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Gambelli A, Ferrando A, Boncristiani C, Schoeftner S. Regulation and function of R-loops at repetitive elements. Biochimie 2023; 214:141-155. [PMID: 37619810 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.08.013] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
R-loops are atypical, three-stranded nucleic acid structures that contain a stretch of RNA:DNA hybrids and an unpaired, single stranded DNA loop. R-loops are physiological relevant and can act as regulators of gene expression, chromatin structure, DNA damage repair and DNA replication. However, unscheduled and persistent R-loops are mutagenic and can mediate replication-transcription conflicts, leading to DNA damage and genome instability if left unchecked. Detailed transcriptome analysis unveiled that 85% of the human genome, including repetitive regions, hold transcriptional activity. This anticipates that R-loops management plays a central role for the regulation and integrity of genomes. This function is expected to have a particular relevance for repetitive sequences that make up to 75% of the human genome. Here, we review the impact of R-loops on the function and stability of repetitive regions such as centromeres, telomeres, rDNA arrays, transposable elements and triplet repeat expansions and discuss their relevance for associated pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Gambelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ferrando
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Boncristiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefan Schoeftner
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
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2
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Pan Y, Hu C, Hou LJ, Chen YL, Shi J, Liu JC, Zhou JQ. Swc4 protects nucleosome-free rDNA, tDNA and telomere loci to inhibit genome instability. DNA Repair (Amst) 2023; 127:103512. [PMID: 37230009 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2023.103512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, NuA4 and SWR1-C, two multisubunit complexes, are involved in histone acetylation and chromatin remodeling, respectively. Eaf1 is the assembly platform subunit of NuA4, Swr1 is the assembly platform and catalytic subunit of SWR1-C, while Swc4, Yaf9, Arp4 and Act1 form a functional module, and is present in both NuA4 and SWR1 complexes. ACT1 and ARP4 are essential for cell survival. Deletion of SWC4, but not YAF9, EAF1 or SWR1 results in a severe growth defect, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that swc4Δ, but not yaf9Δ, eaf1Δ, or swr1Δ cells display defects in DNA ploidy and chromosome segregation, suggesting that the defects observed in swc4Δ cells are independent of NuA4 or SWR1-C integrity. Swc4 is enriched in the nucleosome-free regions (NFRs) of the genome, including characteristic regions of RDN5s, tDNAs and telomeres, independently of Yaf9, Eaf1 or Swr1. In particular, rDNA, tDNA and telomere loci are more unstable and prone to recombination in the swc4Δ cells than in wild-type cells. Taken together, we conclude that the chromatin associated Swc4 protects nucleosome-free chromatin of rDNA, tDNA and telomere loci to ensure genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Pan
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Can Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Lin-Jun Hou
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yu-Long Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jiantao Shi
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jia-Cheng Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Jin-Qiu Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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3
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Palahí I Torres A, Höök L, Näsvall K, Shipilina D, Wiklund C, Vila R, Pruisscher P, Backström N. The fine-scale recombination rate variation and associations with genomic features in a butterfly. Genome Res 2023; 33:810-823. [PMID: 37308293 PMCID: PMC10317125 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277414.122] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recombination is a key molecular mechanism that has profound implications on both micro- and macroevolutionary processes. However, the determinants of recombination rate variation in holocentric organisms are poorly understood, in particular in Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). The wood white butterfly (Leptidea sinapis) shows considerable intraspecific variation in chromosome numbers and is a suitable system for studying regional recombination rate variation and its potential molecular underpinnings. Here, we developed a large whole-genome resequencing data set from a population of wood whites to obtain high-resolution recombination maps using linkage disequilibrium information. The analyses revealed that larger chromosomes had a bimodal recombination landscape, potentially caused by interference between simultaneous chiasmata. The recombination rate was significantly lower in subtelomeric regions, with exceptions associated with segregating chromosome rearrangements, showing that fissions and fusions can have considerable effects on the recombination landscape. There was no association between the inferred recombination rate and base composition, supporting a limited influence of GC-biased gene conversion in butterflies. We found significant but variable associations between the recombination rate and the density of different classes of transposable elements, most notably a significant enrichment of short interspersed nucleotide elements in genomic regions with higher recombination rate. Finally, the analyses unveiled significant enrichment of genes involved in farnesyltranstransferase activity in recombination coldspots, potentially indicating that expression of transferases can inhibit formation of chiasmata during meiotic division. Our results provide novel information about recombination rate variation in holocentric organisms and have particular implications for forthcoming research in population genetics, molecular/genome evolution, and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleix Palahí I Torres
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Lars Höök
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Näsvall
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daria Shipilina
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christer Wiklund
- Department of Zoology: Division of Ecology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roger Vila
- Butterfly Diversity and Evolution Lab, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter Pruisscher
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Niclas Backström
- Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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Pobiega S, Alibert O, Marcand S. A new assay capturing chromosome fusions shows a protection trade-off at telomeres and NHEJ vulnerability to low-density ionizing radiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:6817-6831. [PMID: 34125900 PMCID: PMC8266670 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome fusions threaten genome integrity and promote cancer by engaging catastrophic mutational processes, namely chromosome breakage-fusion-bridge cycles and chromothripsis. Chromosome fusions are frequent in cells incurring telomere dysfunctions or those exposed to DNA breakage. Their occurrence and therefore their contribution to genome instability in unchallenged cells is unknown. To address this issue, we constructed a genetic assay able to capture and quantify rare chromosome fusions in budding yeast. This chromosome fusion capture (CFC) assay relies on the controlled inactivation of one centromere to rescue unstable dicentric chromosome fusions. It is sensitive enough to quantify the basal rate of end-to-end chromosome fusions occurring in wild-type cells. These fusions depend on canonical nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Our results show that chromosome end protection results from a trade-off at telomeres between positive effectors (Rif2, Sir4, telomerase) and a negative effector partially antagonizing them (Rif1). The CFC assay also captures NHEJ-dependent chromosome fusions induced by ionizing radiation. It provides evidence for chromosomal rearrangements stemming from a single photon-matter interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Pobiega
- Université de Paris and Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CEA IBFJ/iRCM, UMR Stabilité Génétique Cellules Souches et Radiations, 92265 Fontenay-au-Roses, France
| | | | - Stéphane Marcand
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +33 1 46 54 82 33;
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Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates within circulating red blood cells, where it is subjected to conditions that frequently cause DNA damage. The repair of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) is thought to rely almost exclusively on homologous recombination (HR), due to a lack of efficient nonhomologous end joining. However, given that the parasite is haploid during this stage of its life cycle, the mechanisms involved in maintaining genome stability are poorly understood. Of particular interest are the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes, which contain the majority of the multicopy variant antigen-encoding genes responsible for virulence and disease severity. Here, we show that parasites utilize a competitive balance between de novo telomere addition, also called “telomere healing,” and HR to stabilize chromosome ends. Products of both repair pathways were observed in response to DSBs that occurred spontaneously during routine in vitro culture or resulted from experimentally induced DSBs, demonstrating that both pathways are active in repairing DSBs within subtelomeric regions and that the pathway utilized was determined by the DNA sequences immediately surrounding the break. In combination, these two repair pathways enable parasites to efficiently maintain chromosome stability while also contributing to the generation of genetic diversity. Malaria is a major global health threat, causing approximately 430,000 deaths annually. This mosquito-transmitted disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites, with infection with the species Plasmodium falciparum being the most lethal. Mechanisms underlying DNA repair and maintenance of genome integrity in P. falciparum are not well understood and represent a gap in our understanding of how parasites survive the hostile environment of their vertebrate and insect hosts. Our work examines DNA repair in real time by using single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing focused on the subtelomeric regions of the genome that harbor the multicopy gene families important for virulence and the maintenance of infection. We show that parasites utilize two competing molecular mechanisms to repair double-strand breaks, homologous recombination and de novo telomere addition, with the pathway used being determined by the surrounding DNA sequence. In combination, these two pathways balance the need to maintain genome stability with the selective advantage of generating antigenic diversity.
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6
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Methods to Study the Atypical Roles of DNA Repair and SMC Proteins in Gene Silencing. Methods Mol Biol 2016. [PMID: 27797079 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6545-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Silenced heterochromatin influences all nuclear processes including chromosome structure, nuclear organization, transcription, replication, and repair. Proteins that mediate silencing affect all of these nuclear processes. Similarly proteins involved in replication, repair, and chromosome structure play a role in the formation and maintenance of silenced heterochromatin. In this chapter we describe a handful of simple tools and methods that can be used to study the atypical role of proteins in gene silencing.
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Regulation of Telomere Length Requires a Conserved N-Terminal Domain of Rif2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 2015; 201:573-86. [PMID: 26294668 PMCID: PMC4596670 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.177899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of telomere length equilibrium is essential for cell growth and survival since critically short telomeres signal DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. While the broad principles of length regulation are well established, the molecular mechanism of how these steps occur is not fully understood. We mutagenized the RIF2 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to understand how this protein blocks excess telomere elongation. We identified an N-terminal domain in Rif2 that is essential for length regulation, which we have termed BAT domain for Blocks Addition of Telomeres. Tethering this BAT domain to Rap1 blocked telomere elongation not only in rif2Δ mutants but also in rif1Δ and rap1C-terminal deletion mutants. Mutation of a single amino acid in the BAT domain, phenylalanine at position 8 to alanine, recapitulated the rif2Δ mutant phenotype. Substitution of F8 with tryptophan mimicked the wild-type phenylalanine, suggesting the aromatic amino acid represents a protein interaction site that is essential for telomere length regulation.
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8
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Abstract
The ends of linear chromosomes are capped by nucleoprotein structures called telomeres. A dysfunctional telomere may resemble a DNA double-strand break (DSB), which is a severe form of DNA damage. The presence of one DSB is sufficient to drive cell cycle arrest and cell death. Therefore cells have evolved mechanisms to repair DSBs such as homologous recombination (HR). HR-mediated repair of telomeres can lead to genome instability, a hallmark of cancer cells, which is why such repair is normally inhibited. However, some HR-mediated processes are required for proper telomere function. The need for some recombination activities at telomeres but not others necessitates careful and complex regulation, defects in which can lead to catastrophic consequences. Furthermore, some cell types can maintain telomeres via telomerase-independent, recombination-mediated mechanisms. In humans, these mechanisms are called alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) and are used in a subset of human cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the different recombination activities occurring at telomeres and discuss how they are regulated. Much of the current knowledge is derived from work using yeast models, which is the focus of this review, but relevant studies in mammals are also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Claussin
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Chang
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Abstract
Homology-dependent exchange of genetic information between DNA molecules has a profound impact on the maintenance of genome integrity by facilitating error-free DNA repair, replication, and chromosome segregation during cell division as well as programmed cell developmental events. This chapter will focus on homologous mitotic recombination in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, there is an important link between mitotic and meiotic recombination (covered in the forthcoming chapter by Hunter et al. 2015) and many of the functions are evolutionarily conserved. Here we will discuss several models that have been proposed to explain the mechanism of mitotic recombination, the genes and proteins involved in various pathways, the genetic and physical assays used to discover and study these genes, and the roles of many of these proteins inside the cell.
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10
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Inhibition of telomere recombination by inactivation of KEOPS subunit Cgi121 promotes cell longevity. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005071. [PMID: 25822194 PMCID: PMC4378880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA double strand break (DSB) is one of the major damages that cause genome instability and cellular aging. The homologous recombination (HR)-mediated repair of DSBs plays an essential role in assurance of genome stability and cell longevity. Telomeres resemble DSBs and are competent for HR. Here we show that in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomere recombination elicits genome instability and accelerates cellular aging. Inactivation of KEOPS subunit Cgi121 specifically inhibits telomere recombination, and significantly extends cell longevity in both telomerase-positive and pre-senescing telomerase-negative cells. Deletion of CGI121 in the short-lived yku80tel mutant restores lifespan to cgi121Δ level, supporting the function of Cgi121 in telomeric single-stranded DNA generation and thus in promotion of telomere recombination. Strikingly, inhibition of telomere recombination is able to further slow down the aging process in long-lived fob1Δ cells, in which rDNA recombination is restrained. Our study indicates that HR activity at telomeres interferes with telomerase to pose a negative impact on cellular longevity. Aging is a general biological process among the living organisms which is affected by environmental stimuli but also genetically controlled. Genome instability is one of the aging hallmarks and has long been implicated as one of the main causal factors in aging. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are the most deleterious DNA damages that cause genome instability. To counteract DNA damage of DSBs and maintain high level of genome integrity, cells have evolved powerful repair systems such as homologous recombination (HR). HR is crucial for DNA repair and genome integrity maintenance, and is generally believed to be essential for assurance of cell longevity. Telomeres, the physical ends of eukaryotic linear chromosomes, are preferentially elongated by telomerase, a specialized reverse transcriptase, in most cases. However, due to the resemblance of telomeres to DSBs, HR can not be eliminated but rather readily takes place on telomeres, even in the presence of telomerase. Here we show that HR at yeast telomeres elicits genome instability and accelerates cellular aging. Inactivation of the evolutionarily conserved KEOPS complex subunit Cgi121 specifically inhibits telomere HR and results in extremely long lifespan, indicating a dark side of HR in longevity regulation.
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11
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Marcand S. How do telomeres and NHEJ coexist? Mol Cell Oncol 2014; 1:e963438. [PMID: 27308342 PMCID: PMC4904885 DOI: 10.4161/23723548.2014.963438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The telomeres of eukaryotes are stable open double-strand ends that coexist with nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), the repair pathway that directly ligates DNA ends generated by double-strand breaks. Since a single end-joining event between 2 telomeres generates a circular chromosome or an unstable dicentric chromosome, NHEJ must be prevented from acting on telomeres. Multiple mechanisms mediated by telomere factors act in synergy to achieve this inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Marcand
- CEA; DSV/IRCM/SIGRR/LTR; Fontenay-aux-roses; France; INSERM UMR 967; Fontenay-aux-roses; France
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12
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Multifunctional role of ATM/Tel1 kinase in genome stability: from the DNA damage response to telomere maintenance. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:787404. [PMID: 25247188 PMCID: PMC4163350 DOI: 10.1155/2014/787404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a key regulator of the DNA double-strand-break response and belongs to the evolutionary conserved phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-related protein kinases. ATM deficiency causes ataxia telangiectasia (AT), a genetic disorder that is characterized by premature aging, cerebellar neuropathy, immunodeficiency, and predisposition to cancer. AT cells show defects in the DNA damage-response pathway, cell-cycle control, and telomere maintenance and length regulation. Likewise, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, haploid strains defective in the TEL1 gene, the ATM ortholog, show chromosomal aberrations and short telomeres. In this review, we outline the complex role of ATM/Tel1 in maintaining genomic stability through its control of numerous aspects of cellular survival. In particular, we describe how ATM/Tel1 participates in the signal transduction pathways elicited by DNA damage and in telomere homeostasis and its importance as a barrier to cancer development.
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Rossiello F, Herbig U, Longhese MP, Fumagalli M, d'Adda di Fagagna F. Irreparable telomeric DNA damage and persistent DDR signalling as a shared causative mechanism of cellular senescence and ageing. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2014; 26:89-95. [PMID: 25104620 PMCID: PMC4217147 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2014.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR) orchestrates DNA repair and halts cell cycle. If damage is not resolved, cells can enter into an irreversible state of proliferative arrest called cellular senescence. Organismal ageing in mammals is associated with accumulation of markers of cellular senescence and DDR persistence at telomeres. Since the vast majority of the cells in mammals are non-proliferating, how do they age? Are telomeres involved? Also oncogene activation causes cellular senescence due to altered DNA replication and DDR activation in particular at the telomeres. Is there a common mechanism shared among apparently distinct types of cellular senescence? And what is the role of telomeric DNA damage?
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rossiello
- IFOM Foundation - FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation, Milan 20139, Italy
| | - Utz Herbig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School - Cancer Center, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Maria Pia Longhese
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Marzia Fumagalli
- IFOM Foundation - FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation, Milan 20139, Italy
| | - Fabrizio d'Adda di Fagagna
- IFOM Foundation - FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation, Milan 20139, Italy; Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia 27100, Italy.
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14
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Putnam CD, Pallis K, Hayes TK, Kolodner RD. DNA repair pathway selection caused by defects in TEL1, SAE2, and de novo telomere addition generates specific chromosomal rearrangement signatures. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004277. [PMID: 24699249 PMCID: PMC3974649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole genome sequencing of cancer genomes has revealed a diversity of recurrent gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) that are likely signatures of specific defects in DNA damage response pathways. However, inferring the underlying defects has been difficult due to insufficient information relating defects in DNA metabolism to GCR signatures. By analyzing over 95 mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found that the frequency of GCRs that deleted an internal CAN1/URA3 cassette on chrV L while retaining a chrV L telomeric hph marker was significantly higher in tel1Δ, sae2Δ, rad53Δ sml1Δ, and mrc1Δ tof1Δ mutants. The hph-retaining GCRs isolated from tel1Δ mutants contained either an interstitial deletion dependent on non-homologous end-joining or an inverted duplication that appeared to be initiated from a double strand break (DSB) on chrV L followed by hairpin formation, copying of chrV L from the DSB toward the centromere, and homologous recombination to capture the hph-containing end of chrV L. In contrast, hph-containing GCRs from other mutants were primarily interstitial deletions (mrc1Δ tof1Δ) or inverted duplications (sae2Δ and rad53Δ sml1Δ). Mutants with impaired de novo telomere addition had increased frequencies of hph-containing GCRs, whereas mutants with increased de novo telomere addition had decreased frequencies of hph-containing GCRs. Both types of hph-retaining GCRs occurred in wild-type strains, suggesting that the increased frequencies of hph retention were due to the relative efficiencies of competing DNA repair pathways. Interestingly, the inverted duplications observed here resemble common GCRs in metastatic pancreatic cancer. Recent advances in the sequencing of human cancer genomes have revealed that some types of genome rearrangements are more common in specific types of cancers. Thus, these cancers may share defects in DNA repair mechanisms, which may play roles in initiation or progression of the disease and may be useful therapeutically. Linking a common rearrangement signature to a specific genetic or epigenetic alteration is currently challenging, because we do not know which rearrangement signatures are linked to which DNA repair defects. Here we used a genetic assay in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae to specifically link two classes of chromosomal rearrangements, interstitial deletions and inverted duplications, to specific genetic defects. These results begin to map out the links between observed chromosomal rearrangements and specific DNA repair defects and in the present case, may provide insights into the chromosomal rearrangements frequently observed in metastatic pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D. Putnam
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Katielee Pallis
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Tikvah K. Hayes
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Richard D. Kolodner
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Moores-UCSD Cancer Center, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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15
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Di Domenico EG, Mattarocci S, Cimino-Reale G, Parisi P, Cifani N, D'Ambrosio E, Zakian VA, Ascenzioni F. Tel1 and Rad51 are involved in the maintenance of telomeres with capping deficiency. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:6490-500. [PMID: 23677619 PMCID: PMC3711455 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate-like T2AG3 telomeres in tlc1-h yeast consist of short double-stranded regions and long single-stranded overhang (G-tails) and, although based on Tbf1-capping activity, they are capping deficient. Consistent with this idea, we observe Y' amplification because of homologous recombination, even in the presence of an active telomerase. In these cells, Y' amplification occurs by different pathways: in Tel1(+) tlc1h cells, it is Rad51-dependent, whereas in the absence of Tel1, it depends on Rad50. Generation of telomeric G-tail, which is cell cycle regulated, depends on the MRX (Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2) complex in tlc1h cells or is MRX-independent in tlc1h tel1Δ mutants. Unexpectedly, we observe telomere elongation in tlc1h lacking Rad51 that seems to act as a telomerase competitor for binding to telomeric G-tails. Overall, our results show that Tel1 and Rad51 have multiple roles in the maintenance of vertebrate-like telomeres in yeast, supporting the idea that they may participate to evolutionary conserved telomere protection mechanism/s acting at uncapped telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enea Gino Di Domenico
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Almeida H, Godinho Ferreira M. Spontaneous telomere to telomere fusions occur in unperturbed fission yeast cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:3056-67. [PMID: 23335786 PMCID: PMC3597658 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks1459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres protect eukaryotic chromosomes from illegitimate end-to-end fusions. When this function fails, dicentric chromosomes are formed, triggering breakage-fusion-bridge cycles and genome instability. How efficient is this protection mechanism in normal cells is not fully understood. We created a positive selection assay aimed at capturing chromosome-end fusions in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We placed telomere sequences with a head to head arrangement in an intron of a selectable marker contained on a plasmid. By linearizing the plasmid between the telomere sequences, we generated a stable mini-chromosome that fails to express the reporter gene. Whenever the ends of the mini-chromosome join, the marker gene is reconstituted and fusions are captured by direct selection. Using telomerase mutants, we recovered several fusion events that lacked telomere sequences. The end-joining reaction involved specific homologous subtelomeric sequences capable of forming hairpins, suggestive of ssDNA stabilization prior to fusing. These events occurred via microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ)/single-strand annealing (SSA) repair and also required MRN/Ctp1. Strikingly, we were able to capture spontaneous telomere-to-telomere fusions in unperturbed cells. Similar to disruption of the telomere regulator Taz1/TRF2, end-joining reactions occurred via non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair. Thus, telomeres undergo fusions prior to becoming critically short, possibly through transient deprotection. These dysfunction events induce chromosome instability and may underlie early tumourigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Almeida
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
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17
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Abstract
The mechanisms that maintain the stability of chromosome ends have broad impact on genome integrity in all eukaryotes. Budding yeast is a premier organism for telomere studies. Many fundamental concepts of telomere and telomerase function were first established in yeast and then extended to other organisms. We present a comprehensive review of yeast telomere biology that covers capping, replication, recombination, and transcription. We think of it as yeast telomeres—soup to nuts.
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Starnes JH, Thornbury DW, Novikova OS, Rehmeyer CJ, Farman ML. Telomere-targeted retrotransposons in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae: agents of telomere instability. Genetics 2012; 191:389-406. [PMID: 22446319 PMCID: PMC3374306 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.111.137950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2011] [Accepted: 03/11/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a serious pathogen of rice and other grasses. Telomeric restriction fragments in Magnaporthe isolates that infect perennial ryegrass (prg) are hotspots for genomic rearrangement and undergo frequent, spontaneous alterations during fungal culture. The telomeres of rice-infecting isolates are very stable by comparison. Sequencing of chromosome ends from a number of prg-infecting isolates revealed two related non-LTR retrotransposons (M. oryzae Telomeric Retrotransposons or MoTeRs) inserted in the telomere repeats. This contrasts with rice pathogen telomeres that are uninterrupted by other sequences. Genetic evidence indicates that the MoTeR elements are responsible for the observed instability. MoTeRs represent a new family of telomere-targeted transposons whose members are found exclusively in fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David W. Thornbury
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
| | - Olga S. Novikova
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
| | | | - Mark L. Farman
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546
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Genome-wide analysis to identify pathways affecting telomere-initiated senescence in budding yeast. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2011; 1:197-208. [PMID: 22384331 PMCID: PMC3276134 DOI: 10.1534/g3.111.000216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In telomerase-deficient yeast cells, like equivalent mammalian cells, telomeres shorten over many generations until a period of senescence/crisis is reached. After this, a small fraction of cells can escape senescence, principally using recombination-dependent mechanisms. To investigate the pathways that affect entry into and recovery from telomere-driven senescence, we combined a gene deletion disrupting telomerase (est1Δ) with the systematic yeast deletion collection and measured senescence characteristics in high-throughput assays. As expected, the vast majority of gene deletions showed no strong effects on entry into/exit from senescence. However, around 200 gene deletions behaving similarly to a rad52Δest1Δ archetype (rad52Δ affects homologous recombination) accelerated entry into senescence, and such cells often could not recover growth. A smaller number of strains similar to a rif1Δest1Δ archetype (rif1Δ affects proteins that bind telomeres) accelerated entry into senescence but also accelerated recovery from senescence. Our genome-wide analysis identifies genes that affect entry into and/or exit from telomere-initiated senescence and will be of interest to those studying telomere biology, replicative senescence, cancer, and ageing. Our dataset is complementary to other high-throughput studies relevant to telomere biology, genetic stability, and DNA damage responses.
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20
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Nonradioactive method to detect native single-stranded G-tails on yeast telomeres using a modified Southern blot protocol. Biotechniques 2011; 50:407-10. [PMID: 21781041 DOI: 10.2144/000113687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2010] [Accepted: 04/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of their low abundance and short length, telomeric single-stranded extensions have not traditionally been assessed by Southern blot analysis. Instead, most methods have relied on hybridizing radioactively labeled oligonucleotide probes to electrophoresed DNA within agarose gels. Here we describe a rapid and nonradioactive Southern blot-derived method to transfer and detect telomeric single-stranded G-rich overhangs (G-tails) under nondenaturing (native) conditions, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA. Restriction enzyme-digested chromosomal DNA is separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, transferred onto a charged membrane by electroblotting under nondenaturing conditions, and probed with a digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled oligonucleotide. Compared with the prolonged film exposure required to detect radioactive probes, detection of short single-strand G-tails with this method takes mere minutes. Furthermore, following detection of the single-stranded G-tails, the DNA on the membrane can be denatured and reprobed using conventional hybridization and detection methods.
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21
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Nelson AD, Lamb JC, Kobrossly PS, Shippen DE. Parameters affecting telomere-mediated chromosomal truncation in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2011; 23:2263-72. [PMID: 21653196 PMCID: PMC3160034 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.111.086017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Conversion of a double-strand break into a telomere is a dangerous, potentially lethal event. However, little is known about the mechanism and control of de novo telomere formation (DNTF). DNTF can be instigated by the insertion of a telomere repeat array (TRA) into the host genome, which seeds the formation of a new telomere, resulting in chromosome truncation. Such events are rare and concentrated at chromosome ends. Here, we introduce tetraploid Arabidopsis thaliana as a robust genetic model for DNTF. Transformation of a 2.6-kb TRA into tetraploid plants resulted in a DNTF efficiency of 56%, fivefold higher than in diploid plants and 50-fold higher than in human cells. DNTF events were recovered across the entire genome, indicating that genetic redundancy facilitates recovery of DNTF events. Although TRAs as short as 100 bp seeded new telomeres, these tracts were unstable unless they were extended above a 1-kb size threshold. Unexpectedly, DNTF efficiency increased in plants lacking telomerase, and DNTF rates were lower in plants null for Ku70 or Lig4, components of the nonhomologous end-joining repair pathway. We conclude that multiple competing pathways modulate DNTF, and that tetraploid Arabidopsis will be a powerful model for elucidating the molecular details of these processes.
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22
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Cheng W, Wei Z, Gao J, Zhang Z, Ge J, Jing K, Xu F, Xie P. Effects of combined siRNA-TR and -TERT on telomerase activity and growth of bladder transitional cell cancer BIU-87 cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 30:391-6. [PMID: 20556588 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-010-0363-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The effects of combined RNA interference (RNAi) of human telomerase RNA (hTR) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) genes on telomerase activity in a bladder cancer cell line (BIU-87 cells) were investigated by using gene chip technology in vitro with an attempt to evaluate the role of RNAi in the gene therapy of bladder transitional cell cancer (BTCC). Three TR-specific double-stranded small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and three TERT-specific double-stranded siRNAs were designed to target different regions of TR and TERT mRNA. The phTR-siRNA, phTERT-siRNA, and the combination of both plasmids phTR+phTERT-siRNA were transfected into BIU-87 cells. The expression of hTR and hTERT mRNA was detected by quantitative fluorescent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and a telomeric repeat amplification protocol was applied to detect telomerase activity. Growth inhibition of BIU-87 cells was measured by MTT assay. Gene chip analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of the combined RNAi of hTR+hTERT genes on telomerase activity and growth of BIU-87 cells in vitro. The results showed that the expression of hTERT and hTR mRNA was inhibited by pRNAT-hTERT-III, pRNAT-hTR-III, and pRNAT-hTR-III+hTERT-III in BIU-87 cells. The inhibition efficiency of pRNAT-hTERT-III, pRNAT-hTR-III, pRNAT-hTERT-III+pRNAT-hTR-III was 67% for TERT mRNA, 41% for TR mRNA, 57% for TR mRNA and 70% for TERT mRNA in BIU-87 cells respectively. The growth of BIU-87 cells was inhibited and telomerase activity was considerably decreased, especially in the cells treated with combined RNAi-hTR and -hTERT. Gene chip analysis revealed that 21 genes were down-regulated (ATM, BAX, BCL2, BCL2L1, BIRC5, CD44, CTNNB1, E2F1, JUN, MCAM, MTA1, MYC, NFKB1, NFKBIA, NME4, PNN, PNN, SERPINE1, THBS1, TNFRSF1A, and UCC1). The results indicated that hTR-siRNA and hTERT-siRNA, especially their combination, siRNA hTR+hTERT, specifically and effectively suppressed the expression of both hTR and hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity. Molecular biological mechanism by which combined siRNA-TR and -TERT inhibited telomerase activity and growth of BIU-87 cells in vitro may involve the down-regulation of the 21 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Cheng
- Department of Urology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, 210002, China.
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23
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Eckert-Boulet N, Lisby M. Regulation of homologous recombination at telomeres in budding yeast. FEBS Lett 2010; 584:3696-702. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2010] [Revised: 05/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/17/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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McNees CJ, Tejera AM, Martínez P, Murga M, Mulero F, Fernandez-Capetillo O, Blasco MA. ATR suppresses telomere fragility and recombination but is dispensable for elongation of short telomeres by telomerase. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 188:639-52. [PMID: 20212315 PMCID: PMC2835929 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200908136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Telomere shortening caused by incomplete DNA replication is balanced by telomerase-mediated telomere extension, with evidence indicating that the shortest telomeres are preferred substrates in primary cells. Critically short telomeres are detected by the cellular DNA damage response (DDR) system. In budding yeast, the important DDR kinase Tel1 (homologue of ATM [ataxia telangiectasia mutated]) is vital for telomerase recruitment to short telomeres, but mammalian ATM is dispensable for this function. We asked whether closely related ATR (ATM and Rad3 related) kinase, which is important for preventing replicative stress and chromosomal breakage at common fragile sites, might instead fulfill this role. The newly created ATR-deficient Seckel mouse strain was used to examine the function of ATR in telomerase recruitment and telomere function. Telomeres were recently found to resemble fragile sites, and we show in this study that ATR has an important role in the suppression of telomere fragility and recombination. We also find that wild-type ATR levels are important to protect short telomeres from chromosomal fusions but do not appear essential for telomerase recruitment to short telomeres in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts from the ATR-deficient Seckel mouse model. These results reveal a previously unnoticed role for mammalian ATR in telomere protection and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J McNees
- Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Spanish National Cancer Centre, Madrid 28029, Spain
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25
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Abstract
Pif1, an evolutionarily conserved helicase, negatively regulates telomere length by removing telomerase from chromosome ends. Pif1 has also been implicated in DNA replication processes such as Okazaki fragment maturation and replication fork pausing. We find that overexpression of Saccharomyces cervisiae PIF1 results in dose-dependent growth inhibition. Strong overexpression causes relocalization of the DNA damage response factors Rfa1 and Mre11 into nuclear foci and activation of the Rad53 DNA damage checkpoint kinase, indicating that the toxicity is caused by accumulation of DNA damage. We screened the complete set of approximately 4800 haploid gene deletion mutants and found that moderate overexpression of PIF1, which is only mildly toxic on its own, causes growth defects in strains with mutations in genes involved in DNA replication and the DNA damage response. Interestingly, we find that telomerase-deficient strains are also sensitive to PIF1 overexpression. Our data are consistent with a model whereby increased levels of Pif1 interfere with DNA replication, causing collapsed replication forks. At chromosome ends, collapsed forks result in truncated telomeres that must be rapidly elongated by telomerase to maintain viability.
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26
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Taming the tiger by the tail: modulation of DNA damage responses by telomeres. EMBO J 2009; 28:2174-87. [PMID: 19629039 PMCID: PMC2722249 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2009.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2009] [Accepted: 06/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are by definition stable and inert chromosome ends, whereas internal chromosome breaks are potent stimulators of the DNA damage response (DDR). Telomeres do not, as might be expected, exclude DDR proteins from chromosome ends but instead engage with many DDR proteins. However, the most powerful DDRs, those that might induce chromosome fusion or cell-cycle arrest, are inhibited at telomeres. In budding yeast, many DDR proteins that accumulate most rapidly at double strand breaks (DSBs), have important functions in physiological telomere maintenance, whereas DDR proteins that arrive later tend to have less important functions. Considerable diversity in telomere structure has evolved in different organisms and, perhaps reflecting this diversity, different DDR proteins seem to have distinct roles in telomere physiology in different organisms. Drawing principally on studies in simple model organisms such as budding yeast, in which many fundamental aspects of the DDR and telomere biology have been established; current views on how telomeres harness aspects of DDR pathways to maintain telomere stability and permit cell-cycle division are discussed.
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27
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Abstract
TEL1 is important in Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomere maintenance, and its kinase activity is required. Tel1p associates with telomeres in vivo, is enriched at short telomeres, and enhances the binding of telomerase components to short telomeres. However, it is unclear how the kinase activity and telomere association contribute to Tel1p's overall function in telomere length maintenance. To investigate this question, we generated a set of single point mutants and a double point mutant (tel1(KD)) of Tel1p that were kinase deficient and two Xrs2p mutants that failed to bind Tel1p. Using these separation-of-function alleles in a de novo telomere elongation assay, we found, surprisingly, that the tel1(KD) allele and xrs2 C-terminal mutants were both partially functional. Combining the tel1(KD) and xrs2 C-terminal mutants had an additive effect and resembled the TEL1 null (tel1Delta) phenotype. These data indicate that Tel1p has two separate functions in telomere maintenance and that the Xrs2p-dependent recruitment of Tel1p to telomeres plays an important role even in the absence of its kinase activity.
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28
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Abstract
The genomes of prokaryotes and eukaryotic organelles are usually circular as are most plasmids and viral genomes. In contrast, the nuclear genomes of eukaryotes are organized on linear chromosomes, which require mechanisms to protect and replicate DNA ends. Eukaryotes navigate these problems with the advent of telomeres, protective nucleoprotein complexes at the ends of linear chromosomes, and telomerase, the enzyme that maintains the DNA in these structures. Mammalian telomeres contain a specific protein complex, shelterin, that functions to protect chromosome ends from all aspects of the DNA damage response and regulates telomere maintenance by telomerase. Recent experiments, discussed here, have revealed how shelterin represses the ATM and ATR kinase signaling pathways and hides chromosome ends from nonhomologous end joining and homology-directed repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilhelm Palm
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA
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29
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Meyer DH, Bailis AM. Telomerase deficiency affects the formation of chromosomal translocations by homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3318. [PMID: 18830407 PMCID: PMC2553005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2008] [Accepted: 09/11/2008] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex required for the replication and protection of telomeric DNA in eukaryotes. Cells lacking telomerase undergo a progressive loss of telomeric DNA that results in loss of viability and a concomitant increase in genome instability. We have used budding yeast to investigate the relationship between telomerase deficiency and the generation of chromosomal translocations, a common characteristic of cancer cells. Telomerase deficiency increased the rate of formation of spontaneous translocations by homologous recombination involving telomere proximal sequences during crisis. However, telomerase deficiency also decreased the frequency of translocation formation following multiple HO-endonuclease catalyzed DNA double-strand breaks at telomere proximal or distal sequences before, during and after crisis. This decrease correlated with a sequestration of the central homologous recombination factor, Rad52, to telomeres determined by chromatin immuno-precipitation. This suggests that telomerase deficiency results in the sequestration of Rad52 to telomeres, limiting the capacity of the cell to repair double-strand breaks throughout the genome. Increased spontaneous translocation formation in telomerase-deficient yeast cells undergoing crisis is consistent with the increased incidence of cancer in elderly humans, as the majority of our cells lack telomerase. Decreased translocation formation by recombinational repair of double-strand breaks in telomerase-deficient yeast suggests that the reemergence of telomerase expression observed in many human tumors may further stimulate genome rearrangement. Thus, telomerase may exert a substantial effect on global genome stability, which may bear significantly on the appearance and progression of cancer in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon H. Meyer
- Division of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
- City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Adam M. Bailis
- Division of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Meyer DH, Bailis AM. Mating type influences chromosome loss and replicative senescence in telomerase-deficient budding yeast by Dnl4-dependent telomere fusion. Mol Microbiol 2008; 69:1246-54. [PMID: 18627461 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2008.06353.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As we age, the majority of our cells gradually lose the capacity to divide because of replicative senescence that results from the inability to replicate the ends of chromosomes. The timing of senescence is dependent on the length of telomeric DNA, which elicits a checkpoint signal when critically short. Critically short telomeres also become vulnerable to deleterious rearrangements, end-degradation and telomere-telomere fusions. Here we report a novel role of non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), a pathway of double-strand break repair in influencing both the kinetics of replicative senescence and the rate of chromosome loss in telomerase-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In telomerase-deficient cells, the absence of NHEJ delays replicative senescence, decreases loss of viability during senescence, and suppresses senescence-associated chromosome loss and telomere-telomere fusion. Differences in mating-type gene expression in haploid and diploid cells affect NHEJ function, resulting in distinct kinetics of replicative senescence. These results suggest that the differences in the kinetics of replicative senescence in haploid and diploid telomerase-deficient yeast are determined by changes in NHEJ-dependent telomere fusion, perhaps through the initiation of the breakage-fusion-bridge cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon H Meyer
- Division of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, and City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, CA 91010-0269, USA
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31
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Marcand S, Pardo B, Gratias A, Cahun S, Callebaut I. Multiple pathways inhibit NHEJ at telomeres. Genes Dev 2008; 22:1153-8. [PMID: 18451106 DOI: 10.1101/gad.455108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway is inhibited at telomeres, preventing chromosome fusion. In budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Rap1 protein directly binds the telomere sequences and is required for NHEJ inhibition. Here we show that the Rap1 C-terminal domain establishes two parallel inhibitory pathways through the proteins Rif2 and Sir4. In addition, the central domain of Rap1 inhibits NHEJ independently of Rif2 and Sir4. Thus, Rap1 establishes several independent pathways to prevent telomere fusions. We discuss a possible mechanism that would explain Rif2 multifunctionality at telomeres and the recent evolutionary origin of Rif2 from an origin recognition complex (ORC) subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Marcand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifque UMR 217, Institut de Radiobiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, CEA/Fontenay, 92265 Fontenay-aux-roses cedex, France.
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32
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Abstract
Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) can be a driving force in the evolution of mitotic/somatic diploid cells, and cellular changes that increase the rate of LOH have been proposed to facilitate this process. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, spontaneous LOH occurs by a number of mechanisms including chromosome loss and reciprocal and nonreciprocal recombination. We performed a screen in diploid yeast to identify mutants with increased rates of LOH using the collection of homozygous deletion alleles of nonessential genes. Increased LOH was quantified at three loci (MET15, SAM2, and MAT) on three different chromosomes, and the LOH events were analyzed as to whether they were reciprocal or nonreciprocal in nature. Nonreciprocal LOH was further characterized as chromosome loss or truncation, a local mutational event (gene conversion or point mutation), or break-induced replication (BIR). The 61 mutants identified could be divided into several groups, including ones that had locus-specific effects. Mutations in genes involved in DNA replication and chromatin assembly led to LOH predominantly via reciprocal recombination. In contrast, nonreciprocal LOH events with increased chromosome loss largely resulted from mutations in genes implicated in kinetochore function, sister chromatid cohesion, or relatively late steps of DNA recombination. Mutants of genes normally involved in early steps of DNA damage repair and signaling produced nonreciprocal LOH without an increased proportion of chromosome loss. Altogether, this study defines a genetic landscape for the basis of increased LOH and the processes by which it occurs.
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33
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Vega LR, Phillips JA, Thornton BR, Benanti JA, Onigbanjo MT, Toczyski DP, Zakian VA. Sensitivity of yeast strains with long G-tails to levels of telomere-bound telomerase. PLoS Genet 2007; 3:e105. [PMID: 17590086 PMCID: PMC1892048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.0030105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2006] [Accepted: 05/11/2007] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pif1p helicase is a negative regulator of telomere length that acts by removing telomerase from chromosome ends. The catalytic subunit of yeast telomerase, Est2p, is telomere associated throughout most of the cell cycle, with peaks of association in both G1 phase (when telomerase is not active) and late S/G2 phase (when telomerase is active). The G1 association of Est2p requires a specific interaction between Ku and telomerase RNA. In mutants lacking this interaction, telomeres were longer in the absence of Pif1p than in the presence of wild-type PIF1, indicating that endogenous Pif1p inhibits the active S/G2 form of telomerase. Pif1p abundance was cell cycle regulated, low in G1 and early S phase and peaking late in the cell cycle. Low Pif1p abundance in G1 phase was anaphase-promoting complex dependent. Thus, endogenous Pif1p is unlikely to act on G1 bound Est2p. Overexpression of Pif1p from a non-cell cycle-regulated promoter dramatically reduced viability in five strains with impaired end protection (cdc13-1, yku80Delta, yku70Delta, yku80-1, and yku80-4), all of which have longer single-strand G-tails than wild-type cells. This reduced viability was suppressed by deleting the EXO1 gene, which encodes a nuclease that acts at compromised telomeres, suggesting that the removal of telomerase by Pif1p exposed telomeres to further C-strand degradation. Consistent with this interpretation, depletion of Pif1p, which increases the amount of telomere-bound telomerase, suppressed the temperature sensitivity of yku70Delta and cdc13-1 cells. Furthermore, eliminating the pathway that recruits Est2p to telomeres in G1 phase in a cdc13-1 strain also reduced viability. These data suggest that wild-type levels of telomere-bound telomerase are critical for the viability of strains whose telomeres are already susceptible to degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia R Vega
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jane A Phillips
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Brian R Thornton
- Cancer Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A Benanti
- Cancer Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco California, United States of America
| | - Mutiat T Onigbanjo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - David P Toczyski
- Cancer Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco California, United States of America
| | - Virginia A Zakian
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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34
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The role of Stn1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomere capping can be separated from its interaction with Cdc13p. Genetics 2007; 177:1459-74. [PMID: 17947422 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.078840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of telomeres is twofold: to facilitate complete chromosome replication and to protect chromosome ends against fusions and illegitimate recombination. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, interactions among Cdc13p, Stn1p, and Ten1p are thought to be critical for promoting these processes. We have identified distinct Stn1p domains that mediate interaction with either Ten1p or Cdc13p, allowing analysis of whether the interaction between Cdc13p and Stn1p is indeed essential for telomere capping or length regulation. Consistent with the model that the Stn1p essential function is to promote telomere end protection through Cdc13p, stn1 alleles that truncate the C-terminal 123 residues fail to interact with Cdc13p and do not support viability when expressed at endogenous levels. Remarkably, more extensive deletions that remove an additional 185 C-terminal residues from Stn1p now allow cell growth at endogenous expression levels. The viability of these stn1-t alleles improves with increasing expression level, indicating that increased stn1-t dosage can compensate for the loss of Cdc13p-Stn1p interaction. However, telomere length is misregulated at all expression levels. Thus, an amino-terminal region of Stn1p is sufficient for its essential function, while a central region of Stn1p either negatively regulates the STN1 essential function or destabilizes the mutant Stn1 protein.
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35
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Zellinger B, Akimcheva S, Puizina J, Schirato M, Riha K. Ku suppresses formation of telomeric circles and alternative telomere lengthening in Arabidopsis. Mol Cell 2007; 27:163-9. [PMID: 17612498 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2007.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2006] [Revised: 03/29/2007] [Accepted: 05/25/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres in mammals and plants are protected by the terminal t loop structure, the formation of which parallels the first steps of intrachromatid homologous recombination (HR). Under some circumstances, cells can also utilize an HR-based mechanism (alternative lengthening of telomeres [ALT]) as a back-up pathway for telomere maintenance. We have found that the Ku70/80 heterodimer, a central nonhomologous end-joining DNA repair factor, inhibits engagement of ALT in Arabidopsis telomerase-negative cells. To further assess HR activities at telomeres, we have developed a sensitive assay for detecting extrachromosomal telomeric circles (t circles) that may arise from t loop resolution and aberrant HR. We show that Ku70/80 specifically inhibits circle formation at telomeres, but not at centromeric and rDNA repeats. Ku inactivation results in increased formation of t circles that represent approximately 4% of total telomeric DNA. However, telomeres in ku mutants are fully functional, indicating that telomerase efficiently heals ongoing terminal deletions arising from excision of the t circles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Zellinger
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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36
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Tsolou A, Lydall D. Mrc1 protects uncapped budding yeast telomeres from exonuclease EXO1. DNA Repair (Amst) 2007; 6:1607-17. [PMID: 17618841 PMCID: PMC2077361 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2007.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2007] [Revised: 05/18/2007] [Accepted: 05/22/2007] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mrc1 (Mediator of Replication Checkpoint 1) is a component of the DNA replication fork machinery and is necessary for checkpoint activation after replication stress. In this study, we addressed the role of Mrc1 at uncapped telomeres. Our experiments show that Mrc1 contributes to the vitality of both cdc13-1 and yku70Δ telomere capping mutants. Cells with telomere capping defects containing MRC1 or mrc1AQ, a checkpoint defective allele, exhibit similar growth, suggesting growth defects of cdc13-1 mrc1Δ are not due to checkpoint defects. This is in accordance with Mrc1-independent Rad53 activation after telomere uncapping. Poor growth of cdc13-1 mutants in the absence of Mrc1 is a result of enhanced single stranded DNA accumulation at uncapped telomeres. Consistent with this, deletion of EXO1, encoding a nuclease that contributes to single stranded DNA accumulation after telomere uncapping, improves growth of cdc13-1 mrc1Δ strains and decreases ssDNA production. Our observations show that Mrc1, a core component of the replication fork, plays an important role in telomere capping, protecting from nucleases and checkpoint pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Lydall
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 191 256 3449; fax: +44 191 256 3445.
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Negrini S, Ribaud V, Bianchi A, Shore D. DNA breaks are masked by multiple Rap1 binding in yeast: implications for telomere capping and telomerase regulation. Genes Dev 2007; 21:292-302. [PMID: 17289918 PMCID: PMC1785115 DOI: 10.1101/gad.400907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells distinguish their chromosome ends from accidental DNA double-strand breaks by packaging them in a protective structure referred to as the telomere "cap." Here we investigate the nature of the telomere cap by examining events at DNA breaks generated adjacent to either natural telomeric sequences (TG repeats) or arrays of Rap1-binding sites that vary in length. Although DNA breaks adjacent to either short or long telomeric sequences are efficiently converted into stable telomeres, they elicit very different initial responses. Short telomeric sequences (80 base pair [bp]) are avidly bound by Mre11, as well as the telomere capping protein Cdc13 and telomerase enzyme, consistent with their rapid telomerase-dependent elongation. Surprisingly, little or no Mre11 binding is detected at long telomere tracts (250 bp), and this is correlated with reduced Cdc13 and telomerase binding. Consistent with these observations, ends with long telomere tracts undergo strongly reduced exonucleolytic resection and display limited binding by both Rpa1 and Mec1, suggesting that they fail to elicit a checkpoint response. Rap1 binding is required for end concealment at long tracts, but Rif proteins, yKu, and Cdc13 are not. These results shed light on the nature of the telomere cap and mechanisms that regulate telomerase access at chromosome ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Negrini
- Department of Molecular Biology and National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR) Program ‘Frontiers in Genetics,’ University of Geneva, Geneva 4, 1211 Switzerland
| | - Virginie Ribaud
- Department of Molecular Biology and National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR) Program ‘Frontiers in Genetics,’ University of Geneva, Geneva 4, 1211 Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Bianchi
- Department of Molecular Biology and National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR) Program ‘Frontiers in Genetics,’ University of Geneva, Geneva 4, 1211 Switzerland
| | - David Shore
- Department of Molecular Biology and National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR) Program ‘Frontiers in Genetics,’ University of Geneva, Geneva 4, 1211 Switzerland
- Corresponding author.E-MAIL ; FAX 41-22-379-6868
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38
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Riha K, Heacock ML, Shippen DE. The role of the nonhomologous end-joining DNA double-strand break repair pathway in telomere biology. Annu Rev Genet 2007; 40:237-77. [PMID: 16822175 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genet.39.110304.095755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Double-strand breaks are a cataclysmic threat to genome integrity. In higher eukaryotes the predominant recourse is the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) double-strand break repair pathway. NHEJ is a versatile mechanism employing the Ku heterodimer, ligase IV/XRCC4 and a host of other proteins that juxtapose two free DNA ends for ligation. A critical function of telomeres is their ability to distinguish the ends of linear chromosomes from double-strand breaks, and avoid NHEJ. Telomeres accomplish this feat by forming a unique higher order nucleoprotein structure. Paradoxically, key components of NHEJ associate with normal telomeres and are required for proper length regulation and end protection. Here we review the biochemical mechanism of NHEJ in double-strand break repair, and in the response to dysfunctional telomeres. We discuss the ways in which NHEJ proteins contribute to telomere biology, and highlight how the NHEJ machinery and the telomere complex are evolving to maintain genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Riha
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
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39
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Carter SD, Iyer S, Xu J, McEachern MJ, Aström SU. The role of nonhomologous end-joining components in telomere metabolism in Kluyveromyces lactis. Genetics 2007; 175:1035-45. [PMID: 17237517 PMCID: PMC1840097 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.106.067447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2006] [Accepted: 12/27/2006] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between telomeres and nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is paradoxical, as NHEJ proteins are part of the telomere cap, which serves to differentiate telomeres from DNA double-strand breaks. We explored these contradictory functions for NHEJ proteins by investigating their role in Kluyveromyces lactis telomere metabolism. The ter1-4LBsr allele of the TER1 gene resulted in the introduction of sequence altered telomeric repeats and subsequent telomere-telomere fusions (T-TFs). In this background, Lig4 and Ku80 were necessary for T-TFs to form. Nej1, essential for NHEJ at internal positions, was not. Hence, T-TF formation was mediated by an unusual NHEJ mechanism. Rad50 and mre11 strains exhibited stable short telomeres, suggesting that Rad50 and Mre11 were required for telomerase recruitment. Introduction of the ter1-4LBsr allele into these strains failed to result in telomere elongation as normally observed with the ter1-4LBsr allele. Thus, the role of Rad50 and Mre11 in the formation of T-TFs was unclear. Furthermore, rad50 and mre11 mutants had highly increased subtelomeric recombination rates, while ku80 and lig4 mutants displayed moderate increases. Ku80 mutant strains also contained extended single-stranded 3' telomeric overhangs. We concluded that NHEJ proteins have multiple roles at telomeres, mediating fusions of mutant telomeres and ensuring end protection of normal telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidney D Carter
- Department of Developmental Biology/Wenner-gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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40
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Grandin N, Charbonneau M. Mrc1, a non-essential DNA replication protein, is required for telomere end protection following loss of capping by Cdc13, Yku or telomerase. Mol Genet Genomics 2007; 277:685-99. [PMID: 17323081 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-007-0218-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2006] [Accepted: 01/25/2007] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Proteins involved in telomere end protection have previously been identified. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cdc13, Yku and telomerase, mainly, prevent telomere uncapping, thus providing telomere stability and avoiding degradation and death by senescence. Here, we report that in the absence of Mrc1, a component of the replication forks, telomeres of cdc13 or yku70 mutants exhibited increased degradation, while telomerase-negative cells displayed accelerated senescence. Moreover, deletion of MRC1 increased the single-strandedness of the telomeres in cdc13-1 and yku70Delta mutant strains. An mrc1 deletion strain also exhibited slight but stable telomere shortening compared to a wild-type strain. Loss of Mrc1's checkpoint function alone did not provoke synthetic growth defects in combination with the cdc13-1 mutation. Combinations between the cdc13-1 mutation and deletion of either TOF1 or PSY2, coding for proteins physically interacting with Mrc1, also resulted in a synthetic growth defect. Thus, the present data suggest that non-essential components of the DNA replication machinery, such as Mrc1 and Tof1, may have a role in telomere stability in addition to their role in fork progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Grandin
- UMR CNRS no 5161, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, IFR128 BioSciences Gerland, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon, France
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41
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Abstract
When a telomere becomes unprotected or if only one end of a chromosomal double-strand break succeeds in recombining with a template sequence, DNA can be repaired by a recombination-dependent DNA replication process termed break-induced replication (BIR). In budding yeasts, there are two BIR pathways, one dependent on the Rad51 recombinase protein and one Rad51 independent; these two repair processes lead to different types of survivors in cells lacking the telomerase enzyme that is required for normal telomere maintenance. Recombination at telomeres is triggered by either excessive telomere shortening or disruptions in the function of telomere-binding proteins. Telomere elongation by BIR appears to often occur through a "roll and spread" mechanism. In this process, a telomeric circle produced by recombination at a dysfunctional telomere acts as a template for a rolling circle BIR event to form an elongated telomere. Additional BIR events can then copy the elongated sequence to all other telomeres.
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42
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Meyer DH, Bailis AM. Telomere dysfunction drives increased mutation by error-prone polymerases Rev1 and zeta in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 2006; 175:1533-7. [PMID: 17151233 PMCID: PMC1840081 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.106.068130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a model system, we have shown that replicative senescence is accompanied by a 16-fold increase in base substitution and frameshift mutations near a chromosome end. The increase was dependent on error-prone polymerases required for the mutagenic response to DNA lesions that block the replication fork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon H Meyer
- Division of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010-0269, USA
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43
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Celli GB, Denchi EL, de Lange T. Ku70 stimulates fusion of dysfunctional telomeres yet protects chromosome ends from homologous recombination. Nat Cell Biol 2006; 8:885-90. [PMID: 16845382 DOI: 10.1038/ncb1444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2006] [Accepted: 05/04/2006] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Ku70-Ku80 heterodimers promote the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) of DNA breaks and, as shown here, the fusion of dysfunctional telomeres. Paradoxically, this heterodimer is also located at functional mammalian telomeres and interacts with components of shelterin, the protein complex that protects telomeres. To determine whether Ku contributes to telomere protection, we analysed Ku70(-/-) mouse cells. Telomeres of Ku70(-/-) cells had a normal DNA structure and did not activate a DNA damage signal. However, Ku70 repressed exchanges between sister telomeres - a form of homologous recombination implicated in the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Sister telomere exchanges occurred at approximately 15% of the chromosome ends when Ku70 and the telomeric protein TRF2 were absent. Combined deficiency of TRF2 and another NHEJ factor, DNA ligase IV, did not elicit this phenotype. Sister telomere exchanges were not elevated at telomeres with functional TRF2, indicating that TRF2 and Ku70 act in parallel to repress recombination. We conclude that mammalian chromosome ends are highly susceptible to homologous recombination, which can endanger cell viability if an unequal exchange generates a critically shortened telomere. Therefore, Ku- and TRF2-mediated repression of homologous recombination is an important aspect of telomere protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia B Celli
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
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44
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Foster SS, Zubko MK, Guillard S, Lydall D. MRX protects telomeric DNA at uncapped telomeres of budding yeast cdc13-1 mutants. DNA Repair (Amst) 2006; 5:840-51. [PMID: 16765654 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2006.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2006] [Revised: 04/07/2006] [Accepted: 04/19/2006] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
MRX, an evolutionally conserved DNA damage response complex composed of Mre11, Rad50 and Xrs2, is involved in DNA double strand break (DSB) repair, checkpoint activation and telomere maintenance. At DSBs, MRX plays a role in generating single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and signalling cell cycle arrest. Here we investigated whether MRX also contributes to generating ssDNA or signalling cell cycle arrest at uncapped telomeres. To investigate the role of MRX, we generated a conditionally degradable Rad50 protein and combined this with cdc13-1, a temperature sensitive mutation in the Cdc13 telomere capping protein. We show that Rad50 does not contribute to ssDNA generation or cell cycle arrest in response to cdcl3-1 uncapped telomeres. Instead, we find that Rad50 inhibits ssDNA accumulation and promotes cdc13-1 cell viability, consistent with a major role for MRX in telomere capping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven S Foster
- Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle, Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Biogerontology Research, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE, UK
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45
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Downey M, Houlsworth R, Maringele L, Rollie A, Brehme M, Galicia S, Guillard S, Partington M, Zubko MK, Krogan NJ, Emili A, Greenblatt JF, Harrington L, Lydall D, Durocher D. A genome-wide screen identifies the evolutionarily conserved KEOPS complex as a telomere regulator. Cell 2006; 124:1155-68. [PMID: 16564010 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2005] [Revised: 11/23/2005] [Accepted: 12/27/2005] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Telomere capping is the essential function of telomeres. To identify new genes involved in telomere capping, we carried out a genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for suppressors of cdc13-1, an allele of the telomere-capping protein Cdc13. We report the identification of five novel suppressors, including the previously uncharacterized gene YML036W, which we name CGI121. Cgi121 is part of a conserved protein complex -- the KEOPS complex -- containing the protein kinase Bud32, the putative peptidase Kae1, and the uncharacterized protein Gon7. Deletion of CGI121 suppresses cdc13-1 via the dramatic reduction in ssDNA levels that accumulate in cdc13-1 cgi121 mutants. Deletion of BUD32 or other KEOPS components leads to short telomeres and a failure to add telomeres de novo to DNA double-strand breaks. Our results therefore indicate that the KEOPS complex promotes both telomere uncapping and telomere elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Downey
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
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46
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Feldser D, Strong MA, Greider CW. Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (Atm) is not required for telomerase-mediated elongation of short telomeres. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:2249-51. [PMID: 16467146 PMCID: PMC1413760 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0511143103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase-mediated telomere addition counteracts telomere shortening due to incomplete DNA replication. Short telomeres are the preferred substrate for telomere addition by telomerase; however, the mechanism by which telomerase recognizes short telomeres is unclear. In yeast, the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (Atm) homolog, Tel1, is necessary for normal telomere length regulation likely by altering telomere structure, allowing telomerase recruitment to short telomeres. To examine the role of Atm in establishing preference for elongation of short telomeres in mice, we examined telomerase-mediated elongation of short dysfunctional telomeres in the presence or absence of Atm. Here we show that Atm is dispensable for elongation of short telomeres by telomerase, suggesting that telomerase recruitment in mammalian cells and in yeast may be regulated differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Feldser
- *Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and
- Graduate Program in Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21025
| | | | - Carol W. Greider
- *Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at:
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 603 Preclinical Teaching Building, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21025. E-mail:
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47
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Pennaneach V, Putnam CD, Kolodner RD. Chromosome healing byde novotelomere addition inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Microbiol 2006; 59:1357-68. [PMID: 16468981 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05026.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The repair of spontaneous or induced DNA damage by homologous recombination (HR) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae will suppress chromosome rearrangements. Alternative chromosome healing pathways can result in chromosomal instability. One of these pathways is de novo telomere addition where the end of a broken chromosome is stabilized by telomerase-dependent addition of telomeres at non-telomeric sites. De novo telomere addition requires the recruitment of telomerase to chromosomal targets. Subsequently, annealing of the telomerase reverse transcriptase RNA-template (guide RNA) at short regions of homology is followed by extension of the nascent 3'-end of the broken chromosome to copy a short region of the telomerase guide RNA; multiple cycles of this process yield the new telomere. Proteins including Pif1 helicase, the single-stranded DNA-binding protein Cdc13 and the Ku heterocomplex are known to participate in native telomere functions and also regulate the de novo telomere addition reaction. Studies of the sequences added at de novo telomeres have lead to a detailed description of the annealing-extension-dissociation cycles that copy the telomerase guide RNA, which can explain the heterogeneity of telomeric repeats at de novo and native telomeres in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Pennaneach
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 92093-0669, USA
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48
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Gallego ME, White CI. DNA repair and recombination functions in Arabidopsis telomere maintenance. Chromosome Res 2005; 13:481-91. [PMID: 16132813 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-005-0995-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss recent advances in the knowledge of plant telomere maintenance, focusing on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and, in particular, on the roles of proteins involved in DNA repair and recombination. The question of the interrelationships between DNA repair and recombination pathways and proteins with telomere function and maintenance is of increasing interest and has been the subject of a number of recent reviews (Cech 2004, d'Adda di Fagagna et al. 2004, Hande 2004, Harrington 2004, Maser and DePinho 2004). Understanding of telomere biology, DNA repair and recombination in plants has rapidly progressed over the last decade, substantially due to genetic approaches in Arabidopsis, and we feel that this is an appropriate time to review current knowledge in this field. A number of recent reviews have dealt more generally with the subject of plant telomere structure and evolution (Riha et al. 2001, McKnight et al. 2002, Riha and Shippen 2003b, McKnight and Shippen 2004, Fajkus et al. 2005) and we thus focus specifically on plant telomere biology in the context of DNA repair and recombination in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Gallego
- UMR 6547 CNRS, Université Blaise Pascal, 24 avenue des Landais, 63177 Aubière, France
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49
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Fisher TS, Zakian VA. Ku: A multifunctional protein involved in telomere maintenance. DNA Repair (Amst) 2005; 4:1215-26. [PMID: 15979949 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2005.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2004] [Accepted: 04/08/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The DNA-binding protein Ku plays a critical role in a variety of cellular processes, including the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks and V(D)J recombination. Paradoxically, while Ku is required for double-stranded break repair by non-homologous end-joining, in many organisms, Ku is also associated with telomeres. Although telomeres are naturally occurring double-stranded DNA breaks, one of their first identified functions is to protect chromosomes from end-to-end fusions, a process that is promoted by non-homologous end-joining. While located at telomeres, Ku appears to play several important roles, including: (1) regulating telomere addition, (2) protecting telomeres from recombination and nucleolytic degradation, (3) promoting transcriptional silencing of telomere-proximal genes and (4) nuclear positioning of telomeres. Here, we review the role of Ku at telomeres in the model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and compare and contrast it to the roles of Ku at telomeres in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Fisher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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50
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Iyer S, Chadha AD, McEachern MJ. A mutation in the STN1 gene triggers an alternative lengthening of telomere-like runaway recombinational telomere elongation and rapid deletion in yeast. Mol Cell Biol 2005; 25:8064-73. [PMID: 16135798 PMCID: PMC1234331 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.25.18.8064-8073.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2005] [Revised: 05/13/2005] [Accepted: 07/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Some human cancer cells achieve immortalization by using a recombinational mechanism termed ALT (alternative lengthening of telomeres). A characteristic feature of ALT cells is the presence of extremely long and heterogeneous telomeres. The molecular mechanism triggering and maintaining this pathway is currently unknown. In Kluyveromyces lactis, we have identified a novel allele of the STN1 gene that produces a runaway ALT-like telomeric phenotype by recombination despite the presence of an active telomerase pathway. Additionally, stn1-M1 cells are synthetically lethal in combination with rad52 and display chronic growth and telomere capping defects including extensive 3' single-stranded telomere DNA and highly elevated subtelomere gene conversion. Strikingly, stn1-M1 cells undergo a very high rate of telomere rapid deletion (TRD) upon reintroduction of STN1. Our results suggest that the protein encoded by STN1, which protects the terminal 3' telomere DNA, can regulate both ALT and TRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Iyer
- Department of Genetics, Fred C. Davison Life Science Complex, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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