1
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Rojas P, Wang J, Guglielmi G, Sadurnì MM, Pavlou L, Leung GHD, Rajagopal V, Spill F, Saponaro M. Genome-wide identification of replication fork stalling/pausing sites and the interplay between RNA Pol II transcription and DNA replication progression. Genome Biol 2024; 25:126. [PMID: 38773641 PMCID: PMC11106976 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03278-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA replication progression can be affected by the presence of physical barriers like the RNA polymerases, leading to replication stress and DNA damage. Nonetheless, we do not know how transcription influences overall DNA replication progression. RESULTS To characterize sites where DNA replication forks stall and pause, we establish a genome-wide approach to identify them. This approach uses multiple timepoints during S-phase to identify replication fork/stalling hotspots as replication progresses through the genome. These sites are typically associated with increased DNA damage, overlapped with fragile sites and with breakpoints of rearrangements identified in cancers but do not overlap with replication origins. Overlaying these sites with a genome-wide analysis of RNA polymerase II transcription, we find that replication fork stalling/pausing sites inside genes are directly related to transcription progression and activity. Indeed, we find that slowing down transcription elongation slows down directly replication progression through genes. This indicates that transcription and replication can coexist over the same regions. Importantly, rearrangements found in cancers overlapping transcription-replication collision sites are detected in non-transformed cells and increase following treatment with ATM and ATR inhibitors. At the same time, we find instances where transcription activity favors replication progression because it reduces histone density. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our findings highlight how transcription and replication overlap during S-phase, with both positive and negative consequences for replication fork progression and genome stability by the coexistence of these two processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Rojas
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jianming Wang
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Giovanni Guglielmi
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Martina Mustè Sadurnì
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Lucas Pavlou
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Geoffrey Ho Duen Leung
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Vijay Rajagopal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Fabian Spill
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Marco Saponaro
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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2
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Kumar N, Taneja A, Ghosh M, Rothweiler U, Sundaresan N, Singh M. Harmonin homology domain-mediated interaction of RTEL1 helicase with RPA and DNA provides insights into its recruitment to DNA repair sites. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1450-1470. [PMID: 38153196 PMCID: PMC10853778 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) plays roles in telomere DNA maintenance, DNA repair, and genome stability by dismantling D-loops and unwinding G-quadruplex structures. RTEL1 comprises a helicase domain, two tandem harmonin homology domains 1&2 (HHD1 and HHD2), and a Zn2+-binding RING domain. In vitro D-loop disassembly by RTEL1 is enhanced in the presence of replication protein A (RPA). However, the mechanism of RTEL1 recruitment at non-telomeric D-loops remains unknown. In this study, we have unravelled a direct physical interaction between RTEL1 and RPA. Under DNA damage conditions, we showed that RTEL1 and RPA colocalise in the cell. Coimmunoprecipitation showed that RTEL1 and RPA interact, and the deletion of HHDs of RTEL1 significantly reduced this interaction. NMR chemical shift perturbations (CSPs) showed that RPA uses its 32C domain to interact with the HHD2 of RTEL1. Interestingly, HHD2 also interacted with DNA in the in vitro experiments. HHD2 structure was determined using X-ray crystallography, and NMR CSPs mapping revealed that both RPA 32C and DNA competitively bind to HHD2 on an overlapping surface. These results establish novel roles of accessory HHDs in RTEL1's functions and provide mechanistic insights into the RPA-mediated recruitment of RTEL1 to DNA repair sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niranjan Kumar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Arushi Taneja
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Meenakshi Ghosh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Ulli Rothweiler
- The Norwegian Structural Biology Centre, Department of Chemistry, The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Mahavir Singh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
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3
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Hourvitz N, Awad A, Tzfati Y. The many faces of the helicase RTEL1 at telomeres and beyond. Trends Cell Biol 2024; 34:109-121. [PMID: 37532653 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Regulator of telomere elongation 1 (RTEL1) is known as a DNA helicase that is important for telomeres and genome integrity. However, the diverse phenotypes of RTEL1 dysfunction, the wide spectrum of symptoms caused by germline RTEL1 mutations, and the association of RTEL1 mutations with cancers suggest that RTEL1 is a complex machine that interacts with DNA, RNA, and proteins, and functions in diverse cellular pathways. We summarize the proposed functions of RTEL1 and discuss their implications for telomere maintenance. Studying RTEL1 is crucial for understanding the complex interplay between telomere maintenance and other nuclear pathways, and how compromising these pathways causes telomere biology diseases, various aging-associated pathologies, and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Hourvitz
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Aya Awad
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Yehuda Tzfati
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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4
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Leung W, Baxley RM, Traband E, Chang YC, Rogers CB, Wang L, Durrett W, Bromley KS, Fiedorowicz L, Thakar T, Tella A, Sobeck A, Hendrickson EA, Moldovan GL, Shima N, Bielinsky AK. FANCD2-dependent mitotic DNA synthesis relies on PCNA K164 ubiquitination. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113523. [PMID: 38060446 PMCID: PMC10842461 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) at lysine 164 (K164) activates DNA damage tolerance pathways. Currently, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how PCNA K164 ubiquitination promotes genome stability. To evaluate this, we generated stable cell lines expressing PCNAK164R from the endogenous PCNA locus. Our data reveal that the inability to ubiquitinate K164 causes perturbations in global DNA replication. Persistent replication stress generates under-replicated regions and is exacerbated by the DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin. We show that these phenotypes are due, in part, to impaired Fanconi anemia group D2 protein (FANCD2)-dependent mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS) in PCNAK164R cells. FANCD2 mono-ubiquitination is significantly reduced in PCNAK164R mutants, leading to reduced chromatin association and foci formation, both prerequisites for FANCD2-dependent MiDAS. Furthermore, K164 ubiquitination coordinates direct PCNA/FANCD2 colocalization in mitotic nuclei. Here, we show that PCNA K164 ubiquitination maintains human genome stability by promoting FANCD2-dependent MiDAS to prevent the accumulation of under-replicated DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Leung
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ryan M Baxley
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Emma Traband
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ya-Chu Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Colette B Rogers
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Liangjun Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Wesley Durrett
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kendall S Bromley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Lidia Fiedorowicz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Tanay Thakar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Anika Tella
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexandra Sobeck
- Institute for Human Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eric A Hendrickson
- Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - George-Lucian Moldovan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Naoko Shima
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Anja-Katrin Bielinsky
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
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5
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Schertzer M, Jullien L, Pinto AL, Calado RT, Revy P, Londoño-Vallejo A. Human RTEL1 Interacts with KPNB1 (Importin β) and NUP153 and Connects Nuclear Import to Nuclear Envelope Stability in S-Phase. Cells 2023; 12:2798. [PMID: 38132118 PMCID: PMC10741959 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulator of TElomere Length Helicase 1 (RTEL1) is a helicase required for telomere maintenance and genome replication and repair. RTEL1 has been previously shown to participate in the nuclear export of small nuclear RNAs. Here we show that RTEL1 deficiency leads to a nuclear envelope destabilization exclusively in cells entering S-phase and in direct connection to origin firing. We discovered that inhibiting protein import also leads to similar, albeit non-cell cycle-related, nuclear envelope disruptions. Remarkably, overexpression of wild-type RTEL1, or of its C-terminal part lacking the helicase domain, protects cells against nuclear envelope anomalies mediated by protein import inhibition. We identified distinct domains in the C-terminus of RTEL1 essential for the interaction with KPNB1 (importin β) and NUP153, respectively, and we demonstrated that, on its own, the latter domain can promote the dynamic nuclear internalization of peptides that freely diffuse through the nuclear pore. Consistent with putative functions exerted in protein import, RTEL1 can be visualized on both sides of the nuclear pore using high-resolution microscopy. In all, our work points to an unanticipated, helicase-independent, role of RTEL1 in connecting both nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and nuclear envelope integrity to genome replication initiation in S-phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schertzer
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR3244, F-75005 Paris, France;
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR3244, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Laurent Jullien
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Genome Dynamics in the Immune System, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, F-75006 Paris, France; (L.J.); (P.R.)
- Paris Descartes–Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - André L. Pinto
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Brazil; (A.L.P.); (R.T.C.)
| | - Rodrigo T. Calado
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, Brazil; (A.L.P.); (R.T.C.)
| | - Patrick Revy
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Genome Dynamics in the Immune System, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, F-75006 Paris, France; (L.J.); (P.R.)
- Paris Descartes–Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Arturo Londoño-Vallejo
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR3244, F-75005 Paris, France;
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR3244, F-75005 Paris, France
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6
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de Vivo A, Song H, Lee Y, Tirado-Class N, Sanchez A, Westerheide S, Dungrawala H, Kee Y. OTUD5 limits replication fork instability by organizing chromatin remodelers. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10467-10483. [PMID: 37713620 PMCID: PMC10602872 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper regulation of replication fork progression is important for genomic maintenance. Subverting the transcription-induced conflicts is crucial in preserving the integrity of replication forks. Various chromatin remodelers, such as histone chaperone and histone deacetylases are known to modulate replication stress, but how these factors are organized or collaborate are not well understood. Here we found a new role of the OTUD5 deubiquitinase in limiting replication stress. We found that OTUD5 is recruited to replication forks, and its depletion causes replication fork stress. Through its C-terminal disordered tail, OTUD5 assembles a complex containing FACT, HDAC1 and HDAC2 at replication forks. A cell line engineered to specifically uncouple FACT interaction with OTUD5 exhibits increases in FACT loading onto chromatin, R-loop formation, and replication fork stress. OTUD5 mediates these processes by recruiting and stabilizing HDAC1 and HDAC2, which decreases H4K16 acetylation and FACT recruitment. Finally, proteomic analysis revealed that the cells with deficient OTUD5-FACT interaction activates the Fanconi Anemia pathway for survival. Altogether, this study identified a new interaction network among OTUD5-FACT-HDAC1/2 that limits transcription-induced replication stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo de Vivo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, USA
| | - Hongseon Song
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 333 Techno-Joongang-daero, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujin Lee
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 333 Techno-Joongang-daero, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Neysha Tirado-Class
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, USA
| | - Anthony Sanchez
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, USA
| | - Sandy Westerheide
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, USA
| | - Huzefa Dungrawala
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, USA
| | - Younghoon Kee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33647, USA
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 333 Techno-Joongang-daero, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
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7
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Smoom R, May CL, Ortiz V, Tigue M, Kolev HM, Rowe M, Reizel Y, Morgan A, Egyes N, Lichtental D, Skordalakes E, Kaestner KH, Tzfati Y. Telomouse-a mouse model with human-length telomeres generated by a single amino acid change in RTEL1. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6708. [PMID: 37872177 PMCID: PMC10593777 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42534-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, protect genome integrity and enable cell proliferation. Maintaining optimal telomere length in the germline and throughout life limits the risk of cancer and enables healthy aging. Telomeres in the house mouse, Mus musculus, are about five times longer than human telomeres, limiting the use of this common laboratory animal for studying the contribution of telomere biology to aging and cancer. We identified a key amino acid variation in the helicase RTEL1, naturally occurring in the short-telomere mouse species M. spretus. Introducing this variation into M. musculus is sufficient to reduce the telomere length set point in the germline and generate mice with human-length telomeres. While these mice are fertile and appear healthy, the regenerative capacity of their colonic epithelium is compromised. The engineered Telomouse reported here demonstrates a dominant role of RTEL1 in telomere length regulation and provides a unique model for aging and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riham Smoom
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Catherine Lee May
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Vivian Ortiz
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Mark Tigue
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hannah M Kolev
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Melissa Rowe
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yitzhak Reizel
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Ashleigh Morgan
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nachshon Egyes
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Dan Lichtental
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Emmanuel Skordalakes
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College St, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Klaus H Kaestner
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Yehuda Tzfati
- Department of Genetics, The Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel.
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8
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Bhowmick R, Hickson ID, Liu Y. Completing genome replication outside of S phase. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3596-3607. [PMID: 37716351 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS) is an unusual form of DNA replication that occurs during mitosis. Initially, MiDAS was characterized as a process associated with intrinsically unstable loci known as common fragile sites that occurs after cells experience DNA replication stress (RS). However, it is now believed to be a more widespread "salvage" mechanism that is called upon to complete the duplication of any under-replicated genomic region. Emerging data suggest that MiDAS is a DNA repair process potentially involving two or more pathways working in parallel or sequentially. In this review, we introduce the causes of RS, regions of the human genome known to be especially vulnerable to RS, and the strategies used to complete DNA replication outside of S phase. Additionally, because MiDAS is a prominent feature of aneuploid cancer cells, we will discuss how targeting MiDAS might potentially lead to improvements in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Bhowmick
- Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ian D Hickson
- Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
| | - Ying Liu
- Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
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9
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Sato K, Knipscheer P. G-quadruplex resolution: From molecular mechanisms to physiological relevance. DNA Repair (Amst) 2023; 130:103552. [PMID: 37572578 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2023.103552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Guanine-rich DNA sequences can fold into stable four-stranded structures called G-quadruplexes or G4s. Research in the past decade demonstrated that G4 structures are widespread in the genome and prevalent in regulatory regions of actively transcribed genes. The formation of G4s has been tightly linked to important biological processes including regulation of gene expression and genome maintenance. However, they can also pose a serious threat to genome integrity especially by impeding DNA replication, and G4-associated somatic mutations have been found accumulated in the cancer genomes. Specialised DNA helicases and single stranded DNA binding proteins that can resolve G4 structures play a crucial role in preventing genome instability. The large variety of G4 unfolding proteins suggest the presence of multiple G4 resolution mechanisms in cells. Recently, there has been considerable progress in our detailed understanding of how G4s are resolved, especially during DNA replication. In this review, we first discuss the current knowledge of the genomic G4 landscapes and the impact of G4 structures on DNA replication and genome integrity. We then describe the recent progress on the mechanisms that resolve G4 structures and their physiological relevance. Finally, we discuss therapeutic opportunities to target G4 structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Sato
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW & University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Puck Knipscheer
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW & University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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10
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Gong Y, Liu Y. R-Loops at Chromosome Ends: From Formation, Regulation, and Cellular Consequence. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072178. [PMID: 37046839 PMCID: PMC10093737 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeric repeat containing RNA (TERRA) is transcribed from subtelomeric regions to telomeres. TERRA RNA can invade telomeric dsDNA and form telomeric R-loop structures. A growing body of evidence suggests that TERRA-mediated R-loops are critical players in telomere length homeostasis. Here, we will review current knowledge on the regulation of R-loop levels at telomeres. In particular, we will discuss how the central player TERRA and its binding proteins modulate R-loop levels through various mechanisms. We will further provide an overview of the consequences of TERRA-mediated persistent or unscheduled R-loops at telomeres in human ALT cancers and other organisms, with a focus on telomere length regulation after replication interference-induced damage and DNA homologous recombination-mediated repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Gong
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yie Liu
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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11
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Andrs M, Stoy H, Boleslavska B, Chappidi N, Kanagaraj R, Nascakova Z, Menon S, Rao S, Oravetzova A, Dobrovolna J, Surendranath K, Lopes M, Janscak P. Excessive reactive oxygen species induce transcription-dependent replication stress. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1791. [PMID: 36997515 PMCID: PMC10063555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37341-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) reduce replication fork velocity by causing dissociation of the TIMELESS-TIPIN complex from the replisome. Here, we show that ROS generated by exposure of human cells to the ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU) promote replication fork reversal in a manner dependent on active transcription and formation of co-transcriptional RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops). The frequency of R-loop-dependent fork stalling events is also increased after TIMELESS depletion or a partial inhibition of replicative DNA polymerases by aphidicolin, suggesting that this phenomenon is due to a global replication slowdown. In contrast, replication arrest caused by HU-induced depletion of deoxynucleotides does not induce fork reversal but, if allowed to persist, leads to extensive R-loop-independent DNA breakage during S-phase. Our work reveals a link between oxidative stress and transcription-replication interference that causes genomic alterations recurrently found in human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Andrs
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Henriette Stoy
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Barbora Boleslavska
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nagaraja Chappidi
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Radhakrishnan Kanagaraj
- Genome Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK
- School of Life Sciences, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK
- Centre for Drug Discovery and Development, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Zuzana Nascakova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shruti Menon
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Satyajeet Rao
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Oravetzova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Dobrovolna
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kalpana Surendranath
- Genome Engineering Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK
- Centre for Drug Discovery and Development, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Massimo Lopes
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Janscak
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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12
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Mitotic DNA synthesis in response to replication stress requires the sequential action of DNA polymerases zeta and delta in human cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:706. [PMID: 36759509 PMCID: PMC9911744 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35992-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogene activation creates DNA replication stress (RS) in cancer cells, which can generate under-replicated DNA regions (UDRs) that persist until cells enter mitosis. UDRs also have the potential to generate DNA bridges in anaphase cells or micronuclei in the daughter cells, which could promote genomic instability. To suppress such damaging changes to the genome, human cells have developed a strategy to conduct 'unscheduled' DNA synthesis in mitosis (termed MiDAS) that serves to rescue under-replicated loci. Previous studies have shown that MiDAS proceeds via a POLD3-dependent pathway that shows some features of break-induced replication. Here, we define how human cells utilize both DNA gap filling (REV1 and Pol ζ) and replicative (Pol δ) DNA polymerases to complete genome duplication following a perturbed S-phase. We present evidence for the existence of a polymerase-switch during MiDAS that is required for new DNA synthesis at UDRs. Moreover, we reveal that, upon oncogene activation, cancer cell survival is significantly compromised when REV1 is depleted, suggesting that REV1 inhibition might be a feasible approach for the treatment of some human cancers.
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13
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Revy P, Kannengiesser C, Bertuch AA. Genetics of human telomere biology disorders. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:86-108. [PMID: 36151328 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00527-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures at the ends of linear chromosomes that prevent the activation of DNA damage response and repair pathways. Numerous factors localize at telomeres to regulate their length, structure and function, to avert replicative senescence or genome instability and cell death. In humans, Mendelian defects in several of these factors can result in abnormally short or dysfunctional telomeres, causing a group of rare heterogeneous premature-ageing diseases, termed telomeropathies, short-telomere syndromes or telomere biology disorders (TBDs). Here, we review the TBD-causing genes identified so far and describe their main functions associated with telomere biology. We present molecular aspects of TBDs, including genetic anticipation, phenocopy, incomplete penetrance and somatic genetic rescue, which underlie the complexity of these diseases. We also discuss the implications of phenotypic and genetic features of TBDs on fundamental aspects related to human telomere biology, ageing and cancer, as well as on diagnostic, therapeutic and clinical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Revy
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Genome Dynamics in the Immune System, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
- Université Paris Cité, Imagine Institute, Paris, France.
| | - Caroline Kannengiesser
- APHP Service de Génétique, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France
- Inserm U1152, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Alison A Bertuch
- Departments of Paediatrics and Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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14
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Petronek MS, Allen BG. Maintenance of genome integrity by the late-acting cytoplasmic iron-sulfur assembly (CIA) complex. Front Genet 2023; 14:1152398. [PMID: 36968611 PMCID: PMC10031043 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1152398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are unique, redox-active co-factors ubiquitous throughout cellular metabolism. Fe-S cluster synthesis, trafficking, and coordination result from highly coordinated, evolutionarily conserved biosynthetic processes. The initial Fe-S cluster synthesis occurs within the mitochondria; however, the maturation of Fe-S clusters culminating in their ultimate insertion into appropriate cytosolic/nuclear proteins is coordinated by a late-acting cytosolic iron-sulfur assembly (CIA) complex in the cytosol. Several nuclear proteins involved in DNA replication and repair interact with the CIA complex and contain Fe-S clusters necessary for proper enzymatic activity. Moreover, it is currently hypothesized that the late-acting CIA complex regulates the maintenance of genome integrity and is an integral feature of DNA metabolism. This review describes the late-acting CIA complex and several [4Fe-4S] DNA metabolic enzymes associated with maintaining genome stability.
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15
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Galli S, Melidis L, Flynn SM, Varshney D, Simeone A, Spiegel J, Madden SK, Tannahill D, Balasubramanian S. DNA G-Quadruplex Recognition In Vitro and in Live Cells by a Structure-Specific Nanobody. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:23096-23103. [PMID: 36488193 PMCID: PMC9782783 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are four-stranded DNA secondary structures that occur in the human genome and play key roles in transcription, replication, and genome stability. G4-specific molecular probes are of vital importance to elucidate the structure and function of G4s. The scFv antibody BG4 has been a widely used G4 probe but has various limitations, including relatively poor in vitro expression and the inability to be expressed intracellularly to interrogate G4s in live cells. To address these considerations, we describe herein the development of SG4, a camelid heavy-chain-only derived nanobody that was selected against the human Myc DNA G4 structure. SG4 exhibits low nanomolar affinity for a wide range of folded G4 structures in vitro. We employed AlphaFold combined with molecular dynamics simulations to construct a molecular model for the G4-nanobody interaction. The structural model accurately explains the role of key amino acids and Kd measurements of SG4 mutants, including arginine-to-alanine point mutations that dramatically diminish G4 binding affinity. Importantly, predicted amino acid-G4 interactions were subsequently confirmed experimentally by biophysical measurements. We demonstrate that the nanobody can be expressed intracellularly and used to image endogenous G4 structures in live cells. We also use the SG4 protein to positionally map G4s in situ and also on fixed chromatin. SG4 is a valuable, new tool for G4 detection and mapping in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Galli
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Larry Melidis
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Sean M. Flynn
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
| | - Dhaval Varshney
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
| | - Angela Simeone
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
| | - Jochen Spiegel
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Sarah K. Madden
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - David Tannahill
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
| | - Shankar Balasubramanian
- Cancer
Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K.
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
- School
of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SP, U.K.
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16
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Zhou J, Zhang W, Sun Q. R-loop: The new genome regulatory element in plants. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2275-2289. [PMID: 36223078 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
An R-loop is a three-stranded chromatin structure that consists of a displaced single strand of DNA and an RNA:DNA hybrid duplex, which was thought to be a rare by-product of transcription. However, recent genome-wide data have shown that R-loops are widespread and pervasive in a variety of genomes, and a growing body of experimental evidence indicates that R-loops have both beneficial and harmful effects on an organism. To maximize benefit and avoid harm, organisms have evolved several means by which they tightly regulate R-loop levels. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the biogenesis and effects of R-loops, the mechanisms that regulate them, and methods of R-loop profiling, reviewing recent research advances on R-loops in plants. Furthermore, we provide perspectives on future research directions for R-loop biology in plants, which might lead to a more comprehensive understanding of R-loop functions in plant genome regulation and contribute to future agricultural improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincong Zhou
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Weifeng Zhang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qianwen Sun
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
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17
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Tsai RX, Fang KC, Yang PC, Hsieh YH, Chiang IT, Chen Y, Lee HG, Lee J, Chu HPC. TERRA regulates DNA G-quadruplex formation and ATRX recruitment to chromatin. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12217-12234. [PMID: 36440760 PMCID: PMC9757062 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome consists of non-B-DNA structures such as G-quadruplexes (G4) that are involved in the regulation of genome stability and transcription. Telomeric-repeat containing RNA (TERRA) is capable of folding into G-quadruplex and interacting with chromatin remodeler ATRX. Here we show that TERRA modulates ATRX occupancy on repetitive sequences and over genes, and maintains DNA G-quadruplex structures at TERRA target and non-target sites in mouse embryonic stem cells. TERRA prevents ATRX from binding to subtelomeric regions and represses H3K9me3 formation. G4 ChIP-seq reveals that G4 abundance decreases at accessible chromatin regions, particularly at transcription start sites (TSS) after TERRA depletion; such G4 reduction at TSS is associated with elevated ATRX occupancy and differentially expressed genes. Loss of ATRX alleviates the effect of gene repression caused by TERRA depletion. Immunostaining analyses demonstrate that knockdown of TERRA diminishes DNA G4 signals, whereas silencing ATRX elevates G4 formation. Our results uncover an epigenetic regulation by TERRA that sequesters ATRX and preserves DNA G4 structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yu-Hung Hsieh
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Tien Chiang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yunfei Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hun-Goo Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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18
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Hassani MA, Murid J, Yan J. Regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 gene and its association with malignancy. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2022; 6:e1735. [PMID: 36253342 PMCID: PMC9875622 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the progression of next-generation sequencing technologies, researchers have identified numerous variants of the regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) gene that are associated with a broad spectrum of phenotypic manifestations, including malignancies. At the molecular level, RTEL1 is involved in the regulation of the repair, replication, and transcription of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and the maintenance of telomere length. RTEL1 can act both as a promotor and inhibitor of tumorigenesis. Here, we review the potential mechanisms implicated in the malignant transformation of tissues under conditions of RTEL1 deficiency or its aberrant overexpression. RECENT FINDINGS A major hemostatic challenge during RTEL1 dysfunction could arise from its unbalanced activity for unwinding guanine-rich quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA) structures. In contrast, RTEL1 deficiency leads to alterations in telomeric and genome-wide DNA maintenance mechanisms, ribonucleoprotein metabolism, and the creation of an inflammatory and immune-deficient microenvironment, all promoting malignancy. Additionally, we hypothesize that functionally similar molecules could act to compensate for the deteriorated functions of RTEL1, thereby facilitating the survival of malignant cells. On the contrary, RTEL1 over-expression was directed toward G4-unwinding, by promoting replication fork progression and maintaining intact telomeres, may facilitate malignant transformation and proliferation of various pre-malignant cellular compartments. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, restoring the equilibrium of RTEL1 functions could serve as a therapeutic approach for preventing and treating malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Arian Hassani
- Department of Hematology, Liaoning Medical Center for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Liaoning Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Translational Medicine, Dalian Key Laboratory of HematologySecond Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalianChina,Department of Hematology, Endocrinology and Rheumatology, Ali Abad Teaching HospitalKabul University of Medical SciencesJamal menaKabulAfghanistan
| | - Jamshid Murid
- Department of Hematology, Endocrinology and Rheumatology, Ali Abad Teaching HospitalKabul University of Medical SciencesJamal menaKabulAfghanistan
| | - Jinsong Yan
- Department of Hematology, Liaoning Medical Center for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Liaoning Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Translational Medicine, Dalian Key Laboratory of HematologySecond Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalianChina,Diamond Bay Institute of HematologySecond Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalianChina
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19
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Elango R, Panday A, Lach FP, Willis NA, Nicholson K, Duffey EE, Smogorzewska A, Scully R. The structure-specific endonuclease complex SLX4-XPF regulates Tus-Ter-induced homologous recombination. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:801-812. [PMID: 35941380 PMCID: PMC9941964 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00812-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate replication forks arrested at interstrand DNA cross-links (ICLs) engage the Fanconi anemia pathway to incise arrested forks, 'unhooking' the ICL and forming a double strand break (DSB) that is repaired by homologous recombination (HR). The FANCP product, SLX4, in complex with the XPF (also known as FANCQ or ERCC4)-ERCC1 endonuclease, mediates ICL unhooking. Whether this mechanism operates at replication fork barriers other than ICLs is unknown. Here, we study the role of mouse SLX4 in HR triggered by a site-specific chromosomal DNA-protein replication fork barrier formed by the Escherichia coli-derived Tus-Ter complex. We show that SLX4-XPF is required for Tus-Ter-induced HR but not for error-free HR induced by a replication-independent DSB. We additionally uncover a role for SLX4-XPF in DSB-induced long-tract gene conversion, an error-prone HR pathway related to break-induced replication. Notably, Slx4 and Xpf mutants that are defective for Tus-Ter-induced HR are hypersensitive to ICLs and also to the DNA-protein cross-linking agents 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and zebularine. Collectively, these findings show that SLX4-XPF can process DNA-protein fork barriers for HR and that the Tus-Ter system recapitulates this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajula Elango
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arvind Panday
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francis P Lach
- Laboratory of Genome Maintenance, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas A Willis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaitlin Nicholson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin E Duffey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Agata Smogorzewska
- Laboratory of Genome Maintenance, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ralph Scully
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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20
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Ji F, Zhu X, Liao H, Ouyang L, Huang Y, Syeda MZ, Ying S. New Era of Mapping and Understanding Common Fragile Sites: An Updated Review on Origin of Chromosome Fragility. Front Genet 2022; 13:906957. [PMID: 35669181 PMCID: PMC9164283 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.906957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Common fragile sites (CFSs) are specific genomic loci prone to forming gaps or breakages upon replication perturbation, which correlate well with chromosomal rearrangement and copy number variation. CFSs have been actively studied due to their important pathophysiological relevance in different diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders. The genetic locations and sequences of CFSs are crucial to understanding the origin of such unstable sites, which require reliable mapping and characterizing approaches. In this review, we will inspect the evolving techniques for CFSs mapping, especially genome-wide mapping and sequencing of CFSs based on current knowledge of CFSs. We will also revisit the well-established hypotheses on the origin of CFSs fragility, incorporating novel findings from the comprehensive analysis of finely mapped CFSs regarding their locations, sequences, and replication/transcription, etc. This review will present the most up-to-date picture of CFSs and, potentially, a new framework for future research of CFSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ji
- International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinli Zhu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongwei Liao
- International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liujian Ouyang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingfei Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Madiha Zahra Syeda
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Songmin Ying
- International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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21
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Brickner JR, Garzon JL, Cimprich KA. Walking a tightrope: The complex balancing act of R-loops in genome stability. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2267-2297. [PMID: 35508167 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although transcription is an essential cellular process, it is paradoxically also a well-recognized cause of genomic instability. R-loops, non-B DNA structures formed when nascent RNA hybridizes to DNA to displace the non-template strand as single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), are partially responsible for this instability. Yet, recent work has begun to elucidate regulatory roles for R-loops in maintaining the genome. In this review, we discuss the cellular contexts in which R-loops contribute to genomic instability, particularly during DNA replication and double-strand break (DSB) repair. We also summarize the evidence that R-loops participate as an intermediate during repair and may influence pathway choice to preserve genomic integrity. Finally, we discuss the immunogenic potential of R-loops and highlight their links to disease should they become pathogenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Brickner
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jada L Garzon
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karlene A Cimprich
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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22
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DNA replication is highly resilient and persistent under the challenge of mild replication stress. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110701. [PMID: 35443178 PMCID: PMC9226383 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS) has been proposed to restart DNA synthesis during mitosis because of replication fork stalling in late interphase caused by mild replication stress (RS). Contrary to this proposal, we find that cells exposed to mild RS in fact maintain continued DNA replication throughout G2 and during G2-M transition in RAD51- and RAD52-dependent manners. Persistent DNA synthesis is necessary to resolve replication intermediates accumulated in G2 and disengage an ATR-imposed block to mitotic entry. Because of its continual nature, DNA synthesis at very late replication sites can overlap with chromosome condensation, generating the phenomenon of mitotic DNA synthesis. Unexpectedly, we find that the commonly used CDK1 inhibitor RO3306 interferes with replication to preclude detection of G2 DNA synthesis, leading to the impression of a mitosis-driven response. Our study reveals the importance of persistent DNA replication and checkpoint control to lessen the risk for severe genome under-replication under mild RS. DNA synthesis persists during G2-M transition to counteract replication stress (RS) RAD51/RAD52-mediated HR pathways facilitate the continuation of G2-M DNA synthesis Continued G2 DNA synthesis relieves RS-induced G2/M checkpoint for mitotic entry RO3306, but not CDK1 inhibition, non-specifically interferes with DNA synthesis
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23
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Kumar N, Ghosh M, Manikandan P, Basak S, Deepa A, Singh M. Resonance assignment and secondary structure of the tandem harmonin homology domains of human RTEL1. BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2022; 16:159-164. [PMID: 35320499 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-022-10074-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) is an Fe-S cluster containing DNA helicase that plays important roles in telomere DNA maintenance, DNA repair, and genomic stability. It is a modular protein comprising an N-terminal helicase domain, two tandem harmonin homology domains 1 & 2 (HHD1 and HHD2), and a C-terminal C4C4 type RING domain. The N-terminal helicase domain disassembles the telomere t/D-loop and unwinds the G-quadruplex via its helicase activity. The C-terminal RING domain interacts with telomere DNA binding protein TRF2 and helps RTEL1 recruitment to the telomere. The tandem HHD1 and HHD2 are characterized as a putative protein-protein interaction domain and have recently been shown to interact with a DNA repair protein SLX4. Several mutations associated with Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome and pulmonary fibrosis have been found in HHD1 and HHD2 of RTEL1. However, these domains have not been characterized for their structures. We have expressed and purified HHD1 and HHD2 of human RTEL1 for their characterization using solution NMR spectroscopy. Here, we report near complete backbone and sidechain 1H, 13C and 15N chemical shift assignments and secondary structure of the HHD1 and HHD2 domains of human RTEL1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niranjan Kumar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Meenakshi Ghosh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | | | - Sanmoyee Basak
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Akula Deepa
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
- Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, 502285, India
| | - Mahavir Singh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India.
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24
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Epum EA, Haber JE. DNA replication: the recombination connection. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 32:45-57. [PMID: 34384659 PMCID: PMC8688190 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Failure to complete DNA replication is one of the major sources of genome instability leading to aneuploidy, chromosome breakage, and chromosome rearrangements that are associated with human cancer. One of the surprising revelations of the past decade is that the completion of replication at so-called common fragile sites (CFS) occurs very late in the cell cycle - at mitosis - through a process termed MiDAS (mitotic DNA synthesis). MiDAS is strongly related to another cancer-promoting phenomenon: the activation of alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Our understanding of the mechanisms of ALT and MiDAS in mammalian cells has drawn heavily from recent advances in the study of break-induced replication (BIR), especially in budding yeast. We provide new insights into the BIR, MiDAS, and ALT pathways and their shared similarities.
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25
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Wu W, He JN, Lan M, Zhang P, Chu WK. Transcription-Replication Collisions and Chromosome Fragility. Front Genet 2021; 12:804547. [PMID: 34956339 PMCID: PMC8703014 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.804547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate replication of the entire genome is critical for cell division and propagation. Certain regions in the genome, such as fragile sites (common fragile sites, rare fragile sites, early replicating fragile sites), rDNA and telomeres, are intrinsically difficult to replicate, especially in the presence of replication stress caused by, for example, oncogene activation during tumor development. Therefore, these regions are particularly prone to deletions and chromosome rearrangements during tumorigenesis, rendering chromosome fragility. Although, the mechanism underlying their “difficult-to-replicate” nature and genomic instability is still not fully understood, accumulating evidence suggests transcription might be a major source of endogenous replication stress (RS) leading to chromosome fragility. Here, we provide an updated overview of how transcription affects chromosome fragility. Furthermore, we will use the well characterized common fragile sites (CFSs) as a model to discuss pathways involved in offsetting transcription-induced RS at these loci with a focus on the recently discovered atypical DNA synthesis repair pathway Mitotic DNA Synthesis (MiDAS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Na He
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mengjiao Lan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pumin Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wai Kit Chu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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26
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Lin R, Zhong X, Zhou Y, Geng H, Hu Q, Huang Z, Hu J, Fu XD, Chen L, Chen JY. R-loopBase: a knowledgebase for genome-wide R-loop formation and regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D303-D315. [PMID: 34792163 PMCID: PMC8728142 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
R-loops play versatile roles in many physiological and pathological processes, and are of great interest to scientists in multiple fields. However, controversy about their genomic localization and incomplete understanding of their regulatory network raise great challenges for R-loop research. Here, we present R-loopBase (https://rloopbase.nju.edu.cn) to tackle these pressing issues by systematic integration of genomics and literature data. First, based on 107 high-quality genome-wide R-loop mapping datasets generated by 11 different technologies, we present a reference set of human R-loop zones for high-confidence R-loop localization, and spot conservative genomic features associated with R-loop formation. Second, through literature mining and multi-omics analyses, we curate the most comprehensive list of R-loop regulatory proteins and their targeted R-loops in multiple species to date. These efforts help reveal a global regulatory network of R-loop dynamics and its potential links to the development of cancers and neurological diseases. Finally, we integrate billions of functional genomic annotations, and develop interactive interfaces to search, visualize, download and analyze R-loops and R-loop regulators in a well-annotated genomic context. R-loopBase allows all users, including those with little bioinformatics background to utilize these data for their own research. We anticipate R-loopBase will become a one-stop resource for the R-loop community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaoming Zhong
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yongli Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huichao Geng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Qingxi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhihao Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Fu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Liang Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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27
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Camarillo R, Jimeno S, Huertas P. The Effect of Atypical Nucleic Acids Structures in DNA Double Strand Break Repair: A Tale of R-loops and G-Quadruplexes. Front Genet 2021; 12:742434. [PMID: 34691154 PMCID: PMC8531813 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.742434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The fine tuning of the DNA double strand break repair pathway choice relies on different regulatory layers that respond to environmental and local cues. Among them, the presence of non-canonical nucleic acids structures seems to create challenges for the repair of nearby DNA double strand breaks. In this review, we focus on the recently published effects of G-quadruplexes and R-loops on DNA end resection and homologous recombination. Finally, we hypothesized a connection between those two atypical DNA structures in inhibiting the DNA end resection step of HR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Camarillo
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Sonia Jimeno
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pablo Huertas
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
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28
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Teng FY, Jiang ZZ, Guo M, Tan XZ, Chen F, Xi XG, Xu Y. G-quadruplex DNA: a novel target for drug design. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6557-6583. [PMID: 34459951 PMCID: PMC11072987 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03921-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) DNA is a type of quadruple helix structure formed by a continuous guanine-rich DNA sequence. Emerging evidence in recent years authenticated that G4 DNA structures exist both in cell-free and cellular systems, and function in different diseases, especially in various cancers, aging, neurological diseases, and have been considered novel promising targets for drug design. In this review, we summarize the detection method and the structure of G4, highlighting some non-canonical G4 DNA structures, such as G4 with a bulge, a vacancy, or a hairpin. Subsequently, the functions of G4 DNA in physiological processes are discussed, especially their regulation of DNA replication, transcription of disease-related genes (c-MYC, BCL-2, KRAS, c-KIT et al.), telomere maintenance, and epigenetic regulation. Typical G4 ligands that target promoters and telomeres for drug design are also reviewed, including ellipticine derivatives, quinoxaline analogs, telomestatin analogs, berberine derivatives, and CX-5461, which is currently in advanced phase I/II clinical trials for patients with hematologic cancer and BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. Furthermore, since the long-term stable existence of G4 DNA structures could result in genomic instability, we summarized the G4 unfolding mechanisms emerged recently by multiple G4-specific DNA helicases, such as Pif1, RecQ family helicases, FANCJ, and DHX36. This review aims to present a general overview of the field of G-quadruplex DNA that has progressed in recent years and provides potential strategies for drug design and disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yuan Teng
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zong-Zhe Jiang
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Man Guo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao-Zhen Tan
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xu-Guang Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- LBPA, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, 61, Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235, Cachan, France.
| | - Yong Xu
- Experimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou, and Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, and Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
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29
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Yang Y, Kong R, Goh FG, Somers WG, Hime GR, Li Z, Cai Y. dRTEL1 is essential for the maintenance of Drosophila male germline stem cells. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009834. [PMID: 34644293 PMCID: PMC8513875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have the potential to maintain undifferentiated state and differentiate into specialized cell types. Despite numerous progress has been achieved in understanding stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. In this study, we identify dRTEL1, the Drosophila homolog of Regulator of Telomere Elongation Helicase 1, as a novel regulator of male germline stem cells (GSCs). Our genome-wide transcriptome analysis and ChIP-Seq results suggest that dRTEL1 affects a set of candidate genes required for GSC maintenance, likely independent of its role in DNA repair. Furthermore, dRTEL1 prevents DNA damage-induced checkpoint activation in GSCs. Finally, dRTEL1 functions to sustain Stat92E protein levels, the key player in GSC maintenance. Together, our findings reveal an intrinsic role of the DNA helicase dRTEL1 in maintaining male GSC and provide insight into the function of dRTEL1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Ruiyan Kong
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Guang Goh
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - W. Gregory Somers
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gary R. Hime
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zhouhua Li
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Cai
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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30
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Kumar C, Batra S, Griffith JD, Remus D. The interplay of RNA:DNA hybrid structure and G-quadruplexes determines the outcome of R-loop-replisome collisions. eLife 2021; 10:72286. [PMID: 34494544 PMCID: PMC8479836 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
R-loops are a major source of genome instability associated with transcription-induced replication stress. However, how R-loops inherently impact replication fork progression is not understood. Here, we characterize R-loop-replisome collisions using a fully reconstituted eukaryotic DNA replication system. We find that RNA:DNA hybrids and G-quadruplexes at both co-directional and head-on R-loops can impact fork progression by inducing fork stalling, uncoupling of leading strand synthesis from replisome progression, and nascent strand gaps. RNase H1 and Pif1 suppress replication defects by resolving RNA:DNA hybrids and G-quadruplexes, respectively. We also identify an intrinsic capacity of replisomes to maintain fork progression at certain R-loops by unwinding RNA:DNA hybrids, repriming leading strand synthesis downstream of G-quadruplexes, or utilizing R-loop transcripts to prime leading strand restart during co-directional R-loop-replisome collisions. Collectively, the data demonstrates that the outcome of R-loop-replisome collisions is modulated by R-loop structure, providing a mechanistic basis for the distinction of deleterious from non-deleterious R-loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charanya Kumar
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Sahil Batra
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Jack D Griffith
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Dirk Remus
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
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31
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Polleys EJ, Freudenreich CH. Homologous recombination within repetitive DNA. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 71:143-153. [PMID: 34464817 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Many microsatellite DNA sequences are able to form non-B form DNA secondary structures, such as hairpin loops, cruciforms, triplex DNA or G-quadruplexes. These DNA structures can form a significant impediment to DNA replication and repair, leading to DNA nicks, gaps, and breaks, which can be repaired by homologous recombination (HR). Recent work understanding HR at structure-forming repeats has focused on genetic requirements for replication fork restart, break induced replication (BIR) at broken forks, recombination during and after relocalization of breaks or stalled forks to the nuclear periphery, and how repair pathway choice and kinetics are navigated in the presence of a repeat tract. In this review, we summarize recent developments that illuminate the role of recombination in repairing DNA damage or causing tract length changes within repetitive DNA and its role in maintaining genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica J Polleys
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155, United States
| | - Catherine H Freudenreich
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155, United States; Program in Genetics, Tufts University, Boston MA 02111, United States.
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32
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Scully R, Elango R, Panday A, Willis NA. Recombination and restart at blocked replication forks. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 71:154-162. [PMID: 34464818 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Replication fork stalling occurs when the replisome encounters a barrier to normal fork progression. Replisome stalling events are common during scheduled DNA synthesis, but vary in their severity. At one extreme, a lesion may induce only temporary pausing of a DNA polymerase; at the other, it may present a near-absolute barrier to the replicative helicase and effectively block fork progression. Many alternative pathways have evolved to respond to these different types of replication stress. Among these, the homologous recombination (HR) pathway plays an important role, protecting the stalled fork and processing it for repair. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of how blocked replication forks in vertebrate cells can be processed for recombination and for replication restart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Scully
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Rajula Elango
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Arvind Panday
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nicholas A Willis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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33
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Glousker G, Lingner J. Challenging endings: How telomeres prevent fragility. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2100157. [PMID: 34436787 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
It has become apparent that difficulties to replicate telomeres concern not only the very ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. The challenges already start when the replication fork enters the telomeric repeats. The obstacles encountered consist mainly of noncanonical nucleic acid structures that interfere with replication if not resolved. Replication stress at telomeres promotes the formation of so-called fragile telomeres displaying an abnormal appearance in metaphase chromosomes though their exact molecular nature remains to be elucidated. A substantial number of factors is required to counteract fragility. In this review we promote the hypothesis that telomere fragility is not caused directly by an initial insult during replication but it results as a secondary consequence of DNA repair of damaged replication forks by the homologous DNA recombination machinery. Incomplete DNA synthesis at repair sites or partial chromatin condensation may become apparent as telomere fragility. Fragility and DNA repair during telomere replication emerges as a common phenomenon which exacerbates in multiple disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Glousker
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Lingner
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), Lausanne, Switzerland
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34
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Abstract
Telomeres protect chromosome ends from nucleolytic degradation, uncontrolled recombination by DNA repair enzymes and checkpoint signaling, and they provide mechanisms for their maintenance by semiconservative DNA replication, telomerase and homologous recombination. The telomeric long noncoding RNA TERRA is transcribed from a large number of chromosome ends. TERRA has been implicated in modulating telomeric chromatin structure and checkpoint signaling, and in telomere maintenance by homology directed repair, and telomerase – when telomeres are damaged or very short. Recent work indicates that TERRA association with telomeres involves the formation of DNA:RNA hybrid structures that can be formed post transcription by the RAD51 DNA recombinase, which in turn may trigger homologous recombination between telomeric repeats and telomere elongation. In this review, we describe the mechanisms of TERRA recruitment to telomeres, R-loop formation and its regulation by shelterin proteins. We discuss the consequences of R-loop formation, with regard to telomere maintenance by DNA recombination and how this may impinge on telomere replication while counteracting telomere shortening in normal cells and in ALT cancer cells, which maintain telomeres in the absence of telomerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Valador Fernandes
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marianna Feretzaki
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Lingner
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), Lausanne, Switzerland
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35
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Uruci S, Lo CSY, Wheeler D, Taneja N. R-Loops and Its Chro-Mates: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168850. [PMID: 34445553 PMCID: PMC8396322 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Since their discovery, R-loops have been associated with both physiological and pathological functions that are conserved across species. R-loops are a source of replication stress and genome instability, as seen in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. In response, cells have evolved pathways to prevent R-loop accumulation as well as to resolve them. A growing body of evidence correlates R-loop accumulation with changes in the epigenetic landscape. However, the role of chromatin modification and remodeling in R-loops homeostasis remains unclear. This review covers various mechanisms precluding R-loop accumulation and highlights the role of chromatin modifiers and remodelers in facilitating timely R-loop resolution. We also discuss the enigmatic role of RNA:DNA hybrids in facilitating DNA repair, epigenetic landscape and the potential role of replication fork preservation pathways, active fork stability and stalled fork protection pathways, in avoiding replication-transcription conflicts. Finally, we discuss the potential role of several Chro-Mates (chromatin modifiers and remodelers) in the likely differentiation between persistent/detrimental R-loops and transient/benign R-loops that assist in various physiological processes relevant for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidrit Uruci
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (S.U.); (C.S.Y.L.)
| | - Calvin Shun Yu Lo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (S.U.); (C.S.Y.L.)
| | - David Wheeler
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Nitika Taneja
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (S.U.); (C.S.Y.L.)
- Correspondence:
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36
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Park SH, Bennett-Baker P, Ahmed S, Arlt MF, Ljungman M, Glover TW, Wilson TE. Locus-specific transcription silencing at the FHIT gene suppresses replication stress-induced copy number variant formation and associated replication delay. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:7507-7524. [PMID: 34181717 PMCID: PMC8287918 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired replication progression leads to de novo copy number variant (CNV) formation at common fragile sites (CFSs). We previously showed that these hotspots for genome instability reside in late-replicating domains associated with large transcribed genes and provided indirect evidence that transcription is a factor in their instability. Here, we compared aphidicolin (APH)-induced CNV and CFS frequency between wild-type and isogenic cells in which FHIT gene transcription was ablated by promoter deletion. Two promoter-deletion cell lines showed reduced or absent CNV formation and CFS expression at FHIT despite continued instability at the NLGN1 control locus. APH treatment led to critical replication delays that remained unresolved in G2/M in the body of many, but not all, large transcribed genes, an effect that was reversed at FHIT by the promoter deletion. Altering RNase H1 expression did not change CNV induction frequency and DRIP-seq showed a paucity of R-loop formation in the central regions of large genes, suggesting that R-loops are not the primary mediator of the transcription effect. These results demonstrate that large gene transcription is a determining factor in replication stress-induced genomic instability and support models that CNV hotspots mainly result from the transcription-dependent passage of unreplicated DNA into mitosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Hae Park
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Samreen Ahmed
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Martin F Arlt
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mats Ljungman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Thomas W Glover
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Thomas E Wilson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Abstract
Unlike bacteria, mammalian cells need to complete DNA replication before segregating their chromosomes for the maintenance of genome integrity. Thus, cells have evolved efficient pathways to restore stalled and/or collapsed replication forks during S-phase, and when necessary, also to delay cell cycle progression to ensure replication completion. However, strong evidence shows that cells can proceed to mitosis with incompletely replicated DNA when under mild replication stress (RS) conditions. Consequently, the incompletely replicated genomic gaps form, predominantly at common fragile site regions, where the converging fork-like DNA structures accumulate. These branched structures pose a severe threat to the faithful disjunction of chromosomes as they physically interlink the partially duplicated sister chromatids. In this review, we provide an overview discussing how cells respond and deal with the under-replicated DNA structures that escape from the S/G2 surveillance system. We also focus on recent research of a mitotic break-induced replication pathway (also known as mitotic DNA repair synthesis), which has been proposed to operate during prophase in an attempt to finish DNA synthesis at the under-replicated genomic regions. Finally, we discuss recent data on how mild RS may cause chromosome instability and mutations that accelerate cancer genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camelia Mocanu
- Chromosome Dynamics and Stability Group, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 7BG, UK
| | - Kok-Lung Chan
- Chromosome Dynamics and Stability Group, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 7BG, UK
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38
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RTEL1 influences the abundance and localization of TERRA RNA. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3016. [PMID: 34021146 PMCID: PMC8140157 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23299-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere repeat containing RNAs (TERRAs) are a family of long non-coding RNAs transcribed from the subtelomeric regions of eukaryotic chromosomes. TERRA transcripts can form R-loops at chromosome ends; however the importance of these structures or the regulation of TERRA expression and retention in telomeric R-loops remain unclear. Here, we show that the RTEL1 (Regulator of Telomere Length 1) helicase influences the abundance and localization of TERRA in human cells. Depletion of RTEL1 leads to increased levels of TERRA RNA while reducing TERRA-containing R loops at telomeres. In vitro, RTEL1 shows a strong preference for binding G-quadruplex structures which form in TERRA. This binding is mediated by the C-terminal region of RTEL1, and is independent of the RTEL1 helicase domain. RTEL1 binding to TERRA appears to be essential for cell viability, underscoring the importance of this function. Degradation of TERRA-containing R-loops by overexpression of RNAse H1 partially recapitulates the increased TERRA levels and telomeric instability associated with RTEL1 deficiency. Collectively, these data suggest that regulation of TERRA is a key function of the RTEL1 helicase, and that loss of that function may contribute to the disease phenotypes of patients with RTEL1 mutations. Long non coding RNA TERRA transcripts can form R-loops at chromosome ends. Here, the authors reveal a role for the helicase RTEL in affecting TERRA levels and localization.
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39
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Lejault P, Mitteaux J, Sperti FR, Monchaud D. How to untie G-quadruplex knots and why? Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:436-455. [PMID: 33596431 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For over two decades, the prime objective of the chemical biology community studying G-quadruplexes (G4s) has been to use chemicals to interact with and stabilize G4s in cells to obtain mechanistic interpretations. This strategy has been undoubtedly successful, as demonstrated by recent advances. However, these insights have also led to a fundamental rethinking of G4-targeting strategies: due to the prevalence of G4s in the human genome, transcriptome, and ncRNAome (collectively referred to as the G4ome), and their involvement in human diseases, should we continue developing G4-stabilizing ligands or should we invest in designing molecular tools to unfold G4s? Here, we first focus on how, when, and where G4s fold in cells; then, we describe the enzymatic systems that have evolved to counteract G4 folding and how they have been used as tools to manipulate G4s in cells; finally, we present strategies currently being implemented to devise new molecular G4 unwinding agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Lejault
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne, ICMUB CNRS UMR 6302, UBFC Dijon, France
| | - Jérémie Mitteaux
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne, ICMUB CNRS UMR 6302, UBFC Dijon, France
| | - Francesco Rota Sperti
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne, ICMUB CNRS UMR 6302, UBFC Dijon, France
| | - David Monchaud
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne, ICMUB CNRS UMR 6302, UBFC Dijon, France.
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40
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Chédin F, Hartono SR, Sanz LA, Vanoosthuyse V. Best practices for the visualization, mapping, and manipulation of R-loops. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106394. [PMID: 33411340 PMCID: PMC7883053 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
R-loops represent an abundant class of large non-B DNA structures in genomes. Even though they form transiently and at modest frequencies, interfering with R-loop formation or dissolution has significant impacts on genome stability. Addressing the mechanism(s) of R-loop-mediated genome destabilization requires a precise characterization of their distribution in genomes. A number of independent methods have been developed to visualize and map R-loops, but their results are at times discordant, leading to confusion. Here, we review the main existing methodologies for R-loop mapping and assess their limitations as well as the robustness of existing datasets. We offer a set of best practices to improve the reproducibility of maps, hoping that such guidelines could be useful for authors and referees alike. Finally, we propose a possible resolution for the apparent contradictions in R-loop mapping outcomes between antibody-based and RNase H1-based mapping approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Chédin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome CenterUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Stella R Hartono
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome CenterUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Lionel A Sanz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genome CenterUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Vincent Vanoosthuyse
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la CelluleCNRSUMR 5239Univ LyonÉcole Normale Supérieure de LyonLyonFrance
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41
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Shen M, Young A, Autexier C. PCNA, a focus on replication stress and the alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway. DNA Repair (Amst) 2021; 100:103055. [PMID: 33581499 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2021.103055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of telomeres, which are specialized stretches of DNA found at the ends of linear chromosomes, is a crucial step for the immortalization of cancer cells. Approximately 10-15 % of cancer cells use a homologous recombination-based mechanism known as the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway to maintain their telomeres. Telomeres in general pose a challenge to DNA replication owing to their repetitive nature and potential for forming secondary structures. Telomeres in ALT+ cells especially are subject to elevated levels of replication stress compared to telomeres that are maintained by the enzyme telomerase, in part due to the incorporation of telomeric variant repeats at ALT+ telomeres, their on average longer lengths, and their modified chromatin states. Many DNA metabolic strategies exist to counter replication stress and to protect stalled replication forks. The role of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as a platform for recruiting protein partners that participate in several of these DNA replication and repair pathways has been well-documented. We propose that many of these pathways may be active at ALT+ telomeres, either to facilitate DNA replication, to manage replication stress, or during telomere extension. Here, we summarize recent evidence detailing the role of PCNA in pathways including DNA secondary structure resolution, DNA damage bypass, replication fork restart, and DNA damage synthesis. We propose that an examination of PCNA and its post-translational modifications (PTMs) may offer a unique lens by which we might gain insight into the DNA metabolic landscape that is distinctively present at ALT+ telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Shen
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C7, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Adrian Young
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C7, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Chantal Autexier
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C7, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada.
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42
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Abstract
In this perspective, we introduce shelterin and the mechanisms of ATM activation and NHEJ at telomeres, before discussing the following questions: How are t-loops proposed to protect chromosome ends and what is the evidence for this model? Can other models explain how TRF2 mediates end protection? Could t-loops be pathological structures? How is end protection achieved in pluripotent cells? What do the insights into telomere end protection in pluripotent cells mean for the t-loop model of end protection? Why might different cell states have evolved different mechanisms of end protection? Finally, we offer support for an updated t-loop model of end protection, suggesting that the data is supportive of a critical role for t-loops in protecting chromosome ends from NHEJ and ATM activation, but that other mechanisms are involved. Finally, we propose that t-loops are likely dynamic, rather than static, structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil Ruis
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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43
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Kotsantis P, Segura-Bayona S, Margalef P, Marzec P, Ruis P, Hewitt G, Bellelli R, Patel H, Goldstone R, Poetsch AR, Boulton SJ. RTEL1 Regulates G4/R-Loops to Avert Replication-Transcription Collisions. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108546. [PMID: 33357438 PMCID: PMC7773548 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulator of telomere length 1 (RTEL1) is an essential helicase that maintains telomere integrity and facilitates DNA replication. The source of replication stress in Rtel1-deficient cells remains unclear. Here, we report that loss of RTEL1 confers extensive transcriptional changes independent of its roles at telomeres. The majority of affected genes in Rtel1-/- cells possess G-quadruplex (G4)-DNA-forming sequences in their promoters and are similarly altered at a transcriptional level in wild-type cells treated with the G4-DNA stabilizer TMPyP4 (5,10,15,20-Tetrakis-(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine). Failure to resolve G4-DNAs formed in the displaced strand of RNA-DNA hybrids in Rtel1-/- cells is suggested by increased R-loops and elevated transcription-replication collisions (TRCs). Moreover, removal of R-loops by RNaseH1 overexpression suppresses TRCs and alleviates the global replication defects observed in Rtel1-/- and Rtel1PIP_box knockin cells and in wild-type cells treated with TMPyP4. We propose that RTEL1 unwinds G4-DNA/R-loops to avert TRCs, which is important to prevent global deregulation in both transcription and DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pol Margalef
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Paulina Marzec
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Phil Ruis
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Graeme Hewitt
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Harshil Patel
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Anna R Poetsch
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Simon J Boulton
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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44
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Miglietta G, Russo M, Capranico G. G-quadruplex-R-loop interactions and the mechanism of anticancer G-quadruplex binders. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11942-11957. [PMID: 33137181 PMCID: PMC7708042 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic DNA and cellular RNAs can form a variety of non-B secondary structures, including G-quadruplex (G4) and R-loops. G4s are constituted by stacked guanine tetrads held together by Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds and can form at key regulatory sites of eukaryote genomes and transcripts, including gene promoters, untranslated exon regions and telomeres. R-loops are 3-stranded structures wherein the two strands of a DNA duplex are melted and one of them is annealed to an RNA. Specific G4 binders are intensively investigated to discover new effective anticancer drugs based on a common rationale, i.e.: the selective inhibition of oncogene expression or specific impairment of telomere maintenance. However, despite the high number of known G4 binders, such a selective molecular activity has not been fully established and several published data point to a different mode of action. We will review published data that address the close structural interplay between G4s and R-loops in vitro and in vivo, and how these interactions can have functional consequences in relation to G4 binder activity. We propose that R-loops can play a previously-underestimated role in G4 binder action, in relation to DNA damage induction, telomere maintenance, genome and epigenome instability and alterations of gene expression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Miglietta
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Russo
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Capranico
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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45
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Lezaja A, Altmeyer M. Dealing with DNA lesions: When one cell cycle is not enough. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 70:27-36. [PMID: 33310228 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Subversion of genome integrity fuels cellular adaptation and is a prerequisite for organismal evolution, yet genomic lesions are also the harmful driving force of cancer and other age-related human diseases. Genome integrity maintenance is inherently linked to genome organization and nuclear architecture, which are substantially remodeled during the cell cycle. Here we discuss recent findings on how actively dividing cells cope with endogenous genomic lesions that occur frequently at repetitive, heterochromatic, and late replicating regions as byproducts of genome duplication. We discuss how such lesions, rather than being resolved immediately when they occur, are dealt with in subsequent cell cycle phases, and even after mitotic cell division, and how this in turn affects genome organization, stability, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Lezaja
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Altmeyer
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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46
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Young SJ, Sebald M, Shah Punatar R, Larin M, Masino L, Rodrigo-Brenni MC, Liang CC, West SC. MutSβ Stimulates Holliday Junction Resolution by the SMX Complex. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108289. [PMID: 33086055 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
MutSα and MutSβ play important roles in DNA mismatch repair and are linked to inheritable cancers and degenerative disorders. Here, we show that MSH2 and MSH3, the two components of MutSβ, bind SLX4 protein, a scaffold for the assembly of the SLX1-SLX4-MUS81-EME1-XPF-ERCC1 (SMX) trinuclease complex. SMX promotes the resolution of Holliday junctions (HJs), which are intermediates in homologous recombinational repair. We find that MutSβ binds HJs and stimulates their resolution by SLX1-SLX4 or SMX in reactions dependent upon direct interactions between MutSβ and SLX4. In contrast, MutSα does not stimulate HJ resolution. MSH3-depleted cells exhibit reduced sister chromatid exchanges and elevated levels of homologous recombination ultrafine bridges (HR-UFBs) at mitosis, consistent with defects in the processing of recombination intermediates. These results demonstrate a role for MutSβ in addition to its established role in the pathogenic expansion of CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeats, which is causative of myotonic dystrophy and Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Young
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marie Sebald
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Meghan Larin
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Laura Masino
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Chih-Chao Liang
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Stephen C West
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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47
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Dhar S, Datta A, Brosh RM. DNA helicases and their roles in cancer. DNA Repair (Amst) 2020; 96:102994. [PMID: 33137625 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2020.102994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA helicases, known for their fundamentally important roles in genomic stability, are high profile players in cancer. Not only are there monogenic helicase disorders with a strong disposition to cancer, it is well appreciated that helicase variants are associated with specific cancers (e.g., breast cancer). Flipping the coin, DNA helicases are frequently overexpressed in cancerous tissues and reduction in helicase gene expression results in reduced proliferation and growth capacity, as well as DNA damage induction and apoptosis of cancer cells. The seminal roles of helicases in the DNA damage and replication stress responses, as well as DNA repair pathways, validate their vital importance in cancer biology and suggest their potential values as targets in anti-cancer therapy. In recent years, many laboratories have characterized the specialized roles of helicase to resolve transcription-replication conflicts, maintain telomeres, mediate cell cycle checkpoints, remodel stalled replication forks, and regulate transcription. In vivo models, particularly mice, have been used to interrogate helicase function and serve as a bridge for preclinical studies that may lead to novel therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will summarize our current knowledge of DNA helicases and their roles in cancer, emphasizing the latest developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srijita Dhar
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Arindam Datta
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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48
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Under-Replicated DNA: The Byproduct of Large Genomes? Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102764. [PMID: 32992928 PMCID: PMC7601121 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we provide an overview of how proliferating eukaryotic cells overcome one of the main threats to genome stability: incomplete genomic DNA replication during S phase. We discuss why it is currently accepted that double fork stalling (DFS) events are unavoidable events in higher eukaryotes with large genomes and which responses have evolved to cope with its main consequence: the presence of under-replicated DNA (UR-DNA) outside S phase. Particular emphasis is placed on the processes that constrain the detrimental effects of UR-DNA. We discuss how mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS), mitotic end joining events and 53BP1 nuclear bodies (53BP1-NBs) deal with such specific S phase DNA replication remnants during the subsequent phases of the cell cycle.
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49
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Bryan TM. G-Quadruplexes at Telomeres: Friend or Foe? Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25163686. [PMID: 32823549 PMCID: PMC7464828 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that cap and protect the ends of linear chromosomes. In almost all species, telomeric DNA has a G/C strand bias, and the short tandem repeats of the G-rich strand have the capacity to form into secondary structures in vitro, such as four-stranded G-quadruplexes. This has long prompted speculation that G-quadruplexes play a positive role in telomere biology, resulting in selection for G-rich tandem telomere repeats during evolution. There is some evidence that G-quadruplexes at telomeres may play a protective capping role, at least in yeast, and that they may positively affect telomere maintenance by either the enzyme telomerase or by recombination-based mechanisms. On the other hand, G-quadruplex formation in telomeric DNA, as elsewhere in the genome, can form an impediment to DNA replication and a source of genome instability. This review summarizes recent evidence for the in vivo existence of G-quadruplexes at telomeres, with a focus on human telomeres, and highlights some of the many unanswered questions regarding the location, form, and functions of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy M Bryan
- Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
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50
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Abstract
Several decades elapsed between the first descriptions of G-quadruplex nucleic acid structures (G4s) assembled in vitro and the emergence of experimental findings indicating that such structures can form and function in living systems. A large body of evidence now supports roles for G4s in many aspects of nucleic acid biology, spanning processes from transcription and chromatin structure, mRNA processing, protein translation, DNA replication and genome stability, and telomere and mitochondrial function. Nonetheless, it must be acknowledged that some of this evidence is tentative, which is not surprising given the technical challenges associated with demonstrating G4s in biology. Here I provide an overview of evidence for G4 biology, focusing particularly on the many potential pitfalls that can be encountered in its investigation, and briefly discuss some of broader biological processes that may be impacted by G4s including cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Brad Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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