tagged Pfu-pET28a was constructed. His-tagged Pfu was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells and then successfully purified with the ÄKTAprime plus compact one-step purification system by Ni(2+) chelating affinity chromatography after optimization of the purification conditions. The authenticity of the purified Pfu was further confirmed by peptide mass fingerprinting. A bio-assay indicated that its activity in the polymerase chain reaction was equivalent to that of commercial Pfu and its isoelectric point was found to be between 6.85 and 7.35. These results will be useful for further studies on Pfu and its wide application in the future.

The induction of rho'- mutants by UV or γ-rays is independent of the nuclear recombinational repair pethway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heude, M

1988-01-01

In order to discover whether the nuclear recombinational repair pathway also acts on lesions induced in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the possible role of the RAD50, -51, -55 and -56 genes on the induction of rho - mutants by radiations was studied. Such induction appeared to be independent of this pathway. Nevertheless, an efficient induction of respiration-deficient mutants was observed in γ-irradiated rad52 diploids. We demonstrate that these mutants do not result from a lack of mtDNA repair, but from chromosome losses induced by γ-rays. Such an impairment of the respiratory ability of diploids by chromosome lossed was effectively observed in the aneuploid progeny of unirradiated RAD + cdc6 diploids incubated at the restrictive temperature. (author). 60 refs.; 3 figs.; 6 tabs

The intersection between DNA damage response and cell death pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowsheen, S; Yang, E S

2012-10-01

Apoptosis is a finely regulated process that serves to determine the fate of cells in response to various stresses. One such stress is DNA damage, which not only can signal repair processes but is also intimately involved in regulating cell fate. In this review we examine the relationship between the DNA damage/repair response in cell survival and apoptosis following insults to the DNA. Elucidating these pathways and the crosstalk between them is of great importance, as they eventually contribute to the etiology of human disease such as cancer and may play key roles in determining therapeutic response. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Apoptosis: Four Decades Later".

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...

Condensin suppresses recombination and regulates double-strand break processing at the repetitive ribosomal DNA array to ensure proper chromosome segregation during meiosis in budding yeast

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ping; Jin, Hui; Yu, Hong-Guo

2014-01-01

During meiosis, homologues are linked by crossover, which is required for bipolar chromosome orientation before chromosome segregation at anaphase I. The repetitive ribosomal DNA (rDNA) array, however, undergoes little or no meiotic recombination. Hyperrecombination can cause chromosome missegregation and rDNA copy number instability. We report here that condensin, a conserved protein complex required for chromosome organization, regulates double-strand break (DSB) formation and repair at the rDNA gene cluster during meiosis in budding yeast. Condensin is highly enriched at the rDNA region during prophase I, released at the prophase I/metaphase I transition, and reassociates with rDNA before anaphase I onset. We show that condensin plays a dual role in maintaining rDNA stability: it suppresses the formation of Spo11-mediated rDNA breaks, and it promotes DSB processing to ensure proper chromosome segregation. Condensin is unnecessary for the export of rDNA breaks outside the nucleolus but required for timely repair of meiotic DSBs. Our work reveals that condensin coordinates meiotic recombination with chromosome segregation at the repetitive rDNA sequence, thereby maintaining genome integrity. PMID:25103240

Controlled Release from Recombinant Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Robert; Poursaid, Azadeh; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

2014-01-01

Recombinant polymers provide a high degree of molecular definition for correlating structure with function in controlled release. The wide array of amino acids available as building blocks for these materials lend many advantages including biorecognition, biodegradability, potential biocompatibility, and control over mechanical properties among other attributes. Genetic engineering and DNA manipulation techniques enable the optimization of structure for precise control over spatial and temporal release. Unlike the majority of chemical synthetic strategies used, recombinant DNA technology has allowed for the production of monodisperse polymers with specifically defined sequences. Several classes of recombinant polymers have been used for controlled drug delivery. These include, but are not limited to, elastin-like, silk-like, and silk-elastinlike proteins, as well as emerging cationic polymers for gene delivery. In this article, progress and prospects of recombinant polymers used in controlled release will be reviewed. PMID:24956486

A nuclear mutation defective in mitochondrial recombination in yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, F; Makishima, F; Morishima, N; Shibata, T

1995-08-15

Homologous recombination (crossing over and gene conversion) is generally essential for heritage and DNA repair, and occasionally causes DNA aberrations, in nuclei of eukaryotes. However, little is known about the roles of homologous recombination in the inheritance and stability of mitochondrial DNA which is continuously damaged by reactive oxygen species, by-products of respiration. Here, we report the first example of a nuclear recessive mutation which suggests an essential role for homologous recombination in the stable inheritance of mitochondrial DNA. For the detection of this class of mutants, we devised a novel procedure, 'mitochondrial crossing in haploid', which has enabled us to examine many mutant clones. Using this procedure, we examined mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that showed an elevated UV induction of respiration-deficient mutations. We obtained a mutant that was defective in both the omega-intron homing and Endo.SceI-induced homologous gene conversion. We found that the mutant cells are temperature sensitive in the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA. A tetrad analysis indicated that elevated UV induction of respiration-deficient mutations, recombination deficiency and temperature sensitivity are all caused by a single nuclear mutation (mhr1) on chromosome XII. The pleiotropic characteristics of the mutant suggest an essential role for the MHR1 gene in DNA repair, recombination and the maintenance of DNA in mitochondria.

DNA repair and cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathore, Shakuntla; Joshi, Pankaj Kumar; Gaur, Sudha

2012-01-01

DNA repair refers to a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecule that encode it's genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as UV light and radiation can cause DNA damage, resulting in as many one million individual molecular lesions per day. Many of these lesions cause structural damage to the DNA molecule and can alter or eliminate the cell's ability to transcribe the gene that the affected DNA encodes. Other lesions include potentially harmful mutation in cell's genome which affect the survival of it's daughter cells after it undergoes mitosis. As a consequence, the DNA repair process is constantly active as it responds to damage in the DNA structure. Inherited mutation that affect DNA repair genes are strongly associated with high cancer risks in humans. Hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is strongly associated with specific mutation in the DNA mismatch repair pathway. BRCA1, BRCA2 two famous mutation conferring a hugely increased risk of breast cancer on carrier, are both associated with a large number of DNA repair pathway, especially NHEJ and homologous recombination. Cancer therapy procedures such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy work by overwhelming the capacity of the cell to repair DNA damage, resulting in cell death. Cells that are most rapidly dividing most typically cancer cells are preferentially affected. The side effect is that other non-cancerous but rapidly dividing cells such as stem cells in the bone marrow are also affected. Modern cancer treatment attempt to localize the DNA damage to cells and tissue only associated with cancer, either by physical means (concentrating the therapeutic agent in the region of the tumor) or by biochemical means (exploiting a feature unique to cancer cells in the body). (author)

Recombinational repair: workshop summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard-Flanders, P.

1983-01-01

Recombinational repair may or may not be synonymous with postreplication repair. Considerable progress has been made in the study of the relevant enzymes, particularly those from bacteria. In this workshop we focus on the recombination enzyme RecA protein. What structural changes take place in the protein and in DNA during repair. How does homologous pairing take place. How is ATP hydrolysis coupled to the stand exchange reaction and the formation of heteroduplx DNA. Turning to another enzyme needed for certain kinds of bacterial recombination, we will ask whether the purified recB protein and recC protein complement each other and are sufficient for exonuclease V activity. In higher cells, we would like to know whether sister exchanges, which occur in bacteria after uv irradiation, are also seen in animal cells

p53 downregulates the Fanconi anaemia DNA repair pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaber, Sara; Toufektchan, Eléonore; Lejour, Vincent; Bardot, Boris; Toledo, Franck

2016-04-01

Germline mutations affecting telomere maintenance or DNA repair may, respectively, cause dyskeratosis congenita or Fanconi anaemia, two clinically related bone marrow failure syndromes. Mice expressing p53(Δ31), a mutant p53 lacking the C terminus, model dyskeratosis congenita. Accordingly, the increased p53 activity in p53(Δ31/Δ31) fibroblasts correlated with a decreased expression of 4 genes implicated in telomere syndromes. Here we show that these cells exhibit decreased mRNA levels for additional genes contributing to telomere metabolism, but also, surprisingly, for 12 genes mutated in Fanconi anaemia. Furthermore, p53(Δ31/Δ31) fibroblasts exhibit a reduced capacity to repair DNA interstrand crosslinks, a typical feature of Fanconi anaemia cells. Importantly, the p53-dependent downregulation of Fanc genes is largely conserved in human cells. Defective DNA repair is known to activate p53, but our results indicate that, conversely, an increased p53 activity may attenuate the Fanconi anaemia DNA repair pathway, defining a positive regulatory feedback loop.

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

The role of Candida albicans homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

White Theodore C

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The fungal pathogen Candida albicans is frequently seen in immune suppressed patients, and resistance to one of the most widely used antifungals, fluconazole (FLC, can evolve rapidly. In recent years it has become clear that plasticity of the Candida albicans genome contributes to drug resistance through loss of heterozygosity (LOH at resistance genes and gross chromosomal rearrangements that amplify gene copy number of resistance associated genes. This study addresses the role of the homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in cell growth, DNA damage and FLC resistance in Candida albicans. Results The data presented here support a role for homologous recombination in cell growth and DNA damage sensitivity, as Candida albicans rad54Δ/rad54Δ mutants were hypersensitive to MMS and menadione, and had an aberrant cell and nuclear morphology. The Candida albicans rad54Δ/rad54Δ mutant was defective in invasion of Spider agar, presumably due to the altered cellular morphology. In contrast, mutation of the related gene RDH54 did not contribute significantly to DNA damage resistance and cell growth, and deletion of either Candida albicans RAD54 or Candida albicans RDH54 did not alter FLC susceptibility. Conclusions Together, these results support a role for homologous recombination in genome stability under nondamaging conditions. The nuclear morphology defects in the rad54Δ/rad54Δ mutants show that Rad54 performs an essential role during mitotic growth and that in its absence, cells arrest in G2. The viability of the single mutant rad54Δ/rad54Δ and the inability to construct the double mutant rad54Δ/rad54Δ rdh54Δ/rdh54Δ suggests that Rdh54 can partially compensate for Rad54 during mitotic growth.

Genetic exchanges caused by ultraviolet photoproducts in phage lamda DNA molecules: the role of DNA replication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, P.F.; Howard-Flanders, P.; Yale Univ., New Haven, Conn.

1976-01-01

Genetic recombination induced by structural damage in DNA molecules was investigated in E. coli K12(lamda) lysogens infected with genetically marked phage lamda. Photoproducts were induced in the phage DNA before infection by exposing them either to 313 nm light in the presence of acetophenone or to 254 nm light. To test the role of the replication of the damage phage DNA on the frequency of the induced recombination , both heteroimmune and homoimmune crosses were performed, and scored for P + recombinants. In heteroimmune crosses, recombination was less frequent in infected cells exposed to visible light and in wild type cells able to perform excision repair than in excision-defective lysogens. Therefore, much of the induced recombination can be attributed to the pyrimidine dimers in the phage DNA. In homoimmune crosses, replication of the phage DNA containing ultraviolet photoproducts was represented by lamda immunity, and was further blocked by the lack of the P gene product needed for replication. The 254 nm photoproducts increased the frequency of recombination in these homoimmune crosses, even though phage DNA replication was blocked. Irradiation with 313 nm light and acetophenone M, which produces dimers and unknown photoproducts, was not as effective per dimer as the 254 nm light. It is concluded from these results that certain unidentified 254 nm photoproducts can cause recombination even in the absence of DNA replication. They are not pyrimidine dimers, as they are not susceptible to excision repair or photoreactivation. In contrast, pyrimidine dimers appear to cause recombination only when the DNA containing them undergoes replication. (orig./MG) [de

Proteomic Identification of DNA-PK Involvement within the RET Signaling Pathway.

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Lyle J Burdine

Full Text Available Constitutive activation of the Rearranged during Transfection (RET proto-oncogene leads to the development of MEN2A medullary thyroid cancer (MTC. The relatively clear genotype/phenotype relationship seen with RET mutations and the development of MEN2A is unusual in the fact that a single gene activity can drive the progression towards metastatic disease. Despite knowing the oncogene responsible for MEN2A, MTC, like most tumors of neural crest origin, remains largely resistant to chemotherapy. Constitutive activation of RET in a SK-N-MC cell line model reduces cell sensitivity to chemotherapy. In an attempt to identify components of the machinery responsible for the observed RET induced chemoresistance, we performed a proteomic screen of histones and associated proteins in cells with a constitutively active RET signaling pathway. The proteomic approach identified DNA-PKcs, a DNA damage response protein, as a target of the RET signaling pathway. Active DNA-PKcs, which is phosphorylated at site serine 2056 and localized to chromatin, was elevated within our model. Treatment with the RET inhibitor RPI-1 significantly reduced s2056 phosphorylation in RET cells as well as in a human medullary thyroid cancer cell line. Additionally, inhibition of DNA-PKcs activity diminished the chemoresistance observed in both cell lines. Importantly, we show that activated DNA-PKcs is elevated in medullary thyroid tumor samples and that expression correlates with expression of RET in thyroid tumors. These results highlight one mechanism by which RET signaling likely primes cells for rapid response to DNA damage and suggests DNA-PKcs as an additional target in MTC.

Molecular anatomy of the recombination mediator function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad52

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seong, C.; Sehorn, M.G.; Plate, Iben

2008-01-01

A helical filament of Rad51 on single-strand DNA (ssDNA), called the presynaptic filament, catalyzes DNA joint formation during homologous recombination. Rad52 facilitates presynaptic filament assembly, and this recombination mediator activity is thought to rely on the interactions of Rad52...... with Rad51, the ssDNA-binding protein RPA, and ssDNA. The N-terminal region of Rad52, which has DNA binding activity and an oligomeric structure, is thought to be crucial for mediator activity and recombination. Unexpectedly, we find that the C-terminal region of Rad52 also harbors a DNA binding function....... Importantly, the Rad52 C-terminal portion alone can promote Rad51 presynaptic filament assembly. The middle portion of Rad52 associates with DNA-bound RPA and contributes to the recombination mediator activity. Accordingly, expression of a protein species that harbors the middle and C-terminal regions of Rad...

Focused genetic recombination of bacteriophage t4 initiated by double-strand breaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Shcherbakov, Victor; Granovsky, Igor; Plugina, Lidiya; Shcherbakova, Tamara; Sizova, Svetlana; Pyatkov, Konstantin; Shlyapnikov, Michael; Shubina, Olga

2002-10-01

A model system for studying double-strand-break (DSB)-induced genetic recombination in vivo based on the ets1 segCDelta strain of bacteriophage T4 was developed. The ets1, a 66-bp DNA fragment of phage T2L containing the cleavage site for the T4 SegC site-specific endonuclease, was inserted into the proximal part of the T4 rIIB gene. Under segC(+) conditions, the ets1 behaves as a recombination hotspot. Crosses of the ets1 against rII markers located to the left and to the right of ets1 gave similar results, thus demonstrating the equal and symmetrical initiation of recombination by either part of the broken chromosome. Frequency/distance relationships were studied in a series of two- and three-factor crosses with other rIIB and rIIA mutants (all segC(+)) separated from ets1 by 12-2100 bp. The observed relationships were readily interpretable in terms of the modified splice/patch coupling model. The advantages of this localized or focused recombination over that distributed along the chromosome, as a model for studying the recombination-replication pathway in T4 in vivo, are discussed.

BLM has early and late functions in homologous recombination repair in mouse embryonic stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chu, W K; Hanada, K; Kanaar, R

2010-01-01

function of BLM remains unclear. Multiple roles have been proposed for BLM in the homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway, including 'early' functions, such as the stimulation of resection of DNA double-strand break ends or displacement of the invading strand of DNA displacement loops, and 'late......' roles, such as dissolution of double Holliday junctions. However, most of the evidence for these putative roles comes from in vitro biochemical data. In this study, we report the characterization of mouse embryonic stem cells with disruption of Blm and/or Rad54 genes. We show that Blm has roles both...

Enhancing GDP-fucose production in recombinant Escherichia coli by metabolic pathway engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Yafei; Han, Donglei; Pan, Ying; Wang, Shuaishuai; Fang, Junqiang; Wang, Peng; Liu, Xian-wei

2015-02-01

Guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-fucose is the indispensible donor substrate for fucosyltransferase-catalyzed synthesis of fucose-containing biomolecules, which have been found involving in various biological functions. In this work, the salvage pathway for GDP-fucose biosynthesis from Bacterioides fragilis was introduced into Escherichia coli. Besides, the biosynthesis of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP), an essential substrate for GDP-fucose biosynthesis, was enhanced via overexpression of enzymes involved in the salvage pathway of GTP biosynthesis. The production capacities of metabolically engineered strains bearing different combinations of recombinant enzymes were compared. The shake flask fermentation of the strain expressing Fkp, Gpt, Gmk and Ndk obtained the maximum GDP-fucose content of 4.6 ± 0.22 μmol/g (dry cell mass), which is 4.2 fold that of the strain only expressing Fkp. Through fed-batch fermentation, the GDP-fucose content further rose to 6.6 ± 0.14 μmol/g (dry cell mass). In addition to a better productivity than previous fermentation processes based on the de novo pathway for GDP-fucose biosynthesis, the established schemes in this work also have the advantage to be a potential avenue to GDP-fucose analogs encompassing chemical modification on the fucose residue. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recombinant organisms for production of industrial products

OpenAIRE

Adrio, Jose-Luis; Demain, Arnold L

2009-01-01

A revolution in industrial microbiology was sparked by the discoveries of ther double-stranded structure of DNA and the development of recombinant DNA technology. Traditional industrial microbiology was merged with molecular biology to yield improved recombinant processes for the industrial production of primary and secondary metabolites, protein biopharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes. Novel genetic techniques such as metabolic engineering, combinatorial biosynthesis and molecular breeding...

Chemical form of selenium differentially influences DNA repair pathways following exposure to lead nitrate.

Science.gov (United States)

McKelvey, Shauna M; Horgan, Karina A; Murphy, Richard A

2015-01-01

Lead, an environmental toxin is known to induce a broad range of physiological and biochemical dysfunctions in humans through a number of mechanisms including the deactivation of antioxidants thus leading to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent DNA damage. Selenium on the other hand has been proven to play an important role in the protection of cells from free radical damage and oxidative stress, though its effects are thought to be form and dose dependent. As the liver is the primary organ required for metabolite detoxification, HepG2 cells were chosen to assess the protective effects of various selenium compounds following exposure to the genotoxic agent lead nitrate. Initially DNA damage was quantified using a comet assay, gene expression patterns associated with DNA damage and signalling were also examined using PCR arrays and the biological pathways which were most significantly affected by selenium were identified. Interestingly, the organic type selenium compounds (selenium yeast and selenomethionine) conferred protection against lead induced DNA damage in HepG2 cells; this is evident by reduction in the quantity of DNA present in the comet tail of cells cultured in their presence with lead. This trend also followed through the gene expression changes noted in DNA damage pathways analysed. These results were in contrast with those of inorganic sodium selenite which promoted lead induced DNA damage evident in both the comet assay results and the gene expression analysis. Over all this study provided valuable insights into the effects which various selenium compounds had on the DNA damage and signalling pathway indicating the potential for using organic forms of selenium such as selenium enriched yeast to protect against DNA damaging agents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Ouabain, a cardiac glycoside, inhibits the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway activated by DNA interstrand cross-linking agents.

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Dong Wha Jun

Full Text Available Modulation of the DNA repair pathway is an emerging target for the development of anticancer drugs. DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs, one of the most severe forms of DNA damage caused by anticancer drugs such as cisplatin and mitomycin C (MMC, activates the Fanconi anemia (FA/BRCA DNA repair pathway. Inhibition of the FA/BRCA pathway can enhance the cytotoxic effects of ICL-inducing anticancer drugs and can reduce anticancer drug resistance. To find FA/BRCA pathway inhibitory small molecules, we established a cell-based high-content screening method for quantitating the activation of the FA/BRCA pathway by measuring FANCD2 foci on DNA lesions and then applied our method to chemical screening. Using commercial LOPAC1280 chemical library screening, ouabain was identified as a competent FA/BRCA pathway inhibitory compound. Ouabain, a member of the cardiac glycoside family, binds to and inhibits Na(+/K(+-ATPase and has been used to treat heart disease for many years. We observed that ouabain, as well as other cardiac glycoside family members--digitoxin and digoxin--down-regulated FANCD2 and FANCI mRNA levels, reduced monoubiquitination of FANCD2, inhibited FANCD2 foci formation on DNA lesions, and abrogated cell cycle arrest induced by MMC treatment. These inhibitory activities of ouabain required p38 MAPK and were independent of cellular Ca(2+ ion increase or the drug uptake-inhibition effect of ouabain. Furthermore, we found that ouabain potentiated the cytotoxic effects of MMC in tumor cells. Taken together, we identified an additional effect of ouabain as a FA/BRCA pathway-inhibiting chemosensitization compound. The results of this study suggest that ouabain may serve as a chemosensitizer to ICL-inducing anticancer drugs.

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

The AID-induced DNA damage response in chromatin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daniel, Jeremy A; Nussenzweig, André

2013-01-01

Chemical modifications to the DNA and histone protein components of chromatin can modulate gene expression and genome stability. Understanding the physiological impact of changes in chromatin structure remains an important question in biology. As one example, in order to generate antibody diversity...... with somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination, chromatin must be made accessible for activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-mediated deamination of cytosines in DNA. These lesions are recognized and removed by various DNA repair pathways but, if not handled properly, can lead to formation...... of oncogenic chromosomal translocations. In this review, we focus the discussion on how chromatin-modifying activities and -binding proteins contribute to the native chromatin environment in which AID-induced DNA damage is targeted and repaired. Outstanding questions remain regarding the direct roles...

Coevolution between Nuclear-Encoded DNA Replication, Recombination, and Repair Genes and Plastid Genome Complexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jin; Ruhlman, Tracey A; Sabir, Jamal S M; Blazier, John Chris; Weng, Mao-Lun; Park, Seongjun; Jansen, Robert K

2016-02-17

Disruption of DNA replication, recombination, and repair (DNA-RRR) systems has been hypothesized to cause highly elevated nucleotide substitution rates and genome rearrangements in the plastids of angiosperms, but this theory remains untested. To investigate nuclear-plastid genome (plastome) coevolution in Geraniaceae, four different measures of plastome complexity (rearrangements, repeats, nucleotide insertions/deletions, and substitution rates) were evaluated along with substitution rates of 12 nuclear-encoded, plastid-targeted DNA-RRR genes from 27 Geraniales species. Significant correlations were detected for nonsynonymous (dN) but not synonymous (dS) substitution rates for three DNA-RRR genes (uvrB/C, why1, and gyrA) supporting a role for these genes in accelerated plastid genome evolution in Geraniaceae. Furthermore, correlation between dN of uvrB/C and plastome complexity suggests the presence of nucleotide excision repair system in plastids. Significant correlations were also detected between plastome complexity and 13 of the 90 nuclear-encoded organelle-targeted genes investigated. Comparisons revealed significant acceleration of dN in plastid-targeted genes of Geraniales relative to Brassicales suggesting this correlation may be an artifact of elevated rates in this gene set in Geraniaceae. Correlation between dN of plastid-targeted DNA-RRR genes and plastome complexity supports the hypothesis that the aberrant patterns in angiosperm plastome evolution could be caused by dysfunction in DNA-RRR systems. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Trabectedin – the DNA minor groove binder

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G. A. Belitsky

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Trabectedin (ET-743, Yondelis is an alkaloid that was originally isolated from the Caribbean Sea squirt, Ecteinascidia turbinata and is now produced synthetically. Its chemical structure consists in three fused tetrahydroisoquinoline rings. Two of them, A and B, binds covalently to guanine residues in the minor groove of the DNA double helix to bend the molecule toward the major groove and the third ring C protrudes from the DNA duplex, apparently allowing interactions with several nuclear proteins. Binding to the minor groove of DNA, trabectedin trigger a cascade of events that interfere with several transcription factors, DNA binding proteins, and DNA repair pathways in particular nucleotide excision repair. It acts both as a DNA-alkylating drug and topoisomerase poison. Trabectedin-DNA adduct traps the nucleotide excision repair proteins repairing the DNA damage in transcribing genes and induces DNA strand breaks. Cells deficient in homologous recombination pathway which repairs these double-strand breaks show increased sensitivity to trabectedin. The most sensitive of them were myxoid liposarcomas. Trabectedin is also effective in chemotherapy-experienced patients with advanced, recurrent liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma as well as in women with ovarian cancer and breast cancer with BRCAness phenotype. Besides of tumor cells Trabectedin inhibits inflammatory cells by affecting directly monocytes and tumorassociated macrophages and indirectly by inhibiting production of inflammatory mediators, the cytokines and chemokines. It inhibits also the MDR-1 gene, which is responsible for the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents and strikes tumor angiogenesis.

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.

Roles of Rad51 protein in homologous recombination in mammalian cells: relation with repair, replication and cell cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, S.

2001-01-01

Homologous recombination (HR) is a fundamental process, allowing a faithful repair. In mammalian, MmRAD51, which is the homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScRAD51 key protein for HR, is an essential gene. This work is based on the characterisation of viable hyper and hypo-recombinant cell lines specifically affected in the Rad51 pathway. By expressing wild type and dominant negative forms of MmRad51, we demonstrated that Rad51 pathway participates to the repair by HR to induced DNA damages. However, inhibition of the Rad 51 pathway does not affect cell viability, spontaneously or after irradiation, whereas, radiation induced HR is inhibited. In the presence of DNA damages during late S and G2/M phase, inhibition of Rad51 pathway induced chromosomal aberrations, leading to a transient arrest in mitosis. This arrest is associated with an increased of cell death. However, a fraction of cells can escape from this transient arrest by forming tetraploid cells, associated with an absence of chromalid separation. Thus, in response to impaired Rad51 pathway, mitotic checkpoints seems to play an essential role. In line with this, we showed that the essential function of Rad51 is p53-dependent, which is in agreement with the role of p53 in tetraploidy inhibition. Our results suggest that the Rad51 protein could participate to the control of mitotic checkpoints and thus to the maintenance of genetic stability. This function could involve other Rad51 partners such as the tumour suppressors BRCA1, BRCA2 and p53. (author) [fr

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

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.

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.

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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.

Backup pathways of NHEJ in cells of higher eukaryotes: Cell cycle dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliakis, George

2009-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by ionizing radiation (IR) in cells of higher eukaryotes are predominantly repaired by a pathway of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) utilizing Ku, DNA-PKcs, DNA ligase IV, XRCC4 and XLF/Cernunnos (D-NHEJ) as central components. Work carried out in our laboratory and elsewhere shows that when this pathway is chemically or genetically compromised, cells do not shunt DSBs to homologous recombination repair (HRR) but instead use another form of NHEJ operating as a backup (B-NHEJ). Here I review our efforts to characterize this repair pathway and discuss its dependence on the cell cycle as well as on the growth conditions. I present evidence that B-NHEJ utilizes ligase III, PARP-1 and histone H1. When B-NHEJ is examined throughout the cell cycle, significantly higher activity is observed in G2 phase that cannot be attributed to HRR. Furthermore, the activity of B-NHEJ is compromised when cells enter the plateau phase of growth. Together, these observations uncover a repair pathway with unexpected biochemical constitution and interesting cell cycle and growth factor regulation. They generate a framework for investigating the mechanistic basis of HRR contribution to DSB repair.

V(D)J recombination process and the Pre-B to immature B-cells transition are altered in Fanca-/- mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thuy Vy; Pawlikowska, Patrycja; Firlej, Virginie; Rosselli, Filippo; Aoufouchi, Saïd

2016-11-24

B-lymphocytes in the bone marrow (BM) must generate a functional B-cell receptor and overcome the negative selection induced by reactivity with autoantigens. Two rounds of DNA recombination are required for the production of functional immunoglobulin heavy (Ig-HCs) and light (LCs) chains necessary for the continuation of B-lymphocyte development in the BM. Both rounds depend on the joint action of recombination activating gene-1 (RAG-1) and RAG-2 endonucleases with the DNA non-homologous end-joining pathway. Loss of the FANC gene leads to the chromosome breakage and cancer predisposition syndrome Fanconi anemia. Because the FANC proteins are involved in certain aspects of the recombination process, we sought to determine the impact of the FANC pathway on the Ig diversification process using Fanca -/- mice. In this work we demonstrated that Fanca -/- animals have a mild B-cell differentiation defect characterized by a specific alteration of the IgM - to IgM + transition of the B220 low B-cell population. Pre-B cells from Fanca -/- mice show evidence of impaired kLC rearrangement at the level of the Vk-Jk junction. Furthermore, Fanca -/- mice showed a skewed Vκ gene usage during formation of the LCs Vk-Jk junctions. Therefore, the Fanca protein appears as a yet unidentified factor involved in the primary diversification of Ig.

Gene and pathway level analyses of germline DNA-repair gene variants and prostate cancer susceptibility using the iCOGS-genotyping array

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saunders, Edward J; Dadaev, Tokhir; Leongamornlert, Daniel A

2016-01-01

the SKAT-C test from the SNP-set (Sequence) Kernel Association Test (SKAT) identified a significant association with PrCa for MSH5. Pathway-level analyses suggested a possible role for the translesion synthesis pathway in PrCa risk and Homologous recombination/Fanconi Anaemia pathway for Pr...

The unconventional xer recombination machinery of Streptococci/Lactococci

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Le Bourgeois, Pascal; Bugarel, Marie; Campo, Nathalie; Daveran-Mingot, Marie-Line; Labonte, Jessica; Lanfranchi, Daniel; Lautier, Thomas; Pages, Carine; Ritzenthaler, Paul

Homologous recombination between circular sister chromosomes during DNA replication in bacteria can generate chromosome dimers that must be resolved into monomers prior to cell division. In Escherichia coli, dimer resolution is achieved by site-specific recombination, Xer recombination, involving

Gene conversion at the gray locus of Sordaria fimicola: fit of the experimental data to a hybrid DNA model of recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalogeropoulos, A; Thuriaux, P

1985-03-01

A hybrid DNA (hDNA) model of recombination has been algebraically formulated, which allows the prediction of frequencies of postmeiotic segregation and conversion of a given allele and their probability of being associated with a crossing over. The model considered is essentially the "Aviemore model." In contrast to some other interpretations of recombination, it states that gene conversion can only result from the repair of heteroduplex hDNA, with postmeiotic segregation resulting from unrepaired heteroduplexes. The model also postulates that crossing over always occurs distally to the initiation site of the hDNA. Eleven types of conversion and postmeiotic segregation with or without associated crossover were considered. Their theoretical frequencies are given by 11 linear equations with ten variables, four describing heteroduplex repair, four giving the probability of hDNA formation and its topological properties and two giving the probability that crossing over occurs at the left or right of the converting allele. Using the experimental data of Kitani and coworkers on conversion at the six best studied gray alleles of Sordaria fimicola, we found that the model considered fit the data at a P level above or very close (allele h4) to the 5% level of sampling error provided that the hDNA is partly asymmetric. The best fitting solutions are such that the hDNA has an equal probability of being formed on either chromatid or, alternatively, that both DNA strands have the same probability of acting as the invading strand during hDNA formation. The two mismatches corresponding to a given allele are repaired with different efficiencies. Optimal solutions are found if one allows for repair to be more efficient on the asymmetric hDNA than on the symmetric one. In the case of allele g1, our data imply that the direction of repair is nonrandom with respect to the strand on which it occurs.

Research and development of basic technologies for the next generation industries, 'recombinant DNA utilizing technology'. Evaluation on the research and development; Jisedai sangyo kiban gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu 'kumikae DNA riyo gijutsu'. Kenkyu kaihatsu hyoka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1991-03-01

Research, development and evaluation were performed with an objective of establishing the basic technology related to the recombinant DNA utilizing technology to create new microorganisms for processes in the chemical industry. The major achievements of the present research and development include establishment of the P450 gene manifestation system attributed from microsomes and mitochondria, and the success of the world's first simultaneous manifestation of P450 and reduction enzyme. Furthermore, the fused enzyme combining P450 and the reduction enzyme genetically was successfully manufactured ahead of the other countries, opening the way to industrializing the recombinant enzymes for use in bio-processes in the chemical industry. In creating a high-efficiency secretion recombinant bacillus subtilis stock, a bacillus subtilis host whose protease activity has been noticeably decreased was created. As an achievement of the research on the 'basic recombinant DNA technology', high-efficiency manifestation vector of medium level thermophile was created, and its usefulness was demonstrated. In addition, a host and vector system for high level thermophile was developed for the first time in the world. These achievements have opened the way to industrial utilization of the thermophilic bacteria. (NEDO)

Molecular Pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Lok, Benjamin H.; Powell, Simon N.

2012-01-01

The Rad52 protein was largely ignored in humans and other mammals when the mouse knockout revealed a largely “no-effect” phenotype. However, using synthetic lethal approaches to investigate context dependent function, new studies have shown that Rad52 plays a key survival role in cells lacking the function of the BRCA1-BRCA2 pathway of homologous recombination. Biochemical studies also showed significant differences between yeast and human Rad52, in which yeast Rad52 can promote strand invasion of RPA-coated single-stranded DNA in the presence of Rad51, but human Rad52 cannot. This results in the paradox of how is human Rad52 providing Rad51 function: presumably there is something missing in the biochemical assays that exists in-vivo, but the nature of this missing factor is currently unknown. Recent studies have suggested that Rad52 provides back-up Rad51 function for all members of the BRCA1-BRCA2 pathway, suggesting that Rad52 may be a target for therapy in BRCA pathway deficient cancers. Screening for ways to inhibit Rad52 would potentially provide a complementary strategy for targeting BRCA-deficient cancers in addition to PARP inhibitors. PMID:23071261

Effect of deregulation of Sonic Hedgehog pathway on responses to DNA damage and cancer predisposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charazac, Aurelie

2015-01-01

The Gorlin syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by several developmental abnormalities. Due to mutations in PTCH1, a key player of the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, clinical manifestations also includes hyper-radiosensitivity and an increased predisposition to the development of basal cell carcinomas. Given the implication of DNA repair system defects in hyper-radiosensitivity pathologies, we decided to study the effect of PTCH1 mutations on the DNA damage response in order to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to Gorlin's phenotype.This study demonstrate a global failure of the DNA damage repair systems in Gorlin fibroblasts with respect to controls. It highlights in particular the collapse of the base excision repair pathway (BER) responsible for the repair of oxidative DNA damage. (author) [fr

Ca2+ improves organization of single-stranded DNA bases in human Rad51 filament, explaining stimulatory effect on gene recombination.

KAUST Repository

Fornander, Louise H; Frykholm, Karolin; Reymer, Anna; Renodon-Corniè re, Axelle; Takahashi, Masayuki; Nordé n, Bengt

2012-01-01

Human RAD51 protein (HsRad51) catalyses the DNA strand exchange reaction for homologous recombination. To clarify the molecular mechanism of the reaction in vitro being more effective in the presence of Ca(2+) than of Mg(2+), we have investigated

Methotrexate induces DNA damage and inhibits homologous recombination repair in choriocarcinoma cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xie L

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Lisha Xie,1,* Tiancen Zhao,1,2,* Jing Cai,1 You Su,1 Zehua Wang,1 Weihong Dong1 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism of sensitivity to methotrexate (MTX in human choriocarcinoma cells regarding DNA damage response. Methods: Two choriocarcinoma cancer cell lines, JAR and JEG-3, were utilized in this study. An MTX-sensitive osteosarcoma cell line MG63, an MTX-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and an MTX-resistant cervical adenocarcinoma cell line Hela served as controls. Cell viability assay was carried out to assess MTX sensitivity of cell lines. MTX-induced DNA damage was evaluated by comet assay. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA levels of BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51 and RAD52. The protein levels of γH2AX, RAD 51 and p53 were analyzed by Western blot. Results: Remarkable DNA strand breaks were observed in MTX-sensitive cell lines (JAR, JEG-3 and MG63 but not in MTX-resistant cancer cells (A2780 and Hela after 48 h of MTX treatment. Only in the choriocarcinoma cells, the expression of homologous recombination (HR repair gene RAD51 was dramatically suppressed by MTX in a dose- and time-dependent manner, accompanied with the increase in p53. Conclusion: The MTX-induced DNA strand breaks accompanied by deficiencies in HR repair may contribute to the hypersensitivity to chemotherapy in choriocarcinoma. Keywords: choriocarcinoma, chemotherapy hypersensitivity, DNA double-strand break, RAD51, p53

V(D)J recombination process and the Pre-B to immature B-cells transition are altered in Fanca−/− mice

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thuy Vy; Pawlikowska, Patrycja; Firlej, Virginie; Rosselli, Filippo; Aoufouchi, Saïd

2016-01-01

B-lymphocytes in the bone marrow (BM) must generate a functional B-cell receptor and overcome the negative selection induced by reactivity with autoantigens. Two rounds of DNA recombination are required for the production of functional immunoglobulin heavy (Ig-HCs) and light (LCs) chains necessary for the continuation of B-lymphocyte development in the BM. Both rounds depend on the joint action of recombination activating gene-1 (RAG-1) and RAG-2 endonucleases with the DNA non-homologous end-joining pathway. Loss of the FANC gene leads to the chromosome breakage and cancer predisposition syndrome Fanconi anemia. Because the FANC proteins are involved in certain aspects of the recombination process, we sought to determine the impact of the FANC pathway on the Ig diversification process using Fanca−/− mice. In this work we demonstrated that Fanca−/− animals have a mild B-cell differentiation defect characterized by a specific alteration of the IgM− to IgM+ transition of the B220low B-cell population. Pre-B cells from Fanca−/− mice show evidence of impaired kLC rearrangement at the level of the Vk-Jk junction. Furthermore, Fanca−/− mice showed a skewed Vκ gene usage during formation of the LCs Vk-Jk junctions. Therefore, the Fanca protein appears as a yet unidentified factor involved in the primary diversification of Ig. PMID:27883081

Metal binding proteins, recombinant host cells and methods

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, Anne O.; Caguiat, Jonathan J.

2004-06-15

The present disclosure provides artificial heavy metal binding proteins termed chelons by the inventors. These chelons bind cadmium and/or mercuric ions with relatively high affinity. Also disclosed are coding sequences, recombinant DNA molecules and recombinant host cells comprising those recombinant DNA molecules for expression of the chelon proteins. In the recombinant host cells or transgenic plants, the chelons can be used to bind heavy metals taken up from contaminated soil, groundwater or irrigation water and to concentrate and sequester those ions. Recombinant enteric bacteria can be used within the gastrointestinal tracts of animals or humans exposed to toxic metal ions such as mercury and/or cadmium, where the chelon recombinantly expressed in chosen in accordance with the ion to be rededicated. Alternatively, the chelons can be immobilized to solid supports to bind and concentrate heavy metals from a contaminated aqueous medium including biological fluids.

A nuclear mutation defective in mitochondrial recombination in yeast.

OpenAIRE

Ling, F; Makishima, F; Morishima, N; Shibata, T

1995-01-01

Homologous recombination (crossing over and gene conversion) is generally essential for heritage and DNA repair, and occasionally causes DNA aberrations, in nuclei of eukaryotes. However, little is known about the roles of homologous recombination in the inheritance and stability of mitochondrial DNA which is continuously damaged by reactive oxygen species, by-products of respiration. Here, we report the first example of a nuclear recessive mutation which suggests an essential role for homolo...

A prime/boost strategy by DNA/fowlpox recombinants expressing a mutant E7 protein for the immunotherapy of HPV-associated cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Radaelli, Antonia; De Giuli Morghen, Carlo; Zanotto, Carlo; Pacchioni, Sole; Bissa, Massimiliano; Franconi, Rosella; Massa, Silvia; Paolini, Francesca; Muller, Antonio; Venuti, Aldo

2012-12-01

Development of effective therapeutic vaccines against human papilloma virus (HPV) infections remains a priority, considering the high number of new cases of cervical cancer each year by high-risk HPVs, in particular by HPV-16. Vaccines expressing the E7 oncoprotein, which is detectable in all HPV-positive pre-cancerous and cancer cells, might clear already established tumors and support the treatment of HPV-related lesions. In this study, DNA or fowlpox virus recombinants expressing the harmless variant E7GGG of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein (DNA(E7GGG) and FP(E7GGG)) were generated. Two immunization regimens were tested in a pre-clinical mouse model by homologous (FP/FP) or heterologous (DNA/FP) prime-boost protocols to evaluate the immune response and therapeutic efficacy of the proposed HPV-16 vaccine. Low levels of anti-E7-specific antibodies were elicited after immunization, and in vivo experiments resulted in a higher number of tumor-free mice after the heterologous immunization. These results establish a preliminary indication for therapy of HPV-related tumors by the combined use of DNA and avipox recombinants, which might represent safer immunogens than vaccinia-based vaccines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AIDing Chromatin and Transcription-Coupled Orchestration of Immunoglobulin Class-Switch Recombination

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidyanathan, Bharat; Yen, Wei-Feng; Pucella, Joseph N.; Chaudhuri, Jayanta

2014-01-01

Secondary diversification of the antibody repertoire upon antigenic challenge, in the form of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) class-switch recombination (CSR) endows mature, naïve B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs with a limitless ability to mount an optimal humoral immune response, thus expediting pathogen elimination. CSR replaces the default constant (CH) region exons (Cμ) of IgH with any of the downstream CH exons (Cγ, Cε, or Cα), thereby altering effector functions of the antibody molecule. This process depends on, and is orchestrated by, activation-induced deaminase (AID), a DNA cytidine deaminase that acts on single-stranded DNA exposed during transcription of switch (S) region sequences at the IgH locus. DNA lesions thus generated are processed by components of several general DNA repair pathways to drive CSR. Given that AID can instigate DNA lesions and genomic instability, stringent checks are imposed that constrain and restrict its mutagenic potential. In this review, we will discuss how AID expression and substrate specificity and activity is rigorously enforced at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic levels, and how the DNA-damage response is choreographed with precision to permit targeted activity while limiting bystander catastrophe. PMID:24734031

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.

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...

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

Interactive Roles of DNA Helicases and Translocases with the Single-Stranded DNA Binding Protein RPA in Nucleic Acid Metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Awate, Sanket; Brosh, Robert M

2017-06-08

Helicases and translocases use the energy of nucleoside triphosphate binding and hydrolysis to unwind/resolve structured nucleic acids or move along a single-stranded or double-stranded polynucleotide chain, respectively. These molecular motors facilitate a variety of transactions including replication, DNA repair, recombination, and transcription. A key partner of eukaryotic DNA helicases/translocases is the single-stranded DNA binding protein Replication Protein A (RPA). Biochemical, genetic, and cell biological assays have demonstrated that RPA interacts with these human molecular motors physically and functionally, and their association is enriched in cells undergoing replication stress. The roles of DNA helicases/translocases are orchestrated with RPA in pathways of nucleic acid metabolism. RPA stimulates helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding, enlists translocases to sites of action, and modulates their activities in DNA repair, fork remodeling, checkpoint activation, and telomere maintenance. The dynamic interplay between DNA helicases/translocases and RPA is just beginning to be understood at the molecular and cellular levels, and there is still much to be learned, which may inform potential therapeutic strategies.

Genome engineering with TALENs and ZFNs: repair pathways and donor design.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Dana; Beumer, Kelly J

2014-09-01

Genome engineering with targetable nucleases depends on cellular pathways of DNA repair after target cleavage. Knowledge of how those pathways work, their requirements and their active factors, can guide experimental design and improve outcomes. While many aspects of both homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) are shared by a broad range of cells and organisms, some features are specific to individual situations. This article reviews the influence of repair mechanisms on the results of gene targeting experiments, with an emphasis on lessons learned from experiments with Drosophila. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regulation of rDNA stability by sumoylation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckert-Boulet, Nadine; Lisby, Michael

2009-01-01

Repair of DNA lesions by homologous recombination relies on the copying of genetic information from an intact homologous sequence. However, many eukaryotic genomes contain repetitive sequences such as the ribosomal gene locus (rDNA), which poses a risk for illegitimate recombination. Therefore, t......6 complex and sumoylation of Rad52, which directs DNA double-strand breaks in the rDNA to relocalize from within the nucleolus to the nucleoplasm before association with the recombination machinery. The relocalization before repair is important for maintaining rDNA stability. The focus...

Regulation of Meiotic Recombination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gregory p. Copenhaver

2011-11-09

Meiotic recombination results in the heritable rearrangement of DNA, primarily through reciprocal exchange between homologous chromosome or gene conversion. In plants these events are critical for ensuring proper chromosome segregation, facilitating DNA repair and providing a basis for genetic diversity. Understanding this fundamental biological mechanism will directly facilitate trait mapping, conventional plant breeding, and development of genetic engineering techniques that will help support the responsible production and conversion of renewable resources for fuels, chemicals, and the conservation of energy (1-3). Substantial progress has been made in understanding the basal recombination machinery, much of which is conserved in organisms as diverse as yeast, plants and mammals (4, 5). Significantly less is known about the factors that regulate how often and where that basal machinery acts on higher eukaryotic chromosomes. One important mechanism for regulating the frequency and distribution of meiotic recombination is crossover interference - or the ability of one recombination event to influence nearby events. The MUS81 gene is thought to play an important role in regulating the influence of interference on crossing over. The immediate goals of this project are to use reverse genetics to identify mutants in two putative MUS81 homologs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, characterize those mutants and initiate a novel forward genetic screen for additional regulators of meiotic recombination. The long-term goal of the project is to understand how meiotic recombination is regulated in higher eukaryotes with an emphasis on the molecular basis of crossover interference. The ability to monitor recombination in all four meiotic products (tetrad analysis) has been a powerful tool in the arsenal of yeast geneticists. Previously, the qrt mutant of Arabidopsis, which causes the four pollen products of male meiosis to remain attached, was developed as a facile system

Heteroduplex DNA position defines the roles of the Sgs1, Srs2, and Mph1 helicases in promoting distinct recombination outcomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrina Mitchel

Full Text Available The contributions of the Sgs1, Mph1, and Srs2 DNA helicases during mitotic double-strand break (DSB repair in yeast were investigated using a gap-repair assay. A diverged chromosomal substrate was used as a repair template for the gapped plasmid, allowing mismatch-containing heteroduplex DNA (hDNA formed during recombination to be monitored. Overall DSB repair efficiencies and the proportions of crossovers (COs versus noncrossovers (NCOs were determined in wild-type and helicase-defective strains, allowing the efficiency of CO and NCO production in each background to be calculated. In addition, the products of individual NCO events were sequenced to determine the location of hDNA. Because hDNA position is expected to differ depending on whether a NCO is produced by synthesis-dependent-strand-annealing (SDSA or through a Holliday junction (HJ-containing intermediate, its position allows the underlying molecular mechanism to be inferred. Results demonstrate that each helicase reduces the proportion of CO recombinants, but that each does so in a fundamentally different way. Mph1 does not affect the overall efficiency of gap repair, and its loss alters the CO-NCO by promoting SDSA at the expense of HJ-containing intermediates. By contrast, Sgs1 and Srs2 are each required for efficient gap repair, strongly promoting NCO formation and having little effect on CO efficiency. hDNA analyses suggest that all three helicases promote SDSA, and that Sgs1 and Srs2 additionally dismantle HJ-containing intermediates. The hDNA data are consistent with the proposed role of Sgs1 in the dissolution of double HJs, and we propose that Srs2 dismantles nicked HJs.

Switch junction sequences in PMS2-deficient mice reveal a microhomology-mediated mechanism of Ig class switch recombination

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrenstein, Michael R.; Rada, Cristina; Jones, Anne-Marie; Milstein, César; Neuberger, Michael S.

2001-01-01

Isotype switching involves a region-specific, nonhomologous recombinational deletion that has been suggested to occur by nonhomologous joining of broken DNA ends. Here, we find increased donor/acceptor homology at switch junctions from PMS2-deficient mice and propose that class switching can occur by microhomology-mediated end-joining. Interestingly, although isotype switching and somatic hypermutation show many parallels, we confirm that PMS2 deficiency has no major effect on the pattern of nucleotide substitutions generated during somatic hypermutation. This finding is in contrast to MSH2 deficiency. With MSH2, the altered pattern of switch recombination and hypermutation suggests parallels in the mechanics of the two processes, whereas the fact that PMS2 deficiency affects only switch recombination may reflect differences in the pathways of break resolution. PMID:11717399

Srs2 mediates PCNA-SUMO-dependent inhibition of DNA repair synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkovics, Peter; Sebesta, Marek; Kolesar, Peter; Sisakova, Alexandra; Marini, Victoria; Plault, Nicolas; Szukacsov, Valeria; Pinter, Lajos; Haracska, Lajos; Robert, Thomas; Kolesar, Peter; Gangloff, Serge; Krejci, Lumir

2013-01-01

Completion of DNA replication needs to be ensured even when challenged with fork progression problems or DNA damage. PCNA and its modifications constitute a molecular switch to control distinct repair pathways. In yeast, SUMOylated PCNA (S-PCNA) recruits Srs2 to sites of replication where Srs2 can disrupt Rad51 filaments and prevent homologous recombination (HR). We report here an unexpected additional mechanism by which S-PCNA and Srs2 block the synthesis-dependent extension of a recombination intermediate, thus limiting its potentially hazardous resolution in association with a cross-over. This new Srs2 activity requires the SUMO interaction motif at its C-terminus, but neither its translocase activity nor its interaction with Rad51. Srs2 binding to S-PCNA dissociates Polδ and Polη from the repair synthesis machinery, thus revealing a novel regulatory mechanism controlling spontaneous genome rearrangements. Our results suggest that cycling cells use the Siz1-dependent SUMOylation of PCNA to limit the extension of repair synthesis during template switch or HR and attenuate reciprocal DNA strand exchanges to maintain genome stability. (authors)

Effect of deoxyribonucleic acid replication inhibitors on bacterial recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canosi, U.; Siccardi, A.G.; Falaschi, A.; Mazza, G.

1976-01-01

Two inhibitors of replicative deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis, nalidixic acid (NAL) and 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil (HPUra), showed different effects on genetic recombination and DNA repair in Bacillus subtilis. Previous work (Pedrini et al., 1972) showed that NAL does not interfere with the transformation process of B. subtilis. The results reported in this work demonstrated that the drug was also without effect on the transfection SPP1 or SPO-1 phage DNA (a process that requires a recombination event). The drug was also ineffective on the host cell reactivation of ultraviolet-irradiated SPP1 phage, as well as on transfection with ultraviolet-irradiated DNA of the same phage. HPUra instead markedly reduced the transformation process, as well as transfection, by SPO-1 DNA, but it did not affect the host cell reactivation of SPO-1 phage. In conclusion, whereas the NAL target seems to be specific for replicative DNA synthesis, the HPUra target (i.e., the DNA polymerase III of B. subtilis) seems to be involved also in recombination, but not in the excision repair process. The mutations conferring NAL and HPUra resistance used in this work were mapped by PBS-1 transduction

Senataxin plays an essential role with DNA damage response proteins in meiotic recombination and gene silencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier J Becherel

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Senataxin, mutated in the human genetic disorder ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2, plays an important role in maintaining genome integrity by coordination of transcription, DNA replication, and the DNA damage response. We demonstrate that senataxin is essential for spermatogenesis and that it functions at two stages in meiosis during crossing-over in homologous recombination and in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI. Disruption of the Setx gene caused persistence of DNA double-strand breaks, a defect in disassembly of Rad51 filaments, accumulation of DNA:RNA hybrids (R-loops, and ultimately a failure of crossing-over. Senataxin localised to the XY body in a Brca1-dependent manner, and in its absence there was incomplete localisation of DNA damage response proteins to the XY chromosomes and ATR was retained on the axial elements of these chromosomes, failing to diffuse out into chromatin. Furthermore persistence of RNA polymerase II activity, altered ubH2A distribution, and abnormal XY-linked gene expression in Setx⁻/⁻ revealed an essential role for senataxin in MSCI. These data support key roles for senataxin in coordinating meiotic crossing-over with transcription and in gene silencing to protect the integrity of the genome.

1,4 Naphthoquinone protects radiation induced cell death and DNA damage in lymphocytes by activation Nrf2/are pathway and enhancing DNA repair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, Nazir M; Sandur, Santosh K; Checker, Rahul; Sharma, Deepak; Poduval, T.B., E-mail: nazirbiotech@rediffmail.com [Radiation Biology and Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2012-07-01

1,4-Naphthoquinone (NQ) is the parent molecule of many clinically approved anticancer, anti-infective, and antiparasitic drugs such as anthracycline, mitomycin, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, diospyrin, and malarone. Presence of NQ during a-irradiation (4Gy) significantly reduced the death of irradiated murine splenic lymphocytes in a dose dependent manner (0.05-liM), with complete protection at liM as assessed by PI staining. Radioprotection by NQ was further confirmed by inhibition of caspase activation, decrease in cell size, DNA-fragmentation, nuclear-blebbing and clonogenic assay. All trans retinoic acid which is inhibitor of Nrf-2 pathway, completely abrogated the radioprotective effect of NQ, suggesting that radioprotective activity of NQ may be due to activation of Nrf-2 signaling pathways. Further, addition of NQ to lymphocytes activated Nrf-2 in time dependent manner as shown by confocal microscopy, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and quantitative real time PCR. It also increased the expression of Nrf-2 dependent cytoprotective genes like hemeoxygenase-1, MnSOD, catalse as demonstrated by real time PCR and flowcytometry. NQ protected lymphocytes significantly against radiation-induced cell death even when added after irradiation. Complete protection was observed by addition of NQ up to 2 h after irradiation. However, percentage protection decreased with increasing time interval. These results suggested that NQ may offer protection to lymphocytes activating repair pathways. Repair of radiation induced DNA strand breaks was studied by comet assay. Pretreatment of lymphocytes with NQ induced single strand breaks up to 6h but not double strand breaks in DNA. However, NQ mediated single strand breaks were repaired completely at longer time intervals. Addition of NQ to lymphocytes prior to 4 Gy a-radiation exposure showed decrease in the yield of DNA double strand breaks. The observed time-dependent decrease in the DNA strand breaks could be attributed to

The anaphase inhibitor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pds1p is a target of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen-Fix, O.; Koshland, D.

1997-01-01

Inhibition of DNA replication and physical DNA damage induce checkpoint responses that arrest cell cycle progression at two different stages. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the execution of both checkpoint responses requires the Mec1 and Rad53 proteins. This observation led to the suggestion that these checkpoint responses are mediated through a common signal transduction pathway. However, because the checkpoint-induced arrests occur at different cell cycle stages, the downstream effectors mediating these arrests are likely to be distinct. We have previously shown that the S. cerevisiae protein Pds1p is an anaphase inhibitor and is essential for cell cycle arrest in mitosis in the presence DNA damage. Herein we show that DNA damage, but not inhibition of DNA replication, induces the phosphorylation of Pds1p. Analyses of Pds1p phosphorylation in different checkpoint mutants reveal that in the presence of DNA damage, Pds1p is phosphorylated in a Mec1p- and Rad9p-dependent hut Rad53p-independent manner. Our data place Pds1p and Rad53p on parallel branches of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway. We suggest that Pds1p is a downstream target of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway and that it is involved in implementing the DNA damage checkpoint arrest specifically in mitosis

The Fanconi anemia DNA damage repair pathway in the spotlight for germline predisposition to colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Esteban-Jurado, Clara; Franch-Expósito, Sebastià; Muñoz, Jenifer; Ocaña, Teresa; Carballal, Sabela; López-Cerón, Maria; Cuatrecasas, Miriam; Vila-Casadesús, Maria; Lozano, Juan José; Serra, Enric; Beltran, Sergi; Brea-Fernández, Alejandro; Ruiz-Ponte, Clara; Castells, Antoni; Bujanda, Luis; Garre, Pilar; Caldés, Trinidad; Cubiella, Joaquín; Balaguer, Francesc; Castellví-Bel, Sergi

2016-10-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common neoplasms in the world. Fanconi anemia (FA) is a very rare genetic disease causing bone marrow failure, congenital growth abnormalities and cancer predisposition. The comprehensive FA DNA damage repair pathway requires the collaboration of 53 proteins and it is necessary to restore genome integrity by efficiently repairing damaged DNA. A link between FA genes in breast and ovarian cancer germline predisposition has been previously suggested. We selected 74 CRC patients from 40 unrelated Spanish families with strong CRC aggregation compatible with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and without mutations in known hereditary CRC genes and performed germline DNA whole-exome sequencing with the aim of finding new candidate germline predisposition variants. After sequencing and data analysis, variant prioritization selected only those very rare alterations, producing a putative loss of function and located in genes with a role compatible with cancer. We detected an enrichment for variants in FA DNA damage repair pathway genes in our familial CRC cohort as 6 families carried heterozygous, rare, potentially pathogenic variants located in BRCA2/FANCD1, BRIP1/FANCJ, FANCC, FANCE and REV3L/POLZ. In conclusion, the FA DNA damage repair pathway may play an important role in the inherited predisposition to CRC.

Real-time single-molecule tethered particle motion experiments reveal the kinetics and mechanisms of Cre-mediated site-specific recombination

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Hsiu-Fang

2012-01-01

Tyrosine family recombinases (YRs) are widely utilized in genome engineering systems because they can easily direct DNA rearrangement. Cre recombinases, one of the most commonly used types of YRs, catalyze site-specific recombination between two loxP sites without the need for high-energy cofactors, other accessory proteins or a specific DNA target sequence between the loxP sites. Previous structural, analytical ultracentrifuge and electrophoretic analyses have provided details of the reaction kinetics and mechanisms of Cre recombinase activity; whether there are reaction intermediates or side pathways involved has been left unaddressed. Using tethered particle motion (TPM), the Cre-mediated site-specific recombination process has been delineated, from beginning to end, at the single-molecule level, including the formation of abortive complexes and wayward complexes blocking inactive nucleoprotein complexes from entering the recombination process. Reversibility in the strand-cleavage/-ligation process and the formation of a thermally stable Holliday junction intermediate were observed within the Cre-mediated site-specific recombination process. Rate constants for each elementary step, which explain the overall reaction outcomes under various conditions, were determined. Taking the findings of this study together, they demonstrate the potential of single-molecule methodology as an alternative approach for exploring reaction mechanisms in detail. PMID:22467208

Chimeric proteins for detection and quantitation of DNA mutations, DNA sequence variations, DNA damage and DNA mismatches

Science.gov (United States)

McCutchen-Maloney, Sandra L.

2002-01-01

Chimeric proteins having both DNA mutation binding activity and nuclease activity are synthesized by recombinant technology. The proteins are of the general formula A-L-B and B-L-A where A is a peptide having DNA mutation binding activity, L is a linker and B is a peptide having nuclease activity. The chimeric proteins are useful for detection and identification of DNA sequence variations including DNA mutations (including DNA damage and mismatches) by binding to the DNA mutation and cutting the DNA once the DNA mutation is detected.

The Fanconi anemia pathway promotes replication-dependent DNA interstrand cross-link repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Knipscheer, Puck; Räschle, Markus; Smogorzewska, Agata; Enoiu, Milica; Ho, The Vinh; Schärer, Orlando D; Elledge, Stephen J; Walter, Johannes C

2009-12-18

Fanconi anemia is a human cancer predisposition syndrome caused by mutations in 13 Fanc genes. The disorder is characterized by genomic instability and cellular hypersensitivity to chemicals that generate DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs). A central event in the activation of the Fanconi anemia pathway is the mono-ubiquitylation of the FANCI-FANCD2 complex, but how this complex confers ICL resistance remains enigmatic. Using a cell-free system, we showed that FANCI-FANCD2 is required for replication-coupled ICL repair in S phase. Removal of FANCD2 from extracts inhibits both nucleolytic incisions near the ICL and translesion DNA synthesis past the lesion. Reversal of these defects requires ubiquitylated FANCI-FANCD2. Our results show that multiple steps of the essential S-phase ICL repair mechanism fail when the Fanconi anemia pathway is compromised.

Recombinant HT{sub m4} gene, protein and assays

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, B.; Adra, C.N.; Lelias, J.M.

1996-09-03

The invention relates to a recombinant DNA molecule which encodes a HT{sub m4} protein, a transformed host cell which has been stably transfected with a DNA molecule which encodes a HT{sub m4} protein and a recombinant HT{sub m4} protein. The invention also relates to a method for detecting the presence of a hereditary atopy. 2 figs.

Ensuring an exit strategy: RTEL1 restricts rogue recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Villeneuve, Anne M

2008-10-17

Success of homologous recombination-based DNA repair depends not only on recombinases, which promote invasion of the homologous DNA duplex that serves as a template for repair, but also on antirecombinases, which dismantle recombination intermediates to allow completion of repair. In this issue, Barber et al. (2008) identify a previously elusive antirecombinase activity important for maintaining genome stability in animals.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Biotechnology and genetic engineering in the new drug development. Part I. DNA technology and recombinant proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Stryjewska, Agnieszka; Kiepura, Katarzyna; Librowski, Tadeusz; Lochyński, Stanisław

2013-01-01

Pharmaceutical biotechnology has a long tradition and is rooted in the last century, first exemplified by penicillin and streptomycin as low molecular weight biosynthetic compounds. Today, pharmaceutical biotechnology still has its fundamentals in fermentation and bioprocessing, but the paradigmatic change affected by biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences has led to an updated definition. The biotechnology revolution redrew the research, development, production and even marketing processes of drugs. Powerful new instruments and biotechnology related scientific disciplines (genomics, proteomics) make it possible to examine and exploit the behavior of proteins and molecules. Recombinant DNA (rDNA) technologies (genetic, protein, and metabolic engineering) allow the production of a wide range of peptides, proteins, and biochemicals from naturally nonproducing cells. This technology, now approximately 25 years old, is becoming one of the most important technologies developed in the 20(th) century. Pharmaceutical products and industrial enzymes were the first biotech products on the world market made by means of rDNA. Despite important advances regarding rDNA applications in mammalian cells, yeasts still represent attractive hosts for the production of heterologous proteins. In this review we describe these processes.

Recombinational Cloning Using Gateway and In-Fusion Cloning Schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Throop, Andrea L.; LaBaer, Joshua

2015-01-01

The comprehensive study of protein structure and function, or proteomics, depends on the obtainability of full-length cDNAs in species-specific expression vectors and subsequent functional analysis of the expressed protein. Recombinational cloning is a universal cloning technique based on site-specific recombination that is independent of the insert DNA sequence of interest, which differentiates this method from the classical restriction enzyme-based cloning methods. Recombinational cloning enables rapid and efficient parallel transfer of DNA inserts into multiple expression systems. This unit summarizes strategies for generating expression-ready clones using the most popular recombinational cloning technologies, including the commercially available Gateway® (Life Technologies) and In-Fusion® (Clontech) cloning technologies. PMID:25827088

Directing folding pathways for multi-component DNA origami nanostructures with complex topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marras, A E; Zhou, L; Su, H-J; Castro, C E; Kolliopoulos, V

2016-01-01

Molecular self-assembly has become a well-established technique to design complex nanostructures and hierarchical mesoscale assemblies. The typical approach is to design binding complementarity into nucleotide or amino acid sequences to achieve the desired final geometry. However, with an increasing interest in dynamic nanodevices, the need to design structures with motion has necessitated the development of multi-component structures. While this has been achieved through hierarchical assembly of similar structural units, here we focus on the assembly of topologically complex structures, specifically with concentric components, where post-folding assembly is not feasible. We exploit the ability to direct folding pathways to program the sequence of assembly and present a novel approach of designing the strand topology of intermediate folding states to program the topology of the final structure, in this case a DNA origami slider structure that functions much like a piston-cylinder assembly in an engine. The ability to program the sequence and control orientation and topology of multi-component DNA origami nanostructures provides a foundation for a new class of structures with internal and external moving parts and complex scaffold topology. Furthermore, this work provides critical insight to guide the design of intermediate states along a DNA origami folding pathway and to further understand the details of DNA origami self-assembly to more broadly control folding states and landscapes. (paper)

Directing folding pathways for multi-component DNA origami nanostructures with complex topology

Science.gov (United States)

Marras, A. E.; Zhou, L.; Kolliopoulos, V.; Su, H.-J.; Castro, C. E.

2016-05-01

Molecular self-assembly has become a well-established technique to design complex nanostructures and hierarchical mesoscale assemblies. The typical approach is to design binding complementarity into nucleotide or amino acid sequences to achieve the desired final geometry. However, with an increasing interest in dynamic nanodevices, the need to design structures with motion has necessitated the development of multi-component structures. While this has been achieved through hierarchical assembly of similar structural units, here we focus on the assembly of topologically complex structures, specifically with concentric components, where post-folding assembly is not feasible. We exploit the ability to direct folding pathways to program the sequence of assembly and present a novel approach of designing the strand topology of intermediate folding states to program the topology of the final structure, in this case a DNA origami slider structure that functions much like a piston-cylinder assembly in an engine. The ability to program the sequence and control orientation and topology of multi-component DNA origami nanostructures provides a foundation for a new class of structures with internal and external moving parts and complex scaffold topology. Furthermore, this work provides critical insight to guide the design of intermediate states along a DNA origami folding pathway and to further understand the details of DNA origami self-assembly to more broadly control folding states and landscapes.

Modulating secretory pathway pH by proton channel co-expression can increase recombinant protein stability in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jutras, Philippe V; D'Aoust, Marc-André; Couture, Manon M-J; Vézina, Louis-Philippe; Goulet, Marie-Claire; Michaud, Dominique; Sainsbury, Frank

2015-09-01

Eukaryotic expression systems are used for the production of complex secreted proteins. However, recombinant proteins face considerable biochemical challenges along the secretory pathway, including proteolysis and pH variation between organelles. As the use of synthetic biology matures into solutions for protein production, various host-cell engineering approaches are being developed to ameliorate host-cell factors that can limit recombinant protein quality and yield. We report the potential of the influenza M2 ion channel as a novel tool to neutralize the pH in acidic subcellular compartments. Using transient expression in the plant host, Nicotiana benthamiana, we show that ion channel expression can significantly raise pH in the Golgi apparatus and that this can have a strong stabilizing effect on a fusion protein separated by an acid-susceptible linker peptide. We exemplify the utility of this effect in recombinant protein production using influenza hemagglutinin subtypes differentially stable at low pH; the expression of hemagglutinins prone to conformational change in mildly acidic conditions is considerably enhanced by M2 co-expression. The co-expression of a heterologous ion channel to stabilize acid-labile proteins and peptides represents a novel approach to increasing the yield and quality of secreted recombinant proteins in plants and, possibly, in other eukaryotic expression hosts. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Energy Landscape and Pathways for Transitions between Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen Base Pairing in DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Debayan; Wales, David J

2018-01-04

The recent discovery that Hoogsteen (HG) base pairs are widespread in DNA across diverse sequences and positional contexts could have important implications for understanding DNA replication and DNA-protein recognition. While evidence is emerging that the Hoogsteen conformation could be a thermodynamically accessible conformation of the DNA duplex and provide a means to expand its functionality, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying the Watson-Crick (WC) to HG transition. In this Perspective, we describe pathways and kinetics for this transition at an atomic level of detail, using the energy landscape perspective. We show that competition between the duplex conformations results in a double funnel landscape, which explains some recent experimental observations. The interconversion pathways feature a number of intermediates, with a variable number of WC and HG base pairs. The relatively slow kinetics, with possible deviations from two-state behavior, suggest that this conformational switch is likely to be a challenging target for both simulation and experiment.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA repair in response to subinhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, D M; Hinds, J; Butcher, P D; Gillespie, S H; McHugh, T D

2008-12-01

To investigate how the SOS response, an error-prone DNA repair pathway, is expressed following subinhibitory quinolone treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Genome-wide expression profiling followed by quantitative RT (qRT)-PCR was used to study the effect of ciprofloxacin on M. tuberculosis gene expression. Microarray analysis showed that 16/110 genes involved in DNA protection, repair and recombination were up-regulated. There appeared to be a lack of downstream genes involved in the SOS response. qRT-PCR detected an induction of lexA and recA after 4 h and of dnaE2 after 24 h of subinhibitory treatment. The pattern of gene expression observed following subinhibitory quinolone treatment differed from that induced after other DNA-damaging agents (e.g. mitomycin C). The expression of the DnaE2 polymerase response was significantly delayed following subinhibitory quinolone exposure.

Triple negative breast cancers have a reduced expression of DNA repair genes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enilze Ribeiro

Full Text Available DNA repair is a key determinant in the cellular response to therapy and tumor repair status could play an important role in tailoring patient therapy. Our goal was to evaluate the mRNA of 13 genes involved in different DNA repair pathways (base excision, nucleotide excision, homologous recombination, and Fanconi anemia in paraffin embedded samples of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC compared to luminal A breast cancer (LABC. Most of the genes involved in nucleotide excision repair and Fanconi Anemia pathways, and CHK1 gene were significantly less expressed in TNBC than in LABC. PARP1 levels were higher in TNBC than in LABC. In univariate analysis high level of FANCA correlated with an increased overall survival and event free survival in TNBC; however multivariate analyses using Cox regression did not confirm FANCA as independent prognostic factor. These data support the evidence that TNBCs compared to LABCs harbour DNA repair defects.

nuvA, an Aspergillus nidulans gene involved in DNA repair and recombination, is a homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD18 and Neurospora crassa uvs-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanejko, L; Cotton, C; Jones, G; Tomsett, B; Strike, P

1996-03-01

A 40 kb genomic clone and 2.3 kb EcoRI subclone that rescued the DNA repair and recombination defects of the Aspergillus nidulans nuvA11 mutant were isolated and the subclone sequenced. The subclone hybridized to a cosmid in a chromosome-specific library confirming the assignment of nuvA to linkage group IV and indicating its closeness to bimD. Amplification by PCR clarified the relative positions of nuvA and bimD. A region identified within the subclone, encoding a C3HC4 zinc finger motif, was used as a probe to retrieve a cDNA clone. Sequencing of this clone showed that the nuvA gene has an ORF of 1329 bp with two introns of 51 bp and 60 bp. Expression of nuvA appears to be extremely low. The putative NUVA polypeptide has two zinc finger motifs, a molecular mass of 48906 Da and has 39% identity with the Neurospora crassa uvs-2 and 25% identity with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD18 translation products. Although mutations in nuvA, uvs-2 and RAD18 produce similar phenotypes, only the nuvA11 mutation affects meiotic recombination. A role for nuvA in both DNA repair and genetic recombination is proposed.

Important role of the nucleotide excision repair pathway in Mycobacterium smegmatis in conferring protection against commonly encountered DNA-damaging agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurthkoti, Krishna; Kumar, Pradeep; Jain, Ruchi; Varshney, Umesh

2008-09-01

Mycobacteria are an important group of human pathogens. Although the DNA repair mechanisms in mycobacteria are not well understood, these are vital for the pathogen's persistence in the host macrophages. In this study, we generated a null mutation in the uvrB gene of Mycobacterium smegmatis to allow us to compare the significance of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway with two important base excision repair pathways, initiated by uracil DNA glycosylase (Ung) and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg or MutM), in an isogenic strain background. The strain deficient in NER was the most sensitive to commonly encountered DNA-damaging agents such as UV, low pH, reactive oxygen species, hypoxia, and was also sensitive to acidified nitrite. Taken together with previous observations on NER-deficient M. tuberculosis, these results suggest that NER is an important DNA repair pathway in mycobacteria.

Dietary flavonoid derivatives enhance chemotherapeutic effect by inhibiting the DNA damage response pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, Ching-Ying; Zupkó, István; Chang, Fang-Rong; Hunyadi, Attila; Wu, Chin-Chung; Weng, Teng-Song; Wang, Hui-Chun

2016-01-01

Flavonoids are the most common group of polyphenolic compounds and abundant in dietary fruits and vegetables. Diet high in vegetables or dietary flavonoid supplements is associated with reduced mortality rate for patients with breast cancer. Many studies have been proposed for mechanisms linking flavonoids to improving chemotherapy efficacy in many types of cancers, but data on this issue is still limited. Herein, we report on a new mechanism through which dietary flavonoids inhibit DNA damage checkpoints and repair pathways. We found that dietary flavonoids could inhibit Chk1 phosphorylation and decrease clonogenic cell growth once breast cancer cells receive ultraviolet irradiation, cisplatin, or etoposide treatment. Since the ATR-Chk1 pathway mainly involves response to DNA replication stress, we propose that flavonoid derivatives reduce the side effect of chemotherapy by improving the sensitivity of cycling cells. Therefore, we propose that increasing intake of common dietary flavonoids is beneficial to breast cancer patients who are receiving DNA-damaging chemotherapy, such as cisplatin or etoposide-based therapy. - Highlights: • First report on inhibition of both DNA damage and repair by dietary flavonoids • Dietary flavonoids inhibit cisplatin- and UV-induced Chk1 phosphorylation. • Flavonoids combined with cisplatin or UV treatment show notable growth inhibition. • Promising treatment proposal for patients who are receiving adjuvant chemotherapy

Dietary flavonoid derivatives enhance chemotherapeutic effect by inhibiting the DNA damage response pathway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuo, Ching-Ying [Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Zupkó, István [Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, University of Szeged, Eötvös Utca 6, Szeged H-6720 (Hungary); Chang, Fang-Rong [Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Hunyadi, Attila [Institute of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, Eötvös Utca 6, Szeged H-6720 (Hungary); Wu, Chin-Chung; Weng, Teng-Song [Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Wang, Hui-Chun, E-mail: wanghc@kmu.edu.tw [Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); PhD Program in Translational Medicine, College of Medicine and PhD Program in Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Research Center for Natural Product and Drug Development, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Translational Research Center and Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan (China); Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan (China); Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China)

2016-11-15

Flavonoids are the most common group of polyphenolic compounds and abundant in dietary fruits and vegetables. Diet high in vegetables or dietary flavonoid supplements is associated with reduced mortality rate for patients with breast cancer. Many studies have been proposed for mechanisms linking flavonoids to improving chemotherapy efficacy in many types of cancers, but data on this issue is still limited. Herein, we report on a new mechanism through which dietary flavonoids inhibit DNA damage checkpoints and repair pathways. We found that dietary flavonoids could inhibit Chk1 phosphorylation and decrease clonogenic cell growth once breast cancer cells receive ultraviolet irradiation, cisplatin, or etoposide treatment. Since the ATR-Chk1 pathway mainly involves response to DNA replication stress, we propose that flavonoid derivatives reduce the side effect of chemotherapy by improving the sensitivity of cycling cells. Therefore, we propose that increasing intake of common dietary flavonoids is beneficial to breast cancer patients who are receiving DNA-damaging chemotherapy, such as cisplatin or etoposide-based therapy. - Highlights: • First report on inhibition of both DNA damage and repair by dietary flavonoids • Dietary flavonoids inhibit cisplatin- and UV-induced Chk1 phosphorylation. • Flavonoids combined with cisplatin or UV treatment show notable growth inhibition. • Promising treatment proposal for patients who are receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Free energy landscape and transition pathways from Watson–Crick to Hoogsteen base pairing in free duplex DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Changwon; Kim, Eunae; Pak, Youngshang

2015-01-01

Houghton (HG) base pairing plays a central role in the DNA binding of proteins and small ligands. Probing detailed transition mechanism from Watson–Crick (WC) to HG base pair (bp) formation in duplex DNAs is of fundamental importance in terms of revealing intrinsic functions of double helical DNAs beyond their sequence determined functions. We investigated a free energy landscape of a free B-DNA with an adenosine–thymine (A–T) rich sequence to probe its conformational transition pathways from WC to HG base pairing. The free energy landscape was computed with a state-of-art two-dimensional umbrella molecular dynamics simulation at the all-atom level. The present simulation showed that in an isolated duplex DNA, the spontaneous transition from WC to HG bp takes place via multiple pathways. Notably, base flipping into the major and minor grooves was found to play an important role in forming these multiple transition pathways. This finding suggests that naked B-DNA under normal conditions has an inherent ability to form HG bps via spontaneous base opening events. PMID:26250116

mlh3 mutations in baker's yeast alter meiotic recombination outcomes by increasing noncrossover events genome-wide.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najla Al-Sweel

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Mlh1-Mlh3 is an endonuclease hypothesized to act in meiosis to resolve double Holliday junctions into crossovers. It also plays a minor role in eukaryotic DNA mismatch repair (MMR. To understand how Mlh1-Mlh3 functions in both meiosis and MMR, we analyzed in baker's yeast 60 new mlh3 alleles. Five alleles specifically disrupted MMR, whereas one (mlh3-32 specifically disrupted meiotic crossing over. Mlh1-mlh3 representatives for each class were purified and characterized. Both Mlh1-mlh3-32 (MMR+, crossover- and Mlh1-mlh3-45 (MMR-, crossover+ displayed wild-type endonuclease activities in vitro. Msh2-Msh3, an MSH complex that acts with Mlh1-Mlh3 in MMR, stimulated the endonuclease activity of Mlh1-mlh3-32 but not Mlh1-mlh3-45, suggesting that Mlh1-mlh3-45 is defective in MSH interactions. Whole genome recombination maps were constructed for wild-type and MMR+ crossover-, MMR- crossover+, endonuclease defective and null mlh3 mutants in an S288c/YJM789 hybrid background. Compared to wild-type, all of the mlh3 mutants showed increases in the number of noncrossover events, consistent with recombination intermediates being resolved through alternative recombination pathways. Our observations provide a structure-function map for Mlh3 that reveals the importance of protein-protein interactions in regulating Mlh1-Mlh3's enzymatic activity. They also illustrate how defective meiotic components can alter the fate of meiotic recombination intermediates, providing new insights for how meiotic recombination pathways are regulated.

Modulation of guanosine nucleotides biosynthetic pathways enhanced GDP-L-fucose production in recombinant Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Won-Heong; Shin, So-Yeon; Kim, Myoung-Dong; Han, Nam Soo; Seo, Jin-Ho

2012-03-01

Guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) is the key substrate for biosynthesis of guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-L-fucose. In this study, improvement of GDP-L-fucose production was attempted by manipulating the biosynthetic pathway for guanosine nucleotides in recombinant Escherichia coli-producing GDP-L-fucose. The effects of overexpression of inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) dehydrogenase, guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP) synthetase (GuaB and GuaA), GMP reductase (GuaC) and guanosine-inosine kinase (Gsk) on GDP-L-fucose production were investigated in a series of fed-batch fermentations. Among the enzymes tested, overexpression of Gsk led to a significant improvement of GDP-L-fucose production. Maximum GDP-L-fucose concentration of 305.5 ± 5.3 mg l(-1) was obtained in the pH-stat fed-batch fermentation of recombinant E. coli-overexpressing Gsk, which corresponds to a 58% enhancement in the GDP-L-fucose production compared with the control strain overexpressing GDP-L-fucose biosynthetic enzymes. Such an enhancement of GDP-L-fucose production could be due to the increase in the intracellular level of GMP.

Nickel induces transcriptional down-regulation of DNA repair pathways in tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic lung cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Scanlon, Susan E; Scanlon, Christine D; Hegan, Denise C; Sulkowski, Parker L; Glazer, Peter M

2017-06-01

The heavy metal nickel is a known carcinogen, and occupational exposure to nickel compounds has been implicated in human lung and nasal cancers. Unlike many other environmental carcinogens, however, nickel does not directly induce DNA mutagenesis, and the mechanism of nickel-related carcinogenesis remains incompletely understood. Cellular nickel exposure leads to signaling pathway activation, transcriptional changes and epigenetic remodeling, processes also impacted by hypoxia, which itself promotes tumor growth without causing direct DNA damage. One of the mechanisms by which hypoxia contributes to tumor growth is the generation of genomic instability via down-regulation of high-fidelity DNA repair pathways. Here, we find that nickel exposure similarly leads to down-regulation of DNA repair proteins involved in homology-dependent DNA double-strand break repair (HDR) and mismatch repair (MMR) in tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic human lung cells. Functionally, nickel induces a defect in HDR capacity, as determined by plasmid-based host cell reactivation assays, persistence of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks and cellular hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. Mechanistically, we find that nickel, in contrast to the metalloid arsenic, acutely induces transcriptional repression of HDR and MMR genes as part of a global transcriptional pattern similar to that seen with hypoxia. Finally, we find that exposure to low-dose nickel reduces the activity of the MLH1 promoter, but only arsenic leads to long-term MLH1 promoter silencing. Together, our data elucidate novel mechanisms of heavy metal carcinogenesis and contribute to our understanding of the influence of the microenvironment on the regulation of DNA repair pathways. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radiation induced asymmetries in mitotic recombination: evidence for a directional bias in the formation of asymmetric hybrid DNA in yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedman, L.R.; Sobell, H.M.

We have examined radiation-induced mitotic recombination using two alleles (his1-36, his1-49) in the his1 gene. When the haploid containing his1-36 is irradiated with varying doses of γ rays and then mated with the unirradiated strain containing his1-49, analyses of the selected prototrophs show them to be primarily + +/+ 49. If, on the other hand, the haploid strain containing his1-49 is the irradiated parent, the prototrophic diploids are primarily + +/36 +. In control experiments, where either both strains are irradiated or not irradiated, no such asymmetries are found. These data indicate that the irradiated haploid chromosome tends to be the recipient of genetic information. We interpret these results as indicating a directional bias in the formation of hybrid DNA in radiation-induced mitotic recombination, and discuss these results in terms of current models of genetic recombination

Dual inhibition of ATR and ATM potentiates the activity of trabectedin and lurbinectedin by perturbing the DNA damage response and homologous recombination repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, Michelle; Bouzid, Hana; Soares, Daniele G; Selle, Frédéric; Morel, Claire; Galmarini, Carlos M; Henriques, João A P; Larsen, Annette K; Escargueil, Alexandre E

2016-05-03

Trabectedin (Yondelis®, ecteinascidin-743, ET-743) is a marine-derived natural product approved for treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma and relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. Lurbinectedin is a novel anticancer agent structurally related to trabectedin. Both ecteinascidins generate DNA double-strand breaks that are processed through homologous recombination repair (HRR), thereby rendering HRR-deficient cells particularly sensitive. We here characterize the DNA damage response (DDR) to trabectedin and lurbinectedin in HeLa cells. Our results show that both compounds activate the ATM/Chk2 (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated/checkpoint kinase 2) and ATR/Chk1 (ATM and RAD3-related/checkpoint kinase 1) pathways. Interestingly, pharmacological inhibition of Chk1/2, ATR or ATM is not accompanied by any significant improvement of the cytotoxic activity of the ecteinascidins while dual inhibition of ATM and ATR strongly potentiates it. Accordingly, concomitant inhibition of both ATR and ATM is an absolute requirement to efficiently block the formation of γ-H2AX, MDC1, BRCA1 and Rad51 foci following exposure to the ecteinascidins. These results are not restricted to HeLa cells, but are shared by cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant ovarian carcinoma cells. Together, our data identify ATR and ATM as central coordinators of the DDR to ecteinascidins and provide a mechanistic rationale for combining these compounds with ATR and ATM inhibitors.

Research and development of basic technologies for the next generation industries, 'recombinant DNA utilizing technology'. Evaluation on the research and development; Jisedai sangyo kiban gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu 'kumikae DNA riyo gijutsu'. Kenkyu kaihatsu hyoka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1991-03-01

Research, development and evaluation were performed with an objective of establishing the basic technology related to the recombinant DNA utilizing technology to create new microorganisms for processes in the chemical industry. The major achievements of the present research and development include establishment of the P450 gene manifestation system attributed from microsomes and mitochondria, and the success of the world's first simultaneous manifestation of P450 and reduction enzyme. Furthermore, the fused enzyme combining P450 and the reduction enzyme genetically was successfully manufactured ahead of the other countries, opening the way to industrializing the recombinant enzymes for use in bio-processes in the chemical industry. In creating a high-efficiency secretion recombinant bacillus subtilis stock, a bacillus subtilis host whose protease activity has been noticeably decreased was created. As an achievement of the research on the 'basic recombinant DNA technology', high-efficiency manifestation vector of medium level thermophile was created, and its usefulness was demonstrated. In addition, a host and vector system for high level thermophile was developed for the first time in the world. These achievements have opened the way to industrial utilization of the thermophilic bacteria. (NEDO)

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