Project description:Expansion of triplex-forming GAA/TTC repeats in the first intron of FRDA gene is known to cause Friedreich’s ataxia. Besides FRDA, there are a number of other highly polymorphic GAA/TTC loci in the human genome where the size variations so far were considered to be a neutral event. Using yeast as a model system, we demonstrate that expanded GAA/TTC repeats represent a threat to eukaryotic genome integrity by triggering double-strand breaks and gross chromosomal rearrangements. The fragility potential strongly depends on the length of the track and orientation of the repeats relative to the replication origin which correlates with their propensity to adopt secondary structure and to block replication progression. We show that fragility is mediated by mismatch repair machinery and requires the MutS(beta) and endonuclease activity of MutL(alpha). We suggest that the mechanism of GAA/TTC-induced chromosome aberrations defined in yeast can also operate in human carriers with expanded tracks. Keywords: CGH-array Genomic DNA from each of 15 strains was competitively hybridized to DNA from the parent diploid strain (Cy3/green). Gains of genomic segments in the survivors were detected as continuous regions of positive Log2 Red:Green ratios, while losses were detected as negative Log2 Red:Green ratios.
Project description:Expansion of triplex-forming GAA/TTC repeats in the first intron of FRDA gene is known to cause Friedreich’s ataxia. Besides FRDA, there are a number of other highly polymorphic GAA/TTC loci in the human genome where the size variations so far were considered to be a neutral event. Using yeast as a model system, we demonstrate that expanded GAA/TTC repeats represent a threat to eukaryotic genome integrity by triggering double-strand breaks and gross chromosomal rearrangements. The fragility potential strongly depends on the length of the track and orientation of the repeats relative to the replication origin which correlates with their propensity to adopt secondary structure and to block replication progression. We show that fragility is mediated by mismatch repair machinery and requires the MutS(beta) and endonuclease activity of MutL(alpha). We suggest that the mechanism of GAA/TTC-induced chromosome aberrations defined in yeast can also operate in human carriers with expanded tracks. Keywords: CGH-array
Project description:The inherited neurodegenerative disease Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is caused by hyperexpansion of GAA•TTC trinucleotide repeats within the first intron of the FXN gene, encoding the mitochondrial protein frataxin. Long GAA•TTC repeats causes heterochromatin-mediated silencing and loss of frataxin in affected individuals. We report the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from FRDA patient fibroblasts through retroviral transduction of transcription factors. FXN gene repression is maintained in the iPSCs, as are the mRNA and miRNA global expression signatures reflecting the human disease. GAA•TTC repeats uniquely in FXN in the iPSCs exhibit repeat instability similar to patient families, where they expand and/or contract with discrete changes in length between generations. The mismatch repair enzyme Msh2, implicated in repeat instability in other triplet repeat diseases, is highly expressed in the iPSCs, occupies FXN intron 1, and shRNA silencing of Msh2 impedes repeat expansion, providing a possible molecular explanation for repeat expansion in FRDA.
Project description:Lymphoblast cells from a patient with Freidriech's Ataxia were incubated with pyrrole-imidazole polyamides targeted to the GAA triplet repeat in the intron 1. The polyamides were shown in cell culture to increase levels of endogenous frataxin mRNA. A normal sibling derived lymphoblast cell line was used as a control. Experiment Overall Design: Normal (GM15851) and patient (GM15850) cell lines were incubated in the presence of match polyamide FA1 at 1uM, 2uM or mismatch polyamide FA2 at 2uM for 7days prior to RNA purification and microarray analysis.
Project description:Microsatellite instability (MSI), caused by defective mismatch repair, is observed in a subset of colorectal cancers (CRCs). We evaluated somatic mutations in microsatellite repeats of genes chosen based on reduced expression in MSI CRC and existence of a coding mononucleotide repeat.
Project description:Microsatellite instability (MSI), caused by defective mismatch repair, is observed in a subset of colorectal cancers (CRCs). We evaluated somatic mutations in microsatellite repeats of genes chosen based on reduced expression in MSI CRC and existence of a coding mononucleotide repeat. Expression profiling of 34 MSI colorectal cancers and 15 normal colonic mucosas was performed in 2002. Comparison of malignant and healthy tissue.
Project description:Background: Friedreich ataxia, an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative and cardiac disease, is caused by abnormally low levels of frataxin, an essential mitochondrial protein. All Friedreich ataxia patients carry a GAA/TTC repeat expansion in the first intron of the frataxin gene, either in the homozygous state or in compound heterozygosity with other loss-of-function mutations. The GAA expansion inhibits frataxin expression through a heterochromatin-mediated repression mechanism. Histone modifications that are characteristic of silenced genes in heterochromatic regions occur at expanded alleles in cells from Friedreich ataxia patients, including increased trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 and hypoacetylation of histones H3 and H4. Methodology/Principal Findings: By chromatin immunoprecipitation, we detected the same heterochromatin marks in homozygous mice carrying a (GAA)230 repeat in the first intron of the mouse frataxin gene (KIKI mice). These animals have decreased frataxin levels and, by microarray analysis, show significant gene expression changes in several tissues. We treated KIKI mice with a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, compound 106, which substantially increases frataxin mRNA levels in cells from Friedreich ataxia individuals. Treatment increased histone H3 and H4 acetylation in chromatin near the GAA repeat and restored wild-type frataxin levels in the nervous system and heart, as determined by quantitative RT-PCR and semiquantitative western blot analysis. No toxicity was observed. Furthermore, most of the differentially expressed genes in KIKI mice reverted towards wild-type levels. Conclusions/Significance: Lack of acute toxicity, normalization of frataxin levels and of the transcription profile changes resulting from frataxin deficiency provide strong support to a possible efficacy of this or related compounds in reverting the pathological process in Friedreich ataxia, a so far incurable neurodegenerative disease. Keywords: drug response
Project description:Recent data strongly suggest HTT CAG repeat expansion drives Huntington’s disease (HD) pathogenesis and that disease development is modulated by components of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. FAN1 has been identified as a major HD modifier which slows expansion of the HTT CAG repeat in several cell and animal HD models. Here we show dual FAN1 activities act to inhibit repeat expansion. A highly conserved SPYF motif in the FAN1 N-terminus is required for an MLH1 interaction, which slows expansion, with FAN1 nuclease activity also contributing towards repeat stabilisation. Our data supports a model where FAN1 binds MLH1, restricting its recruitment by MSH3 and the formation of the functional DNA mismatch repair (MMR) complex believed to promote CAG repeat expansion. FAN1 nuclease activity functions either concurrently or following MMR activity to maintain repeat stability. These data highlight a potential avenue for HD therapeutics in attenuating somatic expansion.
Project description:We report a new immunoprecipitation-coupled sequencing (DIP-Seq) application termed U-DNA-Seq, where a tailored and catalytically inactive uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG) was used as uracil-DNA sensor to immunoprecipitate uracil containing genomic DNA fragments. Genomic uracil was profiled in drug-treated (5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (5FdUR) or raltitrexed (RTX)) or non-treated (NT) HCT116 cells expressing the UNG inhibitor (UGI). The same experiments were also performed in the mismatch repair proficient version of the HCT116 cells (HCT116MMR), where chromosome 3 is reinserted to restore functional MMR (PMID: 8044777). Moreover, wild-type HCT116 or K562 cells were also measured. We found that regions of uracil enrichment in this assay were rather broad as compared to the sharp peaks typical in ChIP-seq. Therefore, we applied an approach alternative to the conventional peak calling. Namely, we calculated genome scaled coverage tracks and log2 ratio tracks of the enriched versus the input samples using deepTools package (bamCoverage and bigwigCompare tools, respectively) to provide a more appropriate description of uracil-enriched genomic regions. Interval (bed) files were also derived from these log2 ratio tracks to be able to screen large datasets for colocalizing features with them. For wider context of the study, see the related publication.
Project description:Biases of DNA repair can shape the nucleotide landscape of genomes at evolutionary timescales. However, such biases have not yet been measured in chromatin for lack of technologies. Here we develop a genome-wide assay whereby the same DNA lesion is repaired in different chromatin contexts. We insert thousands of barcoded transposons carrying a reporter of DNA mismatch repair in the genome of mouse embryonic stem cells. Upon inducing a double-strand break between tandem repeats, a mismatch is generated when the single strand annealing repair pathway is used. Surprisingly, the mismatch repair machinery favors the same strand 60-80% of the time. The location of the lesion in the genome and the type of mismatch have little influence on the repair bias in this context.