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Rajagopal S, Donaldson J, Flower M, Hensman Moss DJ, Tabrizi SJ. Genetic modifiers of repeat expansion disorders. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:325-337. [PMID: 37861103 PMCID: PMC10754329 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230015] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Repeat expansion disorders (REDs) are monogenic diseases caused by a sequence of repetitive DNA expanding above a pathogenic threshold. A common feature of the REDs is a strong genotype-phenotype correlation in which a major determinant of age at onset (AAO) and disease progression is the length of the inherited repeat tract. Over a disease-gene carrier's life, the length of the repeat can expand in somatic cells, through the process of somatic expansion which is hypothesised to drive disease progression. Despite being monogenic, individual REDs are phenotypically variable, and exploring what genetic modifying factors drive this phenotypic variability has illuminated key pathogenic mechanisms that are common to this group of diseases. Disease phenotypes are affected by the cognate gene in which the expansion is found, the location of the repeat sequence in coding or non-coding regions and by the presence of repeat sequence interruptions. Human genetic data, mouse models and in vitro models have implicated the disease-modifying effect of DNA repair pathways via the mechanisms of somatic mutation of the repeat tract. As such, developing an understanding of these pathways in the context of expanded repeats could lead to future disease-modifying therapies for REDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeerthana Rajagopal
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WCC1N 3BG, U.K
| | - Jasmine Donaldson
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WCC1N 3BG, U.K
| | - Michael Flower
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WCC1N 3BG, U.K
| | - Davina J Hensman Moss
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WCC1N 3BG, U.K
- St George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, U.K
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WCC1N 3BG, U.K
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2
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Cho IK, Clever F, Hong G, Chan AWS. CAG Repeat Instability in the Peripheral and Central Nervous System of Transgenic Huntington’s Disease Monkeys. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081863. [PMID: 36009409 PMCID: PMC9405741 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disease that results in severe neurodegeneration with no cure. HD is caused by the expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat (TNR) on the Huntingtin gene (HTT). Although the somatic and germline expansion of the CAG repeats has been well-documented, the underlying mechanisms had not been fully delineated. Increased CAG repeat length is associated with a more severe phenotype, greater TNR instability, and earlier age of onset. The direct relationship between CAG repeat length and molecular pathogenesis makes TNR instability a useful measure of symptom severity and tissue susceptibility. Thus, we examined the tissue-specific TNR instability of transgenic nonhuman primate models of Huntington’s disease. Our data show a similar profile of CAG repeat expansion in both rHD1 and rHD7, where high instability was observed in testis, liver, caudate, and putamen. CAG repeat expansion was observed in all tissue samples, and tissue- and CAG repeat size-dependent expansion was observed. Correlation analysis of CAG repeat expansion and the gene expression profile of four genes in different tissues, clusterin (CLU), transferrin (TF), ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P1 (RPLP1), and ribosomal protein L13a (RPL13A), showed a strong correlation with CAG repeat instability. Overall, our data, along with previously published studies, can be used for studying the biology of CAG repeat instability and identifying new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- In K. Cho
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (F.C.); (G.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Faye Clever
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (F.C.); (G.H.)
| | - Gordon Hong
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (F.C.); (G.H.)
| | - Anthony W. S. Chan
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (F.C.); (G.H.)
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3
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DMPK hypermethylation in sperm cells of myotonic dystrophy type 1 patients. Eur J Hum Genet 2021; 30:980-983. [PMID: 34776509 PMCID: PMC9349176 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-021-00999-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant muscular dystrophy that results from a CTG expansion (50–4000 copies) in the 3′ UTR of the DMPK gene. The disease is classified into four or five somewhat overlapping forms, which incompletely correlate with expansion size in somatic cells of patients. With rare exception, it is affected mothers who transmit the congenital (CDM1) and most severe form of the disease. Why CDM1 is hardly ever transmitted by fathers remains unknown. One model to explain the almost exclusive transmission of CDM1 by affected mothers suggests a selection against hypermethylated large expansions in the germline of male patients. By assessing DNA methylation upstream to the CTG expansion in motile sperm cells of four DM1 patients, together with availability of human embryonic stem cell (hESCs) lines with paternally inherited hypermethylated expansions, we exclude the possibility that DMPK hypermethylation leads to selection against viable sperm cells (as indicated by motility) in DM1 patients.
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Richard GF. The Startling Role of Mismatch Repair in Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051019. [PMID: 33925919 PMCID: PMC8145212 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Trinucleotide repeats are a peculiar class of microsatellites whose expansions are responsible for approximately 30 human neurological or developmental disorders. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these expansions in humans are not totally understood, but experiments in model systems such as yeast, transgenic mice, and human cells have brought evidence that the mismatch repair machinery is involved in generating these expansions. The present review summarizes, in the first part, the role of mismatch repair in detecting and fixing the DNA strand slippage occurring during microsatellite replication. In the second part, key molecular differences between normal microsatellites and those that show a bias toward expansions are extensively presented. The effect of mismatch repair mutants on microsatellite expansions is detailed in model systems, and in vitro experiments on mismatched DNA substrates are described. Finally, a model presenting the possible roles of the mismatch repair machinery in microsatellite expansions is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy-Franck Richard
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3525, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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5
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Abstract
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a highly conserved genome stabilizing pathway that corrects DNA replication errors, limits chromosomal rearrangements, and mediates the cellular response to many types of DNA damage. Counterintuitively, MMR is also involved in the generation of mutations, as evidenced by its role in causing somatic triplet repeat expansion in Huntington’s disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we discuss the current state of mechanistic knowledge of MMR and review the roles of key enzymes in this pathway. We also present the evidence for mutagenic function of MMR in CAG repeat expansion and consider mechanistic hypotheses that have been proposed. Understanding the role of MMR in CAG expansion may shed light on potential avenues for therapeutic intervention in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi R Iyer
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Anna Pluciennik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Gomes-Pereira M, Monckton DG. Chronic Exposure to Cadmium and Antioxidants Does Not Affect the Dynamics of Expanded CAG•CTG Trinucleotide Repeats in a Mouse Cell Culture System of Unstable DNA. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 14:606331. [PMID: 33603644 PMCID: PMC7884634 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.606331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 30 human disorders are caused by the expansion of simple sequence DNA repeats, among which triplet repeats remain the most frequent. Most trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders affect primarily the nervous system, through mechanisms of neurodysfunction and/or neurodegeneration. While trinucleotide repeat tracts are short and stably transmitted in unaffected individuals, disease-associated expansions are highly dynamic in the germline and in somatic cells, with a tendency toward further expansion. Since longer repeats are associated with increasing disease severity and earlier onset of symptoms, intergenerational repeat size gains account for the phenomenon of anticipation. In turn, higher levels of age-dependent somatic expansion have been linked with increased disease severity and earlier age of onset, implicating somatic instability in the onset and progression of disease symptoms. Hence, tackling the root cause of symptoms through the control of repeat dynamics may provide therapeutic modulation of clinical manifestations. DNA repair pathways have been firmly implicated in the molecular mechanism of repeat length mutation. The demonstration that repeat expansion depends on functional DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, points to MMR as a potential therapeutic target. Similarly, a role of DNA base excision repair (BER) in repeat expansion has also been suggested, particularly during the removal of oxidative lesions. Using a well-characterized mouse cell model system of an unstable CAG•CTG trinucleotide repeat, we tested if expanded repeat tracts can be stabilized by small molecules with reported roles in both pathways: cadmium (an inhibitor of MMR activity) and a variety of antioxidants (capable of neutralizing oxidative species). We found that chronic exposure to sublethal doses of cadmium and antioxidants did not result in significant reduction of the rate of trinucleotide repeat expansion. Surprisingly, manganese yielded a significant stabilization of the triplet repeat tract. We conclude that treatment with cadmium and antioxidants, at doses that do not interfere with cell survival and cell culture dynamics, is not sufficient to modify trinucleotide repeat dynamics in cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Darren G Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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HDAC3 deacetylates the DNA mismatch repair factor MutSβ to stimulate triplet repeat expansions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23597-23605. [PMID: 32900932 PMCID: PMC7519323 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013223117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansions cause nearly 20 severe human neurological diseases which are currently untreatable. For some of these diseases, ongoing somatic expansions accelerate disease progression and may influence age of onset. This new knowledge emphasizes the importance of understanding the protein factors that drive expansions. Recent genetic evidence indicates that the mismatch repair factor MutSβ (Msh2-Msh3 complex) and the histone deacetylase HDAC3 function in the same pathway to drive triplet repeat expansions. Here we tested the hypothesis that HDAC3 deacetylates MutSβ and thereby activates it to drive expansions. The HDAC3-selective inhibitor RGFP966 was used to examine its biological and biochemical consequences in human tissue culture cells. HDAC3 inhibition efficiently suppresses repeat expansion without impeding canonical mismatch repair activity. Five key lysine residues in Msh3 are direct targets of HDAC3 deacetylation. In cells expressing Msh3 in which these lysine residues are mutated to arginine, the inhibitory effect of RGFP966 on expansions is largely bypassed, consistent with the direct deacetylation hypothesis. RGFP966 treatment does not alter MutSβ subunit abundance or complex formation but does partially control its subcellular localization. Deacetylation sites in Msh3 overlap a nuclear localization signal, and we show that localization of MutSβ is partially dependent on HDAC3 activity. Together, these results indicate that MutSβ is a key target of HDAC3 deacetylation and provide insights into an innovative regulatory mechanism for triplet repeat expansions. The results suggest expansion activity may be druggable and support HDAC3-selective inhibition as an attractive therapy in some triplet repeat expansion diseases.
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8
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Khristich AN, Mirkin SM. On the wrong DNA track: Molecular mechanisms of repeat-mediated genome instability. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:4134-4170. [PMID: 32060097 PMCID: PMC7105313 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev119.007678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansions of simple tandem repeats are responsible for almost 50 human diseases, the majority of which are severe, degenerative, and not currently treatable or preventable. In this review, we first describe the molecular mechanisms of repeat-induced toxicity, which is the connecting link between repeat expansions and pathology. We then survey alternative DNA structures that are formed by expandable repeats and review the evidence that formation of these structures is at the core of repeat instability. Next, we describe the consequences of the presence of long structure-forming repeats at the molecular level: somatic and intergenerational instability, fragility, and repeat-induced mutagenesis. We discuss the reasons for gender bias in intergenerational repeat instability and the tissue specificity of somatic repeat instability. We also review the known pathways in which DNA replication, transcription, DNA repair, and chromatin state interact and thereby promote repeat instability. We then discuss possible reasons for the persistence of disease-causing DNA repeats in the genome. We describe evidence suggesting that these repeats are a payoff for the advantages of having abundant simple-sequence repeats for eukaryotic genome function and evolvability. Finally, we discuss two unresolved fundamental questions: (i) why does repeat behavior differ between model systems and human pedigrees, and (ii) can we use current knowledge on repeat instability mechanisms to cure repeat expansion diseases?
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155.
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9
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Tomé S, Gourdon G. DM1 Phenotype Variability and Triplet Repeat Instability: Challenges in the Development of New Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020457. [PMID: 31936870 PMCID: PMC7014087 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a complex neuromuscular disease caused by an unstable cytosine thymine guanine (CTG) repeat expansion in the DMPK gene. This disease is characterized by high clinical and genetic variability, leading to some difficulties in the diagnosis and prognosis of DM1. Better understanding the origin of this variability is important for developing new challenging therapies and, in particular, for progressing on the path of personalized treatments. Here, we reviewed CTG triplet repeat instability and its modifiers as an important source of phenotypic variability in patients with DM1.
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10
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Zhao XN, Usdin K. Timing of Expansion of Fragile X Premutation Alleles During Intergenerational Transmission in a Mouse Model of the Fragile X-Related Disorders. Front Genet 2018; 9:314. [PMID: 30147707 PMCID: PMC6096447 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by the maternal expansion of an unstable CGG-repeat tract located in the first exon of the FMR1 gene. Further changes in repeat number occur during embryogenesis resulting in individuals sometimes being highly mosaic. Here we show in a mouse model that, in males, expansions are already present in primary spermatocytes with no additional expansions occurring in later stages of gametogenesis. We also show that, in females, expansion occurs in the post-natal oocyte. Additional expansions and a high frequency of large contractions are seen in two-cell stage embryos. Expansion in oocytes, which are non-dividing, would be consistent with a mechanism involving aberrant DNA repair or recombination rather than a problem with chromosomal replication. Given the difficulty of replicating large CGG-repeat tracts, we speculate that very large expanded alleles may be prone to contract in the mitotically proliferating spermatagonial stem cells in men. However, expanded alleles may not be under such pressure in the non-dividing oocyte. The high degree of both expansions and contractions seen in early embryos may contribute to the high frequency of somatic mosaicism that is observed in humans. Our data thus suggest an explanation for the fact that FXS is exclusively maternally transmitted and lend support to models for repeat expansion that are based on problems arising during DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Nan Zhao
- Gene Structure and Disease Section, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Karen Usdin
- Gene Structure and Disease Section, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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11
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McGinty RJ, Puleo F, Aksenova AY, Hisey JA, Shishkin AA, Pearson EL, Wang ET, Housman DE, Moore C, Mirkin SM. A Defective mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Complex Facilitates Expansions of Transcribed (GAA) n Repeats Associated with Friedreich's Ataxia. Cell Rep 2018; 20:2490-2500. [PMID: 28877480 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansions of microsatellite repeats are responsible for numerous hereditary diseases in humans, including myotonic dystrophy and Friedreich's ataxia. Whereas the length of an expandable repeat is the main factor determining disease inheritance, recent data point to genomic trans modifiers that can impact the likelihood of expansions and disease progression. Detection of these modifiers may lead to understanding and treating repeat expansion diseases. Here, we describe a method for the rapid, genome-wide identification of trans modifiers for repeat expansion in a yeast experimental system. Using this method, we found that missense mutations in the endoribonuclease subunit (Ysh1) of the mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation complex dramatically increase the rate of (GAA)n repeat expansions but only when they are actively transcribed. These expansions correlate with slower transcription elongation caused by the ysh1 mutation. These results reveal an interplay between RNA processing and repeat-mediated genome instability, confirming the validity of our approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J McGinty
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02421, USA
| | - Franco Puleo
- Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Anna Y Aksenova
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02421, USA; Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Julia A Hisey
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02421, USA
| | - Alexander A Shishkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02421, USA; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Erika L Pearson
- Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Eric T Wang
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Center for Neurogenetics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - David E Housman
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Claire Moore
- Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02421, USA.
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12
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TALEN-Induced Double-Strand Break Repair of CTG Trinucleotide Repeats. Cell Rep 2018; 22:2146-2159. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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13
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Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes contain many repetitive DNA sequences that exhibit size instability. Some repeat elements have the added complication of being able to form secondary structures, such as hairpin loops, slipped DNA, triplex DNA or G-quadruplexes. Especially when repeat sequences are long, these DNA structures can form a significant impediment to DNA replication and repair, leading to DNA nicks, gaps, and breaks. In turn, repair or replication fork restart attempts within the repeat DNA can lead to addition or removal of repeat elements, which can sometimes lead to disease. One important DNA repair mechanism to maintain genomic integrity is recombination. Though early studies dismissed recombination as a mechanism driving repeat expansion and instability, recent results indicate that mitotic recombination is a key pathway operating within repetitive DNA. The action is two-fold: first, it is an important mechanism to repair nicks, gaps, breaks, or stalled forks to prevent chromosome fragility and protect cell health; second, recombination can cause repeat expansions or contractions, which can be deleterious. In this review, we summarize recent developments that illuminate the role of recombination in maintaining genome stability at DNA repeats.
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14
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Gomes-Pereira M, Monckton DG. Ethidium Bromide Modifies The Agarose Electrophoretic Mobility of CAG•CTG Alternative DNA Structures Generated by PCR. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:153. [PMID: 28611596 PMCID: PMC5447772 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The abnormal expansion of unstable simple sequence DNA repeats can cause human disease through a variety of mechanisms, including gene loss-of-function, toxic gain-of-function of the encoded protein and toxicity of the repeat-containing RNA transcript. Disease-associated unstable DNA repeats display unusual biophysical properties, including the ability to adopt non-B-DNA structures. CAG•CTG trinucleotide sequences, in particular, have been most extensively studied and they can fold into slipped-stranded DNA structures, which have been proposed as mutation intermediates in repeat size expansion. Here, we describe a simple assay to detect unusual DNA structures generated by PCR amplification, based on their slow electrophoretic migration in agarose and on the effects of ethidium bromide on the mobility of structural isoforms through agarose gels. Notably, the inclusion of ethidium bromide in agarose gels and running buffer eliminates the detection of additional slow-migrating DNA species, which are detected in the absence of the intercalating dye and may be incorrectly classified as mutant alleles with larger than actual expansion sizes. Denaturing and re-annealing experiments confirmed the slipped-stranded nature of the additional DNA species observed in agarose gels. Thus, we have shown that genuine non-B-DNA conformations are generated during standard PCR amplification of CAG•CTG sequences and detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. In contrast, ethidium bromide does not change the multi-band electrophoretic profiles of repeat-containing PCR products through native polyacrylamide gels. These data have implications for the analysis of trinucleotide repeat DNA and possibly other types of unstable repetitive DNA sequences by standard agarose gel electrophoresis in diagnostic and research protocols. We suggest that proper sizing of CAG•CTG PCR products in agarose gels should be performed in the presence of ethidium bromide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário Gomes-Pereira
- Laboratory CTGDM, INSERM UMR1163Paris, France.,Institut Imagine, Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris CitéParis, France
| | - Darren G Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, United Kingdom
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15
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Gadgil R, Barthelemy J, Lewis T, Leffak M. Replication stalling and DNA microsatellite instability. Biophys Chem 2016; 225:38-48. [PMID: 27914716 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellites are short, tandemly repeated DNA motifs of 1-6 nucleotides, also termed simple sequence repeats (SRSs) or short tandem repeats (STRs). Collectively, these repeats comprise approximately 3% of the human genome Subramanian et al. (2003), Lander and Lander (2001) [1,2], and represent a large reservoir of loci highly prone to mutations Sun et al. (2012), Ellegren (2004) [3,4] that contribute to human evolution and disease. Microsatellites are known to stall and reverse replication forks in model systems Pelletier et al. (2003), Samadashwily et al. (1997), Kerrest et al. (2009) [5-7], and are hotspots of chromosomal double strand breaks (DSBs). We briefly review the relationship of these repeated sequences to replication stalling and genome instability, and present recent data on the impact of replication stress on DNA fragility at microsatellites in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gadgil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - J Barthelemy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - T Lewis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - M Leffak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
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16
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Ups and Downs: Mechanisms of Repeat Instability in the Fragile X-Related Disorders. Genes (Basel) 2016; 7:genes7090070. [PMID: 27657135 PMCID: PMC5042400 DOI: 10.3390/genes7090070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Fragile X-related disorders (FXDs) are a group of clinical conditions resulting from the expansion of a CGG/CCG-repeat tract in exon 1 of the Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. While expansions of the repeat tract predominate, contractions are also seen with the net result being that individuals can show extensive repeat length heterogeneity in different tissues. The mechanisms responsible for expansion and contraction are still not well understood. This review will discuss what is known about these processes and current evidence that supports a model in which expansion arises from the interaction of components of the base excision repair, mismatch repair and transcription coupled repair pathways.
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17
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Viterbo D, Michoud G, Mosbach V, Dujon B, Richard GF. Replication stalling and heteroduplex formation within CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeats by mismatch repair. DNA Repair (Amst) 2016; 42:94-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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18
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Absence of MutSβ leads to the formation of slipped-DNA for CTG/CAG contractions at primate replication forks. DNA Repair (Amst) 2016; 42:107-18. [PMID: 27155933 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Typically disease-causing CAG/CTG repeats expand, but rare affected families can display high levels of contraction of the expanded repeat amongst offspring. Understanding instability is important since arresting expansions or enhancing contractions could be clinically beneficial. The MutSβ mismatch repair complex is required for CAG/CTG expansions in mice and patients. Oddly, by unknown mechanisms MutSβ-deficient mice incur contractions instead of expansions. Replication using CTG or CAG as the lagging strand template is known to cause contractions or expansions respectively; however, the interplay between replication and repair leading to this instability remains unclear. Towards understanding how repeat contractions may arise, we performed in vitro SV40-mediated replication of repeat-containing plasmids in the presence or absence of mismatch repair. Specifically, we separated repair from replication: Replication mediated by MutSβ- and MutSα-deficient human cells or cell extracts produced slipped-DNA heteroduplexes in the contraction- but not expansion-biased replication direction. Replication in the presence of MutSβ disfavoured the retention of replication products harbouring slipped-DNA heteroduplexes. Post-replication repair of slipped-DNAs by MutSβ-proficient extracts eliminated slipped-DNAs. Thus, a MutSβ-deficiency likely enhances repeat contractions because MutSβ protects against contractions by repairing template strand slip-outs. Replication deficient in LigaseI or PCNA-interaction mutant LigaseI revealed slipped-DNA formation at lagging strands. Our results reveal that distinct mechanisms lead to expansions or contractions and support inhibition of MutSβ as a therapeutic strategy to enhance the contraction of expanded repeats.
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19
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Schmidt MHM, Pearson CE. Disease-associated repeat instability and mismatch repair. DNA Repair (Amst) 2015; 38:117-126. [PMID: 26774442 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Expanded tandem repeat sequences in DNA are associated with at least 40 human genetic neurological, neurodegenerative, and neuromuscular diseases. Repeat expansion can occur during parent-to-offspring transmission, and arise at variable rates in specific tissues throughout the life of an affected individual. Since the ongoing somatic repeat expansions can affect disease age-of-onset, severity, and progression, targeting somatic expansion holds potential as a therapeutic target. Thus, understanding the factors that regulate this mutation is crucial. DNA repair, in particular mismatch repair (MMR), is the major driving force of disease-associated repeat expansions. In contrast to its anti-mutagenic roles, mammalian MMR curiously drives the expansion mutations of disease-associated (CAG)·(CTG) repeats. Recent advances have broadened our knowledge of both the MMR proteins involved in disease repeat expansions, including: MSH2, MSH3, MSH6, MLH1, PMS2, and MLH3, as well as the types of repeats affected by MMR, now including: (CAG)·(CTG), (CGG)·(CCG), and (GAA)·(TTC) repeats. Mutagenic slipped-DNA structures have been detected in patient tissues, and the size of the slip-out and their junction conformation can determine the involvement of MMR. Furthermore, the formation of other unusual DNA and R-loop structures is proposed to play a key role in MMR-mediated instability. A complex correlation is emerging between tissues showing varying amounts of repeat instability and MMR expression levels. Notably, naturally occurring polymorphic variants of DNA repair genes can have dramatic effects upon the levels of repeat instability, which may explain the variation in disease age-of-onset, progression and severity. An increasing grasp of these factors holds prognostic and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika H M Schmidt
- Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research & Learning, 686 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Bldg., 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Christopher E Pearson
- Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research & Learning, 686 Bay St., Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Bldg., 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
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20
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Su XA, Dion V, Gasser SM, Freudenreich CH. Regulation of recombination at yeast nuclear pores controls repair and triplet repeat stability. Genes Dev 2015; 29:1006-17. [PMID: 25940904 PMCID: PMC4441049 DOI: 10.1101/gad.256404.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Secondary structure-forming DNA sequences such as CAG repeats interfere with replication and repair, provoking fork stalling, chromosome fragility, and recombination. In budding yeast, Su et al. find that expanded CAG repeats are more likely than unexpanded repeats to localize to the nuclear periphery and that the relocation of damage to nuclear pores plays an important role in a naturally occurring repair process. Secondary structure-forming DNA sequences such as CAG repeats interfere with replication and repair, provoking fork stalling, chromosome fragility, and recombination. In budding yeast, we found that expanded CAG repeats are more likely than unexpanded repeats to localize to the nuclear periphery. This positioning is transient, occurs in late S phase, requires replication, and is associated with decreased subnuclear mobility of the locus. In contrast to persistent double-stranded breaks, expanded CAG repeats at the nuclear envelope associate with pores but not with the inner nuclear membrane protein Mps3. Relocation requires Nup84 and the Slx5/8 SUMO-dependent ubiquitin ligase but not Rad51, Mec1, or Tel1. Importantly, the presence of the Nup84 pore subcomplex and Slx5/8 suppresses CAG repeat fragility and instability. Repeat instability in nup84, slx5, or slx8 mutant cells arises through aberrant homologous recombination and is distinct from instability arising from the loss of ligase 4-dependent end-joining. Genetic and physical analysis of Rad52 sumoylation and binding at the CAG tract suggests that Slx5/8 targets sumoylated Rad52 for degradation at the pore to facilitate recovery from acute replication stress by promoting replication fork restart. We thereby confirmed that the relocation of damage to nuclear pores plays an important role in a naturally occurring repair process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng A Su
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
| | - Vincent Dion
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Susan M Gasser
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland; Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine H Freudenreich
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA; Program in Genetics, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA;
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21
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Abstract
DNA repair normally protects the genome against mutations that threaten genome integrity and thus cell viability. However, growing evidence suggests that in the case of the Repeat Expansion Diseases, disorders that result from an increase in the size of a disease-specific microsatellite, the disease-causing mutation is actually the result of aberrant DNA repair. A variety of proteins from different DNA repair pathways have thus far been implicated in this process. This review will summarize recent findings from patients and from mouse models of these diseases that shed light on how these pathways may interact to cause repeat expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Nan Zhao
- Section on Genomic Structure and Function Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830, USA
| | - Karen Usdin
- Section on Genomic Structure and Function Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830, USA.
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22
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Richard GF. Shortening trinucleotide repeats using highly specific endonucleases: a possible approach to gene therapy? Trends Genet 2015; 31:177-86. [PMID: 25743488 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Trinucleotide repeat expansions are involved in more than two dozen neurological and developmental disorders. Conventional therapeutic approaches aimed at regulating the expression level of affected genes, which rely on drugs, oligonucleotides, and/or transgenes, have met with only limited success so far. An alternative approach is to shorten repeats to non-pathological lengths using highly specific nucleases. Here, I review early experiments using meganucleases, zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN), and transcription-activator like effector nucleases (TALENs) to contract trinucleotide repeats, and discuss the possibility of using CRISPR-Cas nucleases to the same end. Although this is a nascent field, I explore the possibility of designing nucleases and effectively delivering them in the context of gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy-Franck Richard
- Institut Pasteur, Department Genomes and Genetics, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 3525, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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23
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Usdin K, House NCM, Freudenreich CH. Repeat instability during DNA repair: Insights from model systems. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 50:142-67. [PMID: 25608779 DOI: 10.3109/10409238.2014.999192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of repeated sequences is the cause of over 30 inherited genetic diseases, including Huntington disease, myotonic dystrophy (types 1 and 2), fragile X syndrome, many spinocerebellar ataxias, and some cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat expansions are dynamic, and disease inheritance and progression are influenced by the size and the rate of expansion. Thus, an understanding of the various cellular mechanisms that cooperate to control or promote repeat expansions is of interest to human health. In addition, the study of repeat expansion and contraction mechanisms has provided insight into how repair pathways operate in the context of structure-forming DNA, as well as insights into non-canonical roles for repair proteins. Here we review the mechanisms of repeat instability, with a special emphasis on the knowledge gained from the various model systems that have been developed to study this topic. We cover the repair pathways and proteins that operate to maintain genome stability, or in some cases cause instability, and the cross-talk and interactions between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Usdin
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, NIDDK, NIH , Bethesda, MD , USA
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24
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Abstract
DNA mismatch repair is a conserved antimutagenic pathway that maintains genomic stability through rectification of DNA replication errors and attenuation of chromosomal rearrangements. Paradoxically, mutagenic action of mismatch repair has been implicated as a cause of triplet repeat expansions that cause neurological diseases such as Huntington disease and myotonic dystrophy. This mutagenic process requires the mismatch recognition factor MutSβ and the MutLα (and/or possibly MutLγ) endonuclease, and is thought to be triggered by the transient formation of unusual DNA structures within the expanded triplet repeat element. This review summarizes the current knowledge of DNA mismatch repair involvement in triplet repeat expansion, which encompasses in vitro biochemical findings, cellular studies, and various in vivo transgenic animal model experiments. We present current mechanistic hypotheses regarding mismatch repair protein function in mediating triplet repeat expansions and discuss potential therapeutic approaches targeting the mismatch repair pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi R Iyer
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380;
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25
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Dion V. Tissue specificity in DNA repair: lessons from trinucleotide repeat instability. Trends Genet 2014; 30:220-9. [PMID: 24842550 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
DNA must constantly be repaired to maintain genome stability. Although it is clear that DNA repair reactions depend on cell type and developmental stage, we know surprisingly little about the mechanisms that underlie this tissue specificity. This is due, in part, to the lack of adequate study systems. This review discusses recent progress toward understanding the mechanism leading to varying rates of instability at expanded trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) in different tissues. Although they are not DNA lesions, TNRs are hotspots for genome instability because normal DNA repair activities cause changes in repeat length. The rates of expansions and contractions are readily detectable and depend on cell identity, making TNR instability a particularly convenient model system. A better understanding of this type of genome instability will provide a foundation for studying tissue-specific DNA repair more generally, which has implications in cancer and other diseases caused by mutations in the caretakers of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Dion
- University of Lausanne, Center for Integrative Genomics, Bâtiment Génopode, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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26
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Brouwer JR, Foiry L, Gourdon G. Cell recovery from DM1 transgenic mouse tissue to study (CTG) n instability and DM1 pathogenesis. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1010:253-64. [PMID: 23754230 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-411-1_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 results from an unstable expanded CTG repeat ((CTG) n ) in the 3' UTR of the DMPK gene. Transgenic mouse models have been developed to reproduce the (CTG) n instability seen in DM1 patients. These transgenic mice provide an excellent tool to study the disease mechanism as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying trinucleotide repeat instability. The propensity for somatic instability differs per tissue and cell type. Expansion of the (CTG) n over time in certain tissues is thought to underlie progression of the clinical picture. It is therefore crucial to understand what causes the (CTG) n to expand in certain cells and not in others, as well as to see possibly distinct downstream cellular effects of different (CTG) n lengths in different cell populations. We describe here an updated method to determine the genotype (homozygous, hemizygous, or non-transgenic) of the transgene, as well as length of the very long (CTG) n tracts now commonly obtained in our mouse model. Furthermore, in order to facilitate research into cell populations that show different degrees of instability, we present here a fast technique to recover cells from mouse tissues, which can serve as a basis for multiple downstream applications, including cell culture and biochemical or molecular studies.
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27
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Lokanga RA, Zhao XN, Usdin K. The mismatch repair protein MSH2 is rate limiting for repeat expansion in a fragile X premutation mouse model. Hum Mutat 2014; 35:129-36. [PMID: 24130133 PMCID: PMC3951054 DOI: 10.1002/humu.22464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X-associated tremor and ataxia syndrome, Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency, and Fragile X syndrome are Repeat Expansion Diseases caused by expansion of a CGG•CCG-repeat microsatellite in the 5 UTR of the FMR1 gene. To help understand the expansion mechanism responsible for these disorders, we have crossed mice containing∼147 CGG•CCG repeats in the endogenous murine Fmr1 gene with mice containing a null mutation in the gene encoding the mismatch repair protein MSH2. MSH2 mutations are associated with elevated levels of generalized microsatellite instability. However, we show here for the first time that in the FX mouse model, all maternally and paternally transmitted expansions require Msh2. Even the loss of one Msh2 allele reduced the intergenerational expansion frequency significantly. Msh2 is also required for all somatic expansions and loss of even one functional Msh2 allele reduced the extent of somatic expansion in some organs. Tissues with lower levels of MSH2 were more sensitive to the loss of a single Msh2 allele. This suggests that MSH2 is rate limiting for expansion in this mouse model and that MSH2 levels may be a key factor that accounts for tissue-specific differences in expansion risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Adihe Lokanga
- Section on Genomic Structure and Function, Laboratory of Cell and
Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830
- Division of Medical Biochemistry, University of Cape Town, Cape
Town, South Africa
| | - Xiao-Nan Zhao
- Section on Genomic Structure and Function, Laboratory of Cell and
Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830
| | - Karen Usdin
- Section on Genomic Structure and Function, Laboratory of Cell and
Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830
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28
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Mason AG, Tomé S, Simard JP, Libby RT, Bammler TK, Beyer RP, Morton AJ, Pearson CE, La Spada AR. Expression levels of DNA replication and repair genes predict regional somatic repeat instability in the brain but are not altered by polyglutamine disease protein expression or age. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 23:1606-18. [PMID: 24191263 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeats causes numerous inherited neurological disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD), several spinocerebellar ataxias and myotonic dystrophy type 1. Expanded repeats are genetically unstable with a propensity to further expand when transmitted from parents to offspring. For many alleles with expanded repeats, extensive somatic mosaicism has been documented. For CAG repeat diseases, dramatic instability has been documented in the striatum, with larger expansions noted with advancing age. In contrast, only modest instability occurs in the cerebellum. Using microarray expression analysis, we sought to identify the genetic basis of these regional instability differences by comparing gene expression in the striatum and cerebellum of aged wild-type C57BL/6J mice. We identified eight candidate genes enriched in cerebellum, and validated four--Pcna, Rpa1, Msh6 and Fen1--along with a highly associated interactor, Lig1. We also explored whether expression levels of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins are altered in a line of HD transgenic mice, R6/2, that is known to show pronounced regional repeat instability. Compared with wild-type littermates, MMR expression levels were not significantly altered in R6/2 mice regardless of age. Interestingly, expression levels of these candidates were significantly increased in the cerebellum of control and HD human samples in comparison to striatum. Together, our data suggest that elevated expression levels of DNA replication and repair proteins in cerebellum may act as a safeguard against repeat instability, and may account for the dramatically reduced somatic instability present in this brain region, compared with the marked instability observed in the striatum.
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29
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Abnormal base excision repair at trinucleotide repeats associated with diseases: a tissue-selective mechanism. Genes (Basel) 2013; 4:375-87. [PMID: 24705210 PMCID: PMC3924826 DOI: 10.3390/genes4030375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
More than fifteen genetic diseases, including Huntington’s disease, myotonic dystrophy 1, fragile X syndrome and Friedreich ataxia, are caused by the aberrant expansion of a trinucleotide repeat. The mutation is unstable and further expands in specific cells or tissues with time, which can accelerate disease progression. DNA damage and base excision repair (BER) are involved in repeat instability and might contribute to the tissue selectivity of the process. In this review, we will discuss the mechanisms of trinucleotide repeat instability, focusing more specifically on the role of BER.
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30
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Savić Pavićević D, Miladinović J, Brkušanin M, Šviković S, Djurica S, Brajušković G, Romac S. Molecular genetics and genetic testing in myotonic dystrophy type 1. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 2013:391821. [PMID: 23586035 PMCID: PMC3613064 DOI: 10.1155/2013/391821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common adult onset muscular dystrophy, presenting as a multisystemic disorder with extremely variable clinical manifestation, from asymptomatic adults to severely affected neonates. A striking anticipation and parental-gender effect upon transmission are distinguishing genetic features in DM1 pedigrees. It is an autosomal dominant hereditary disease associated with an unstable expansion of CTG repeats in the 3'-UTR of the DMPK gene, with the number of repeats ranging from 50 to several thousand. The number of CTG repeats broadly correlates with both the age-at-onset and overall severity of the disease. Expanded DM1 alleles are characterized by a remarkable expansion-biased and gender-specific germline instability, and tissue-specific, expansion-biased, age-dependent, and individual-specific somatic instability. Mutational dynamics in male and female germline account for observed anticipation and parental-gender effect in DM1 pedigrees, while mutational dynamics in somatic tissues contribute toward the tissue-specificity and progressive nature of the disease. Genetic test is routinely used in diagnostic procedure for DM1 for symptomatic, asymptomatic, and prenatal testing, accompanied with appropriate genetic counseling and, as recommended, without predictive information about the disease course. We review molecular genetics of DM1 with focus on those issues important for genetic testing and counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dušanka Savić Pavićević
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Miladinović
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miloš Brkušanin
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Saša Šviković
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Svetlana Djurica
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Goran Brajušković
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Stanka Romac
- Center for Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 52, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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31
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Tomé S, Manley K, Simard JP, Clark GW, Slean MM, Swami M, Shelbourne PF, Tillier ERM, Monckton DG, Messer A, Pearson CE. MSH3 polymorphisms and protein levels affect CAG repeat instability in Huntington's disease mice. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003280. [PMID: 23468640 PMCID: PMC3585117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansions of trinucleotide CAG/CTG repeats in somatic tissues are thought to contribute to ongoing disease progression through an affected individual's life with Huntington's disease or myotonic dystrophy. Broad ranges of repeat instability arise between individuals with expanded repeats, suggesting the existence of modifiers of repeat instability. Mice with expanded CAG/CTG repeats show variable levels of instability depending upon mouse strain. However, to date the genetic modifiers underlying these differences have not been identified. We show that in liver and striatum the R6/1 Huntington's disease (HD) (CAG)∼100 transgene, when present in a congenic C57BL/6J (B6) background, incurred expansion-biased repeat mutations, whereas the repeat was stable in a congenic BALB/cByJ (CBy) background. Reciprocal congenic mice revealed the Msh3 gene as the determinant for the differences in repeat instability. Expansion bias was observed in congenic mice homozygous for the B6 Msh3 gene on a CBy background, while the CAG tract was stabilized in congenics homozygous for the CBy Msh3 gene on a B6 background. The CAG stabilization was as dramatic as genetic deficiency of Msh2. The B6 and CBy Msh3 genes had identical promoters but differed in coding regions and showed strikingly different protein levels. B6 MSH3 variant protein is highly expressed and associated with CAG expansions, while the CBy MSH3 variant protein is expressed at barely detectable levels, associating with CAG stability. The DHFR protein, which is divergently transcribed from a promoter shared by the Msh3 gene, did not show varied levels between mouse strains. Thus, naturally occurring MSH3 protein polymorphisms are modifiers of CAG repeat instability, likely through variable MSH3 protein stability. Since evidence supports that somatic CAG instability is a modifier and predictor of disease, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that variable levels of CAG instability associated with polymorphisms of DNA repair genes may have prognostic implications for various repeat-associated diseases. The genetic instability of repetitive DNA sequences in particular genes can lead to numerous neurodegenerative, neurological, and neuromuscular diseases. These diseases show progressively increasing severity of symptoms through the life of the affected individual, a phenomenon that is linked with increasing instability of the repeated sequences as the person ages. There is variability in the levels of this instability between individuals—the source of this variability is unknown. We have shown in a mouse model of repeat instability that small differences in a certain DNA repair gene, MSH3, whose protein is known to fix broken DNA, can lead to variable levels of repeat instability. These DNA repair variants lead to different repair protein levels, where lower levels lead to reduced repeat instability. Our findings reveal that such naturally occurring variations in DNA repair genes in affected humans may serve as a predictor of disease progression. Moreover, our findings support the concept that pharmacological reduction of MSH3 protein should reduce repeat instability and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Tomé
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin Manley
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Jodie P. Simard
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Greg W. Clark
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Campbell Family Institute for Cancer Research, Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meghan M. Slean
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meera Swami
- Institute of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Peggy F. Shelbourne
- Institute of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth R. M. Tillier
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Campbell Family Institute for Cancer Research, Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Darren G. Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Messer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher E. Pearson
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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32
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Goula AV, Stys A, Chan JPK, Trottier Y, Festenstein R, Merienne K. Transcription elongation and tissue-specific somatic CAG instability. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1003051. [PMID: 23209427 PMCID: PMC3510035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 09/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of CAG/CTG repeats is responsible for many diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD) and myotonic dystrophy 1. CAG/CTG expansions are unstable in selective somatic tissues, which accelerates disease progression. The mechanisms underlying repeat instability are complex, and it remains unclear whether chromatin structure and/or transcription contribute to somatic CAG/CTG instability in vivo. To address these issues, we investigated the relationship between CAG instability, chromatin structure, and transcription at the HD locus using the R6/1 and R6/2 HD transgenic mouse lines. These mice express a similar transgene, albeit integrated at a different site, and recapitulate HD tissue-specific instability. We show that instability rates are increased in R6/2 tissues as compared to R6/1 matched-samples. High transgene expression levels and chromatin accessibility correlated with the increased CAG instability of R6/2 mice. Transgene mRNA and H3K4 trimethylation at the HD locus were increased, whereas H3K9 dimethylation was reduced in R6/2 tissues relative to R6/1 matched-tissues. However, the levels of transgene expression and these specific histone marks were similar in the striatum and cerebellum, two tissues showing very different CAG instability levels, irrespective of mouse line. Interestingly, the levels of elongating RNA Pol II at the HD locus, but not the initiating form of RNA Pol II, were tissue-specific and correlated with CAG instability levels. Similarly, H3K36 trimethylation, a mark associated with transcription elongation, was specifically increased at the HD locus in the striatum and not in the cerebellum. Together, our data support the view that transcription modulates somatic CAG instability in vivo. More specifically, our results suggest for the first time that transcription elongation is regulated in a tissue-dependent manner, contributing to tissue-selective CAG instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathi-Vasiliki Goula
- Programme of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
| | - Agnieszka Stys
- Programme of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
| | - Jackson P. K. Chan
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yvon Trottier
- Programme of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
| | - Richard Festenstein
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karine Merienne
- Programme of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
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Lin Y, Wilson JH. Nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, and R-loops modulate convergent transcription-induced cell death and repeat instability. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46807. [PMID: 23056461 PMCID: PMC3463551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of CAG•CTG tracts located in specific genes is responsible for 13 human neurodegenerative disorders, the pathogenic mechanisms of which are not yet well defined. These disease genes are ubiquitously expressed in human tissues, and transcription has been identified as one of the major pathways destabilizing the repeats. Transcription-induced repeat instability depends on transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER), the mismatch repair (MMR) recognition component MSH2/MSH3, and RNA/DNA hybrids (R-loops). Recently, we reported that simultaneous sense and antisense transcription–convergent transcription–through a CAG repeat not only promotes repeat instability, but also induces a cell stress response, which arrests the cell cycle and eventually leads to massive cell death via apoptosis. Here, we use siRNA knockdowns to investigate whether NER, MMR, and R-loops also modulate convergent-transcription-induced cell death and repeat instability. We find that siRNA-mediated depletion of TC-NER components increases convergent transcription-induced cell death, as does the simultaneous depletion of RNase H1 and RNase H2A. In contrast, depletion of MSH2 decreases cell death. These results identify TC-NER, MMR recognition, and R-loops as modulators of convergent transcription-induced cell death and shed light on the molecular mechanism involved. We also find that the TC-NER pathway, MSH2, and R-loops modulate convergent transcription-induced repeat instability. These observations link the mechanisms of convergent transcription-induced repeat instability and convergent transcription-induced cell death, suggesting that a common structure may trigger both outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfu Lin
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas,United States of America
| | - John H. Wilson
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas,United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Goula AV, Pearson CE, Della Maria J, Trottier Y, Tomkinson AE, Wilson DM, Merienne K. The nucleotide sequence, DNA damage location, and protein stoichiometry influence the base excision repair outcome at CAG/CTG repeats. Biochemistry 2012; 51:3919-32. [PMID: 22497302 PMCID: PMC3357312 DOI: 10.1021/bi300410d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of CAG/CTG repeats is the underlying cause of >14 genetic disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD) and myotonic dystrophy. The mutational process is ongoing, with increases in repeat size enhancing the toxicity of the expansion in specific tissues. In many repeat diseases, the repeats exhibit high instability in the striatum, whereas instability is minimal in the cerebellum. We provide molecular insights into how base excision repair (BER) protein stoichiometry may contribute to the tissue-selective instability of CAG/CTG repeats by using specific repair assays. Oligonucleotide substrates with an abasic site were mixed with either reconstituted BER protein stoichiometries mimicking the levels present in HD mouse striatum or cerebellum, or with protein extracts prepared from HD mouse striatum or cerebellum. In both cases, the repair efficiency at CAG/CTG repeats and at control DNA sequences was markedly reduced under the striatal conditions, likely because of the lower level of APE1, FEN1, and LIG1. Damage located toward the 5' end of the repeat tract was poorly repaired, with the accumulation of incompletely processed intermediates as compared to an AP lesion in the center or at the 3' end of the repeats or within control sequences. Moreover, repair of lesions at the 5' end of CAG or CTG repeats involved multinucleotide synthesis, particularly at the cerebellar stoichiometry, suggesting that long-patch BER processes lesions at sequences susceptible to hairpin formation. Our results show that the BER stoichiometry, nucleotide sequence, and DNA damage position modulate repair outcome and suggest that a suboptimal long-patch BER activity promotes CAG/CTG repeat instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathi-Vasiliki Goula
- Department of Neurogenetics and Translational Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
| | - Christopher E. Pearson
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, TMDT Building 101 College St., 15th Floor, Room 15-312 East Tower, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julie Della Maria
- Department of Radiation Oncology and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yvon Trottier
- Department of Neurogenetics and Translational Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
| | - Alan E. Tomkinson
- Department of Radiation Oncology and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David M. Wilson
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging (NIA)/ National Institutes of Health (NIH), Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Karine Merienne
- Department of Neurogenetics and Translational Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR 7104-CNRS/INSERM/UdS, Illkirch, France
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Liu G, Leffak M. Instability of (CTG)n•(CAG)n trinucleotide repeats and DNA synthesis. Cell Biosci 2012; 2:7. [PMID: 22369689 PMCID: PMC3310812 DOI: 10.1186/2045-3701-2-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of (CTG)n•(CAG)n trinucleotide repeat (TNR) microsatellite sequences is the cause of more than a dozen human neurodegenerative diseases. (CTG)n and (CAG)n repeats form imperfectly base paired hairpins that tend to expand in vivo in a length-dependent manner. Yeast, mouse and human models confirm that (CTG)n•(CAG)n instability increases with repeat number, and implicate both DNA replication and DNA damage response mechanisms in (CTG)n•(CAG)n TNR expansion and contraction. Mutation and knockdown models that abrogate the expression of individual genes might also mask more subtle, cumulative effects of multiple additional pathways on (CTG)n•(CAG)n instability in whole animals. The identification of second site genetic modifiers may help to explain the variability of (CTG)n•(CAG)n TNR instability patterns between tissues and individuals, and offer opportunities for prognosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqi Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
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Altered replication in human cells promotes DMPK (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) repeat instability. Mol Cell Biol 2012; 32:1618-32. [PMID: 22354993 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.06727-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is associated with expansion of (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the DMPK gene. Replication origins are cis-acting elements that potentiate TNR instability; therefore, we mapped replication initiation sites and prereplication complex protein binding within the ~10-kb DMPK/SIX5 locus in non-DM1 and DM1 cells. Two origins, IS(DMPK) and IS(SIX5), flanked the (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) TNRs in control cells and in DM1 cells. Orc2 and Mcm4 bound near each of the replication initiation sites, but a dramatic change in (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) replication polarity was not correlated with TNR expansion. To test whether (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) TNRs are cis-acting elements of instability in human cells, model cell lines were created by integration of cassettes containing the c-myc replication origin and (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) TNRs in HeLa cells. Replication forks were slowed by (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) TNRs in a length-dependent manner independent of replication polarity, implying that expanded (CTG)(n) · (CAG)(n) TNRs lead to replication stress. Consistent with this prediction, TNR instability increased in the HeLa model cells and DM1 cells upon small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of the fork stabilization protein Claspin, Timeless, or Tipin. These results suggest that aberrant DNA replication and TNR instability are linked in DM1 cells.
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Cowin RM, Bui N, Graham D, Green JR, Grueninger S, Yuva-Paylor LA, Syed AU, Weiss A, Paylor R. Onset and progression of behavioral and molecular phenotypes in a novel congenic R6/2 line exhibiting intergenerational CAG repeat stability. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28409. [PMID: 22163300 PMCID: PMC3233565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study we report on the use of speed congenics to generate a C57BL/6J congenic line of HD-model R6/2 mice carrying 110 CAG repeats, which uniquely exhibits minimal intergenerational instability. We also report the first identification of the R6/2 transgene insertion site. The relatively stable line of 110 CAG R6/2 mice was characterized for the onset of behavioral impairments in motor, cognitive and psychiatric-related phenotypes as well as the progression of disease-related impairments from 4 to 10 weeks of age. 110Q mice exhibited many of the phenotypes commonly associated with the R6/2 model including reduced activity and impairments in rotarod performance. The onset of many of the phenotypes occurred around 6 weeks and was progressive across age. In addition, some phenotypes were observed in mice as early as 4 weeks of age. The present study also reports the onset and progression of changes in several molecular phenotypes in the novel R6/2 mice and the association of these changes with behavioral symptom onset and progression. Data from TR-FRET suggest an association of mutant protein state changes (soluble versus aggregated) in disease onset and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi-Michelle Cowin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Nghiem Bui
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Deanna Graham
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jennie R. Green
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephan Grueninger
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Neuroscience Discovery, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lisa A. Yuva-Paylor
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Arsalan U. Syed
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andreas Weiss
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Neuroscience Discovery, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Richard Paylor
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kovtun IV, Johnson KO, McMurray CT. Cockayne syndrome B protein antagonizes OGG1 in modulating CAG repeat length in vivo. Aging (Albany NY) 2011; 3:509-14. [PMID: 21566259 PMCID: PMC3156601 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OGG1 and MSH2/MSH3 promote CAG repeat expansion at Huntington's disease (HD) locus in vivo during removal of oxidized bases from DNA. CSB, a transcription-coupled repair (TCR) protein, facilitates repair of some of the same oxidative lesions. In vitro, a knock down CSB results in a reduction of transcription-induced deletions at CAG repeat tract. To test the role of CSB in vivo, we measured intergenerational and somatic expansion of CAG tracts in HD mice lacking CSB, OGG1, or both. We provide evidence that CSB protects CAG repeats from expansion by either active reduction of the tract length during parent-child transmission, or by antagonizing the action of OGG1, which tends to promote expansion in somatic cells. These results raise a possibility that actions of transcription-coupled and base excision repair pathways lead to different outcomes at CAG tracts in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina V Kovtun
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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Hubert L, Lin Y, Dion V, Wilson JH. Xpa deficiency reduces CAG trinucleotide repeat instability in neuronal tissues in a mouse model of SCA1. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20:4822-30. [PMID: 21926083 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) is responsible for a number of human neurodegenerative disorders. The molecular mechanisms that underlie TNR instability in humans are not clear. Based on results from model systems, several mechanisms for instability have been proposed, all of which focus on the ability of TNRs to form alternative structures during normal DNA transactions, including replication, DNA repair and transcription. These abnormal structures are thought to trigger changes in TNR length. We have previously shown that transcription-induced TNR instability in cultured human cells depends on several genes known to be involved in transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (NER). We hypothesized that NER normally functions to destabilize expanded TNRs. To test this hypothesis, we bred an Xpa null allele, which eliminates NER, into the TNR mouse model for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), which carries an expanded CAG repeat tract at the endogenous mouse Sca1 locus. We find that Xpa deficiency does not substantially affect TNR instability in either the male or female germline; however, it dramatically reduces CAG repeat instability in neuronal tissues-striatum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex-but does not alter CAG instability in kidney or liver. The tissue-specific effect of Xpa deficiency represents a novel finding; it suggests that tissue-to-tissue variation in CAG repeat instability arises, in part, by different underlying mechanisms. These results validate our original findings in cultured human cells and suggest that transcription may induce NER-dependent TNR instability in neuronal tissues in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leroy Hubert
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Tseng Q, Orans J, Hast MA, Iyer RR, Changela A, Modrich PL, Beese LS. Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the human mismatch repair protein MutSβ. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2011; 67:947-52. [PMID: 21821902 PMCID: PMC3151135 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309111019300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2011] [Accepted: 05/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
MutSβ is a eukaryotic mismatch repair protein that preferentially targets extrahelical unpaired nucleotides and shares partial functional redundancy with MutSα (MSH2-MSH6). Although mismatch recognition by MutSα has been shown to involve a conserved Phe-X-Glu motif, little is known about the lesion-binding mechanism of MutSβ. Combined MSH3/MSH6 deficiency triggers a strong predisposition to cancer in mice and defects in msh2 and msh6 account for roughly half of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer mutations. These three MutS homologs are also believed to play a role in trinucleotide repeat instability, which is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders. The baculovirus overexpression and purification of recombinant human MutSβ and three truncation mutants are presented here. Binding assays with heteroduplex DNA were carried out for biochemical characterization. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the protein bound to a heteroduplex DNA substrate are also reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quincy Tseng
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jillian Orans
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Michael A. Hast
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ravi R. Iyer
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anita Changela
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Paul L. Modrich
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lorena S. Beese
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Topoisomerase 1 and single-strand break repair modulate transcription-induced CAG repeat contraction in human cells. Mol Cell Biol 2011; 31:3105-12. [PMID: 21628532 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.05158-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanded trinucleotide repeats are responsible for a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington disease and myotonic dystrophy type 1. The mechanisms that underlie repeat instability in the germ line and in the somatic tissues of human patients are undefined. Using a selection assay based on contraction of CAG repeat tracts in human cells, we screened the Prestwick chemical library in a moderately high-throughput assay and identified 18 novel inducers of repeat contraction. A subset of these compounds targeted pathways involved in the management of DNA supercoiling associated with transcription. Further analyses using both small molecule inhibitors and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdowns demonstrated the involvement of topoisomerase 1 (TOP1), tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1), and single-strand break repair (SSBR) in modulating transcription-dependent CAG repeat contractions. The TOP1-TDP1-SSBR pathway normally functions to suppress repeat instability, since interfering with it stimulated repeat contractions. We further showed that the increase in repeat contractions when the TOP1-TDP1-SSBR pathway is compromised arises via transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair, a previously identified contributor to transcription-induced repeat instability. These studies broaden the scope of pathways involved in transcription-induced CAG repeat instability and begin to define their interrelationships.
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Abstract
Myotonic dystrophies (dystrophia myotonica, or DM) are inherited disorders characterized by myotonia and progressive muscle degeneration, which are variably associated with a multisystemic phenotype. To date, two types of myotonic dystrophy, type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2), are known to exist; both are autosomal dominant disorders caused by expansion of an untranslated short tandem repeat DNA sequence (CTG)(n) and (CCTG)(n), respectively. These expanded repeats in DM1 and DM2 show different patterns of repeat-size instability. Phenotypes of DM1 and DM2 are similar but there are some important differences, most conspicuously in the severity of the disease (including the presence or absence of the congenital form), muscles primarily affected (distal versus proximal), involved muscle fiber types (type 1 versus type 2 fibers), and some associated multisystemic phenotypes. The pathogenic mechanism of DM1 and DM2 is thought to be mediated by the mutant RNA transcripts containing expanded CUG and CCUG repeats. Strong evidence supports the hypothesis that sequestration of muscle-blind like (MBNL) proteins by these expanded repeats leads to misregulated splicing of many gene transcripts in corroboration with the raised level of CUG-binding protein 1. However, additional mechanisms, such as changes in the chromatin structure involving CTCN-binding site and gene expression dysregulations, are emerging. Although treatment of DM1 and DM2 is currently limited to supportive therapies, new therapeutic approaches based on pathogenic mechanisms may become feasible in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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Abstract
Trinucleotide expansion underlies several human diseases. Expansion occurs during multiple stages of human development in different cell types, and is sensitive to the gender of the parent who transmits the repeats. Repair and replication models for expansions have been described, but we do not know whether the pathway involved is the same under all conditions and for all repeat tract lengths, which differ among diseases. Currently, researchers rely on bacteria, yeast and mice to study expansion, but these models differ substantially from humans. We need now to connect the dots among human genetics, pathway biochemistry and the appropriate model systems to understand the mechanism of expansion as it occurs in human disease.
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Seriola A, Spits C, Simard JP, Hilven P, Haentjens P, Pearson CE, Sermon K. Huntington's and myotonic dystrophy hESCs: down-regulated trinucleotide repeat instability and mismatch repair machinery expression upon differentiation. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 20:176-85. [PMID: 20935170 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) and myotonic dystrophy (DM1) are caused by trinucleotide repeat expansions. The repeats show different instability patterns according to the disorder, cell type and developmental stage. Here we studied the behavior of these repeats in DM1- and HD-derived human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) before and after differentiation, and its relationship to the DNA mismatch repair (MMR). The relatively small (CAG)44 HD expansion was stable in undifferentiated and differentiated HD hESCs. In contrast, the DM1 repeat showed instability from the earliest passages onwards in DM1 hESCs with (CTG)250 or (CTG)1800. Upon differentiation the DM1 repeat was stabilized. MMR genes, including hMSH2, hMSH3 and hMSH6 were assessed at the transcript and protein levels in differentiated cells. The coincidence of differentiation-induced down-regulated MMR expression with reduced instability of the long expanded repeats in hESCs is consistent with a known requirement of MMR proteins for repeat instability in transgenic mice. This is the first demonstration of a correlation between altered repeat instability of an endogenous DM1 locus and natural MMR down-regulation, in contrast to the commonly used murine knock-down systems.
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Cleary JD, Tomé S, López Castel A, Panigrahi GB, Foiry L, Hagerman KA, Sroka H, Chitayat D, Gourdon G, Pearson CE. Tissue- and age-specific DNA replication patterns at the CTG/CAG-expanded human myotonic dystrophy type 1 locus. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2010; 17:1079-87. [DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 06/24/2010] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Convergent transcription through a long CAG tract destabilizes repeats and induces apoptosis. Mol Cell Biol 2010; 30:4435-51. [PMID: 20647539 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00332-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Short repetitive sequences are common in the human genome, and many fall within transcription units. We have previously shown that transcription through CAG repeat tracts destabilizes them in a way that depends on transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair and mismatch repair. Recent observations that antisense transcription accompanies sense transcription in many human genes led us to test the effects of antisense transcription on triplet repeat instability in human cells. Here, we report that simultaneous sense and antisense transcription (convergent transcription) initiated from two inducible promoters flanking a CAG95 tract in a nonessential gene enhances repeat instability synergistically, arrests the cell cycle, and causes massive cell death via apoptosis. Using chemical inhibitors and small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdowns, we identified the ATR (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated [ATM] and Rad3 related) signaling pathway as a key mediator of this cellular response. RNA polymerase II, replication protein A (RPA), and components of the ATR signaling pathway accumulate at convergently transcribed repeat tracts, accompanied by phosphorylation of ATR, CHK1, and p53. Cell death depends on simultaneous sense and antisense transcription and is proportional to their relative levels, it requires the presence of the repeat tract, and it occurs in both proliferating and nonproliferating cells. Convergent transcription through a CAG repeat represents a novel mechanism for triggering a cellular stress response, one that is initiated by events at a single locus in the genome and resembles the response to DNA damage.
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Isolated short CTG/CAG DNA slip-outs are repaired efficiently by hMutSbeta, but clustered slip-outs are poorly repaired. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:12593-8. [PMID: 20571119 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0909087107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansions of CTG/CAG trinucleotide repeats, thought to involve slipped DNAs at the repeats, cause numerous diseases including myotonic dystrophy and Huntington's disease. By unknown mechanisms, further repeat expansions in transgenic mice carrying expanded CTG/CAG tracts require the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins MSH2 and MSH3, forming the MutSbeta complex. Using an in vitro repair assay, we investigated the effect of slip-out size, with lengths of 1, 3, or 20 excess CTG repeats, as well as the effect of the number of slip-outs per molecule, on the requirement for human MMR. Long slip-outs escaped repair, whereas short slip-outs were repaired efficiently, much greater than a G-T mismatch, but required hMutSbeta. Higher or lower levels of hMutSbeta or its complete absence were detrimental to proper repair of short slip-outs. Surprisingly, clusters of as many as 62 short slip-outs (one to three repeat units each) along a single DNA molecule with (CTG)50*(CAG)50 repeats were refractory to repair, and repair efficiency was reduced further without MMR. Consistent with the MutSbeta requirement for instability, hMutSbeta is required to process isolated short slip-outs; however, multiple adjacent short slip-outs block each other's repair, possibly acting as roadblocks to progression of repair and allowing error-prone repair. Results suggest that expansions can arise by escaped repair of long slip-outs, tandem short slip-outs, or isolated short slip-outs; the latter two types are sensitive to hMutSbeta. Poor repair of clustered DNA lesions has previously been associated only with ionizing radiation damage. Our results extend this interference in repair to neurodegenerative disease-causing mutations in which clustered slip-outs escape proper repair and lead to expansions.
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Myotonic dystrophy type 1 and PGD: ovarian stimulation response and correlation analysis between ovarian reserve and genotype. Reprod Biomed Online 2010; 20:610-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2010.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2009] [Revised: 07/27/2009] [Accepted: 12/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Zhao J, Bacolla A, Wang G, Vasquez KM. Non-B DNA structure-induced genetic instability and evolution. Cell Mol Life Sci 2010; 67:43-62. [PMID: 19727556 PMCID: PMC3017512 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-009-0131-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2009] [Revised: 07/22/2009] [Accepted: 08/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Repetitive DNA motifs are abundant in the genomes of various species and have the capacity to adopt non-canonical (i.e., non-B) DNA structures. Several non-B DNA structures, including cruciforms, slipped structures, triplexes, G-quadruplexes, and Z-DNA, have been shown to cause mutations, such as deletions, expansions, and translocations in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Their distributions in genomes are not random and often co-localize with sites of chromosomal breakage associated with genetic diseases. Current genome-wide sequence analyses suggest that the genomic instabilities induced by non-B DNA structure-forming sequences not only result in predisposition to disease, but also contribute to rapid evolutionary changes, particularly in genes associated with development and regulatory functions. In this review, we describe the occurrence of non-B DNA-forming sequences in various species, the classes of genes enriched in non-B DNA-forming sequences, and recent mechanistic studies on DNA structure-induced genomic instability to highlight their importance in genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Zhao
- Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park-Research Division, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1-C, P.O. Box 389, Smithville, TX 78957 USA
| | - Albino Bacolla
- Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park-Research Division, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1-C, P.O. Box 389, Smithville, TX 78957 USA
| | - Guliang Wang
- Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park-Research Division, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1-C, P.O. Box 389, Smithville, TX 78957 USA
| | - Karen M. Vasquez
- Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park-Research Division, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1-C, P.O. Box 389, Smithville, TX 78957 USA
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López Castel A, Tomkinson AE, Pearson CE. CTG/CAG repeat instability is modulated by the levels of human DNA ligase I and its interaction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen: a distinction between replication and slipped-DNA repair. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:26631-45. [PMID: 19628465 PMCID: PMC2785351 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.034405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2009] [Revised: 07/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms contributing to disease-associated trinucleotide repeat instability are poorly understood. DNA ligation is an essential step common to replication and repair, both potential sources of repeat instability. Using derivatives of DNA ligase I (hLigI)-deficient human cells (46BR.1G1), we assessed the effect of hLigI activity, overexpression, and its interaction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) upon the ability to replicate and repair trinucleotide repeats. Compared with LigI(+/+), replication progression through repeats was poor, and repair tracts were broadened beyond the slipped-repeat for all mutant extracts. Increased repeat instability was linked only to hLigI overexpression and expression of a mutant hLigI incapable of interacting with PCNA. The endogenous mutant version of hLigI with reduced ligation activity did not alter instability. We distinguished the DNA processes through which hLigI contributes to trinucleotide instability. The highest levels of repeat instability were observed under the hLigI overexpression and were linked to reduced slipped-DNAs repair efficiencies. Therefore, the replication-mediated instability can partly be attributed to errors during replication but also to the poor repair of slipped-DNAs formed during this process. However, repair efficiencies were unaffected by expression of a PCNA interaction mutant of hLigI, limiting this instability to the replication process. The addition of purified proteins suggests that disruption of LigI and PCNA interactions influences trinucleotide repeat instability. The variable levels of age- and tissue-specific trinucleotide repeat instability observed in myotonic dystrophy patients and transgenic mice may be influenced by varying steady state levels of DNA ligase I in these tissues and during different developmental windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo López Castel
- From the Program of Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Alan E. Tomkinson
- the Radiation Oncology Research Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, and Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Christopher E. Pearson
- From the Program of Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
- the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada, and
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