Project description:DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) destroy the continuity of our genome with consequences for malignant transformation. Massive DNA damage can elicit a cellular checkpoint response that prevents cell proliferation. However, how highly aggressive cancer cells, which can tolerate widespread DNA damage, respond to DSBs alongside continuous chromosome duplication is unknown. Here we show that DSBs induce a local, hitherto unreported genome maintenance mechanism that inhibits replication initiation in DSB-containing topologically associating domains (TADs) without affecting DNA synthesis at other genomic locations. This process is facilitated by Mediators of Replication and DSBs (MRDs). In normal and cancer cells, MRDs include the TIMELESS-TIPIN complex and the WEE1 kinase, which actively dislodges the TIMELESS-TIPIN complex from replication origins adjacent to DSBs and prevents initiation of DNA synthesis at DSB-containing TADs. Dysregulation of MRDs, or disruption of 3D chromatin architecture by dissolving TADs, results in inadvertent replication in damaged chromatin and increased DNA damage in cancer cells. We propose that the intact MRD cascade precedes DSB repair to prevent genomic instability, which is otherwise observed when replication is forced, or when genome architecture is challenged, in the presence of DSBs. These observations reveal a previously undiscovered vulnerability in the DNA replication machinery that may be exploited to therapeutically target cancer cells.
Project description:Doxorubicin is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug that intercalates between DNA base-pairs and posions Topoisomerase II, although the mechanistic basis for cell killing remains speculative. Here we show that both anthracyclines and Topoisomerase II poison cause enhanced DNA double-strand breaks around CpG island promoters of active genes genome-wide. We propose that torsion-based enhancement of nucleosome turnover exposes promoter DNA, ultimately causing DNA breaks around promoters that contributes to cell killing. We have analyzed mouse squamous cell carcinoma cells treated with doxorubicin, aclarubicin and etoposide. The direct in situ Breaks Labeling, Enrichment on Streptavidin (BLESS, PMID 23503052) method was used for mapping DNA double-strand breaks genome-wide.
Project description:Mapping physiological double strand breaks (DSBs) in cancer cells uncovers transcription-coupled repair mechanism at oncogenic super-enhancers in which RAD51 of the homologous recombination pathway plays a key role supporting the hyper-transcription of related oncogenes.
Project description:We have designed a methodology for capture of DNA 3’ ends that allows mapping of resected DNA breaks, stalled replication forks and also normal replication fork progression. This Transferase-activated end ligation or TrAEL-seq method involves ligation of a functionalised linker to DNA 3’ ends followed by fragmentation, purification of adaptor ligated fragments, second adaptor ligation and library amplification. The major advantages of TrAEL-seq compared to other available methods are: i) an ability to map double strand breaks after resection, ii) excellent sensitivity and signal-to-noise in detecting replication fork stalling and iii) ability to map replication fork progression in unsynchronised, unlabelled populations of both yeast and mammalian cells. The samples provided here were selected to demonstrate different aspects of TrAEL-seq activity: the SfiI and dmc1 datasets shows capture of 3’ extended single strand DNA. The other yeast datasets show replication and replication fork stalling information. The RAF and RAF-GAL grown yeast samples show the effect transcriptional induction on replication fork progression. The hESC samples show the capacity to derive replication profiles from mammalian cells.
Project description:High concentration of NaCl increases DNA breaks both in cell culture and in vivo. The breaks remain elevated as long as NaCl concentration remains high and are rapidly repaired when the concentration is lowered. Repair of the breaks after NaCl is reduced is accompanied by formation of foci containing phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX), which occurs around DNA double-strand breaks and contributes to their repair. By chromatin immunoprecipitation using anti-γH2AX antibody, followed by massive parallel sequencing (ChIP-Seq), we find that during repair of double–strand breaks induced by high NaCl, γH2AX is predominantly localized to regions of the genome devoid of genes (“gene deserts”), indicating that the high NaCl-induced double-strand breaks are located there. Localization to gene deserts helps explain why the DNA breaks are less harmful than are the random breaks induced by genotoxic agents such as UV radiation, ionizing radiation and oxidants. We propose that the universal presence of NaCl around animal cells has directly influenced the evolution of the structure of their genomes.
Project description:Doxorubicin is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug that intercalates between DNA base-pairs and posions Topoisomerase II, although the mechanistic basis for cell killing remains speculative. Here we show that both anthracyclines and Topoisomerase II poison cause enhanced DNA double-strand breaks around CpG island promoters of active genes genome-wide. We propose that torsion-based enhancement of nucleosome turnover exposes promoter DNA, ultimately causing DNA breaks around promoters that contributes to cell killing.
Project description:High concentration of NaCl increases DNA breaks both in cell culture and in vivo. The breaks remain elevated as long as NaCl concentration remains high and are rapidly repaired when the concentration is lowered. Repair of the breaks after NaCl is reduced is accompanied by formation of foci containing phosphorylated H2AX (M-NM-3H2AX), which occurs around DNA double-strand breaks and contributes to their repair. By chromatin immunoprecipitation using anti-M-NM-3H2AX antibody, followed by massive parallel sequencing (ChIP-Seq), we find that during repair of doubleM-bM-^@M-^Sstrand breaks induced by high NaCl, M-NM-3H2AX is predominantly localized to regions of the genome devoid of genes (M-bM-^@M-^\gene desertsM-bM-^@M-^]), indicating that the high NaCl-induced double-strand breaks are located there. Localization to gene deserts helps explain why the DNA breaks are less harmful than are the random breaks induced by genotoxic agents such as UV radiation, ionizing radiation and oxidants. We propose that the universal presence of NaCl around animal cells has directly influenced the evolution of the structure of their genomes. ChIP-Seq experiment to find locations of M-NM-3H2AX in mouse genome
Project description:In depth analysis of double strand break signaling was performed using mouse Pre-B cells and Human HCT116 cells. Our analysis included the induction of double strand breaks with ionizing radiation with the addition of ATM and DNA-PKcs inhibitors, alone and in combination.