PolySUMOylation by Siz2 and Mms21 triggers relocation of DNA breaks to nuclear pores through the Slx5/Slx8 STUbL

Nuclear Actin and Actin-Binding Proteins in DNA Repair

Nuclear actin has been implicated in a variety of DNA-related processes including chromatin remodeling, transcription, replication, and DNA repair. However, the mechanistic understanding of actin in these processes has been limited, largely due to a lack of research tools that address the roles of nuclear actin specifically, that is, distinct from its cytoplasmic functions. Recent findings support a model for homology-directed DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in which a complex of ARP2 and ARP3 (actin-binding proteins 2 and 3) binds at the break and works with actin to promote DSB clustering and homology-directed repair. Further, it has been reported that relocalization of heterochromatic DSBs to the nuclear periphery in Drosophila is ARP2/3 dependent and actin-myosin driven. Here we provide an overview of the role of nuclear actin and actin-binding proteins in DNA repair, critically evaluating the experimental tools used and potential indirect effects.

SUMO-Mediated Regulation of Nuclear Functions and Signaling Processes

Since the discovery of SUMO twenty years ago, SUMO conjugation has become a widely recognized post-translational modification that targets a myriad of proteins in many processes. Great progress has been made in understanding the SUMO pathway enzymes, substrate sumoylation, and the interplay between sumoylation and other regulatory mechanisms in a variety of contexts. As these research directions continue to generate insights into SUMO-based regulation, several mechanisms by which sumoylation and desumoylation can orchestrate large biological effects are emerging. These include the ability to target multiple proteins within the same cellular structure or process, respond dynamically to external and internal stimuli, and modulate signaling pathways involving other post-translational modifications. Focusing on nuclear function and intracellular signaling, this review highlights a broad spectrum of historical data and recent advances with the aim of providing an overview of mechanisms underlying SUMO-mediated global effects to stimulate further inquiry into intriguing roles of SUMO.

Guidelines for DNA recombination and repair studies: Cellular assays of DNA repair pathways

Understanding the plasticity of genomes has been greatly aided by assays for recombination, repair and mutagenesis. These assays have been developed in microbial systems that provide the advantages of genetic and molecular reporters that can readily be manipulated. Cellular assays comprise genetic, molecular, and cytological reporters. The assays are powerful tools but each comes with its particular advantages and limitations. Here the most commonly used assays are reviewed, discussed, and presented as the guidelines for future studies.

Recruitment, loading, and activation of the Smc5-Smc6 SUMO ligase

Duplication of the genome poses one of the most significant threats to genetic integrity, cellular fitness, and organismal health. Therefore, numerous mechanisms have evolved that maintain replication fork stability in the face of DNA damage and allow faithful genome duplication. The fission yeast BRCT-domain-containing protein Brc1, and its budding yeast orthologue Rtt107, has emerged as a "hub" factor that integrates multiple replication fork protection mechanisms. Notably, the cofactors and pathways through which Brc1, Rtt107, and their human orthologue (PTIP) act have appeared largely distinct. This either represents true evolutionary functional divergence, or perhaps an incomplete genetic and biochemical analysis of each protein. In this regard, we recently showed that like Rtt107, Brc1 supports key functions of the Smc5-Smc6 complex, including its recruitment into DNA repair foci, chromatin association, and SUMO ligase activity. Furthermore, fission yeast cells lacking the Nse5-Nse6 genome stability factor were found to exhibit defects in Smc5-Smc6 function, similar to but more severe than those in cells lacking Brc1. Here, we place these findings in context with the known functions of Brc1, Rtt107, and Smc5-Smc6, present data suggesting a role for acetylation in Smc5-Smc6 chromatin loading, and discuss wider implications for genome stability.

Slx5-Slx8 ubiquitin ligase targets active pools of the Yen1 nuclease to limit crossover formation

The repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination involves the formation of branched intermediates that can lead to crossovers following nucleolytic resolution. The nucleases Mus81-Mms4 and Yen1 are tightly controlled during the cell cycle to limit the extent of crossover formation and preserve genome integrity. Here we show that Yen1 is further regulated by sumoylation and ubiquitination. In vivo, Yen1 becomes sumoylated under conditions of DNA damage by the redundant activities of Siz1 and Siz2 SUMO ligases. Yen1 is also a substrate of the Slx5-Slx8 ubiquitin ligase. Loss of Slx5-Slx8 stabilizes the sumoylated fraction, attenuates Yen1 degradation at the G1/S transition, and results in persistent localization of Yen1 in nuclear foci. Slx5-Slx8-dependent ubiquitination of Yen1 occurs mainly at K714 and mutation of this lysine increases crossover formation during DSB repair and suppresses chromosome segregation defects in a mus81∆ background.

Nucleases are regulated during the cell cycle to control for crossover formation and maintain genome integrity. Here the authors reveal that the yeast Holliday junction resolvase Yen is a sumoylation target and it is regulated by the ubiquitin ligases Slx5/Slx8 during crossover formation.

Nucleoporin 54 contributes to homologous recombination repair and post-replicative DNA integrity

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) machinery is emerging as an important determinant in the maintenance of genome integrity and sensitivity to DNA double-strand break (DSB)-inducing agents, such as ionising radiation (IR). In this study, using a high-throughput siRNA screen, we identified the central channel NPC protein Nup54, and concomitantly its molecular partners Nup62 and Nup58, as novel factors implicated in radiosensitivity. Nup54 depletion caused an increase in cell death by mitotic catastrophe after IR, and specifically enhanced both the duration of the G2 arrest and the radiosensitivity of cells that contained replicated DNA at the time of IR exposure. Nup54-depleted cells also exhibited increased formation of chromosome aberrations arisen from replicated DNA. Interestingly, we found that Nup54 is epistatic with the homologous recombination (HR) factor Rad51. Moreover, using specific DNA damage repair reporters, we observed a decreased HR repair activity upon Nup54 knockdown. In agreement with a role in HR repair, we also demonstrated a decreased formation of HR-linked DNA synthesis foci and sister chromatid exchanges after IR in cells depleted of Nup54. Our study reveals a novel role for Nup54 in the response to IR and the maintenance of HR-mediated genome integrity.

DNA Repair: The Search for Homology

The repair of chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination is essential to maintain genome integrity. The key step in DSB repair is the RecA/Rad51-mediated process to match sequences at the broken end to homologous donor sequences that can be used as a template to repair the lesion. Here, in reviewing research about DSB repair, I consider the many factors that appear to play important roles in the successful search for homology by several homologous recombination mechanisms. See also the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/vm7-X5uIzS8.

The yeast Ty1 retrotransposon requires components of the nuclear pore complex for transcription and genomic integration

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) orchestrate cargo between the cytoplasm and nucleus and regulate chromatin organization. NPC proteins, or nucleoporins (Nups), are required for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gene expression and genomic integration of viral DNA. We utilize the Ty1 retrotransposon of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) to study retroviral integration because retrotransposons are the progenitors of retroviruses and have conserved integrase (IN) enzymes. Ty1-IN targets Ty1 elements into the genome upstream of RNA polymerase (Pol) III transcribed genes such as transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Evidence that S. cerevisiae tRNA genes are recruited to NPCs prompted our investigation of a functional role for the NPC in Ty1 targeting into the genome. We find that Ty1 mobility is reduced in multiple Nup mutants that cannot be accounted for by defects in Ty1 gene expression, cDNA production or Ty1-IN nuclear entry. Instead, we find that Ty1 insertion upstream of tRNA genes is impaired. We also identify Nup mutants with wild type Ty1 mobility but impaired Ty1 targeting. The NPC nuclear basket, which interacts with chromatin, is required for both Ty1 expression and nucleosome targeting. Deletion of components of the NPC nuclear basket causes mis-targeting of Ty1 elements to the ends of chromosomes.

And yet, it moves: nuclear and chromatin dynamics of a heterochromatic double-strand break

Heterochromatin is mostly composed of repeated DNA sequences prone to aberrant recombination. How cells maintain the stability of these sequences during double-strand break (DSB) repair has been a long-standing mystery. Studies in Drosophila cells revealed that faithful homologous recombination repair of heterochromatic DSBs relies on the striking relocalization of repair sites to the nuclear periphery before Rad51 recruitment and repair progression. Here, we summarize our current understanding of this response, including the molecular mechanisms involved, and conserved pathways in mammalian cells. We will highlight important similarities with pathways identified in budding yeast for repair of other types of repeated sequences, including rDNA and short telomeres. We will also discuss the emerging role of chromatin composition and regulation in heterochromatin repair progression. Together, these discoveries challenged previous assumptions that repair sites are substantially static in multicellular eukaryotes, that heterochromatin is largely inert in the presence of DSBs, and that silencing and compaction in this domain are obstacles to repair.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling’.

The INO80 remodeller in transcription, replication and repair

The accessibility of eukaryotic genomes to the action of enzymes involved in transcription, replication and repair is maintained despite the organization of DNA into nucleosomes. This access is often regulated by the action of ATP-dependent nucleosome remodellers. The INO80 class of nucleosome remodellers has unique structural features and it is implicated in a diverse array of functions, including transcriptional regulation, DNA replication and DNA repair. Underlying these diverse functions is the catalytic activity of the main ATPase subunit, which in the context of a multisubunit complex can shift nucleosomes and carry out histone dimer exchange. In vitro studies showed that INO80 promotes replication fork progression on a chromatin template, while in vivo it was shown to facilitate replication fork restart after stalling and to help evict RNA polymerase II at transcribed genes following the collision of a replication fork with transcription. More recent work in yeast implicates INO80 in the general eviction and degradation of nucleosomes following high doses of oxidative DNA damage. Beyond these replication and repair functions, INO80 was shown to repress inappropriate transcription at promoters in the opposite direction to the coding sequence. Here we discuss the ways in which INO80's diverse functions help maintain genome integrity.This article is part of the themed issue 'Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'.

Mitotic and Meiotic Functions for the SUMOylation Pathway in the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline

Meiosis is a highly regulated process, partly due to the need to break and then repair DNA as part of the meiotic program. Post-translational modifications are widely used during meiotic events to regulate steps such as protein complex formation, checkpoint activation, and protein attenuation. In this paper, we investigate how proteins that are obligatory components of the SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) pathway, one such post-translational modification, affect the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. We show that UBC-9, the E2 conjugation enzyme, and the C. elegans homolog of SUMO, SMO-1, localize to germline nuclei throughout prophase I. Mutant analysis of smo-1 and ubc-9 revealed increased recombination intermediates throughout the germline, originating during the mitotic divisions. SUMOylation mutants also showed late meiotic defects including defects in the restructuring of oocyte bivalents and endomitotic oocytes. Increased rates of noninterfering crossovers were observed in ubc-9 heterozygotes, even though interfering crossovers were unaffected. We have also identified a physical interaction between UBC-9 and DNA repair protein MRE-11 ubc-9 and mre-11 null mutants exhibited similar phenotypes at germline mitotic nuclei and were synthetically sick. These phenotypes and genetic interactions were specific to MRE-11 null mutants as opposed to RAD-50 or resection-defective MRE-11 We propose that the SUMOylation pathway acts redundantly with MRE-11, and in this process MRE-11 likely plays a structural role.

Quantitative Methods to Investigate the 4D Dynamics of Heterochromatic Repair Sites in Drosophila Cells

Heterochromatin is mostly composed of long stretches of repeated DNA sequences prone to ectopic recombination during double-strand break (DSB) repair. In Drosophila, "safe" homologous recombination (HR) repair of heterochromatic DSBs relies on a striking relocalization of repair sites to the nuclear periphery. Central to understanding heterochromatin repair is the ability to investigate the 4D dynamics (movement in space and time) of repair sites. A specific challenge of these studies is preventing phototoxicity and photobleaching effects while imaging the sample over long periods of time, and with sufficient time points and Z-stacks to track repair foci over time. Here we describe an optimized approach for high-resolution live imaging of heterochromatic DSBs in Drosophila cells, with a specific emphasis on the fluorescent markers and imaging setup used to capture the motion of repair foci over long-time periods. We detail approaches that minimize photobleaching and phototoxicity with a DeltaVision widefield deconvolution microscope, and image processing techniques for signal recovery postimaging using SoftWorX and Imaris software. We present a method to derive mean square displacement curves revealing some of the biophysical properties of the motion. Finally, we describe a method in R to identify tracts of directed motions (DMs) in mixed trajectories. These approaches enable a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of heterochromatin dynamics and genome stability in the three-dimensional context of the nucleus and have broad applicability in the field of nuclear dynamics.

SUMO polymeric chains are involved in nuclear foci formation and chromatin organization in Trypanosoma brucei procyclic forms

SUMOylation is a post-translational modification conserved in eukaryotic organisms that involves the covalent attachment of the small ubiquitin-like protein SUMO to internal lysine residues in target proteins. This tag usually alters the interaction surface of the modified protein and can be translated into changes in its biological activity, stability or subcellular localization, among other possible outputs. SUMO can be attached as a single moiety or as SUMO polymers in case there are internal acceptor sites in SUMO itself. These chains have been shown to be important for proteasomal degradation as well as for the formation of subnuclear structures such as the synaptonemal complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae or promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies in mammals. In this work, we have examined SUMO chain formation in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Using a recently developed bacterial strain engineered to produce SUMOylated proteins we confirmed the ability of TbSUMO to form polymers and determined the type of linkage using site-directed mutational analysis. By generating transgenic procyclic parasites unable to form chains we demonstrated that although not essential for normal growth, SUMO polymerization determines the localization of the modified proteins in the nucleus. In addition, FISH analysis of telomeres showed a differential positioning depending on the polySUMOylation abilities of the cells. Thus, our observations suggest that TbSUMO chains might play a role in establishing interaction platforms contributing to chromatin organization.

Chromatin and nucleosome dynamics in DNA damage and repair

Chromatin is organized into higher-order structures that form subcompartments in interphase nuclei. Different categories of specialized enzymes act on chromatin and regulate its compaction and biophysical characteristics in response to physiological conditions. We present an overview of the function of chromatin structure and its dynamic changes in response to genotoxic stress, focusing on both subnuclear organization and the physical mobility of DNA. We review the requirements and mechanisms that cause chromatin relocation, enhanced mobility, and chromatin unfolding as a consequence of genotoxic lesions. An intriguing link has been established recently between enhanced chromatin dynamics and histone loss.

Visualization of Chromatin Decompaction and Break Site Extrusion as Predicted by Statistical Polymer Modeling of Single-Locus Trajectories

Chromatin moves with subdiffusive and spatially constrained dynamics within the cell nucleus. Here, we use single-locus tracking by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to uncover information regarding the forces that influence chromatin movement following the induction of a persistent DNA double-strand break (DSB). Using improved time-lapse imaging regimens, we monitor trajectories of tagged DNA loci at a high temporal resolution, which allows us to extract biophysical parameters through robust statistical analysis. Polymer modeling based on these parameters predicts chromatin domain expansion near a DSB and damage extrusion from the domain. Both phenomena are confirmed by live imaging in budding yeast. Calculation of the anomalous exponent of locus movement allows us to differentiate forces imposed on the nucleus through the actin cytoskeleton from those that arise from INO80 remodeler-dependent changes in nucleosome organization. Our analytical approach can be applied to high-density single-locus trajectories obtained in any cell type.

A meeting at risk: Unrepaired DSBs go for broke

Translocations are dramatic genomic rearrangements due to aberrant rejoining of distant DNA ends that can trigger cancer onset and progression. Translocations frequently occur in genes, yet the mechanisms underlying their formation remain poorly understood. One potential mechanism involves DNA Double Strand Break mobility and juxtaposition (i.e. clustering), an event that has been intensively debated over the past decade. Using Capture Hi-C, we recently found that DSBs do in fact cluster in human nuclei but only when induced in transcriptionally active genes. Notably, we found that clustering of damaged genes is regulated by cell cycle progression and coincides with damage persistency. Here, we discuss the mechanisms that could sustain clustering and speculate on the functional consequences of this seemingly double edge sword mechanism that may well stand at the heart of translocation biogenesis.

Pathways and Mechanisms that Prevent Genome Instability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genome rearrangements result in mutations that underlie many human diseases, and ongoing genome instability likely contributes to the development of many cancers. The tools for studying genome instability in mammalian cells are limited, whereas model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae are more amenable to these studies. Here, we discuss the many genetic assays developed to measure the rate of occurrence of Gross Chromosomal Rearrangements (called GCRs) in S. cerevisiae. These genetic assays have been used to identify many types of GCRs, including translocations, interstitial deletions, and broken chromosomes healed by de novo telomere addition, and have identified genes that act in the suppression and formation of GCRs. Insights from these studies have contributed to the understanding of pathways and mechanisms that suppress genome instability and how these pathways cooperate with each other. Integrated models for the formation and suppression of GCRs are discussed.

Genetic and epigenetic control of the spatial organization of the genome

Eukaryotic genomes are spatially organized within the nucleus by chromosome folding, interchromosomal contacts, and interaction with nuclear structures. This spatial organization is observed in diverse organisms and both reflects and contributes to gene expression and differentiation. This leads to the notion that the arrangement of the genome within the nucleus has been shaped and conserved through evolutionary processes and likely plays an adaptive function. Both DNA-binding proteins and changes in chromatin structure influence the positioning of genes and larger domains within the nucleus. This suggests that the spatial organization of the genome can be genetically encoded by binding sites for DNA-binding proteins and can also involve changes in chromatin structure, potentially through nongenetic mechanisms. Here I briefly discuss the results that support these ideas and their implications for how genomes encode spatial organization.

Functions of SUMO in the Maintenance of Genome Stability

Like in most other areas of cellular metabolism, the functions of the ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO in the maintenance of genome stability are manifold and varied. Perturbations of global sumoylation causes a wide spectrum of phenotypes associated with defects in DNA maintenance, such as hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, gross chromosomal rearrangements and loss of entire chromosomes. Consistent with these observations, many key factors involved in various DNA repair pathways have been identified as SUMO substrates. However, establishing a functional connection between a given SUMO target, the cognate SUMO ligase and a relevant phenotype has remained a challenge, mainly because of the difficulties involved in identifying important modification sites and downstream effectors that specifically recognize the target in its sumoylated state. This review will give an overview over the major pathways of DNA repair and genome maintenance influenced by the SUMO system and discuss selected examples of SUMO's actions in these pathways where the biological consequences of the modification have been elucidated.

Genome maintenance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: the role of SUMO and SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases

The genome of the cell is often exposed to DNA damaging agents and therefore requires an intricate well-regulated DNA damage response (DDR) to overcome its deleterious effects. The DDR needs proper regulation for its timely activation, repression, as well as appropriate choice of repair pathway. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have advanced our understanding of the DNA damage response, as well as the mechanisms the cell employs to maintain genome stability and how these mechanisms are regulated. Eukaryotic cells utilize post-translational modifications as a means for fine-tuning protein functions. Ubiquitylation and SUMOylation involve the attachment of small protein molecules onto proteins to modulate function or protein–protein interactions. SUMO in particular, was shown to act as a molecular glue when DNA damage occurs, facilitating the assembly of large protein complexes in repair foci. In other instances, SUMOylation alters a protein's biochemical activities, and interactions. SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) are enzymes that target SUMOylated proteins for ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation, providing a function for the SUMO modification in the regulation and disassembly of repair complexes. Here, we discuss the major contributions of SUMO and STUbLs in the regulation of DNA damage repair pathways as well as in the maintenance of critical regions of the genome, namely rDNA regions, telomeres and the 2 μm circle in budding yeast.

The non-homologous end-joining factor Nej1 inhibits resection mediated by Dna2-Sgs1 nuclease-helicase at DNA double strand breaks

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. Nej1^V338A 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.

Relocalization of DNA lesions to the nuclear pore complex

Early screens in yeast for mutations exhibiting sensitivity to DNA damage identified nuclear pore components, but their role in DNA repair was not well understood. Over the last decade, studies have revealed that several types of persistent DNA lesions relocate to either the nuclear pore complex (NPC) or nuclear envelope (NE). Of these two sites, the nuclear pore appears to be crucial for DNA repair of persistent double-strand breaks, eroded telomeres and sites of fork collapse at expanded CAG repeats. Using a combination of cell biological imaging techniques and yeast genetic assays for DNA repair, researchers have begun to understand both the how and why of lesion relocation to the NPC. Here we review the types of lesions that relocate to the NPC, mediators of relocation and the functional consequences of relocation understood to date. The emerging theme is that relocation to the NPC regulates recombination to influence repair pathway choice and provide a rescue mechanism for lesions or DNA structures that are resistant to repair.

Rif1 maintains telomeres and mediates DNA repair by encasing DNA ends

In yeast, Rif1 is part of the telosome, where it inhibits telomerase and checkpoint signaling at chromosome ends. In mammalian cells, Rif1 is not telomeric, but it suppresses DNA end resection at chromosomal breaks, promoting repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Here, we describe crystal structures for the uncharacterized and conserved ∼125-kDa N-terminal domain of Rif1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Rif1-NTD), revealing an α-helical fold shaped like a shepherd's crook. We identify a high-affinity DNA-binding site in the Rif1-NTD that fully encases DNA as a head-to-tail dimer. Engagement of the Rif1-NTD with telomeres proved essential for checkpoint control and telomere length regulation. Unexpectedly, Rif1-NTD also promoted NHEJ at DNA breaks in yeast, revealing a conserved role of Rif1 in DNA repair. We propose that tight associations between the Rif1-NTD and DNA gate access of processing factors to DNA ends, enabling Rif1 to mediate diverse telomere maintenance and DNA repair functions.

Taming Tricky DSBs: ATM on duty

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) has been known for decades as the main kinase mediating the DNA Double-Strand Break Response (DDR). Extensive studies have revealed its dual role in locally promoting detection and repair of DSBs as well as in activating global DNA damage checkpoints. However, recent studies pinpoint additional unanticipated functions for ATM in modifying both the local chromatin landscape and the global chromosome organization, more particularly at persistent breaks. Given the emergence of a novel and unexpected class of DSBs prevalently arising in transcriptionally active genes and intrinsically difficult to repair, a specific role of ATM at refractory DSBs could be an important and so far overlooked feature of Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) a severe disorder associated with ATM mutations.

SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase activity can either suppress or promote genome instability, depending on the nature of the DNA lesion

The posttranslational modifiers SUMO and ubiquitin critically regulate the DNA damage response (DDR). Important crosstalk between these modifiers at DNA lesions is mediated by the SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL), which ubiquitinates SUMO chains to generate SUMO-ubiquitin hybrids. These SUMO-ubiquitin hybrids attract DDR proteins able to bind both modifiers, and/or are degraded at the proteasome. Despite these insights, specific roles for SUMO chains and STUbL in the DDR remain poorly defined. Notably, fission yeast defective in SUMO chain formation exhibit near wild-type resistance to genotoxins and moreover, have a greatly reduced dependency on STUbL activity for DNA repair. Based on these and other data, we propose that a critical role of STUbL is to antagonize DDR-inhibitory SUMO chain formation at DNA lesions. In this regard, we identify a SUMO-binding Swi2/Snf2 translocase called Rrp2 (ScUls1) as a mediator of the DDR defects in STUbL mutant cells. Therefore, in support of our proposal, SUMO chains attract activities that can antagonize STUbL and other DNA repair factors. Finally, we find that Taz1^TRF1/TRF2-deficiency triggers extensive telomeric poly-SUMOylation. In this setting STUbL, together with its cofactor Cdc48^p97_, actually promotes genomic instability caused by the aberrant processing of taz1Δ telomeres by DNA repair factors. In summary, depending on the nature of the initiating DNA lesion, STUbL activity can either be beneficial or harmful.

Since its discovery in 2007, SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) activity has been identified as a key regulator of diverse cellular processes such as DNA repair, mitosis and DNA replication. In each of these processes, STUbL has been shown to promote the chromatin extraction and/or degradation of SUMO chain modified proteins. However, it remains unclear whether STUbL acts as part of a "programmed" cascade to remove specific proteins, or antagonizes localized SUMO chain formation that otherwise impedes each process. Here we determine that SUMO chains, the major recruitment signal for STUbL, are largely dispensable for genotoxin resistance in fission yeast. Moreover, when SUMO chain formation is compromised, the need for STUbL activity in DNA repair is strongly reduced. These results indicate a primary role for STUbL in antagonizing localized SUMO chain formation. Interestingly, we also find that STUbL activity can be toxic at certain genomic lesions that induce extensive local SUMOylation. For example, STUbL promotes the chromosome instability and cell death caused by deprotected telomeres following Taz1^TRF1/2 deletion. Together, our data suggest that STUbL limits DNA repair-inhibitory SUMO chain formation, and depending on the nature of the genomic lesion, can either suppress or cause genome instability.

Nuclear Dynamics of Heterochromatin Repair

Repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs) is particularly challenging in pericentromeric heterochromatin, where the abundance of repeated sequences exacerbates the risk of ectopic recombination and chromosome rearrangements. Recent studies in Drosophila cells revealed that faithful homologous recombination (HR) repair of heterochromatic DSBs relies on the relocalization of DSBs to the nuclear periphery before Rad51 recruitment. We summarize here the exciting progress in understanding this pathway, including conserved responses in mammalian cells and surprising similarities with mechanisms in yeast that deal with DSBs in distinct sites that are difficult to repair, including other repeated sequences. We will also point out some of the most important open questions in the field and emerging evidence suggesting that deregulating these pathways might have dramatic consequences for human health.

Organizing DNA repair in the nucleus: DSBs hit the road

In the past decade, large-scale movements of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) have repeatedly been identified following DNA damage. These mobility events include clustering, anchoring or peripheral movement at subnuclear structures. Recent work suggests roles for motion in homology search and in break sequestration to preclude deleterious outcomes. Yet, the precise functions of these movements still remain relatively obscure, and the same holds true for the determinants. Here we review recent advances in this exciting area of research, and highlight that a recurrent characteristic of mobile DSBs may lie in their inability to undergo rapid repair. A major future challenge remains to understand how DSB mobility impacts on genome integrity.

Nup153 and Nup50 promote recruitment of 53BP1 to DNA repair foci by antagonizing BRCA1-dependent events

DNA double strand breaks are typically repaired through either the high-fidelity process of homologous recombination (HR), in which BRCA1 plays a key role, or the more error-prone process of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which relies on 53BP1. The balance between NHEJ and HR depends, in part, on whether 53BP1 predominates in binding to damage sites, where it protects the DNA ends from resection. The nucleoporin Nup153 has been implicated in the DNA damage response, attributed to a role in promoting nuclear import of 53BP1. Here, we define a distinct requirement for Nup153 in 53BP1 intranuclear targeting to damage foci and report that Nup153 likely facilitates the role of another nucleoporin, Nup50, in 53BP1 targeting. The requirement for Nup153 and Nup50 in promoting 53BP1 recruitment to damage foci induced by either etoposide or olaparib is abrogated in cells deficient for BRCA1 or its partner BARD1, but not in cells deficient for BRCA2. Together, our results further highlight the antagonistic relationship between 53BP1 and BRCA1 and place Nup153 and Nup50 in a molecular pathway that regulates 53BP1 function by counteracting BRCA1-mediated events.

Direct screening for chromatin status on DNA barcodes in yeast delineates the regulome of H3K79 methylation by Dot1

Given the frequent misregulation of chromatin in cancer, it is important to understand the cellular mechanisms that regulate chromatin structure. However, systematic screening for epigenetic regulators is challenging and often relies on laborious assays or indirect reporter read-outs. Here we describe a strategy, Epi-ID, to directly assess chromatin status in thousands of mutants. In Epi-ID, chromatin status on DNA barcodes is interrogated by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing, allowing for quantitative comparison of many mutants in parallel. Screening of a barcoded yeast knock-out collection for regulators of histone H3K79 methylation by Dot1 identified all known regulators as well as novel players and processes. These include histone deposition, homologous recombination, and adenosine kinase, which influences the methionine cycle. Gcn5, the acetyltransferase within the SAGA complex, was found to regulate histone methylation and H2B ubiquitination. The concept of Epi-ID is widely applicable and can be readily applied to other chromatin features.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18919.001

To fit into the nucleus of eukaryotic cells (which include plant, animal and yeast cells), DNA wraps around histone proteins to form a structure called chromatin. Histones can be modified by a variety of chemical tags, which affect how easily nearby DNA can be accessed by other molecules in the cell. These modifications therefore help to control the activity of the genes encoded in the DNA and other key processes such as DNA repair.

If histone modifications are not regulated correctly, diseases such as cancer may result. Enzymes generally perform the actual modification, but there is another layer of regulation that controls the activity of these enzymes that not much is known about.

The activity of an enzyme that performs a histone modification known as H3K79 methylation (which involves a methyl chemical group being added to a particular region of a particular histone protein) has been linked to some forms of leukemia. Collections of mutant yeast cells can be used to identify the factors that regulate histone modifications in both yeast and human cells. However, current methods that screen for these regulators are time consuming.

To make the search for histone modification regulators more efficient, Vlaming et al. developed a new screening procedure called Epi-ID that can measure the amount of a specific histone modification in thousands of budding yeast mutants at the same time. In Epi-ID, each mutant yeast cell has a unique DNA sequence, or “barcode”. The mutant cells are mixed together and the barcodes that are modified by a particular histone modification – such as H3K79 methylation – are isolated and then counted using a DNA sequencing technique. A high barcode count of a certain mutant indicates that more of the histone modification occurs in that mutant.

Using Epi-ID to survey H3K79 methylation enabled Vlaming et al. to successfully identify all previously known H3K79 methylation regulators, as well several new ones. These new regulators included enzymes that deposit histones on DNA, that carry out DNA repair, and that modify or de-modify histone proteins. To move forward with the newly identified regulators, it will be important to analyze how they control H3K79 methylation in yeast cells and to determine whether the regulators also control H3K79 methylation in human cells.

Finally, Epi-ID can be used to identify regulators of other types of histone modifications. A better understanding of chromatin regulation – and H3K79 methylation regulation in particular – can increase our understanding of diseases in which chromatin is deregulated, and may yield new strategies for the treatment of such diseases.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18919.002

Chromatin organization and dynamics in double-strand break repair

Chromatin is organized and segmented into a landscape of domains that serve multiple purposes. In contrast to transcription, which is controlled by defined sequences at distinct sites, DNA damage can occur anywhere. Repair accordingly must occur everywhere, yet it is inevitably affected by its chromatin environment. In this review, we summarize recent work investigating how changes in chromatin organization facilitate and/or guide DNA double-strand break repair. In addition, we examine new live cell studies on the dynamics of chromatin and the mechanisms that regulate its movement.

A decade of understanding spatio-temporal regulation of DNA repair by the nuclear architecture

The nucleus is a hub for gene expression and is a highly organized entity. The nucleoplasm is heterogeneous, owing to the preferential localization of specific metabolic factors, which lead to the definition of nuclear compartments or bodies. The genome is organized into chromosome territories, as well as heterochromatin and euchromatin domains. Recent observations have indicated that nuclear organization is important for maintaining genomic stability. For example, nuclear organization has been implicated in stabilizing damaged DNA, repair-pathway choice, and in preventing chromosomal rearrangements. Over the past decade, several studies have revealed that dynamic changes in the nuclear architecture are important during double-strand break repair. Stemming from work in yeast, relocation of a damaged site prior to repair appears to be at least partially conserved in multicellular eukaryotes. In this review, we will discuss genome and nucleoplasm architecture, particularly the importance of the nuclear periphery in genome stability. We will also discuss how the site of relocation regulates repair-pathway choice.

Replication stress as a source of telomere recombination during replicative senescence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Replicative senescence is triggered by short unprotected telomeres that arise in the absence of telomerase. In addition, telomeres are known as difficult regions to replicate due to their repetitive G-rich sequence prone to secondary structures and tightly bound non-histone proteins. Here we review accumulating evidence that telomerase inactivation in yeast immediately unmasks the problems associated with replication stress at telomeres. Early after telomerase inactivation, yeast cells undergo successive rounds of stochastic DNA damages and become dependent on recombination for viability long before the bulk of telomeres are getting critically short. The switch from telomerase to recombination to repair replication stress-induced damage at telomeres creates telomere instability, which may drive further genomic alterations and prepare the ground for telomerase-independent immortalization observed in yeast survivors and in 15% of human cancer.

Cervantes and Quijote protect heterochromatin from aberrant recombination and lead the way to the nuclear periphery

Repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs) is particularly challenging in heterochromatin, where the abundance of repeated sequences exacerbates the risk of ectopic recombination and chromosome rearrangements. In Drosophila cells, faithful homologous recombination (HR) repair of heterochromatic DSBs relies on a specialized pathway that relocalizes repair sites to the nuclear periphery before Rad51 recruitment. Here we show that HR progression is initially blocked inside the heterochromatin domain by SUMOylation and the coordinated activity of two distinct Nse2 SUMO E3 ligases: Quijote (Qjt) and Cervantes (Cerv). In addition, the SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) Dgrn, but not its partner dRad60, is recruited to heterochromatic DSBs at early stages of repair and mediates relocalization. However, Dgrn is not required to prevent Rad51 recruitment inside the heterochromatin domain, suggesting that the block to HR progression inside the domain and relocalization to the nuclear periphery are genetically separable pathways. Further, SUMOylation defects affect relocalization without blocking heterochromatin expansion, revealing that expansion is not required for relocalization. Finally, nuclear pores and inner nuclear membrane proteins (INMPs) anchor STUbL/RENi components and repair sites to the nuclear periphery, where repair continues. Together, these studies reveal a critical role of SUMOylation and nuclear architecture in the spatial and temporal regulation of heterochromatin repair and the protection of genome integrity.

Multi-BRCT scaffolds use distinct strategies to support genome maintenance

Genome maintenance requires coordinated actions of diverse DNA metabolism processes. Scaffolding proteins, such as those containing multiple BRCT domains, can influence these processes by collaborating with numerous partners. The best-studied examples of multi-BRCT scaffolds are the budding yeast Dpb11 and its homologues in other organisms, which regulate DNA replication, repair, and damage checkpoints. Recent studies have shed light on another group of multi-BRCT scaffolds, including Rtt107 in budding yeast and related proteins in other organisms. These proteins also influence several DNA metabolism pathways, though they use strategies unlike those employed by the Dpb11 family of proteins. Yet, at the same time, these 2 classes of multi-BRCT proteins can collaborate under specific situations. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of how these multi-BRCT proteins function in distinct manners and how they collaborate, with a focus on Dpb11 and Rtt107.

Non-Smc element 5 (Nse5) of the Smc5/6 complex interacts with SUMO pathway components

The Smc5/6 complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains six essential non-Smc elements, Nse1-6. With the exception of Nse2 (also known as Mms21), which is an E3 small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) ligase, very little is understood about the role of these components or their contribution to Smc5/6 functionality. Our characterization of Nse5 establishes a previously unidentified relationship between the Smc5/6 complex and factors of the SUMO pathway. Nse5 physically associates with the E2 conjugating enzyme, Ubc9, where contacts are stabilized by non-covalent interactions with SUMO. SUMO also mediates the interactions between Nse5 and the two PIAS family E3 SUMO ligases, Siz1 and Siz2. Cells carrying the nse5-ts1 allele or lacking either SIZ1 or SIZ2 exhibit a reduction in Smc5 sumoylation upon MMS treatment and demonstrate functional redundancy for SUMO mediated events in the presence of DNA damage. Overall, given the extensive connection between Nse5 and components of the SUMO pathway, we speculate that one function of the Smc5/6 complex might be as a scaffold center to enable sumoylation events in budding yeast.