Vertebrate CTF18 and DDX11 essential function in cohesion is bypassed by preventing WAPL-mediated cohesin release

N6-methyladenosine dynamics in placental development and trophoblast functions, and its potential role in placental diseases

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification controlling RNA metabolism and cellular functions, but its roles in placental development are still poorly understood. Here, we characterized the synchronization of m6A modifications and placental functions by mapping the m6A methylome in human placentas (n = 3, each trimester), revealing that the dynamic patterns of m6A were associated with gene expression homeostasis and different biological pathways in placental development. Then, we generated trophoblast-specific knockout mice of Wtap, a critical component of methyltransferase complex, and demonstrated that Wtap was essential for trophoblast proliferation, placentation and perinatal growth. Further in vitro experiments which includes cell viability assays and series molecular binding assays demonstrated that WTAP-m6A-IGF2BP3 axis regulated the RNA stability and translation of Anillin (ANLN) and VEGFA, promoting trophoblast proliferation and secretion. Dysregulation of this regulatory axis was observed in placentas from pregnancies with fetal growth restriction (FGR) or preeclampsia, revealing the pathogenic effects of imbalanced m6A modifications. Therefore, our findings provide novel insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of m6A modifications in placental development and placental-related gestational diseases.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of both STAT5A and STAT5B is necessary for maximal IL-2 signaling and T cell proliferation

Cytokine-mediated STAT5 protein activation is vital for lymphocyte development and function. In vitro tyrosine phosphorylation of a C-terminal tyrosine is critical for activation of STAT5A and STAT5B; however, the importance of STAT5 tyrosine phosphorylation in vivo has not been assessed. Here we generate Stat5a and Stat5b tyrosine-to-phenylalanine mutant knockin mice and find they have greatly reduced CD8+ T-cell numbers and profoundly diminished IL-2-induced proliferation of these cells, and this correlates with reduced induction of Myc, pRB, a range of cyclins and CDKs, and a partial G1→S phase-transition block. These mutant CD8+ T cells also exhibit decreased IL-2-mediated activation of pERK and pAKT, which we attribute in part to diminished expression of IL-2Rβ and IL-2Rγ. Our findings thus demonstrate that tyrosine phosphorylation of both STAT5A and STAT5B is essential for maximal IL-2 signaling. Moreover, our transcriptomic and proteomic analyses elucidate the molecular basis of the IL-2-induced proliferation of CD8+ T cells.

RAD18- and BRCA1-dependent pathways promote cellular tolerance to the nucleoside analog ganciclovir

Ganciclovir (GCV) is a clinically important drug as it is used to treat viral infections. GCV is incorporated into the DNA during replication, where it interferes with subsequent replication on GCV-incorporated templates. However, the effects of GCV on the host genome and the mechanisms underlying cellular tolerance to GCV remain unclear. In this study, we explored these mechanisms using a collection of mutant DT40 cells. We identified RAD17/-, BRCA1-/-, and RAD18-/- cells as highly GCV-sensitive. RAD17, a component of the alternative checkpoint-clamp loader RAD17-RFC, was required for the activation of the intra-S checkpoint following GCV treatment. BRCA1, a critical factor for promoting homologous recombination (HR), was required for suppressing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Moreover, RAD18, an E3-ligase involved in DNA repair, was critical in suppressing the aberrant ligation of broken chromosomes caused by GCV. We found that BRCA1 suppresses DSBs through HR-mediated repair and template switching (TS)-mediated damage bypass. Moreover, the strong GCV sensitivity of BRCA1-/- cells was rescued by the loss of 53BP1, despite the only partial restoration in the sister chromatid exchange events which are hallmarks of HR. These results indicate that BRCA1 promotes cellular tolerance to GCV through two mechanisms, TS and HR-mediated repair.

The multifaceted roles of the Ctf4 replisome hub in the maintenance of genome integrity

At the core of cellular life lies a carefully orchestrated interplay of DNA replication, recombination, chromatin assembly, sister-chromatid cohesion and transcription. These fundamental processes, while seemingly discrete, are inextricably linked during genome replication. A set of replisome factors integrate various DNA transactions and contribute to the transient formation of sister chromatid junctions involving either the cohesin complex or DNA four-way junctions. The latter structures serve DNA damage bypass and may have additional roles in replication fork stabilization or in marking regions of replication fork blockage. Here, we will discuss these concepts based on the ability of one replisome component, Ctf4, to act as a hub and functionally link these processes during DNA replication to ensure genome maintenance.

REV3 promotes cellular tolerance to 5-fluorodeoxyuridine by activating translesion DNA synthesis and intra-S checkpoint

The drug floxuridine (5-fluorodeoxyuridine, FUdR) is an active metabolite of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). It converts to 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP) and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine triphosphate (FdUTP), which on incorporation into the genome inhibits DNA replication. Additionally, it inhibits thymidylate synthase, causing dTMP shortage while increasing dUMP availability, which induces uracil incorporation into the genome. However, the mechanisms underlying cellular tolerance to FUdR are yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying cellular resistance to FUdR by screening for FUdR hypersensitive mutants from a collection of DT40 mutants deficient in each genomic maintenance system. We identified REV3, which is involved in translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), to be a critical factor in FUdR tolerance. Replication using a FUdR-damaged template was attenuated in REV3-/- cells, indicating that the TLS function of REV3 is required to maintain replication on the FUdR-damaged template. Notably, FUdR-exposed REV3-/- cells exhibited defective cell cycle arrest in the early S phase, suggesting that REV3 is involved in intra-S checkpoint activation. Furthermore, REV3-/- cells showed defects in Chk1 phosphorylation, which is required for checkpoint activation, but the survival of FUdR-exposed REV3-/- cells was further reduced by the inhibition of Chk1 or ATR. These data indicate that REV3 mediates DNA checkpoint activation at least through Chk1 phosphorylation, but this signal acts in parallel with ATR-Chk1 DNA damage checkpoint pathway. Collectively, we reveal a previously unappreciated role of REV3 in FUdR tolerance.

Dominant roles of BRCA1 in cellular tolerance to a chain-terminating nucleoside analog, alovudine

Alovudine is a chain-terminating nucleoside analog (CTNA) that is frequently used as an antiviral and anticancer agent. Generally, CTNAs inhibit DNA replication after their incorporation into nascent DNA during DNA synthesis by suppressing subsequent polymerization, which restricts the proliferation of viruses and cancer cells. Alovudine is a thymidine analog used as an antiviral drug. However, the mechanisms underlying the removal of alovudine and DNA damage tolerance pathways involved in cellular resistance to alovudine remain unclear. Here, we explored the DNA damage tolerance pathways responsible for cellular tolerance to alovudine and found that BRCA1-deficient cells exhibited the highest sensitivity to alovudine. Moreover, alovudine interfered with DNA replication in two distinct mechanisms: first: alovudine incorporated at the end of nascent DNA interfered with subsequent DNA synthesis; second: DNA replication stalled on the alovudine-incorporated template strand. Additionally, BRCA1 facilitated the removal of the incorporated alovudine from nascent DNA, and BRCA1-mediated homologous recombination (HR) contributed to the progressive replication on the alovudine-incorporated template. Thus, we have elucidated the previously unappreciated mechanism of alovudine-mediated inhibition of DNA replication and the role of BRCA1 in cellular tolerance to alovudine.

Cryo-EM reveals a nearly complete PCNA loading process and unique features of the human alternative clamp loader CTF18-RFC

The DNA sliding clamp PCNA is a multipurpose platform for DNA polymerases and many other proteins involved in DNA metabolism. The topologically closed PCNA ring needs to be cracked open and loaded onto DNA by a clamp loader, e.g., the well-studied pentameric ATPase complex RFC (RFC1-5). The CTF18-RFC complex is an alternative clamp loader found recently to bind the leading strand DNA polymerase ε and load PCNA onto leading strand DNA, but its structure and the loading mechanism have been unknown. By cryo-EM analysis of in vitro assembled human CTF18-RFC-DNA-PCNA complex, we have captured seven loading intermediates, revealing a detailed PCNA loading mechanism onto a 3'-ss/dsDNA junction by CTF18-RFC. Interestingly, the alternative loader has evolved a highly mobile CTF18 AAA+ module likely to lower the loading activity, perhaps to avoid competition with the RFC and to limit its role to leading strand clamp loading. To compensate for the lost stability due to the mobile AAA+ module, CTF18 has evolved a unique β-hairpin motif that reaches across RFC2 to interact with RFC5, thereby stabilizing the pentameric complex. Further, we found that CTF18 also contains a separation pin to locally melt DNA from the 3'-end of the primer; this ensures its ability to load PCNA to any 3'-ss/dsDNA junction, facilitated by the binding energy of the E-plug to the major groove. Our study reveals unique structural features of the human CTF18-RFC and contributes to a broader understanding of PCNA loading by the alternative clamp loaders.

The proofreading exonuclease of leading-strand DNA polymerase epsilon prevents replication fork collapse at broken template strands

Leading-strand DNA replication by polymerase epsilon (Polϵ) across single-strand breaks (SSBs) causes single-ended double-strand breaks (seDSBs), which are repaired via homology-directed repair (HDR) and suppressed by fork reversal (FR). Although previous studies identified many molecules required for hydroxyurea-induced FR, FR at seDSBs is poorly understood. Here, we identified molecules that specifically mediate FR at seDSBs. Because FR at seDSBs requires poly(ADP ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP1), we hypothesized that seDSB/FR-associated molecules would increase tolerance to camptothecin (CPT) but not the PARP inhibitor olaparib, even though both anti-cancer agents generate seDSBs. Indeed, we uncovered that Polϵ exonuclease and CTF18, a Polϵ cofactor, increased tolerance to CPT but not olaparib. To explore potential functional interactions between Polϵ exonuclease, CTF18, and PARP1, we created exonuclease-deficient POLE1exo-/-, CTF18-/-, PARP1-/-, CTF18-/-/POLE1exo-/-, PARP1-/-/POLE1exo-/-, and CTF18-/-/PARP1-/- cells. Epistasis analysis indicated that Polϵ exonuclease and CTF18 were interdependent and required PARP1 for CPT tolerance. Remarkably, POLE1exo-/- and HDR-deficient BRCA1-/- cells exhibited similar CPT sensitivity. Moreover, combining POLE1exo-/- with BRCA1-/- mutations synergistically increased CPT sensitivity. In conclusion, the newly identified PARP1-CTF18-Polϵ exonuclease axis and HDR act independently to prevent fork collapse at seDSBs. Olaparib inhibits this axis, explaining the pronounced cytotoxic effects of olaparib on HDR-deficient cells.

CRISPR screens in sister chromatid cohesion defective cells reveal PAXIP1-PAGR1 as regulator of chromatin association of cohesin

The cohesin complex regulates higher order chromosome architecture through maintaining sister chromatid cohesion and folding chromatin by DNA loop extrusion. Impaired cohesin function underlies a heterogeneous group of genetic syndromes and is associated with cancer. Here, we mapped the genetic dependencies of human cell lines defective of cohesion regulators DDX11 and ESCO2. The obtained synthetic lethality networks are strongly enriched for genes involved in DNA replication and mitosis and support the existence of parallel sister chromatid cohesion establishment pathways. Among the hits, we identify the chromatin binding, BRCT-domain containing protein PAXIP1 as a novel cohesin regulator. Depletion of PAXIP1 severely aggravates cohesion defects in ESCO2 mutant cells, leading to mitotic cell death. PAXIP1 promotes global chromatin association of cohesin, independent of DNA replication, a function that cannot be explained by indirect effects of PAXIP1 on transcription or DNA repair. Cohesin regulation by PAXIP1 requires its binding partner PAGR1 and a conserved FDF motif in PAGR1. PAXIP1 co-localizes with cohesin on multiple genomic loci, including active gene promoters and enhancers. Possibly, this newly identified role of PAXIP1-PAGR1 in regulating cohesin occupancy on chromatin is also relevant for previously described functions of PAXIP1 in transcription, immune cell maturation and DNA repair.

PCNA recruits cohesin loader Scc2 to ensure sister chromatid cohesion

Sister chromatid cohesion, established during replication by the ring-shaped multiprotein complex cohesin, is essential for faithful chromosome segregation. Replisome-associated proteins are required to generate cohesion by two independent pathways. One mediates conversion of cohesins bound to unreplicated DNA ahead of replication forks into cohesive entities behind them, while the second promotes cohesin de novo loading onto newly replicated DNA. The latter process depends on the cohesin loader Scc2 (NIPBL in vertebrates) and the alternative PCNA loader CTF18-RFC. However, the mechanism of de novo cohesin loading during replication is unknown. Here we show that PCNA physically recruits the yeast cohesin loader Scc2 via its C-terminal PCNA-interacting protein motif. Binding to PCNA is crucial, as the scc2-pip mutant deficient in Scc2-PCNA interaction is defective in cohesion when combined with replisome mutants of the cohesin conversion pathway. Importantly, the role of NIPBL recruitment to PCNA for cohesion generation is conserved in vertebrate cells.

Genome control by SMC complexes

Many cellular processes require large-scale rearrangements of chromatin structure. Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes are molecular machines that can provide structure to chromatin. These complexes can connect DNA elements in cis, walk along DNA, build and processively enlarge DNA loops and connect DNA molecules in trans to hold together the sister chromatids. These DNA-shaping abilities place SMC complexes at the heart of many DNA-based processes, including chromosome segregation in mitosis, transcription control and DNA replication, repair and recombination. In this Review, we discuss the latest insights into how SMC complexes such as cohesin, condensin and the SMC5-SMC6 complex shape DNA to direct these fundamental chromosomal processes. We also consider how SMC complexes, by building chromatin loops, can counteract the natural tendency of alike chromatin regions to cluster. SMC complexes thus control nuclear organization by participating in a molecular tug of war that determines the architecture of our genome.

CTF18-RFC contributes to cellular tolerance against chain-terminating nucleoside analogs (CTNAs) in cooperation with proofreading exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase ε

Chemotherapeutic nucleoside analogs, such as cytarabine (Ara-C), are incorporated into genomic DNA during replication. Incorporated Ara-CMP (Ara-cytidine monophosphate) serves as a chain terminator and inhibits DNA synthesis by replicative polymerase epsilon (Polε). The proofreading exonuclease activity of Polε removes the misincorporated Ara-CMP, thereby contributing to the cellular tolerance to Ara-C. Purified Polε performs proofreading, and it is generally believed that proofreading in vivo does not need additional factors. In this study, we demonstrated that the proofreading by Polε in vivo requires CTF18, a component of the leading-strand replisome. We found that loss of CTF18 in chicken DT40 cells and human TK6 cells results in hypersensitivity to Ara-C, indicating the conserved function of CTF18 in the cellular tolerance of Ara-C. Strikingly, we found that proofreading-deficient POLE1^D269A/-, CTF18^-/-, and POLE1^D269A/-/CTF18^-/- cells showed indistinguishable phenotypes, including the extent of hypersensitivity to Ara-C and decreased replication rate with Ara-C. This observed epistatic relationship between POLE1^D269A/- and CTF18^-/- suggests that they are interdependent in removing mis-incorporated Ara-CMP from the 3' end of primers. Mechanistically, we found that CTF18^-/- cells have reduced levels of chromatin-bound Polε upon Ara-C treatment, suggesting that CTF18 contributes to the tethering of Polε on fork at the stalled end and thereby facilitating the removal of inserted Ara-C. Collectively, these data reveal the previously unappreciated role of CTF18 in Polε-exonuclease-mediated maintenance of the replication fork upon Ara-C incorporation.

Application of neural network-based image analysis to detect sister chromatid cohesion defects

Sister chromatid cohesion (SCC) is mediated by the cohesin complex and its regulatory proteins. To evaluate the involvement of a protein in cohesin regulation, preparations of metaphase chromosome spreads and classifications of chromosome shapes after depletion of the target protein are commonly employed. Although this is a convenient and approved method, the evaluation and classification of each chromosome shape has to be performed manually by researchers. Therefore, this method is time consuming, and the results might be affected by the subjectivity of researchers. In this study, we developed neural network-based image recognition models to judge the positional relationship of sister chromatids, and thereby detect SCC defects. Transfer learning models based on SqueeezeNet or ResNet-18 were trained with more than 600 chromosome images labeled with the type of chromosome, which were classified according to the positional relationship between sister chromatids. The SqueezeNet-based trained model achieved a concordance rate of 73.1% with the sample answers given by a researcher. Importantly, the model successfully detected the SCC defect in the CTF18 deficient cell line, which was used as an SCC-defective model. These results indicate that neural-network-based image recognition models are valuable tools for examining SCC defects in different genetic backgrounds.

MMS22L-TONSL functions in sister chromatid cohesion in a pathway parallel to DSCC1-RFC

The leading strand-oriented alternative PCNA clamp loader DSCC1-RFC functions in DNA replication, repair, and sister chromatid cohesion (SCC), but how it facilitates these processes is incompletely understood. Here, we confirm that loss of human DSCC1 results in reduced fork speed, increased DNA damage, and defective SCC. Genome-wide CRISPR screens in DSCC1-KO cells reveal multiple synthetically lethal interactions, enriched for DNA replication and cell cycle regulation. We show that DSCC1-KO cells require POLE3 for survival. Co-depletion of DSCC1 and POLE3, which both interact with the catalytic polymerase ε subunit, additively impair DNA replication, suggesting that these factors contribute to leading-strand DNA replication in parallel ways. An additional hit is MMS22L, which in humans forms a heterodimer with TONSL. Synthetic lethality of DSCC1 and MMS22L-TONSL likely results from detrimental SCC loss. We show that MMS22L-TONSL, like DDX11, functions in a SCC establishment pathway parallel to DSCC1-RFC. Because both DSCC1-RFC and MMS22L facilitate ESCO2 recruitment to replication forks, we suggest that distinct ESCO2 recruitment pathways promote SCC establishment following either cohesin conversion or de novo cohesin loading.

Evolution and Diversity of the TopoVI and TopoVI-like Subunits With Extensive Divergence of the TOPOVIBL subunit

Type II DNA topoisomerases regulate topology by double-stranded DNA cleavage and ligation. The TopoVI family of DNA topoisomerase, first identified and biochemically characterized in Archaea, represents, with TopoVIII and mini-A, the type IIB family. TopoVI has several intriguing features in terms of function and evolution. TopoVI has been identified in some eukaryotes, and a global view is lacking to understand its evolutionary pattern. In addition, in eukaryotes, the two TopoVI subunits (TopoVIA and TopoVIB) have been duplicated and have evolved to give rise to Spo11 and TopoVIBL, forming TopoVI-like (TopoVIL), a complex essential for generating DNA breaks that initiate homologous recombination during meiosis. TopoVIL is essential for sexual reproduction. How the TopoVI subunits have evolved to ensure this meiotic function is unclear. Here, we investigated the phylogenetic conservation of TopoVI and TopoVIL. We demonstrate that BIN4 and RHL1, potentially interacting with TopoVIB, have co-evolved with TopoVI. Based on model structures, this observation supports the hypothesis for a role of TopoVI in decatenation of replicated chromatids and predicts that in eukaryotes the TopoVI catalytic complex includes BIN4 and RHL1. For TopoVIL, the phylogenetic analysis of Spo11, which is highly conserved among Eukarya, highlighted a eukaryal-specific N-terminal domain that may be important for its regulation. Conversely, TopoVIBL was poorly conserved, giving rise to ATP hydrolysis-mutated or -truncated protein variants, or was undetected in some species. This remarkable plasticity of TopoVIBL provides important information for the activity and function of TopoVIL during meiosis.

Fast and efficient DNA replication with purified human proteins

Chromosome replication is performed by a complex and intricate ensemble of proteins termed the replisome, where the DNA polymerases Polδ and Polε, DNA polymerase α-primase (Polα) and accessory proteins including AND-1, CLASPIN and TIMELESS-TIPIN (respectively known as Ctf4, Mrc1 and Tof1-Csm3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) are organized around the CDC45-MCM-GINS (CMG) replicative helicase1-7. Because a functional human replisome has not been reconstituted from purified proteins, how these factors contribute to human DNA replication and whether additional proteins are required for optimal DNA synthesis are poorly understood. Here we report the biochemical reconstitution of human replisomes that perform fast and efficient DNA replication using 11 purified human replication factors made from 43 polypeptides. Polε, but not Polδ, is crucial for optimal leading-strand synthesis. Unexpectedly, Polε-mediated leading-strand replication is highly dependent on the sliding-clamp processivity factor PCNA and the alternative clamp loader complex CTF18-RFC. We show how CLASPIN and TIMELESS-TIPIN contribute to replisome progression and demonstrate that, in contrast to the budding yeast replisome8, AND-1 directly augments leading-strand replication. Moreover, although AND-1 binds to Polα9,10, the interaction is dispensable for lagging-strand replication, indicating that Polα is functionally recruited via an AND-1-independent mechanism for priming in the human replisome. Collectively, our work reveals how the human replisome achieves fast and efficient leading-strand and lagging-strand DNA replication, and provides a powerful system for future studies of the human replisome and its interactions with other DNA metabolic processes.

The Interplay of Cohesin and the Replisome at Processive and Stressed DNA Replication Forks

The cohesin complex facilitates faithful chromosome segregation by pairing the sister chromatids after DNA replication until mitosis. In addition, cohesin contributes to proficient and error-free DNA replication. Replisome progression and establishment of sister chromatid cohesion are intimately intertwined processes. Here, we review how the key factors in DNA replication and cohesion establishment cooperate in unperturbed conditions and during DNA replication stress. We discuss the detailed molecular mechanisms of cohesin recruitment and the entrapment of replicated sister chromatids at the replisome, the subsequent stabilization of sister chromatid cohesion via SMC3 acetylation, as well as the role and regulation of cohesin in the response to DNA replication stress.