Polymerase δ promotes chromosomal rearrangements and imprecise double-strand break repair.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Recent studies have implicated DNA polymerases θ (Pol θ) and β (Pol β) as mediators of alternative nonhomologous end-joining (Alt-NHEJ) events, including chromosomal translocations. Here we identify subunits of the replicative DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ) as promoters of Alt-NHEJ that results in more extensive intrachromosomal mutations at a single double-strand break (DSB) and more frequent translocations between two DSBs. Depletion of the Pol δ accessory subunit POLD2 destabilizes the complex, resulting in degradation of both POLD1 and POLD3 in human cells. POLD2 depletion markedly reduces the frequency of translocations with sequence modifications but does not affect the frequency of translocations with exact joins. Using separation-of-function mutants, we show that both the DNA synthesis and exonuclease activities of the POLD1 subunit contribute to translocations. As described in yeast and unlike Pol θ, Pol δ also promotes homology-directed repair. Codepletion of POLD2 with 53BP1 nearly eliminates translocations. POLD1 and POLD2 each colocalize with phosphorylated H2AX at ionizing radiation-induced DSBs but not with 53BP1. Codepletion of POLD2 with either ligase 3 (LIG3) or ligase 4 (LIG4) does not further reduce translocation frequency compared to POLD2 depletion alone. Together, these data support a model in which Pol δ promotes Alt-NHEJ in human cells at DSBs, including translocations.
Project description:DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly cytotoxic DNA lesions, whose accurate repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR) is crucial for genome integrity and is strongly influenced by the local chromatin environment. Here, we identify SCAI (suppressor of cancer cell invasion) as a 53BP1-interacting chromatin-associated protein that promotes the functionality of several DSB repair pathways in mammalian cells. SCAI undergoes prominent enrichment at DSB sites through dual mechanisms involving 53BP1-dependent recruitment to DSB-surrounding chromatin and 53BP1-independent accumulation at resected DSBs. Cells lacking SCAI display reduced DSB repair capacity, hypersensitivity to DSB-inflicting agents and genome instability. We demonstrate that SCAI is a mediator of 53BP1-dependent repair of heterochromatin-associated DSBs, facilitating ATM kinase signalling at DSBs in repressive chromatin environments. Moreover, we establish an important role of SCAI in meiotic recombination, as SCAI deficiency in mice leads to germ cell loss and subfertility associated with impaired retention of the DMC1 recombinase on meiotic chromosomes. Collectively, our findings uncover SCAI as a physiologically important component of both NHEJ- and HR-mediated pathways that potentiates DSB repair efficiency in specific chromatin contexts.
Project description:DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly cytotoxic DNA lesions, whose accurate repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR) is crucial for genome integrity and is strongly influenced by the local chromatin environment. Here, we identify SCAI (Suppressor of Cancer Cell Invasion) as a 53BP1-interacting chromatin-associated protein that promotes the functionality of several DSB repair pathways in mammalian cells. SCAI undergoes prominent enrichment at DSB sites through dual mechanisms involving 53BP1-dependent recruitment to DSB-surrounding chromatin and 53BP1-independent accumulation at resected DSBs. Cells lacking SCAI display reduced DSB repair capacity, hypersensitivity to DSB-inflicting agents and genome instability. We demonstrate that SCAI is a mediator of 53BP1-dependent repair of heterochromatin-associated DSBs, facilitating ATM kinase signaling at DSBs in repressive chromatin environments. Moreover, we establish an important role of SCAI in meiotic recombination, as SCAI deficiency in mice leads to germ cell loss and subfertility associated with impaired retention of the DMC1 recombinase on meiotic chromosomes. Collectively, our findings uncover SCAI as a physiologically important component of both NHEJ- and HR-mediated pathways that potentiates DSB repair efficiency in specific chromatin contexts.
Project description:Recurrent reciprocal translocations are present in many hematologic and mesenchymal malignancies. Because significant sequence homology is absent from translocation breakpoint junctions, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways of DNA repair are presumed to catalyze their formation. We developed translocation reporters for use in mammalian cells from which NHEJ events can be selected after precise chromosomal breakage. Translocations were efficiently recovered with these reporters using mouse cells, and their breakpoint junctions recapitulated findings from oncogenic translocations. Small deletions and microhomology were present in most junctions; insertions and more complex events also were observed. Thus, our reporters model features of oncogenic rearrangements in human cancer cells. A homologous sequence at a distance from the break site affected the translocation junction without substantially altering translocation frequency. Interestingly, in a direct comparison, the spectrum of translocation breakpoint junctions differed from junctions derived from repair at a single chromosomal break, providing mechanistic insight into translocation formation.
Project description:Gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs), including translocations, inversions amplifications, and deletions, can be causal events leading to malignant transformation. GCRs are thought to be triggered by DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), which in turn can be spontaneous or induced by external agents (eg. cytotoxic chemotherapy, ionizing radiation). It has been shown that induction of DNA DSBs at two defined loci can produce stable balanced chromosomal translocations, however, a single engineered DNA DSB could not. Herein, we report that although a single engineered DNA DSB in H2AX "knockdown" cells did not generate GCRs, repair of a single engineered DNA DSB in fibroblasts that had ablated H2ax did produce clonal, stable GCRs, including balanced translocations and megabase-pair inversions. Upon correction of the H2ax deficiency, cells no longer generated GCRs following a single engineered DNA DSB. These findings demonstrate that clonal, stable GCRs can be produced by a single engineered DNA DSB in H2ax knockout cells, and that the production of these GCRs is ameliorated by H2ax expression.
Project description:DNA polymerase theta (pol θ) is encoded in the genomes of many eukaryotes, though not in fungi. Pol θ is encoded by the POLQ gene in mammalian cells. The C-terminal third of the protein is a family A DNA polymerase with additional insertion elements relative to prokaryotic homologs. The N-terminal third is a helicase-like domain with DNA-dependent ATPase activity. Pol θ is important in the repair of genomic double-strand breaks (DSBs) from many sources. These include breaks formed by ionizing radiation and topoisomerase inhibitors, breaks arising at stalled DNA replication forks, breaks introduced during diversification steps of the mammalian immune system, and DSB induced by CRISPR-Cas9. Pol θ participates in a route of DSB repair termed "alternative end-joining" (altEJ). AltEJ is independent of the DNA binding Ku protein complex and requires DNA end resection. Pol θ is able to mediate joining of two resected 3' ends harboring DNA sequence microhomology. "Signatures" of Pol θ action during altEJ are the frequent utilization of longer microhomologies, and the insertion of additional sequences at joining sites. The mechanism of end-joining employs the ability of Pol θ to tightly grasp a 3' terminus through unique contacts in the active site, allowing extension from minimally paired primers. Pol θ is involved in controlling the frequency of chromosome translocations and preserves genome integrity by limiting large deletions. It may also play a backup role in DNA base excision repair. POLQ is a member of a cluster of similarly upregulated genes that are strongly correlated with poor clinical outcome for breast cancer, ovarian cancer and other cancer types. Inhibition of pol θ is a compelling approach for combination therapy of radiosensitization.
Project description:The conserved Mre11-Rad50 complex is crucial for the detection, signaling, end tethering and processing of DNA double-strand breaks. While it is known that Mre11-Rad50 foci formation at DNA lesions accompanies repair, the underlying molecular assembly mechanisms and functional implications remained unclear. Combining pathway reconstitution in electron microscopy, biochemical assays and genetic studies, we show that S. cerevisiae Mre11-Rad50 with or without Xrs2 forms higher-order assemblies in solution and on DNA. Rad50 mediates such oligomerization, and mutations in a conserved Rad50 beta-sheet enhance or disrupt oligomerization. We demonstrate that Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 oligomerization facilitates foci formation, DNA damage signaling, repair, and telomere maintenance in vivo. Mre11-Rad50 oligomerization does not affect its exonuclease activity but drives endonucleolytic cleavage at multiple sites on the 5'-DNA strand near double-strand breaks. Interestingly, mutations in the human RAD50 beta-sheet are linked to hereditary cancer predisposition and our findings might provide insights into their potential role in chemoresistance.
Project description:DNA repair mechanisms are essential for the maintenance of genomic integrity. Disruption of gene products responsible for DNA repair can result in chromosomal damage. Improperly repaired chromosomal damage can result in the loss of chromosomes or the generation of chromosomal deletions or translocations, which can lead to tumorigenesis. The MYC protooncogene is a transcription factor whose overexpression is frequently associated with human neoplasia. MYC has not been previously implicated in a role in DNA repair. Here we report that the overexpression of MYC disrupts the repair of double-strand DNA breaks, resulting in a several-magnitude increase in chromosomal breaks and translocations. We found that MYC inhibited the repair of gamma irradiation DNA breaks in normal human cells and blocked the repair of a single double-strand break engineered to occur in an immortal cell line. By spectral karyotypic analysis, we found that MYC even within one cell division cycle resulted in a several-magnitude increase in the frequency of chromosomal breaks and translocations in normal human cells. Hence, MYC overexpression may be a previously undescribed example of a dominant mutator that may fuel tumorigenesis by inducing chromosomal damage.
Project description:During DNA double-strand-break (DSB) repair by recombination, the broken chromosome uses a homologous chromosome as a repair template. Early steps of recombination are well characterized: DSB ends assemble filaments of RecA-family proteins that catalyze homologous pairing and strand-invasion reactions. By contrast, the postinvasion steps of recombination are poorly characterized. Rad52 plays an essential role during early steps of recombination by mediating assembly of a RecA homolog, Rad51, into nucleoprotein filaments. The meiosis-specific RecA-homolog Dmc1 does not show this dependence, however. By exploiting the Rad52 independence of Dmc1, we reveal that Rad52 promotes postinvasion steps of both crossover and noncrossover pathways of meiotic recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This activity resides in the N-terminal region of Rad52, which can anneal complementary DNA strands, and is independent of its Rad51-assembly function. Our findings show that Rad52 functions in temporally and biochemically distinct reactions and suggest a general annealing mechanism for reuniting DSB ends during recombination.
Project description:Smarcal1 is a SWI/SNF-family protein with an ATPase domain involved in DNA-annealing activities and a binding site for the RPA single-strand-DNA-binding protein. Although the role played by Smarcal1 in the maintenance of replication forks has been established, it remains unknown whether Smarcal1 contributes to genomic DNA maintenance outside of the S phase. We disrupted the SMARCAL1 gene in both the chicken DT40 and the human TK6 B cell lines. The resulting SMARCAL1(-/-) clones exhibited sensitivity to chemotherapeutic topoisomerase 2 inhibitors, just as nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) null-deficient cells do. SMARCAL1(-/-) cells also exhibited an increase in radiosensitivity in the G1 phase. Moreover, the loss of Smarcal1 in NHEJ null-deficient cells does not further increase their radiosensitivity. These results demonstrate that Smarcal1 is required for efficient NHEJ-mediated DSB repair. Both inactivation of the ATPase domain and deletion of the RPA-binding site cause the same phenotype as does null-mutation of Smarcal1, suggesting that Smarcal1 enhances NHEJ, presumably by interacting with RPA at unwound single-strand sequences and then facilitating annealing at DSB ends. SMARCAL1(-/-)cells showed a poor accumulation of Ku70/DNA-PKcs and XRCC4 at DNA-damage sites. We propose that Smarcal1 maintains the duplex status of DSBs to ensure proper recruitment of NHEJ factors to DSB sites.
Project description:The 53BP1-dependent end-joining pathway plays a critical role in double-strand break (DSB) repair. However, the regulators of 53BP1 in chromatin remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we identified HDGFRP3 (hepatoma-derived growth factor related protein 3) as a 53BP1-interacting protein. The HDGFRP3-53BP1 interaction is mediated by the PWWP domain of HDGFRP3 and the Tudor domain of 53BP1. Importantly, we observed that the HDGFRP3-53BP1 complex co-localizes with 53BP1 or γH2AX at sites of DSB and participates in the response to DNA damage repair. Loss of HDGFRP3 impairs classical non-homologous end-joining repair (NHEJ), curtails the accumulation of 53BP1 at DSB sites, and enhances DNA end-resection. Moreover, the HDGFRP3-53BP1 interaction is required for cNHEJ repair, 53BP1 recruitment at DSB sites, and inhibition of DNA end resection. In addition, loss of HDGFRP3 renders BRCA1-deficient cells resistant to PARP inhibitors by facilitating end-resection in BRCA1 deficient cells. We also found that the interaction of HDGFRP3 with methylated H4K20 was dramatically decreased; in contrast, the 53BP1-methylated H4K20 interaction was increased after ionizing radiation, which is likely regulated by protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Taken together, our data reveal a dynamic 53BP1-methylated H4K20-HDGFRP3 complex that regulates 53BP1 recruitment at DSB sites, providing new insights into our understanding of the regulation of 53BP1-mediated DNA repair pathway.