Project description:Mitotic recombination between homologous chromosomes can lead to loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH), which is an important contributor to human disease. In the current study, a defined double-strand break (DSB) on chromosome IV was used to initiate LOH in a yeast strain with sequence-diverged chromosomes. Associated gene conversion tracts, which reflect the repair of mismatches formed when diverged chromosomes exchange single strands, were mapped using microarrays. LOH events reflected two broken chromosomes, one of which was repaired as a crossover and the other as a noncrossover.
Project description:Recent observations show that the single-cell response of p53 to ionizing radiation (IR) is “digital” in that it is the number of oscillations rather than the amplitude of p53 that shows dependence on the radiation dose. We present a model of this phenomenon. In our model, double-strand break (DSB) sites induced by IR interact with a limiting pool of DNA repair proteins, forming DSB–protein complexes at DNA damage foci. The persisting complexes are sensed by ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a protein kinase that activates p53 once it is phosphorylated by DNA damage. The ATM-sensing module switches on or off the downstream p53 oscillator, consisting of a feedback loop formed by p53 and its negative regulator, Mdm2. In agreement with experiments, our simulations show that by assuming stochasticity in the initial number of DSBs and the DNA repair process, p53 and Mdm2 exhibit a coordinated oscillatory dynamics upon IR stimulation in single cells, with a stochastic number of oscillations whose mean increases with IR dose. The damped oscillations previously observed in cell populations can be explained as the aggregate behavior of single cell
Project description:Here we have developed a method that combines chromatin immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and mathematical modeling to quantify RecA protein binding during the active repair of a single DSB in the chromosome of Escherichia coli. Examination of RecA binding during double-strand break repair in Escherichia coli
Project description:DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are introduced in meiosis to initiate recombination and to generate crossovers, the reciprocal exchanges of genetic material between parental chromosomes. Here we present the first high-resolution map of meiotic DSBs in individual human genomes. Comparing DSB maps between individuals shows that along with DNA binding by PRDM9, additional factors dictate the efficiency of DSB formation. Furthermore, we find that in human males, the frequency of DSB formation is the primary determinant of crossover rate. Patterns of sequence polymorphisms around meiotic DSB hotspots provide evidence for both GC-biased gene conversion and for a mutagenic role of DSB repair and/or recombination. Finally, we provide compelling evidence that the aberrant repair of meiotic DSBs is a driver of human genomic disorders. Detection of meiotic double strand breaks in testis of several human male individuals.
Project description:Here we identify a novel class of small RNAs that are ~21-nucleotide in length and are produced from the sequences in the vicinity of DNA double strand break (DSB) sites in Arabidopsis and humans. We named them diRNAs for DSB-induced small RNAs. In Arabidopsis, the biogenesis of diRNAs requires the PI3 kinase ATR, RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV), and Dicer-like proteins. Mutations in these proteins as well as in Pol V cause significant reduction in DSB repair efficiency. diRNAs are recruited by Argonaute 2 (AGO2) to mediate DSB repair. In humans, knocking down Dicer or Ago2 causes a significant reduction in DSB repair. Our findings reveal a novel biological function for small RNAs in the DSB repair pathway. We propose that diRNAs may function as guide molecules for chromatin modifications or recruitment of repair complexes at DSB sites to facilitate repair. 28 samples from Arabidopsis thaliana in various genetic backgrounds and 5 samples from the human cells, small RNA sequencing
Project description:Repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity. We have previously shown that a class of DSB-induced small RNAs (diRNAs) facilitates homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DSB repair in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we show that INVOLVED IN DE NOVO 2 (IDN2), a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) 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 ARGONAUTE 2 (AGO2) 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 ssDNA tails and subsequent recruitment of RAD51 at DSB sites to promote DSB repair.
Project description:DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their repair can cause extensive epigenetic changes. As a result, DSBs have been proposed to promote transcriptional and, ultimately, physiological dysfunction via both cell-intrinsic and cell-non-autonomous pathways. Studying the consequences of DSBs in higher organisms has, however, been hindered by a scarcity of tools for controlled DSB induction. Using a mouse model for both tissue-specific and temporally controlled DSB formation, we investigated the transcriptional response to break repair. Transcriptional profiling of lymphocytes in spleen and thymus by RNA-Seq, with and without I-PpoI knock-in.
Project description:Comparative proteomic analysis identified a total of 452 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) isolated spermatocytes from 12-month-old yak and cattleyak. 291 proteins were only identified in yak spermatocytes. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that the downregulated DAPs were mostly enriched in the cellular response to DNA damage stimulus and double-strand break (DSB) repair via break-induced replication, while the proteins specific for yak were related to cell division and cycle, spermatogenesis, and negative regulation of the extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway.
Project description:DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their repair can cause extensive epigenetic changes. As a result, DSBs have been proposed to promote transcriptional and, ultimately, physiological dysfunction via both cell-intrinsic and cell-non-autonomous pathways. Studying the consequences of DSBs in higher organisms has, however, been hindered by a scarcity of tools for controlled DSB induction. Using a mouse model for both tissue-specific and temporally controlled DSB formation, we investigated the transcriptional response to break repair.
Project description:Cell cycle is a major determinant of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway choice with homologous recombination (HR) that is most active in S phase cells and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) that dominates in G1 phase cells. A third less well-defined mechanism, 'alternative end-joining', has been shown to promote error-prone repair in NHEJ- or HR-deficient cells. Here, we have used a physiologic system of NHEJ-mediated genomic rearrangements induced by the site-specific RAG1/2 endonuclease in G1 cells to investigate the fate of unrepaired G1 DSBs upon entry into the cell cycle. We show that, in the absence of XRCC4, alternative end-joining rescues RAG-induced DSB repair and promotes chromosome translocations upon G1 cell cycle exit.