Project description:Nucleolytic resection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is essential for both checkpoint activation and homology-mediated repair; however, the precise mechanism of resection, especially the initiation step, remains incompletely understood. Resection of blocked ends with protein or chemical adducts is believed to be initiated by the MRN complex in conjunction with CtIP through internal cleavage of the 5' strand DNA. However, it is not clear whether resection of clean DSBs with free ends is also initiated by the same mechanism. Using the Xenopus nuclear extract system, here we show that the Dna2 nuclease directly initiates the resection of clean DSBs by cleaving the 5' strand DNA ∼10-20 nucleotides away from the ends. In the absence of Dna2, MRN together with CtIP mediate an alternative resection initiation pathway where the nuclease activity of MRN apparently directly cleaves the 5' strand DNA at more distal sites. MRN also facilitates resection initiation by promoting the recruitment of Dna2 and CtIP to the DNA substrate. The ssDNA-binding protein RPA promotes both Dna2- and CtIP-MRN-dependent resection initiation, but a RPA mutant can distinguish between these pathways. Our results strongly suggest that resection of blocked and clean DSBs is initiated via distinct mechanisms.
Project description:Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination requires resection of 5'-termini to generate 3'-single-strand DNA tails. Key components of this reaction are exonuclease 1 and the bifunctional endo/exonuclease, Mre11 (refs 2-4). Mre11 endonuclease activity is critical when DSB termini are blocked by bound protein--such as by the DNA end-joining complex, topoisomerases or the meiotic transesterase Spo11 (refs 7-13)--but a specific function for the Mre11 3'-5' exonuclease activity has remained elusive. Here we use Saccharomyces cerevisiae to reveal a role for the Mre11 exonuclease during the resection of Spo11-linked 5'-DNA termini in vivo. We show that the residual resection observed in Exo1-mutant cells is dependent on Mre11, and that both exonuclease activities are required for efficient DSB repair. Previous work has indicated that resection traverses unidirectionally. Using a combination of physical assays for 5'-end processing, our results indicate an alternative mechanism involving bidirectional resection. First, Mre11 nicks the strand to be resected up to 300 nucleotides from the 5'-terminus of the DSB--much further away than previously assumed. Second, this nick enables resection in a bidirectional manner, using Exo1 in the 5'-3' direction away from the DSB, and Mre11 in the 3'-5' direction towards the DSB end. Mre11 exonuclease activity also confers resistance to DNA damage in cycling cells, suggesting that Mre11-catalysed resection may be a general feature of various DNA repair pathways.
Project description:Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination (HR) requires that the 5'-terminated DNA strands are resected to generate single-stranded DNA overhangs. This process is initiated by a short-range resection catalyzed by the MRX (Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2) complex, which is followed by a long-range step involving the nucleases Exo1 and Dna2. Here we show that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling protein Chd1 participates in both short- and long-range resection by promoting MRX and Exo1 association with the DSB ends. Furthermore, Chd1 reduces histone occupancy near the DSB ends and promotes DSB repair by HR. All these functions require Chd1 ATPase activity, supporting a role for Chd1 in the opening of chromatin at the DSB site to facilitate MRX and Exo1 processing activities.
Project description:Eukaryotic cells preserve genome integrity upon DNA damage by activating a signaling network that promotes DNA repair and controls cell cycle progression. One of the most severe DNA damage is the DNA double-strand break (DSB), whose 5΄ ends can be nucleolitically resected by multiple nucleases to create 3΄-ended single-stranded DNA tails that trigger DSB repair by homologous recombination. Here, we identify the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA binding protein Npl3 as a new player in DSB resection. Npl3 is related to both the metazoan serine-arginine-rich and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleo-proteins. NPL3 deletion impairs the generation of long ssDNA tails at the DSB ends, whereas it does not exacerbate the resection defect of exo1Δ cells. Furthermore, either the lack of Npl3 or the inactivation of its RNA-binding domains causes decrease of the exonuclease Exo1 protein levels as well as generation of unusual and extended EXO1 RNA species. These findings, together with the observation that EXO1 overexpression partially suppresses the resection defect of npl3Δ cells, indicate that Npl3 participates in DSB resection by promoting the proper biogenesis of EXO1 mRNA.
Project description:Formation of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) tails at a double-strand break (DSB) is a key step in homologous recombination and DNA-damage signaling. The enzyme(s) producing ssDNA at DSBs in eukaryotes remain unknown. We monitored 5'-strand resection at inducible DSB ends in yeast and identified proteins required for two stages of resection: initiation and long-range 5'-strand resection. We show that the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex (MRX) initiates 5' degradation, whereas Sgs1 and Dna2 degrade 5' strands exposing long 3' strands. Deletion of SGS1 or DNA2 reduces resection and DSB repair by single-strand annealing between distant repeats while the remaining long-range resection activity depends on the exonuclease Exo1. In exo1Deltasgs1Delta double mutants, the MRX complex together with Sae2 nuclease generate, in a stepwise manner, only few hundred nucleotides of ssDNA at the break, resulting in inefficient gene conversion and G2/M damage checkpoint arrest. These results provide important insights into the early steps of DSB repair in eukaryotes.
Project description:DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair via the homologous recombination pathway is a multi-stage process, which results in repair of the DSB without loss of genetic information or fidelity. One essential step in this process is the generation of extended single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) regions at the break site. This ssDNA serves to induce cell cycle checkpoints and is required for Rad51 mediated strand invasion of the sister chromatid. Here, we show that human Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) is required for the normal repair of DSBs by HR. Cells depleted of Exo1 show chromosomal instability and hypersensitivity to ionising radiation (IR) exposure. We find that Exo1 accumulates rapidly at DSBs and is required for the recruitment of RPA and Rad51 to sites of DSBs, suggesting a role for Exo1 in ssDNA generation. Interestingly, the phosphorylation of Exo1 by ATM appears to regulate the activity of Exo1 following resection, allowing optimal Rad51 loading and the completion of HR repair. These data establish a role for Exo1 in resection of DSBs in human cells, highlighting the critical requirement of Exo1 for DSB repair via HR and thus the maintenance of genomic stability.
Project description:Double strand breaks (DSBs) represent highly deleterious DNA damage and need to be accurately repaired. Homology-directed repair and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) are the two major DSB repair pathways that are highly conserved from yeast to mammals. The choice between these pathways is largely based on 5' to 3' DNA resection, and NHEJ proceeds only if resection has not been initiated. In yeast, yKu70/80 rapidly localizes to the break, protecting DNA ends from nuclease accessibility, and recruits additional NHEJ factors, including Nej1 and Lif1. Cells harboring the nej1-V338A mutant exhibit NHEJ-mediated repair deficiencies and hyper-resection 0.15 kb from the DSB that was dependent on the nuclease activity of Dna2-Sgs1. The integrity of Nej1 is also important for inhibiting long-range resection, 4.8 kb from the break, and for preventing the formation of large genomic deletions at sizes >700 bp around the break. Nej1V338A localized to a DSB similarly to WT Nej1, indicating that the Nej1-Lif1 interaction becomes critical for blocking hyper-resection mainly after their recruitment to the DSB. This work highlights that Nej1 inhibits 5' DNA hyper-resection mediated by Dna2-Sgs1, a function distinct from its previously reported role in supporting Dnl4 ligase activity, and has implications for repair pathway choice and resection regulation upon DSB formation.
Project description:Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) are the two major pathways of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair and both are highly conserved from yeast to mammals. Nej1 has a role in DNA end-tethering at a DSB, and the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 (MRX) complex is important for its recruitment to the break. Nej1 and Dna2-Sgs1 interact with the C-terminal end of Mre11, which also includes the region where Rad50 binds. By characterizing the functionality of Nej1 in two rad50 mutants, which alter the structural features of MRX, we demonstrate that Nej1 inhibits the binding of Dna2 to Mre11 and Sgs1. Nej1 interactions with Mre11 promote tethering and inhibit hyper-resection, and when these events are compromised, large deletions develop at a DSB. The work indicates that Nej1 provides a layer of regulation to repair pathway choice and is consistent with its role in NHEJ.
Project description:Homologous recombination plays a key role in the repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs), and thereby significantly contributes to cellular tolerance to radiotherapy and some chemotherapy. DSB repair by homologous recombination is initiated by 5' to 3' strand resection (DSB resection), with nucleases generating the 3' single-strand DNA (3'ssDNA) at DSB sites. Genetic studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrate a two-step DSB resection, wherein CtIP and Mre11 nucleases carry out short-range DSB resection followed by long-range DSB resection done by Dna2 and Exo1 nucleases. Recent studies indicate that CtIP contributes to DSB resection through its non-catalytic role but not as a nuclease. However, it remains elusive how CtIP contributes to DSB resection. To explore the non-catalytic role, we examined the dynamics of Dna2 by developing an immuno-cytochemical method to detect ionizing-radiation (IR)-induced Dna2-subnuclear-focus formation at DSB sites in chicken DT40 and human cell lines. Ionizing-radiation induced Dna2 foci only in wild-type cells, but not in Dna2 depleted cells, with the number of foci reaching its maximum at 30 minutes and being hardly detectable at 120 minutes after IR. Induced foci were detectable in cells in the G2 phase but not in the G1 phase. These observations suggest that Dna2 foci represent the recruitment of Dna2 to DSB sites for DSB resection. Importantly, the depletion of CtIP inhibited the recruitment of Dna2 to DSB sites in both human cells and chicken DT40 cells. Likewise, a defect in breast cancer 1 (BRCA1), which physically interacts with CtIP and contributes to DSB resection, also inhibited the recruitment of Dna2. Moreover, CtIP physically associates with Dna2, and the association is enhanced by IR. We conclude that BRCA1 and CtIP contribute to DSB resection by recruiting Dna2 to damage sites, thus ensuring the robust DSB resection necessary for efficient homologous recombination.
Project description:The repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination is essential for genomic stability. The first step in this process is resection of 5' strands to generate 3' single-stranded DNA intermediates. Efficient resection in budding yeast requires the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex and the Sae2 protein, although the role of MRX has been unclear because Mre11 paradoxically has 3'→5' exonuclease activity in vitro. Here we reconstitute resection with purified MRX, Sae2 and Exo1 proteins and show that degradation of the 5' strand is catalyzed by Exo1 yet completely dependent on MRX and Sae2 when Exo1 levels are limiting. This stimulation is mainly caused by cooperative binding of DNA substrates by Exo1, MRX and Sae2. This work establishes the direct role of MRX and Sae2 in promoting the resection of 5' strands in DNA DSB repair.