Tyrosine phosphorylation enhances RAD52-mediated annealing by modulating its DNA binding

Genetic Encoding of Phosphorylated Amino Acids into Proteins

Reversible phosphorylation is a fundamental mechanism for controlling protein function. Despite the critical roles phosphorylated proteins play in physiology and disease, our ability to study individual phospho-proteoforms has been hindered by a lack of versatile methods to efficiently generate homogeneous proteins with site-specific phosphoamino acids or with functional mimics that are resistant to phosphatases. Genetic code expansion (GCE) is emerging as a transformative approach to tackle this challenge, allowing direct incorporation of phosphoamino acids into proteins during translation in response to amber stop codons. This genetic programming of phospho-protein synthesis eliminates the reliance on kinase-based or chemical semisynthesis approaches, making it broadly applicable to diverse phospho-proteoforms. In this comprehensive review, we provide a brief introduction to GCE and trace the development of existing GCE technologies for installing phosphoserine, phosphothreonine, phosphotyrosine, and their mimics, discussing both their advantages as well as their limitations. While some of the technologies are still early in their development, others are already robust enough to greatly expand the range of biologically relevant questions that can be addressed. We highlight new discoveries enabled by these GCE approaches, provide practical considerations for the application of technologies by non-GCE experts, and also identify avenues ripe for further development.

Human RAD52 double-ring remodels replication forks restricting fork reversal

Human RAD52 1,2 is a multifunctional DNA repair protein involved in several cellular events that support genome stability including protection of stalled DNA replication forks from excessive degradation 3-7 . In its gatekeeper role, RAD52 binds to and stabilizes stalled replication forks during replication stress protecting them from reversal by SMARCAL1 5 . The structural and molecular mechanism of the RAD52-mediated fork protection remains elusive. Here, using P1 nuclease sensitivity, biochemical and single-molecule analyses we show that RAD52 dynamically remodels replication forks through its strand exchange activity. The presence of the ssDNA binding protein RPA at the fork modulates the kinetics of the strand exchange without impeding the reaction outcome. Mass photometry and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy show that the replication fork promotes a unique nucleoprotein structure containing head-to-head arrangement of two undecameric RAD52 rings with an extended positively charged surface that accommodates all three arms of the replication fork. We propose that the formation and continuity of this surface is important for the strand exchange reaction and for competition with SMARCAL1.

Therapeutic disruption of RAD52-ssDNA complexation via novel drug-like inhibitors

RAD52 protein is a coveted target for anticancer drug discovery. Similar to poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, pharmacological inhibition of RAD52 is synthetically lethal with defects in genome caretakers BRCA1 and BRCA2 (∼25% of breast and ovarian cancers). Emerging structure activity relationships for RAD52 are complex, making it challenging to transform previously identified disruptors of the RAD52-ssDNA interaction into drug-like leads using traditional medicinal chemistry approaches. Using pharmacophoric informatics on the RAD52 complexation by epigallocatechin (EGC), and the Enamine in silico REAL database, we identified six distinct chemical scaffolds that occupy the same physical space on RAD52 as EGC. All six were RAD52 inhibitors (IC50 ∼23-1200 μM) with two of the compounds (Z56 and Z99) selectively killing BRCA-mutant cells and inhibiting cellular activities of RAD52 at micromolar inhibitor concentrations. While Z56 had no effect on the ssDNA-binding protein RPA and was toxic to BRCA-mutant cells only, Z99 inhibited both proteins and displayed toxicity towards BRCA-complemented cells. Optimization of the Z99 scaffold resulted in a set of more powerful and selective inhibitors (IC50 ∼1.3-8 μM), which were only toxic to BRCA-mutant cells. RAD52 complexation by Z56, Z99 and its more specific derivatives provide a roadmap for next generation of cancer therapeutics.

Novel Insights into RAD52’s Structure, Function, and Druggability for Synthetic Lethality and Innovative Anticancer Therapies

In recent years, the RAD52 protein has been highlighted as a mediator of many DNA repair mechanisms. While RAD52 was initially considered to be a non-essential auxiliary factor, its inhibition has more recently been demonstrated to be synthetically lethal in cancer cells bearing mutations and inactivation of specific intracellular pathways, such as homologous recombination. RAD52 is now recognized as a novel and critical pharmacological target. In this review, we comprehensively describe the available structural and functional information on RAD52. The review highlights the pathways in which RAD52 is involved and the approaches to RAD52 inhibition. We discuss the multifaceted role of this protein, which has a complex, dynamic, and functional 3D superstructural arrangement. This complexity reinforces the need to further investigate and characterize RAD52 to solve a challenging mechanistic puzzle and pave the way for a robust drug discovery campaign.

A moving target for drug discovery: Structure activity relationship and many genome (de)stabilizing functions of the RAD52 protein

BRCA-ness phenotype, a signature of many breast and ovarian cancers, manifests as deficiency in homologous recombination, and as defects in protection and repair of damaged DNA replication forks. A dependence of such cancers on DNA repair factors less important for survival of BRCA-proficient cells, offers opportunities for development of novel chemotherapeutic interventions. The first drugs targeting BRCA-deficient cancers, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of advanced, chemotherapy resistant cancers in patients with BRCA1/2 germline mutations. Nine additional proteins that can be targeted to selectively kill BRCA-deficient cancer cells have been identified. Among them, a DNA repair protein RAD52 is an especially attractive target due to general tolerance of the RAD52 loss of function, and protective role of an inactivating mutation. Yet, the effective pharmacological inhibitors of RAD52 have not been forthcoming. In this review, we discuss advances in the state of our knowledge of the RAD52 structure, activities and cellular functions, with a specific focus on the features that make RAD52 an attractive, but difficult drug target.

A Facile Platform to Engineer Escherichia coli Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase Adds New Chemistries to the Eukaryotic Genetic Code, Including a Phosphotyrosine Mimic

The Escherichia coli tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (EcTyrRS)/tRNA^EcTyr pair offers an attractive platform for genetically encoding new noncanonical amino acids (ncAA) in eukaryotes. However, challenges associated with a eukaryotic selection system, which is needed to engineer the platform, have impeded its success in the past. Recently, using a facile E. coli-based selection system, we showed that EcTyrRS could be engineered in a strain where the endogenous tyrosyl pair was substituted with an archaeal counterpart. However, significant cross-reactivity between the UAG-suppressing tRNA_CUA ^EcTyr and the bacterial glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase limited the scope of this strategy, preventing the selection of moderately active EcTyrRS mutants. Here we report an engineered tRNA_CUA ^EcTyr that overcomes this cross-reactivity. Optimized selection systems based on this tRNA enabled the efficient enrichment of both strongly and weakly active ncAA-selective EcTyrRS mutants. We also developed a wide dynamic range (WiDR) antibiotic selection to further enhance the activities of the weaker first-generation EcTyrRS mutants. We demonstrated the utility of our platform by developing several new EcTyrRS mutants that efficiently incorporated useful ncAAs in mammalian cells, including photoaffinity probes, bioconjugation handles, and a nonhydrolyzable mimic of phosphotyrosine.

Rad52 mediates class-switch DNA recombination to IgD

In B cells, IgD is expressed together with IgM through alternative splicing of primary VHDJH-Cμ-s-m-Cδ-s-m RNAs, and also through IgD class switch DNA recombination (CSR) via double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) and synapse of Sμ with σδ. How such DSBs are resolved is still unknown, despite our previous report showing that Rad52 effects the ‘short-range’ microhomology-mediated synapsis of intra-Sμ region DSBs. Here we find that induction of IgD CSR downregulates Zfp318, and promotes Rad52 phosphorylation and recruitment to Sμ and σδ, thereby leading to alternative end-joining (A-EJ)-mediated Sμ-σδ recombination with extensive microhomologies, VHDJH-Cδs transcription and sustained IgD secretion. Rad52 ablation in mouse Rad52−/− B cells aborts IgD CSR in vitro and in vivo and dampens the specific IgD antibody response to OVA. Rad52 knockdown in human B cells also abrogates IgD CSR. Finally, Rad52 phosphorylation is associated with high levels of IgD CSR and anti-nuclear IgD autoantibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and in lupus-prone mice. Our findings thus show that Rad52 mediates IgD CSR through microhomology-mediated A-EJ in concert with Zfp318 downregulation.

Targeted Cancer Therapy Based on Acetylation and Deacetylation of Key Proteins Involved in Double-Strand Break Repair

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) play an important role in promoting genomic instability and cell death. The precise repair of DSBs is essential for maintaining genome integrity during cancer progression, and inducing genomic instability or blocking DNA repair is an important mechanism through which chemo/radiotherapies exert killing effects on cancer cells. The two main pathways that facilitate the repair of DSBs in cancer cells are homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Accumulating data suggest that the acetylation and deacetylation of DSB repair proteins regulate the initiation and progression of the cellular response to DNA DSBs, which may further affect the chemosensitivity or radiosensitivity of cancer cells. Here, we focus on the role of acetylation/deacetylation in the regulation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated, Rad51, and 53BP1 in the HR pathway, as well as the relevant roles of PARP1 and Ku70 in NHEJ. Notably, several histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors targeting HR or NHEJ have been demonstrated to enhance chemo/radiosensitivity in preclinical studies. This review highlights the essential role of acetylation/deacetylation in the regulation of DSB repair proteins, suggesting that HDAC inhibitors targeting the HR or NHEJ pathways that downregulate DNA DSB repair genes may be worthwhile cancer therapeutic agents.

Single-strand annealing: Molecular mechanisms and potential applications in CRISPR-Cas-based precision genome editing

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) frequently occur within the genome of all living organisms and must be well repaired for survival. Recently, more important roles of the DSB repair pathways that were previously thought to be minor pathways, such as single-strand annealing (SSA), have been shown. Nevertheless, the biochemical mechanisms and applications of the SSA pathway in genome editing have not been updated.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

Understanding the molecular mechanism of SSA is important to design potential applications in gene editing. This review provides insights into the recent progress of SSA studies and establishes a model for their potential applications in precision genome editing.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The SSA mechanism involved in DNA DSB repair appears to be activated by a complex signaling cascade starting with broken end sensing and 5'-3' resection to reveal homologous repeats on the 3' ssDNA overhangs that flank the DSB. Annealing the repeats would help to amend the discontinuous ends and restore the intact genome, resulting in the missing of one repeat and the intervening sequence between the repeats. We proposed a model for CRISPR-Cas-based precision insertion or replacement of DNA fragments to take advantage of the characteristics. The proposed model can add a tool to extend the choice for precision gene editing. Nevertheless, the model needs to be experimentally validated and optimized with SSA-favorable conditions for practical applications.

RAD52: Paradigm of Synthetic Lethality and New Developments

DNA double-strand breaks and inter-strand cross-links are the most harmful types of DNA damage that cause genomic instability that lead to cancer development. The highest fidelity pathway for repairing damaged double-stranded DNA is termed Homologous recombination (HR). Rad52 is one of the key HR proteins in eukaryotes. Although it is critical for most DNA repair and recombination events in yeast, knockouts of mammalian RAD52 lack any discernable phenotypes. As a consequence, mammalian RAD52 has been long overlooked. That is changing now, as recent work has shown RAD52 to be critical for backup DNA repair pathways in HR-deficient cancer cells. Novel findings have shed light on RAD52's biochemical activities. RAD52 promotes DNA pairing (D-loop formation), single-strand DNA and DNA:RNA annealing, and inverse strand exchange. These activities contribute to its multiple roles in DNA damage repair including HR, single-strand annealing, break-induced replication, and RNA-mediated repair of DNA. The contributions of RAD52 that are essential to the viability of HR-deficient cancer cells are currently under investigation. These new findings make RAD52 an attractive target for the development of anti-cancer therapies against BRCA-deficient cancers.

Post-translational modification of factors involved in homologous recombination

DNA is the molecule that stores the chemical instructions necessary for life and its stability is therefore of the utmost importance. Despite this, DNA is damaged by both exogenous and endogenous factors at an alarming frequency. The most severe type of DNA damage is a double-strand break (DSB), in which a scission occurs in both strands of the double helix, effectively dividing a single normal chromosome into two pathological chromosomes. Homologous recombination (HR) is a universal DSB repair mechanism that solves this problem by identifying another region of the genome that shares high sequence similarity with the DSB site and using it as a template for repair. Rad51 possess the enzymatic activity that is essential for this repair but several auxiliary factors are required for Rad51 to fulfil its function. It is becoming increasingly clear that many HR factors are subjected to post-translational modification. Here, we review what is known about how these modifications affect HR. We first focus on cases where there is experimental evidence to support a function for the modification, then discuss speculative cases where a function can be inferred. Finally, we contemplate why such modifications might be necessary.

RAD52 Adjusts Repair of Single-Strand Breaks via Reducing DNA-Damage-Promoted XRCC1/LIG3α Co-localization

Radiation sensitive 52 (RAD52) is an important factor for double-strand break repair (DSBR). However, deficiency in vertebrate/mammalian Rad52 has no apparent phenotype. The underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that RAD52 deficiency increased cell survival after camptothecin (CPT) treatment. CPT generates single-strand breaks (SSBs) that further convert to double-strand breaks (DSBs) if they are not repaired. RAD52 inhibits SSB repair (SSBR) through strong single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and/or poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) binding affinity to reduce DNA-damage-promoted X-Ray Repair Cross Complementing 1 (XRCC1)/ligase IIIα (LIG3α) co-localization. The inhibitory effects of RAD52 on SSBR neutralize the role of RAD52 in DSBR, suggesting that RAD52 may maintain a balance between cell survival and genomic integrity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that blocking RAD52 oligomerization that disrupts RAD52’s DSBR, while retaining its ssDNA binding capacity that is required for RAD52’s inhibitory effects on SSBR, sensitizes cells to different DNA-damaging agents. This discovery provides guidance for developing efficient RAD52 inhibitors in cancer therapy.

Wang et al. show that vertebrate/mammalian RAD52 promotes CPT-induced cell death via inhibition of PARP-mediated SSBR, which involves RAD52’s strong ssDNA/PAR binding affinity that reduces DNA-damage-promoted XRCC1-LIG3a interaction. Blocking of RAD52 oligomerization, while retaining the ssDNA binding capacity of RAD52, efficiently sensitizes cells to different DNA-damaging agents.

Making Choices: DNA Replication Fork Recovery Mechanisms

DNA replication is laden with obstacles that slow, stall, collapse, and break DNA replication forks. At each obstacle, there is a decision to be made whether to bypass the lesion, repair or restart the damaged fork, or to protect stalled forks from further demise. Each "decision" draws upon multitude of proteins participating in various mechanisms that allow repair and restart of replication forks. Specific functions for many of these proteins have been described and an understanding of how they come together in supporting replication forks is starting to emerge. Many questions, however, remain regarding selection of the mechanisms that enable faithful genome duplication and how "normal" intermediates in these mechanisms are sometimes funneled into "rogue" processes that destabilize the genome and lead to cancer, cell death, and emergence of chemotherapeutic resistance. In this review we will discuss molecular mechanisms of DNA damage bypass and replication fork protection and repair. We will specifically focus on the key players that define which mechanism is employed including: PCNA and its control by posttranslational modifications, translesion synthesis DNA polymerases, molecular motors that catalyze reversal of stalled replication forks, proteins that antagonize fork reversal and protect reversed forks from nucleolytic degradation, and the machinery of homologous recombination that helps to reestablish broken forks. We will also discuss risks to genome integrity inherent in each of these mechanisms.

Inhibition of DNA Repair in Cancer Therapy: Toward a Multi-Target Approach

Alterations in DNA repair pathways are one of the main drivers of cancer insurgence. Nevertheless, cancer cells are more susceptible to DNA damage than normal cells and they rely on specific functional repair pathways to survive. Thanks to advances in genome sequencing, we now have a better idea of which genes are mutated in specific cancers and this prompted the development of inhibitors targeting DNA repair players involved in pathways essential for cancer cells survival. Currently, the pivotal concept is that combining the inhibition of mechanisms on which cancer cells viability depends is the most promising way to treat tumorigenesis. Numerous inhibitors have been developed and for many of them, efficacy has been demonstrated either alone or in combination with chemo or radiotherapy. In this review, we will analyze the principal pathways involved in cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair focusing on how their alterations could predispose to cancer, then we will explore the inhibitors developed or in development specifically targeting different proteins involved in each pathway, underscoring the rationale behind their usage and how their combination and/or exploitation as adjuvants to classic therapies could help in patients clinical outcome.

Dipeptide repeat proteins inhibit homology-directed DNA double strand break repair in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD

BACKGROUND

The C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion is the most common known genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two fatal age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The C9ORF72 expansion encodes five dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) that are produced through a non-canonical translation mechanism. Among the DPRs, proline-arginine (PR), glycine-arginine (GR), and glycine-alanine (GA) are the most neurotoxic and increase the frequency of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). While the accumulation of these genotoxic lesions is increasingly recognized as a feature of disease, the mechanism(s) of DPR-mediated DNA damage are ill-defined and the effect of DPRs on the efficiency of each DNA DSB repair pathways has not been previously evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using DNA DSB repair assays, we evaluated the efficiency of specific repair pathways, and found that PR, GR and GA decrease the efficiency of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), single strand annealing (SSA), and microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), but not homologous recombination (HR). We found that PR inhibits DNA DSB repair, in part, by binding to the nucleolar protein nucleophosmin (NPM1). Depletion of NPM1 inhibited NHEJ and SSA, suggesting that NPM1 loss-of-function in PR expressing cells leads to impediments of both non-homologous and homology-directed DNA DSB repair pathways. By deleting NPM1 sub-cellular localization signals, we found that PR binds NPM1 regardless of the cellular compartment to which NPM1 was directed. Deletion of the NPM1 acidic loop motif, known to engage other arginine-rich proteins, abrogated PR and NPM1 binding. Using confocal and super-resolution immunofluorescence microscopy, we found that levels of RAD52, a component of the SSA repair machinery, were significantly increased iPSC neurons relative to isogenic controls in which the C9ORF72 expansion had been deleted using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Western analysis of post-mortem brain tissues confirmed that RAD52 immunoreactivity is significantly increased in C9ALS/FTD samples as compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, we characterized the inhibitory effects of DPRs on key DNA DSB repair pathways, identified NPM1 as a facilitator of DNA repair that is inhibited by PR, and revealed deficits in homology-directed DNA DSB repair pathways as a novel feature of C9ORF72-related disease.

Differential phosphorylation of the N-terminal extension regulates phytochrome B signaling

Phytochrome B (phyB) is an excellent light quality and quantity sensor that can detect subtle changes in the light environment. The relative amounts of the biologically active photoreceptor (phyB Pfr) are determined by the light conditions and light independent thermal relaxation of Pfr into the inactive phyB Pr, termed thermal reversion. Little is known about the regulation of thermal reversion and how it affects plants' light sensitivity. In this study we identified several serine/threonine residues on the N-terminal extension (NTE) of Arabidopsis thaliana phyB that are differentially phosphorylated in response to light and temperature, and examined transgenic plants expressing nonphosphorylatable and phosphomimic phyB mutants. The NTE of phyB is essential for thermal stability of the Pfr form, and phosphorylation of S86 particularly enhances the thermal reversion rate of the phyB Pfr-Pr heterodimer in vivo. We demonstrate that S86 phosphorylation is especially critical for phyB signaling compared with phosphorylation of the more N-terminal residues. Interestingly, S86 phosphorylation is reduced in light, paralleled by a progressive Pfr stabilization under prolonged irradiation. By investigating other phytochromes (phyD and phyE) we provide evidence that acceleration of thermal reversion by phosphorylation represents a general mechanism for attenuating phytochrome signaling.

DSS1 interacts with and stimulates RAD52 to promote the repair of DSBs

The proper repair of deleterious DNA lesions such as double strand breaks prevents genomic instability and carcinogenesis. In yeast, the Rad52 protein mediates DSB repair via homologous recombination. In mammalian cells, despite the presence of the RAD52 protein, the tumour suppressor protein BRCA2 acts as the predominant mediator during homologous recombination. For decades, it has been believed that the RAD52 protein played only a back-up role in the repair of DSBs performing an error-prone single strand annealing (SSA). Recent studies have identified several new functions of the RAD52 protein and have drawn attention to its important role in genome maintenance. Here, we show that RAD52 activities are enhanced by interacting with a small and highly acidic protein called DSS1. Binding of DSS1 to RAD52 changes the RAD52 oligomeric conformation, modulates its DNA binding properties, stimulates SSA activity and promotes strand invasion. Our work introduces for the first time RAD52 as another interacting partner of DSS1 and shows that both proteins are important players in the SSA and BIR pathways of DSB repair.

RAD52 Functions in Homologous Recombination and Its Importance on Genomic Integrity Maintenance and Cancer Therapy

Genomes are continually subjected to DNA damage whether they are induced from intrinsic physiological processes or extrinsic agents. Double-stranded breaks (DSBs) are the most injurious type of DNA damage, being induced by ionizing radiation (IR) and cytotoxic agents used in cancer treatment. The failure to repair DSBs can result in aberrant chromosomal abnormalities which lead to cancer development. An intricate network of DNA damage signaling pathways is usually activated to eliminate these damages and to restore genomic stability. These signaling pathways include the activation of cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair mechanisms, and apoptosis induction, also known as DNA damage response (DDR)-mechanisms. Remarkably, the homologous recombination (HR) is the major DSBs repairing pathway, in which RAD52 gene has a crucial repairing role by promoting the annealing of complementary single-stranded DNA and by stimulating RAD51 recombinase activity. Evidence suggests that variations in RAD52 expression can influence HR activity and, subsequently, influence the predisposition and treatment efficacy of cancer. In this review, we present several reports in which the down or upregulation of RAD52 seems to be associated with different carcinogenic processes. In addition, we discuss RAD52 inhibition in DDR-defective cancers as a possible target to improve cancer therapy efficacy.

RAD52 as a Potential Target for Synthetic Lethality-Based Anticancer Therapies

Alterations in DNA repair systems play a key role in the induction and progression of cancer. Tumor-specific defects in DNA repair mechanisms and activation of alternative repair routes create the opportunity to employ a phenomenon called "synthetic lethality" to eliminate cancer cells. Targeting the backup pathways may amplify endogenous and drug-induced DNA damage and lead to specific eradication of cancer cells. So far, the synthetic lethal interaction between BRCA1/2 and PARP1 has been successfully applied as an anticancer treatment. Although PARP1 constitutes a promising target in the treatment of tumors harboring deficiencies in BRCA1/2-mediated homologous recombination (HR), some tumor cells survive, resulting in disease relapse. It has been suggested that alternative RAD52-mediated HR can protect BRCA1/2-deficient cells from the accumulation of DNA damage and the synthetic lethal effect of PARPi. Thus, simultaneous inhibition of RAD52 and PARP1 might result in a robust dual synthetic lethality, effectively eradicating BRCA1/2-deficient tumor cells. In this review, we will discuss the role of RAD52 and its potential application in synthetic lethality-based anticancer therapies.

Distinct roles of RAD52 and POLQ in chromosomal break repair and replication stress response

Disrupting either the DNA annealing factor RAD52 or the A-family DNA polymerase POLQ can cause synthetic lethality with defects in BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are tumor suppressors important for homology-directed repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), and protection of stalled replication forks. A likely mechanism of this synthetic lethality is that RAD52 and/or POLQ are important for backup pathways for DSB repair and/or replication stress responses. The features of DSB repair events that require RAD52 vs. POLQ, and whether combined disruption of these factors causes distinct effects on genome maintenance, have been unclear. Using human U2OS cells, we generated a cell line with POLQ mutations upstream of the polymerase domain, a RAD52 knockout cell line, and a line with combined disruption of both genes. We also examined RAD52 and POLQ using RNA-interference. We find that combined disruption of RAD52 and POLQ causes at least additive hypersensitivity to cisplatin, and a synthetic reduction in replication fork restart velocity. We also examined the influence of RAD52 and POLQ on several DSB repair events. We find that RAD52 is particularly important for repair using ≥ 50 nt repeat sequences that flank the DSB, and that also involve removal of non-homologous sequences flanking the repeats. In contrast, POLQ is important for repair events using 6 nt (but not ≥ 18 nt) of flanking repeats that are at the edge of the break, as well as oligonucleotide microhomology-templated (i.e., 12-20 nt) repair events requiring nascent DNA synthesis. Finally, these factors show key distinctions with BRCA2, regarding effects on DSB repair events and response to stalled replication forks. These findings indicate that RAD52 and POLQ have distinct roles in genome maintenance, including for specific features of DSB repair events, such that combined disruption of these factors may be effective for genotoxin sensitization and/or synthetic lethal strategies.

Emerging Roles of RAD52 in Genome Maintenance

The maintenance of genome integrity is critical for cell survival. Homologous recombination (HR) is considered the major error-free repair pathway in combatting endogenously generated double-stranded lesions in DNA. Nevertheless, a number of alternative repair pathways have been described as protectors of genome stability, especially in HR-deficient cells. One of the factors that appears to have a role in many of these pathways is human RAD52, a DNA repair protein that was previously considered to be dispensable due to a lack of an observable phenotype in knock-out mice. In later studies, RAD52 deficiency has been shown to be synthetically lethal with defects in BRCA genes, making RAD52 an attractive therapeutic target, particularly in the context of BRCA-deficient tumors.

Novel RNA and DNA strand exchange activity of the PALB2 DNA binding domain and its critical role for DNA repair in cells

BReast Cancer Associated proteins 1 and 2 (BRCA1, -2) and Partner and Localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2) protein are tumour suppressors linked to a spectrum of malignancies, including breast cancer and Fanconi anemia. PALB2 coordinates functions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 during homology-directed repair (HDR) and interacts with several chromatin proteins. In addition to protein scaffold function, PALB2 binds DNA. The functional role of this interaction is poorly understood. We identified a major DNA-binding site of PALB2, mutations in which reduce RAD51 foci formation and the overall HDR efficiency in cells by 50%. PALB2 N-terminal DNA-binding domain (N-DBD) stimulates the function of RAD51 recombinase. Surprisingly, it possesses the strand exchange activity without RAD51. Moreover, N-DBD stimulates the inverse strand exchange and can use DNA and RNA substrates. Our data reveal a versatile DNA interaction property of PALB2 and demonstrate a critical role of PALB2 DNA binding for chromosome repair in cells.

Rad52 prevents excessive replication fork reversal and protects from nascent strand degradation

Stabilisation of stalled replication forks prevents excessive fork reversal and their pathological degradation, which can undermine genome integrity. Here we investigate a physiological role of RAD52 at stalled replication forks by using human cell models depleted of RAD52, a specific small-molecule inhibitor of the RAD52-ssDNA interaction, in vitro and single-molecule analyses. We demonstrate that RAD52 prevents excessive degradation of reversed replication forks by MRE11. Mechanistically, RAD52 binds to the stalled replication fork, promotes its occlusion and counteracts loading of SMARCAL1 in vitro and in vivo. Loss of the RAD52 function results in a slightly-defective replication restart, persistence of under-replicated regions and chromosome instability. Moreover, the RAD52-inhibited cells rely on RAD51 for completion of replication and viability upon replication arrest. Collectively, our data suggest an unexpected gatekeeper mechanism by which RAD52 limits excessive remodelling of stalled replication forks, thus indirectly assisting RAD51 and BRCA2 in protecting forks from unscheduled degradation and preventing genome instability.

Stabilisation of stalled replication forks prevents excessive fork reversal and genome instability. Here authors reveal a RAD52-dependent replication fork protection mechanism.

CtIP forms a tetrameric dumbbell-shaped particle which bridges complex DNA end structures for double-strand break repair

CtIP is involved in the resection of broken DNA during the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle for repair by recombination. Acting with the MRN complex, it plays a particularly important role in handling complex DNA end structures by localised nucleolytic processing of DNA termini in preparation for longer range resection. Here we show that human CtIP is a tetrameric protein adopting a dumbbell architecture in which DNA binding domains are connected by long coiled-coils. The protein complex binds two short DNA duplexes with high affinity and bridges DNA molecules in trans. DNA binding is potentiated by dephosphorylation and is not specific for DNA end structures per se. However, the affinity for linear DNA molecules is increased if the DNA terminates with complex structures including forked ssDNA overhangs and nucleoprotein conjugates. This work provides a biochemical and structural basis for the function of CtIP at complex DNA breaks.

Novel function of HATs and HDACs in homologous recombination through acetylation of human RAD52 at double-strand break sites

The p300 and CBP histone acetyltransferases are recruited to DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites where they induce histone acetylation, thereby influencing the chromatin structure and DNA repair process. Whether p300/CBP at DSB sites also acetylate non-histone proteins, and how their acetylation affects DSB repair, remain unknown. Here we show that p300/CBP acetylate RAD52, a human homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair protein, at DSB sites. Using in vitro acetylated RAD52, we identified 13 potential acetylation sites in RAD52 by a mass spectrometry analysis. An immunofluorescence microscopy analysis revealed that RAD52 acetylation at DSBs sites is counteracted by SIRT2- and SIRT3-mediated deacetylation, and that non-acetylated RAD52 initially accumulates at DSB sites, but dissociates prematurely from them. In the absence of RAD52 acetylation, RAD51, which plays a central role in HR, also dissociates prematurely from DSB sites, and hence HR is impaired. Furthermore, inhibition of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein by siRNA or inhibitor treatment demonstrated that the acetylation of RAD52 at DSB sites is dependent on the ATM protein kinase activity, through the formation of RAD52, p300/CBP, SIRT2, and SIRT3 foci at DSB sites. Our findings clarify the importance of RAD52 acetylation in HR and its underlying mechanism.

Human RAD52 Captures and Holds DNA Strands, Increases DNA Flexibility, and Prevents Melting of Duplex DNA: Implications for DNA Recombination

Human RAD52 promotes annealing of complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). In-depth knowledge of RAD52-DNA interaction is required to understand how its activity is integrated in DNA repair processes. Here, we visualize individual fluorescent RAD52 complexes interacting with single DNA molecules. The interaction with ssDNA is rapid, static, and tight, where ssDNA appears to wrap around RAD52 complexes that promote intra-molecular bridging. With double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), interaction is slower, weaker, and often diffusive. Interestingly, force spectroscopy experiments show that RAD52 alters the mechanics dsDNA by enhancing DNA flexibility and increasing DNA contour length, suggesting intercalation. RAD52 binding changes the nature of the overstretching transition of dsDNA and prevents DNA melting, which is advantageous for strand clamping during or after annealing. DNA-bound RAD52 is efficient at capturing ssDNA in trans. Together, these effects may help key steps in DNA repair, such as second-end capture during homologous recombination or strand annealing during RAD51-independent recombination reactions.

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RAD52 binds ssDNA rapidly and tightly using wrapping and bridging modes

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RAD52 binding to dsDNA is slower, weaker, and often diffusive

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RAD52 changes dsDNA mechanics and intercalates into the double helix

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RAD52 prevents DNA melting by clamping DNA strands

Ectopic expression of RAD52 and dn53BP1 improves homology-directed repair during CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing

Gene disruption by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) is highly efficient and relies on the error-prone non-homologous end-joining pathway. Conversely, precise gene editing requires homology-directed repair (HDR), which occurs at a lower frequency than non-homologous end-joining in mammalian cells. Here, by testing whether manipulation of DNA repair factors improves HDR efficacy, we show that transient ectopic co-expression of RAD52 and a dominant-negative form of tumour protein p53-binding protein 1 (dn53BP1) synergize to enable efficient HDR using a single-stranded oligonucleotide DNA donor template at multiple loci in human cells, including patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. Co-expression of RAD52 and dn53BP1 improves multiplexed HDR-mediated editing, whereas expression of RAD52 alone enhances HDR with Cas9 nickase. Our data show that the frequency of non-homologous end-joining-mediated double-strand break repair in the presence of these two factors is not suppressed and suggest that dn53BP1 competitively antagonizes 53BP1 to augment HDR in combination with RAD52. Importantly, co-expression of RAD52 and dn53BP1 does not alter Cas9 off-target activity. These findings support the use of RAD52 and dn53BP1 co-expression to overcome bottlenecks that limit HDR in precision genome editing.

Small-Molecule Inhibitors Targeting DNA Repair and DNA Repair Deficiency in Research and Cancer Therapy

To maintain stable genomes and to avoid cancer and aging, cells need to repair a multitude of deleterious DNA lesions, which arise constantly in every cell. Processes that support genome integrity in normal cells, however, allow cancer cells to develop resistance to radiation and DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics. Chemical inhibition of the key DNA repair proteins and pharmacologically induced synthetic lethality have become instrumental in both dissecting the complex DNA repair networks and as promising anticancer agents. The difficulty in capitalizing on synthetically lethal interactions in cancer cells is that many potential targets do not possess well-defined small-molecule binding determinates. In this review, we discuss several successful campaigns to identify and leverage small-molecule inhibitors of the DNA repair proteins, from PARP1, a paradigm case for clinically successful small-molecule inhibitors, to coveted new targets, such as RAD51 recombinase, RAD52 DNA repair protein, MRE11 nuclease, and WRN DNA helicase.

Human RAD52 interactions with replication protein A and the RAD51 presynaptic complex

Rad52 is a highly conserved protein involved in the repair of DNA damage. Human RAD52 has been shown to mediate single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and is synthetic lethal with mutations in other key recombination proteins. For this study, we used single-molecule imaging and ssDNA curtains to examine the binding interactions of human RAD52 with replication protein A (RPA)-coated ssDNA, and we monitored the fate of RAD52 during assembly of the presynaptic complex. We show that RAD52 binds tightly to the RPA-ssDNA complex and imparts an inhibitory effect on RPA turnover. We also found that during presynaptic complex assembly, most of the RPA and RAD52 was displaced from the ssDNA, but some RAD52-RPA-ssDNA complexes persisted as interspersed clusters surrounded by RAD51 filaments. Once assembled, the presence of RAD51 restricted formation of new RAD52-binding events, but additional RAD52 could bind once RAD51 dissociated from the ssDNA. Together, these results provide new insights into the behavior and dynamics of human RAD52 during presynaptic complex assembly and disassembly.

Rad52 competes with Ku70/Ku86 for binding to S-region DSB ends to modulate antibody class-switch DNA recombination

Antibody class-switch DNA recombination (CSR) is initiated by AID-introduced DSBs in the switch (S) regions targeted for recombination, as effected by Ku70/Ku86-mediated NHEJ. Ku-deficient B cells, however, undergo (reduced) CSR through an alternative(A)-NHEJ pathway, which introduces microhomologies in S-S junctions. As microhomology-mediated end-joining requires annealing of single-strand DNA ends, we addressed the contribution of single-strand annealing factors HR Rad52 and translesion DNA polymerase θ to CSR. Compared with their Rad52+/+ counterparts, which display normal CSR, Rad52-/- B cells show increased CSR, fewer intra-Sμ region recombinations, no/minimal microhomologies in S-S junctions, decreased c-Myc/IgH translocations and increased Ku70/Ku86 recruitment to S-region DSB ends. Rad52 competes with Ku70/Ku86 for binding to S-region DSB ends. It also facilitates a Ku-independent DSB repair, which favours intra-S region recombination and mediates, particularly in Ku absence, inter-S-S recombination, as emphasized by the significantly greater CSR reduction in Rad52-/- versus Rad52+/+ B cells on Ku86 knockdown.

Advances in structural studies of recombination mediator proteins

Recombination mediator proteins (RMPs) are critical for genome integrity in all organisms. They include phage UvsY, prokaryotic RecF, -O, -R (RecFOR) and eukaryotic Rad52, Breast Cancer susceptibility 2 (BRCA2) and Partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2) proteins. BRCA2 and PALB2 are tumor suppressors implicated in cancer. RMPs regulate binding of RecA-like recombinases to sites of DNA damage to initiate the most efficient non-mutagenic repair of broken chromosome and other deleterious DNA lesions. Mechanistically, RMPs stimulate a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) hand-off from ssDNA binding proteins (ssbs) such as gp32, SSB and RPA, to recombinases, activating DNA repair only at the time and site of the damage event. This review summarizes structural studies of RMPs and their implications for understanding mechanism and function. Comparative analysis of RMPs is complicated due to their convergent evolution. In contrast to the evolutionary conserved ssbs and recombinases, RMPs are extremely diverse in sequence and structure. Structural studies are particularly important in such cases to reveal common features of the entire family and specific features of regulatory mechanisms for each member. All RMPs are characterized by specific DNA-binding domains and include variable protein interaction motifs. The complexity of such RMPs corresponds to the ever-growing number of DNA metabolism events they participate in under normal and pathological conditions and requires additional comprehensive structure-functional studies.

Tyrosine phosphorylation stimulates activity of human RAD51 recombinase through altered nucleoprotein filament dynamics

The DNA strand exchange protein RAD51 facilitates the central step in homologous recombination, a process fundamentally important for accurate repair of damaged chromosomes, restart of collapsed replication forks, and telomere maintenance. The active form of RAD51 is a nucleoprotein filament that assembles on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at the sites of DNA damage. The c-Abl tyrosine kinase and its oncogenic counterpart BCR-ABL fusion kinase phosphorylate human RAD51 on tyrosine residues 54 and 315. We combined biochemical reconstitutions of the DNA strand exchange reactions with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to determine how the two phosphorylation events affect the biochemical activities of human RAD51 and properties of the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament. By mimicking RAD51 tyrosine phosphorylation with a nonnatural amino acid, p-carboxymethyl-l-phenylalanine (pCMF), we demonstrated that Y54 phosphorylation enhances the RAD51 recombinase activity by at least two different mechanisms, modifies the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament formation, and allows RAD51 to compete efficiently with ssDNA binding protein RPA. In contrast, Y315 phosphorylation has little effect on the RAD51 activities. Based on our work and previous cellular studies, we propose a mechanism underlying RAD51 activation by c-Abl/BCR-ABL kinases.

Reappearance from Obscurity: Mammalian Rad52 in Homologous Recombination

Homologous recombination (HR) plays an important role in maintaining genomic integrity. It is responsible for repair of the most harmful DNA lesions, DNA double-strand breaks and inter-strand DNA cross-links. HR function is also essential for proper segregation of homologous chromosomes in meiosis, maintenance of telomeres, and resolving stalled replication forks. Defects in HR often lead to genetic diseases and cancer. Rad52 is one of the key HR proteins, which is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to humans. In yeast, Rad52 is important for most HR events; Rad52 mutations disrupt repair of DNA double-strand breaks and targeted DNA integration. Surprisingly, in mammals, Rad52 knockouts showed no significant DNA repair or recombination phenotype. However, recent work demonstrated that mutations in human RAD52 are synthetically lethal with mutations in several other HR proteins including BRCA1 and BRCA2. These new findings indicate an important backup role for Rad52, which complements the main HR mechanism in mammals. In this review, we focus on the Rad52 activities and functions in HR and the possibility of using human RAD52 as therapeutic target in BRCA1 and BRCA2-deficient familial breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Small-molecule inhibitors identify the RAD52-ssDNA interaction as critical for recovery from replication stress and for survival of BRCA2 deficient cells

The DNA repair protein RAD52 is an emerging therapeutic target of high importance for BRCA-deficient tumors. Depletion of RAD52 is synthetically lethal with defects in tumor suppressors BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. RAD52 also participates in the recovery of the stalled replication forks. Anticipating that ssDNA binding activity underlies the RAD52 cellular functions, we carried out a high throughput screening campaign to identify compounds that disrupt the RAD52-ssDNA interaction. Lead compounds were confirmed as RAD52 inhibitors in biochemical assays. Computational analysis predicted that these inhibitors bind within the ssDNA-binding groove of the RAD52 oligomeric ring. The nature of the inhibitor-RAD52 complex was validated through an in silico screening campaign, culminating in the discovery of an additional RAD52 inhibitor. Cellular studies with our inhibitors showed that the RAD52-ssDNA interaction enables its function at stalled replication forks, and that the inhibition of RAD52-ssDNA binding acts additively with BRCA2 or MUS81 depletion in cell killing.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14740.001

Cells are constantly in danger of losing or scrambling critical genetic information because of DNA damage. To cope with this stress, cells have numerous DNA repair systems. One of these systems – homology-directed DNA repair – involves the proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are often missing or defective in breast and ovarian cancers. The BRCA-deficient cancer cells can still survive, but become “addicted” to other DNA repair proteins – among them a protein called RAD52. It might be possible to kill these cancer cells using drugs that stop RAD52 from working. Such treatments would have the benefit of not harming normal healthy cells, as these cells contain working BRCA proteins and can survive without RAD52.

It is not currently known exactly how RAD52 allows the BRCA-deficient cells to survive, but this probably depends on RAD52’s ability to bind to single strands of DNA. Small molecules that block the interaction between the RAD52 protein and DNA might therefore help to kill cancer cells.

Hengel et al. developed a high throughput biophysical method to search through a large collection of small molecules to find those that prevent RAD52 from binding to DNA. The best potential drug leads were then tested in laboratory-grown human cells and using biophysical and biochemical techniques. Computational approaches were also used to model how these molecules block the interaction between RAD52 and DNA at the atomistic level.

Hengel et al. then used the information about how the small molecules bind to RAD52 to perform further computational screening. This identified a natural compound that competes with single-stranded DNA to bind to RAD52. The activity of this molecule was then validated using biophysical methods.

The methods used by Hengel et al. provide the foundation for further searches for new anticancer drugs. Future studies that employ the small molecule drugs identified so far will also help to determine exactly how RAD52 works in human cells and how it helps cancer cells to survive.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14740.002

Cross talk of tyrosine kinases with the DNA damage signaling pathways

Tyrosine kinases respond to extracellular and intracellular cues by activating specific cellular signaling cascades to regulate cell cycle, growth, proliferation, differentiation and survival. Likewise, DNA damage response proteins (DDR) activated by DNA lesions or chromatin alterations recruit the DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint machinery to restore genome integrity and cellular homeostasis. Several new examples have been uncovered in recent studies which reveal novel epigenetic and non-epigenetic mechanisms by which tyrosine kinases interact with DDR proteins to dictate cell fate, i.e. survival or apoptosis, following DNA damage. These studies reveal the ability of tyrosine kinases to directly regulate the activity of DNA repair and cell cycle check point proteins by tyrosine phosphorylation. In addition, tyrosine kinases epigenetically regulate DNA damage signaling pathways by modifying the core histones as well as chromatin modifiers at critical tyrosine residues. Thus, deregulated tyrosine kinase driven epigenomic alterations have profound implications in cancer, aging and genetic disorders. Consequently, targeting oncogenic tyrosine kinase induced epigenetic alterations has gained significant traction in overcoming cancer cell resistance to various therapies. This review discusses mechanisms by which tyrosine kinases interact with DDR pathways to regulate processes critical for maintaining genome integrity as well as clinical strategies for targeted cancer therapies.

Regulation of recombination and genomic maintenance

Recombination is a central process to stably maintain and transmit a genome through somatic cell divisions and to new generations. Hence, recombination needs to be coordinated with other events occurring on the DNA template, such as DNA replication, transcription, and the specialized chromosomal functions at centromeres and telomeres. Moreover, regulation with respect to the cell-cycle stage is required as much as spatiotemporal coordination within the nuclear volume. These regulatory mechanisms impinge on the DNA substrate through modifications of the chromatin and directly on recombination proteins through a myriad of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and additional mechanisms. Although recombination is primarily appreciated to maintain genomic stability, the process also contributes to gross chromosomal arrangements and copy-number changes. Hence, the recombination process itself requires quality control to ensure high fidelity and avoid genomic instability. Evidently, recombination and its regulatory processes have significant impact on human disease, specifically cancer and, possibly, neurodegenerative diseases.

Functional Validation of Rare Human Genetic Variants Involved in Homologous Recombination Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Systems for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are necessary to maintain genome integrity and normal functionality of cells in all organisms. Homologous recombination (HR) plays an important role in repairing accidental and programmed DSBs in mitotic and meiotic cells, respectively. Failure to repair these DSBs causes genome instability and can induce tumorigenesis. Rad51 and Rad52 are two key proteins in homologous pairing and strand exchange during DSB-induced HR; both are highly conserved in eukaryotes. In this study, we analyzed pathogenic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human RAD51 and RAD52 using the Polymorphism Phenotyping (PolyPhen) and Sorting Intolerant from Tolerant (SIFT) algorithms and observed the effect of mutations in highly conserved domains of RAD51 and RAD52 on DNA damage repair in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based system. We identified a number of rad51 and rad52 alleles that exhibited severe DNA repair defects. The functionally inactive SNPs were located near ATPase active site of Rad51 and the DNA binding domain of Rad52. The rad51-F317I, rad52-R52W, and rad52-G107C mutations conferred hypersensitivity to methyl methane sulfonate (MMS)-induced DNA damage and were defective in HR-mediated DSB repair. Our study provides a new approach for detecting functional and loss-of-function genetic polymorphisms and for identifying causal variants in human DNA repair genes that contribute to the initiation or progression of cancer.

Mismatch repair during homologous and homeologous recombination

Homologous recombination (HR) and mismatch repair (MMR) are inextricably linked. HR pairs homologous chromosomes before meiosis I and is ultimately responsible for generating genetic diversity during sexual reproduction. HR is initiated in meiosis by numerous programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs; several hundred in mammals). A characteristic feature of HR is the exchange of DNA strands, which results in the formation of heteroduplex DNA. Mismatched nucleotides arise in heteroduplex DNA because the participating parental chromosomes contain nonidentical sequences. These mismatched nucleotides may be processed by MMR, resulting in nonreciprocal exchange of genetic information (gene conversion). MMR and HR also play prominent roles in mitotic cells during genome duplication; MMR rectifies polymerase misincorporation errors, whereas HR contributes to replication fork maintenance, as well as the repair of spontaneous DSBs and genotoxic lesions that affect both DNA strands. MMR suppresses HR when the heteroduplex DNA contains excessive mismatched nucleotides, termed homeologous recombination. The regulation of homeologous recombination by MMR ensures the accuracy of DSB repair and significantly contributes to species barriers during sexual reproduction. This review discusses the history, genetics, biochemistry, biophysics, and the current state of studies on the role of MMR in homologous and homeologous recombination from bacteria to humans.

Increased risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma with combined effects of homologous recombination repair gene polymorphisms in an Iranian population

Homologous recombination (HR) repair has a crucial role to play in the prevention of chromosomal instability, and it is clear that defects in some HR repair genes are associated with many cancers. To evaluate the potential effect of some HR repair gene polymorphisms with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), we assessed Rad51 (135G>C), Rad52 (2259C>T), XRCC2 (R188H) and XRCC3 (T241M) polymorphisms in Iranian DTC patients and cancer-free controls. In addition, haplotype analysis and gene combination assessment were carried out. Genotyping of Rad51 (135G>C), Rad52 (2259C>T) and XRCC3 (T241M) polymorphisms was determined by PCR-RFLP and PCR-HRM analysis was carried out to evaluate XRCC2 (R188H) . Separately, Rad51, Rad52 and XRCC2 polymorphisms were not shown to be more significant in patients when compared to controls in crude, sex-adjusted and age-adjusted form. However, results indicated a significant difference in XRCC3 genotypes for patients when compared to controls (p value: 0.035). The GCTG haplotype demonstrated a significant difference (p value: 0.047). When compared to the wild type, the combined variant form of Rad52/XRCC2/XRCC3 revealed an elevated risk of DTC (p value: 0.007). It is recommended that Rad52 2259C>T, XRCC2 R188H and XRCC3 T241M polymorphisms should be simultaneously considered as contributing to a polygenic risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

A phosphotyrosine switch for cargo sequestration at clathrin-coated buds

The AP-2 clathrin adaptor complex oversees endocytic cargo selection in two parallel but independent manners. First, by physically engaging peptide-based endocytic sorting signals, a subset of clathrin-dependent transmembrane cargo is directly collected into assembling buds. Synchronously, by interacting with an assortment of clathrin-associated sorting proteins (CLASPs) that independently select different integral membrane cargo for inclusion within the incipient bud, AP-2 handles additional cargo capture indirectly. The distal platform subdomain of the AP-2 β2 subunit appendage is a privileged CLASP-binding surface that recognizes a cognate, short α-helical interaction motif. This signal, found in the CLASPs β-arrestin and the autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH) protein, docks into an elongated groove on the β2 appendage platform. Tyr-888 is a critical constituent of this spatially confined β2 appendage contact interface and is phosphorylated in numerous high-throughput proteomic studies. We find that a phosphomimetic Y888E substitution does not interfere with incorporation of expressed β2-YFP subunit into AP-2 or alter AP-2 deposition at surface clathrin-coated structures. The Y888E mutation does not affect interactions involving the sandwich subdomain of the β2 appendage, indicating that the mutated appendage is folded and operational. However, the Y888E, but not Y888F, switch selectively uncouples interactions with ARH and β-arrestin. Phyogenetic conservation of Tyr-888 suggests that this residue can reversibly control occupancy of the β2 platform-binding site and, hence, cargo sorting.

Fission yeast Rad52 phosphorylation restrains error prone recombination pathways

Rad52 is a key protein in homologous recombination (HR), a DNA repair pathway dedicated to double strand breaks and recovery of blocked or collapsed replication forks. Rad52 allows Rad51 loading on single strand DNA, an event required for strand invasion and D-loop formation. In addition, Rad52 functions also in Rad51 independent pathways because of its ability to promote single strand annealing (SSA) that leads to loss of genetic material and to promote D-loops formation that are cleaved by Mus81 endonuclease. We have previously reported that fission yeast Rad52 is phosphorylated in a Sty1 dependent manner upon oxidative stress and in cells where the early step of HR is impaired because of lack of Rad51. Here we show that Rad52 is also constitutively phosphorylated in mus81 null cells and that Sty1 partially impinges on such phosphorylation. As upon oxidative stress, the Rad52 phosphorylation in rad51 and mus81 null cells appears to be independent of Tel1, Rad3 and Cdc2. Most importantly, we show that mutating serine 365 to glycine (S365G) in Rad52 leads to loss of the constitutive Rad52 phosphorylation observed in cells lacking Rad51 and to partial loss of Rad52 phosphorylation in cells lacking Mus81. Contrariwise, phosphorylation of Rad52-S365G protein is not affected upon oxidative stress. These results indicate that different Rad52 residues are phosphorylated in a Sty1 dependent manner in response to these distinct situations. Analysis of spontaneous HR at direct repeats shows that mutating serine 365 leads to an increase in spontaneous deletion-type recombinants issued from mitotic recombination that are Mus81 dependent. In addition, the recombination rate in the rad52-S365G mutant is further increased by hydroxyurea, a drug to which mutant cells are sensitive.

Mismatch repair protein hMSH2-hMSH6 recognizes mismatches and forms sliding clamps within a D-loop recombination intermediate

High fidelity homologous DNA recombination depends on mismatch repair (MMR), which antagonizes recombination between divergent sequences by rejecting heteroduplex DNA containing excessive nucleotide mismatches. The hMSH2-hMSH6 heterodimer is the first responder in postreplicative MMR and also plays a prominent role in heteroduplex rejection. Whether a similar molecular mechanism underlies its function in these two processes remains enigmatic. We have determined that hMSH2-hMSH6 efficiently recognizes mismatches within a D-loop recombination initiation intermediate. Mismatch recognition by hMSH2-hMSH6 is not abrogated by human replication protein A (HsRPA) bound to the displaced single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or by HsRAD51. In addition, ATP-bound hMSH2-hMSH6 sliding clamps that are essential for downstream MMR processes are formed and constrained within the heteroduplex region of the D-loop. Moreover, the hMSH2-hMSH6 sliding clamps are stabilized on the D-loop by HsRPA bound to the displaced ssDNA. Our findings reveal similarities and differences in hMSH2-hMSH6 mismatch recognition and sliding-clamp formation between a D-loop recombination intermediate and linear duplex DNA.

Single molecule analysis of Thermus thermophilus SSB protein dynamics on single-stranded DNA

Single-stranded (ss) DNA binding (SSB) proteins play central roles in DNA replication, recombination and repair in all organisms. We previously showed that Escherichia coli (Eco) SSB, a homotetrameric bacterial SSB, undergoes not only rapid ssDNA-binding mode transitions but also one-dimensional diffusion (or migration) while remaining bound to ssDNA. Whereas the majority of bacterial SSB family members function as homotetramers, dimeric SSB proteins were recently discovered in a distinct bacterial lineage of extremophiles, the Thermus–Deinococcus group. Here we show, using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), that homodimeric bacterial SSB from Thermus thermophilus (Tth) is able to diffuse spontaneously along ssDNA over a wide range of salt concentrations (20–500 mM NaCl), and that TthSSB diffusion can help transiently melt the DNA hairpin structures. Furthermore, we show that two TthSSB molecules undergo transitions among different DNA-binding modes while remaining bound to ssDNA. Our results extend our previous observations on homotetrameric SSBs to homodimeric SSBs, indicating that the dynamic features may be shared among different types of SSB proteins. These dynamic features of SSBs may facilitate SSB redistribution and removal on/from ssDNA, and help recruit other SSB-interacting proteins onto ssDNA for subsequent DNA processing in DNA replication, recombination and repair.

Personalized synthetic lethality induced by targeting RAD52 in leukemias identified by gene mutation and expression profile

Homologous recombination repair (HRR) protects cells from the lethal effect of spontaneous and therapy-induced DNA double-stand breaks. HRR usually depends on BRCA1/2-RAD51, and RAD52-RAD51 serves as back-up. To target HRR in tumor cells, a phenomenon called "synthetic lethality" was applied, which relies on the addiction of cancer cells to a single DNA repair pathway, whereas normal cells operate 2 or more mechanisms. Using mutagenesis and a peptide aptamer approach, we pinpointed phenylalanine 79 in RAD52 DNA binding domain I (RAD52-phenylalanine 79 [F79]) as a valid target to induce synthetic lethality in BRCA1- and/or BRCA2-deficient leukemias and carcinomas without affecting normal cells and tissues. Targeting RAD52-F79 disrupts the RAD52-DNA interaction, resulting in the accumulation of toxic DNA double-stand breaks in malignant cells, but not in normal counterparts. In addition, abrogation of RAD52-DNA interaction enhanced the antileukemia effect of already-approved drugs. BRCA-deficient status predisposing to RAD52-dependent synthetic lethality could be predicted by genetic abnormalities such as oncogenes BCR-ABL1 and PML-RAR, mutations in BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 genes, and gene expression profiles identifying leukemias displaying low levels of BRCA1 and/or BRCA2. We believe this work may initiate a personalized therapeutic approach in numerous patients with tumors displaying encoded and functional BRCA deficiency.

Single-molecule sorting reveals how ubiquitylation affects substrate recognition and activities of FBH1 helicase

DNA repair helicases function in the cell to separate DNA duplexes or remodel nucleoprotein complexes. These functions are influenced by sensing and signaling; the cellular pool of a DNA helicase may contain subpopulations of enzymes carrying different post-translational modifications and performing distinct biochemical functions. Here, we report a novel experimental strategy, single-molecule sorting, which overcomes difficulties associated with comprehensive analysis of heterologously modified pool of proteins. This methodology was applied to visualize human DNA helicase F-box–containing DNA helicase (FBH1) acting on the DNA structures resembling a stalled or collapsed replication fork and its interactions with RAD51 nucleoprotein filament. Individual helicase molecules isolated from human cells with their native post-translational modifications were analyzed using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Separation of the activity trajectories originated from ubiquitylated and non-ubiquitylated FBH1 molecules revealed that ubiquitylation affects FBH1 interaction with the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament, but not its translocase and helicase activities.

There and back again: new single-molecule insights in the motion of DNA repair proteins

Cellular DNA repair machines are constantly at work supporting the integrity of our genomes. Numerous proteins cooperate to form a complex and adaptive system dedicated to detection and timely processing of DNA damage. The molecular underpinnings of how these proteins locate and discriminate DNA lesions, match homologous sequences, mend the DNA and attend to a replication in distress are of a paramount biomedical importance, but in many cases remain unclear. Combined with more conventional tools, single-molecule biochemistry has been stepping in to address the age-old problems in the DNA repair field. This review will address new insights into diffusive properties of three DNA repair systems: I will discuss the emerging model of how MutS homologues locate and respond to mismatches in the dsDNA; the mechanism by which RAD52 promotes annealing of complementary DNA strands coated with ssDNA binding protein RPA; and how the nucleoprotein filament formed by RecA recombinase on ssDNA searches for homology within duplex DNA. These three distinct DNA repair factors exemplify the dynamic nature of cellular DNA repair machines revealed by single-molecule studies.

Molecular pathways: understanding the role of Rad52 in homologous recombination for therapeutic advancement

The Rad52 protein was largely ignored in humans and other mammals when the mouse knockout revealed a largely "no-effect" phenotype. However, using synthetic lethal approaches to investigate context-dependent function, new studies have shown that Rad52 plays a key survival role in cells lacking the function of the breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1)-BRCA2 pathway of homologous recombination. Biochemical studies also showed significant differences between yeast and human Rad52 (hRad52), in which yeast Rad52 can promote strand invasion of replication protein A (RPA)-coated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the presence of Rad51 but hRad52 cannot. This results in the paradox of how is hRad52 providing Rad51 function: presumably there is something missing in the biochemical assays that exists in vivo, but the nature of this missing factor is currently unknown. Recent studies have suggested that Rad52 provides back-up Rad51 function for all members of the BRCA1-BRCA2 pathway, suggesting that Rad52 may be a target for therapy in BRCA pathway-deficient cancers. Screening for ways to inhibit Rad52 would potentially provide a complementary strategy for targeting BRCA-deficient cancers in addition to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors.

Homologous recombination and its regulation

Homologous recombination (HR) is critical both for repairing DNA lesions in mitosis and for chromosomal pairing and exchange during meiosis. However, some forms of HR can also lead to undesirable DNA rearrangements. Multiple regulatory mechanisms have evolved to ensure that HR takes place at the right time, place and manner. Several of these impinge on the control of Rad51 nucleofilaments that play a central role in HR. Some factors promote the formation of these structures while others lead to their disassembly or the use of alternative repair pathways. In this article, we review these mechanisms in both mitotic and meiotic environments and in different eukaryotic taxa, with an emphasis on yeast and mammal systems. Since mutations in several proteins that regulate Rad51 nucleofilaments are associated with cancer and cancer-prone syndromes, we discuss how understanding their functions can lead to the development of better tools for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Single-molecule views of protein movement on single-stranded DNA

The advent of new technologies allowing the study of single biological molecules continues to have a major impact on studies of interacting systems as well as enzyme reactions. These approaches (fluorescence, optical, and magnetic tweezers), in combination with ensemble methods, have been particularly useful for mechanistic studies of protein-nucleic acid interactions and enzymes that function on nucleic acids. We review progress in the use of single-molecule methods to observe and perturb the activities of proteins and enzymes that function on flexible single-stranded DNA. These include single-stranded DNA binding proteins, recombinases (RecA/Rad51), and helicases/translocases that operate as motor proteins and play central roles in genome maintenance. We emphasize methods that have been used to detect and study the movement of these proteins (both ATP-dependent directional and random movement) along the single-stranded DNA and the mechanistic and functional information that can result from detailed analysis of such movement.