1
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Herr LM, Schaffer ED, Fuchs KF, Datta A, Brosh RM. Replication stress as a driver of cellular senescence and aging. Commun Biol 2024; 7:616. [PMID: 38777831 PMCID: PMC11111458 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06263-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Replication stress refers to slowing or stalling of replication fork progression during DNA synthesis that disrupts faithful copying of the genome. While long considered a nexus for DNA damage, the role of replication stress in aging is under-appreciated. The consequential role of replication stress in promotion of organismal aging phenotypes is evidenced by an extensive list of hereditary accelerated aging disorders marked by molecular defects in factors that promote replication fork progression and operate uniquely in the replication stress response. Additionally, recent studies have revealed cellular pathways and phenotypes elicited by replication stress that align with designated hallmarks of aging. Here we review recent advances demonstrating the role of replication stress as an ultimate driver of cellular senescence and aging. We discuss clinical implications of the intriguing links between cellular senescence and aging including application of senotherapeutic approaches in the context of replication stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Herr
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ethan D Schaffer
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kathleen F Fuchs
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Arindam Datta
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Yuan H, Liu RD, Gao ZY, Zhong LT, Zhou YC, Tan JH, Huang ZS, Li Z, Chen SB. Targeting ATP-binding site of WRN Helicase: Identification of novel inhibitors through pocket analysis and Molecular Dynamics-Enhanced virtual screening. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 104:129711. [PMID: 38521175 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129711] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
WRN helicase is a critical protein involved in maintaining genomic stability, utilizing ATP hydrolysis to dissolve DNA secondary structures. It has been identified as a promising synthetic lethal target for microsatellite instable (MSI) cancers. However, few WRN helicase inhibitors have been discovered, and their potential binding sites remain unexplored. In this study, we analyzed potential binding sites for WRN inhibitors and focused on the ATP-binding site for screening new inhibitors. Through molecular dynamics-enhanced virtual screening, we identified two compounds, h6 and h15, which effectively inhibited WRN's helicase and ATPase activity in vitro. Importantly, these compounds selectively targeted WRN's ATPase activity, setting them apart from other non-homologous proteins with ATPase activity. In comparison to the homologous protein BLM, h6 exhibits some degree of selectivity towards WRN. We also investigated the binding mode of these compounds to WRN's ATP-binding sites. These findings offer a promising strategy for discovering new WRN inhibitors and present two novel scaffolds, which might be potential for the development of MSI cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Run-Duo Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhuo-Yu Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Li-Ting Zhong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ying-Chen Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jia-Heng Tan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhi-Shu Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhe Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Shuo-Bin Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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3
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Li H, Yu J, Yu G, Cheng S, Wu H, Wei J, You C, Liu K, Wang M, Meng X, Xu G, Luo H, Xu B. Design and synthesis of N-aryl-2-trifluoromethyl-quinazoline-4-amine derivatives as potential Werner-dependent antiproliferative agents. Mol Divers 2024:10.1007/s11030-024-10844-6. [PMID: 38739229 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-024-10844-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
To discover new Werner (WRN) helicase inhibitors, a series of N-aryl-2-trifluoromethyl-quinazoline-4-amine derivatives were designed and synthesized through a structural optimization strategy, and the anticancer activities of 25 new target compounds against PC3, K562, and HeLa cell lines were evaluated by the MTT assay. Some of these compounds exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against three different cancer cell lines. Compounds 6a, 8i, and 13a showed better antiproliferative activity against K562 cells, with IC50 values of 3871.5, 613.6 and 134.7 nM, respectively, than did paclitaxel (35.6 nM), doxorubicin (2689.0 nM), and NSC 617145 (20.3 nM). To further verify whether the antiproliferative activity of these compounds is dependent on WRN, PC3 cells overexpressing WRN (PC3-WRN) were constructed to further study their antiproliferative potency in vitro, and the inhibition ratio and IC20 values showed that compounds 6a, 8i, and 13a were more sensitive to PC3-WRN than were the control group cells (PC3-NC). The IC20 ratios of compounds 6a, 8i, and 13a to PC3-NC and PC3-WRN were 94.3, 153.4 and 505.5, respectively. According to the docking results, the compounds 6a, 8i, and 13a overlapped well with the binding pocket of 6YHR. Further study demonstrated that among the tested compounds, 13a was the most sensitive to PC3-WRN. In summary, our research identified a series of N-aryl-2-trifluoromethyl-quinazoline-4-amine derivatives as potential WRN-dependent anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Jia Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Gang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Sha Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Jiaomei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Chang You
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Kun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Menghan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Xueling Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China
| | - Guangcan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China.
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China.
| | - Heng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China.
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China.
| | - Bixue Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China.
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550014, China.
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4
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Ferretti S, Hamon J, de Kanter R, Scheufler C, Andraos-Rey R, Barbe S, Bechter E, Blank J, Bordas V, Dammassa E, Decker A, Di Nanni N, Dourdoigne M, Gavioli E, Hattenberger M, Heuser A, Hemmerlin C, Hinrichs J, Kerr G, Laborde L, Jaco I, Núñez EJ, Martus HJ, Quadt C, Reschke M, Romanet V, Schaeffer F, Schoepfer J, Schrapp M, Strang R, Voshol H, Wartmann M, Welly S, Zécri F, Hofmann F, Möbitz H, Cortés-Cros M. Discovery of WRN inhibitor HRO761 with synthetic lethality in MSI cancers. Nature 2024; 629:443-449. [PMID: 38658754 PMCID: PMC11078746 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07350-y] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The Werner syndrome RecQ helicase WRN was identified as a synthetic lethal target in cancer cells with microsatellite instability (MSI) by several genetic screens1-6. Despite advances in treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors7-10, there is an unmet need in the treatment of MSI cancers11-14. Here we report the structural, biochemical, cellular and pharmacological characterization of the clinical-stage WRN helicase inhibitor HRO761, which was identified through an innovative hit-finding and lead-optimization strategy. HRO761 is a potent, selective, allosteric WRN inhibitor that binds at the interface of the D1 and D2 helicase domains, locking WRN in an inactive conformation. Pharmacological inhibition by HRO761 recapitulated the phenotype observed by WRN genetic suppression, leading to DNA damage and inhibition of tumour cell growth selectively in MSI cells in a p53-independent manner. Moreover, HRO761 led to WRN degradation in MSI cells but not in microsatellite-stable cells. Oral treatment with HRO761 resulted in dose-dependent in vivo DNA damage induction and tumour growth inhibition in MSI cell- and patient-derived xenograft models. These findings represent preclinical pharmacological validation of WRN as a therapeutic target in MSI cancers. A clinical trial with HRO761 (NCT05838768) is ongoing to assess the safety, tolerability and preliminary anti-tumour activity in patients with MSI colorectal cancer and other MSI solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jutta Blank
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Elena Gavioli
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Alisa Heuser
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Grainne Kerr
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Isabel Jaco
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eloísa Jiménez Núñez
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Toulouse, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ross Strang
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans Voshol
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sarah Welly
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Francesco Hofmann
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Toulouse, France
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5
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Heuser A, Abdul Rahman W, Bechter E, Blank J, Buhr S, Erdmann D, Fontana P, Mermet-Meillon F, Meyerhofer M, Strang R, Schrapp M, Zimmermann C, Cortes-Cros M, Möbitz H, Hamon J. Challenges for the Discovery of Non-Covalent WRN Helicase Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300613. [PMID: 38334957 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300613] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The Werner Syndrome RecQ helicase (WRN) is a synthetic lethal target of interest for the treatment of cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). Different hit finding approaches were initially tested. The identification of WRN inhibitors proved challenging due to a high propensity for artefacts via protein interference, i. e., hits inhibiting WRN enzymatic activities through multiple, unspecific mechanisms. Previously published WRN Helicase inhibitors (ML216, NSC19630 or NSC617145) were characterized in an extensive set of biochemical and biophysical assays and could be ruled out as specific WRN helicase probes. More innovative screening strategies need to be developed for successful drug discovery of non-covalent WRN helicase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Heuser
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Elisabeth Bechter
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jutta Blank
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Buhr
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Erdmann
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrizia Fontana
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marco Meyerhofer
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ross Strang
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Schrapp
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marta Cortes-Cros
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henrik Möbitz
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Hamon
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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6
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Yang H, Kang M, Jang S, Baek SY, Kim J, Kim GU, Kim D, Ha J, Kim JS, Jung C, Kim NJ, Cho SY, Shin WH, Lee J, Ko J, Lee A, Keum G, Lee S, Kang T. Discovery of thiophen-2-ylmethylene bis-dimedone derivatives as novel WRN inhibitors for treating cancers with microsatellite instability. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 100:117588. [PMID: 38295487 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117588] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a hypermutable condition caused by DNA mismatch repair system defects, contributing to the development of various cancer types. Recent research has identified Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN) as a promising synthetic lethal target for MSI cancers. Herein, we report the first discovery of thiophen-2-ylmethylene bis-dimedone derivatives as novel WRN inhibitors for MSI cancer therapy. Initial computational analysis and biological evaluation identified a new scaffold for a WRN inhibitor. Subsequent SAR study led to the discovery of a highly potent WRN inhibitor. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the optimal compound induced DNA damage and apoptotic cell death in MSI cancer cells by inhibiting WRN. This study provides a new pharmacophore for WRN inhibitors, emphasizing their therapeutic potential for MSI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwasun Yang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Miso Kang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Fundamental Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonyeong Jang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Yeon Baek
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyeong Un Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongwoo Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsu Ha
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheulhee Jung
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Jung Kim
- Department of Fundamental Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Yup Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Medical Research Center, Genomic Medicine Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Woong-Hee Shin
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea; Department of Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02708, Republic of Korea
| | - Juyong Lee
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsu Ko
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea
| | - Ansoo Lee
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyochang Keum
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghee Lee
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department for HY-KIST Bio-convergence, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Taek Kang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Cui X, Hou J, Wang S, Yu J, Cheng S, Yu L, Song FJ, Luo H. Werner helicase mediates the senescence and cell cycle of leukemia cells by regulating DNA repair pathways. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 255:128305. [PMID: 37992942 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128305] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Leukemia is a type of malignant hematological disease that is generally resistant to chemotherapy and has poor therapeutic outcomes. Werner (WRN) DNA helicase, an important member of the RecQ family of helicases, plays an important role in DNA repair and telomere stability maintenance. WRN gene dysfunction leads to premature aging and predisposes humans to various types of cancers. However, the biological function of WRN in cancer remains unknown. In this study, the expression of this RecQ family helicase was investigated in different types of leukemia cells, and the leukemia cell line K562 with high WRN expression was selected to construct a WRN knockdown cell line. The results showed that WRN knockdown inhibited leukemia occurrence and development by regulating the proliferation, cell cycle, differentiation, and aging of cells and other biological processes. The results of transcriptome sequencing revealed that WRN promoted the sensitivity of leukemia cells to the DNA damage inducer Etoposide by regulating cell cycle-related proteins, such as CDC2, cyclin B1, p16, and p21, as well as key proteins in DNA damage repair pathways, such as p53, RAD50, RAD51, and MER11. Our findings show that WRN helicase is a promising potential target for leukemia treatment, providing new ideas for the development of targeted drugs against leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Department of Infectious Disease, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, PR China
| | - Jing Hou
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, PR China; College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Shimei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Department of Infectious Disease, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, PR China
| | - Jia Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, PR China
| | - Sha Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, PR China
| | - Lei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Department of Infectious Disease, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, PR China.
| | - Fa-Jun Song
- College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
| | - Heng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, PR China; Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, PR China.
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8
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Gu L, Hickey RJ, Malkas LH. Therapeutic Targeting of DNA Replication Stress in Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1346. [PMID: 37510250 PMCID: PMC10378776 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the currently used therapeutic strategies to target DNA replication stress for cancer treatment in the clinic, highlighting their effectiveness and limitations due to toxicity and drug resistance. Cancer cells experience enhanced spontaneous DNA damage due to compromised DNA replication machinery, elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, loss of tumor suppressor genes, and/or constitutive activation of oncogenes. Consequently, these cells are addicted to DNA damage response signaling pathways and repair machinery to maintain genome stability and support survival and proliferation. Chemotherapeutic drugs exploit this genetic instability by inducing additional DNA damage to overwhelm the repair system in cancer cells. However, the clinical use of DNA-damaging agents is limited by their toxicity and drug resistance often arises. To address these issues, the article discusses a potential strategy to target the cancer-associated isoform of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (caPCNA), which plays a central role in the DNA replication and damage response network. Small molecule and peptide agents that specifically target caPCNA can selectively target cancer cells without significant toxicity to normal cells or experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Gu
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics & Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Robert J Hickey
- Department of Cancer Biology & Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Linda H Malkas
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics & Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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9
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Chan EM, Foster KJ, Bass AJ. WRN Is a Promising Synthetic Lethal Target for Cancers with Microsatellite Instability (MSI). Cancer Treat Res 2023; 186:313-328. [PMID: 37978143 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30065-3_17] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI), a type of genetic hypermutability arising from impaired DNA mismatch repair (MMR), is observed in approximately 3% of all cancers. Preclinical work has identified the RecQ helicase WRN as a promising synthetic lethal target for patients with MSI cancers. WRN depletion substantially impairs the viability of MSI, but not microsatellite stable (MSS), cells. Experimental evidence suggests that this synthetic lethal phenotype is driven by numerous TA dinucleotide repeats that undergo expansion mutations in the setting of long-standing MMR deficiency. The lengthening of TA repeats increases their propensity to form secondary DNA structures that require WRN to resolve. In the absence of WRN helicase activity, these unresolved DNA secondary structures stall DNA replication forks and induce catastrophic DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmond M Chan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University, New York, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA.
- New York Genome Center, New York, USA.
| | | | - Adam J Bass
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, USA
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10
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Hao S, Tong J, Jha A, Risnik D, Lizardo D, Lu X, Goel A, Opresko PL, Yu J, Zhang L. Synthetical lethality of Werner helicase and mismatch repair deficiency is mediated by p53 and PUMA in colon cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211775119. [PMID: 36508676 PMCID: PMC9907101 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211775119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality is a powerful approach for targeting oncogenic drivers in cancer. Recent studies revealed that cancer cells with microsatellite instability (MSI) require Werner (WRN) helicase for survival; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that WRN depletion strongly induced p53 and its downstream apoptotic target PUMA in MSI colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. p53 or PUMA deletion abolished apoptosis induced by WRN depletion in MSI CRC cells. Importantly, correction of MSI abrogated the activation of p53/PUMA and cell killing, while induction of MSI led to sensitivity in isogenic CRC cells. Rare p53-mutant MSI CRC cells are resistant to WRN depletion due to lack of PUMA induction, which could be restored by wildtype (WT) p53 knock in or reconstitution. WRN depletion or treatment with the RecQ helicase inhibitor ML216 suppressed in vitro and in vivo growth of MSI CRCs in a p53/PUMA-dependent manner. ML216 treatment was efficacious in MSI CRC patient-derived xenografts. Interestingly, p53 gene remains WT in the majority of MSI CRCs. These results indicate a critical role of p53/PUMA-mediated apoptosis in the vulnerability of MSI CRCs to WRN loss, and support WRN as a promising therapeutic target in p53-WT MSI CRCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suisui Hao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Jingshan Tong
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Anupma Jha
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Denise Risnik
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Darleny Lizardo
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Xinyan Lu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Ajay Goel
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA91010
| | - Patricia L. Opresko
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Jian Yu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Lin Zhang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
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11
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Wei L, Kong X, Wang M, Zhang Y, Pan R, Cheng Y, Lv Z, Zhou J, Ming J. A label-free T4 polynucleotide kinase fluorescence sensor based on split dimeric G-quadruplex and ligation-induced dimeric G-quadruplex/thioflavin T conformation. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:7923-7933. [PMID: 36136111 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04327-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The phosphorylation process of DNA by T4 polynucleotide kinase (T4 PNK) plays a crucial role in DNA recombination, DNA replication, and DNA repair. Traditional monomeric G-quadruplex (G4) systems are always activated by single cation such as K+ or Na+. The conformation transformation caused by the coexistence of multiple cations may interfere with the signal readout and limit their applications in physiological system. In view of the stability of dimeric G4 in multiple cation solution, we reported a label-free T4 PNK fluorescence sensor based on split dimeric G4 and ligation-induced dimeric G4/thioflavin T (ThT) conformation. The dimeric G4 was divided into two independent pieces of one normal monomeric G4 and the other monomeric G4 fragment phosphorylated by T4 PNK in order to decrease the background signal. With the introduction of template DNA, DNA ligase, and invasive DNA, the dimeric G4 could be generated and liberated to combine with ThT to show obvious fluorescence signal. Using our strategy, the linear range from 0.005 to 0.5 U mL-1, and the detection limit of 0.0021 U mL-1 could be achieved without the consideration of interference caused by the coexistence of multiple cations. Additionally, research in real sample determination and inhibition effect investigations indicated its further potential application value in biochemical process research and clinic diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuya Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianglong Kong
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengran Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiyan Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanzheng Cheng
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihua Lv
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jin Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jingjing Ming
- School of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Kelm JM, Samarbakhsh A, Pillai A, VanderVere-Carozza PS, Aruri H, Pandey DS, Pawelczak KS, Turchi JJ, Gavande NS. Recent Advances in the Development of Non-PIKKs Targeting Small Molecule Inhibitors of DNA Double-Strand Break Repair. Front Oncol 2022; 12:850883. [PMID: 35463312 PMCID: PMC9020266 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.850883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of cancer patients receive DNA-damaging drugs or ionizing radiation (IR) during their course of treatment, yet the efficacy of these therapies is tempered by DNA repair and DNA damage response (DDR) pathways. Aberrations in DNA repair and the DDR are observed in many cancer subtypes and can promote de novo carcinogenesis, genomic instability, and ensuing resistance to current cancer therapy. Additionally, stalled or collapsed DNA replication forks present a unique challenge to the double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair system. Of the various inducible DNA lesions, DSBs are the most lethal and thus desirable in the setting of cancer treatment. In mammalian cells, DSBs are typically repaired by the error prone non-homologous end joining pathway (NHEJ) or the high-fidelity homology directed repair (HDR) pathway. Targeting DSB repair pathways using small molecular inhibitors offers a promising mechanism to synergize DNA-damaging drugs and IR while selective inhibition of the NHEJ pathway can induce synthetic lethality in HDR-deficient cancer subtypes. Selective inhibitors of the NHEJ pathway and alternative DSB-repair pathways may also see future use in precision genome editing to direct repair of resulting DSBs created by the HDR pathway. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in the development of inhibitors of the non-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (non-PIKKs) members of the NHEJ, HDR and minor backup SSA and alt-NHEJ DSB-repair pathways. The inhibitors described within this review target the non-PIKKs mediators of DSB repair including Ku70/80, Artemis, DNA Ligase IV, XRCC4, MRN complex, RPA, RAD51, RAD52, ERCC1-XPF, helicases, and DNA polymerase θ. While the DDR PIKKs remain intensely pursued as therapeutic targets, small molecule inhibition of non-PIKKs represents an emerging opportunity in drug discovery that offers considerable potential to impact cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M. Kelm
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Amirreza Samarbakhsh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Athira Pillai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | | | - Hariprasad Aruri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Deepti S. Pandey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | | | - John J. Turchi
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States,NERx Biosciences, Indianapolis, IN, United States,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Navnath S. Gavande
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States,Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States,*Correspondence: Navnath S. Gavande, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-2413-0235
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13
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Jafari Roshan S, Mansoori Y, Hosseini SR, Sabour D, Daraei A. Genetic variations in ATM and H2AX loci contribute to risk of hematological abnormalities in individuals exposed to BTEX chemicals. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36:e24321. [PMID: 35235704 PMCID: PMC8993635 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Loci controlling DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) repair play an important role in defending against the harmful health effects of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), but their gene variants may alter their repair capacity. The aim of the current study was to determine the relationship of functional polymorphisms ATM‐rs228589 A>T, WRN‐rs1800392 G>T and H2AX‐rs7759 A>G in DBS repair loci with the abnormal hematological indices in workers who exposed to BTEXs. Methods We included 141 cases with one or more abnormal hematological parameters, who had been occupationally exposed to BTEX chemicals and 152 controls with a similar exposure condition but without any abnormal hematological parameters. Atmospheric concentrations of BTEXs were measured and whole blood samples were taken from the participants to determine hematologic parameters and SNP genotyping. Results Results showed that T allele of ATM‐rs228589 and G allele of H2AX‐rs7759 had a higher frequency in cases than controls (p = 0.012 and p = 0.001, respectively). Also, AT and TT genotypes of ATM‐rs228589 and AG and GG genotypes of H2AX‐rs7759 were higher in cases compared to controls. The AT and TT genotypes of ATM‐rs228589 have significant associations with a risk of hematological abnormalities in the codominant (AT vs. AA, p = 0.018), dominant (AT + TT vs. AA, p = 0.010) and overdominant (AT vs. AA + TT, p = 0.037) models. The GG and AG genotypes of H2AX‐rs7759 were in relation with increased risk of abnormal hematological indices under codominant (GA vs. AA, p = 0.009 & GG vs. AA, p = 0.005), dominant (AG + GG vs. AA, p = 0.001), and recessive (GG vs. AA + AG, p = 0.025) models. Conclusions These observations may help to understand the mechanisms of BTEX hematotoxicity and identify useful biomarkers of risk assessment for workers exposed to BTEX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Jafari Roshan
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Yaser Mansoori
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Seyed Reza Hosseini
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Davood Sabour
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abdolreza Daraei
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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14
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Maity J, Horibata S, Zurcher G, Lee JM. Targeting of RecQ Helicases as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14051219. [PMID: 35267530 PMCID: PMC8909030 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RecQ helicases are essential for DNA replication, recombination, DNA damage repair, and other nucleic acid metabolic pathways required for normal cell growth, survival, and genome stability. More recently, RecQ helicases have been shown to be important for replication fork stabilization, one of the major mechanisms of PARP inhibitor resistance. Cancer cells often have upregulated helicases and depend on these enzymes to repair rapid growth-promoted DNA lesions. Several studies are now evaluating the use of RecQ helicases as potential biomarkers of breast and gynecologic cancers. Furthermore, RecQ helicases have attracted interest as possible targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of RecQ helicases and their interacting partners that may be utilized for effective treatment strategies (as cancers depend on helicases for survival). We also discuss how targeting helicase in combination with DNA repair inhibitors (i.e., PARP and ATR inhibitors) can be used as novel approaches for cancer treatment to increase sensitivity to current treatment to prevent rise of treatment resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyotirindra Maity
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.M.); (G.Z.)
| | - Sachi Horibata
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Precision Health Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (J.M.L.)
| | - Grant Zurcher
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.M.); (G.Z.)
| | - Jung-Min Lee
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.M.); (G.Z.)
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (J.M.L.)
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15
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Brosh RM, Wu Y. An emerging picture of FANCJ's role in G4 resolution to facilitate DNA replication. NAR Cancer 2021; 3:zcab034. [PMID: 34873585 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A well-accepted hallmark of cancer is genomic instability, which drives tumorigenesis. Therefore, understanding the molecular and cellular defects that destabilize chromosomal integrity is paramount to cancer diagnosis, treatment and cure. DNA repair and the replication stress response are overarching paradigms for maintenance of genomic stability, but the devil is in the details. ATP-dependent helicases serve to unwind DNA so it is replicated, transcribed, recombined and repaired efficiently through coordination with other nucleic acid binding and metabolizing proteins. Alternatively folded DNA structures deviating from the conventional anti-parallel double helix pose serious challenges to normal genomic transactions. Accumulating evidence suggests that G-quadruplex (G4) DNA is problematic for replication. Although there are multiple human DNA helicases that can resolve G4 in vitro, it is debated which helicases are truly important to resolve such structures in vivo. Recent advances have begun to elucidate the principal helicase actors, particularly in cellular DNA replication. FANCJ, a DNA helicase implicated in cancer and the chromosomal instability disorder Fanconi Anemia, takes center stage in G4 resolution to allow smooth DNA replication. We will discuss FANCJ's role with its protein partner RPA to remove G4 obstacles during DNA synthesis, highlighting very recent advances and implications for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Brosh
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yuliang Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E5, Canada
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16
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Shang J, Yu S, Chen Y, Gao Y, Hong C, Li F, Wang F. Real-Time Investigation of Intracellular Polynucleotide Kinase Using a Cascaded Amplification Circuit. Anal Chem 2021; 93:15559-15566. [PMID: 34748706 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Polynucleotide kinase (PNK) shows an in-depth correlationship with DNA repair and metabolism processes. The in situ visualization of intracellular PNK revealed an extremely biological significance in supplementing reliable and quantitative information on its spatiotemporal distribution in live cells. Herein, we developed a versatile cascaded DNA amplification circuit through the integration of catalytic DNA assembly and hybridization chain reaction circuits and realized the accurate evaluation of intracellular PNK activity via the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) principle. Initially, without PNK, trigger T was firmly caged in the PNK-recognizing hairpin HT, resulting in no disturbance of the concatenated circuit. However, with the introduction of PNK, the 5'-OH terminal of PNK-addressing HT was phosphorylated, then the phosphorylated HT could be subsequently digested by λ exonuclease (λ Exo) to produce trigger T of the cascaded DNA circuit. As a result, the integrated circuit was stimulated to produce an amplified FRET signal for quantitatively monitoring the activity of PNK. Due to the λ Exo-specific digestion of 5'-phosphate DNA and the high signal gain of the cascade circuit, our proposed strategy enables the sensitive analysis of PNK activity in vitro and in complex biological samples. Furthermore, our PNK-sensing platform was extensively explored in HeLa cells for realizing reliable intracellular PNK imaging and thus showed high potential in the future diagnosis and treatment of kinase-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhua Shang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Yu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Chen
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Gao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Chen Hong
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Fengzhe Li
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Fuan Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
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17
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Datta A, Biswas K, Sommers JA, Thompson H, Awate S, Nicolae CM, Thakar T, Moldovan GL, Shoemaker RH, Sharan SK, Brosh RM. WRN helicase safeguards deprotected replication forks in BRCA2-mutated cancer cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6561. [PMID: 34772932 PMCID: PMC8590011 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26811-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor BRCA2 protects stalled forks from degradation to maintain genome stability. However, the molecular mechanism(s) whereby unprotected forks are stabilized remains to be fully characterized. Here, we demonstrate that WRN helicase ensures efficient restart and limits excessive degradation of stalled forks in BRCA2-deficient cancer cells. In vitro, WRN ATPase/helicase catalyzes fork restoration and curtails MRE11 nuclease activity on regressed forks. We show that WRN helicase inhibitor traps WRN on chromatin leading to rapid fork stalling and nucleolytic degradation of unprotected forks by MRE11, resulting in MUS81-dependent double-strand breaks, elevated non-homologous end-joining and chromosomal instability. WRN helicase inhibition reduces viability of BRCA2-deficient cells and potentiates cytotoxicity of a poly (ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. Furthermore, BRCA2-deficient xenograft tumors in mice exhibited increased DNA damage and growth inhibition when treated with WRN helicase inhibitor. This work provides mechanistic insight into stalled fork stabilization by WRN helicase when BRCA2 is deficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Datta
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Kajal Biswas
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Joshua A Sommers
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Haley Thompson
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Sanket Awate
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Claudia M Nicolae
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Tanay Thakar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - George-Lucian Moldovan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Robert H Shoemaker
- Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Shyam K Sharan
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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18
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Raimundo L, Calheiros J, Saraiva L. Exploiting DNA Damage Repair in Precision Cancer Therapy: BRCA1 as a Prime Therapeutic Target. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143438. [PMID: 34298653 PMCID: PMC8303227 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Chemical inhibition of central DNA damage repair (DDR) proteins has become a promising approach in precision cancer therapy. In particular, BRCA1 and its DDR-associated proteins constitute important targets for developing DNA repair inhibiting drugs. This review provides relevant insights on DDR biology and pharmacology, aiming to boost the development of more effective DDR targeted therapies. Abstract Precision medicine aims to identify specific molecular alterations, such as driver mutations, allowing tailored and effective anticancer therapies. Poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are the prototypical example of targeted therapy, exploiting the inability of cancer cells to repair DNA damage. Following the concept of synthetic lethality, PARPi have gained great relevance, particularly in BRCA1 dysfunctional cancer cells. In fact, BRCA1 mutations culminate in DNA repair defects that can render cancer cells more vulnerable to therapy. However, the efficacy of these drugs has been greatly affected by the occurrence of resistance due to multi-connected DNA repair pathways that may compensate for each other. Hence, the search for additional effective agents targeting DNA damage repair (DDR) is of crucial importance. In this context, BRCA1 has assumed a central role in developing drugs aimed at inhibiting DNA repair activity. Collectively, this review provides an in-depth understanding of the biology and regulatory mechanisms of DDR pathways, highlighting the potential of DDR-associated molecules, particularly BRCA1 and its interconnected partners, in precision cancer medicine. It also affords an overview about what we have achieved and a reflection on how much remains to be done in this field, further addressing encouraging clues for the advance of DDR targeted therapy.
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19
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RecQ helicases in DNA repair and cancer targets. Essays Biochem 2021; 64:819-830. [PMID: 33095241 PMCID: PMC7588665 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Helicases are enzymes that use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to catalyze the unwinding of DNA or RNA. The RecQ family of helicases is conserved through evolution from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes and plays important roles in various DNA repair pathways, contributing to the maintenance of genome integrity. Despite their roles as general tumor suppressors, there is now considerable interest in exploiting RecQ helicases as synthetic lethal targets for the development of new cancer therapeutics. In this review, we summarize the latest developments in the structural and mechanistic study of RecQ helicases and discuss their roles in various DNA repair pathways. Finally, we consider the potential to exploit RecQ helicases as therapeutic targets and review the recent progress towards the development of small molecules targeting RecQ helicases as cancer therapeutics.
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20
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Picco G, Cattaneo CM, van Vliet EJ, Crisafulli G, Rospo G, Consonni S, Vieira SF, Rodríguez IS, Cancelliere C, Banerjee R, Schipper LJ, Oddo D, Dijkstra KK, Cinatl J, Michaelis M, Yang F, Di Nicolantonio F, Sartore-Bianchi A, Siena S, Arena S, Voest EE, Bardelli A, Garnett MJ. Werner Helicase Is a Synthetic-Lethal Vulnerability in Mismatch Repair-Deficient Colorectal Cancer Refractory to Targeted Therapies, Chemotherapy, and Immunotherapy. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:1923-1937. [PMID: 33837064 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Targeted therapies, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are used to treat patients with mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer. The clinical effectiveness of targeted therapy and chemotherapy is limited by resistance and drug toxicities, and about half of patients receiving immunotherapy have disease that is refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Loss of Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN) is a synthetic lethality in dMMR/MSI-H cells. To inform the development of WRN as a therapeutic target, we performed WRN knockout or knockdown in 60 heterogeneous dMMR colorectal cancer preclinical models, demonstrating that WRN dependency is an almost universal feature and a robust marker for patient selection. Furthermore, models of resistance to clinically relevant targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy retain WRN dependency. These data show the potential of therapeutically targeting WRN in patients with dMMR/MSI-H colorectal cancer and support WRN as a therapeutic option for patients with dMMR/MSI-H cancers refractory to current treatment strategies. SIGNIFICANCE: We found that a large, diverse set of dMMR/MSI-H colorectal cancer preclinical models, including models of treatment-refractory disease, are WRN-dependent. Our results support WRN as a promising synthetic-lethal target in dMMR/MSI-H colorectal cancer tumors as a monotherapy or in combination with targeted agents, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1861.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara M Cattaneo
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Giovanni Crisafulli
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rospo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Italy
| | | | - Sara F Vieira
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Iñigo Sánchez Rodríguez
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Ruby Banerjee
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Luuk J Schipper
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniele Oddo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Krijn K Dijkstra
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jindrich Cinatl
- Institute for Medical Virology, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Martin Michaelis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Federica Di Nicolantonio
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Andrea Sartore-Bianchi
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Oncologia ed Emato-Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Milano (La Statale), Milano, Italy
| | - Salvatore Siena
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Oncologia ed Emato-Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Milano (La Statale), Milano, Italy
| | - Sabrina Arena
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Emile E Voest
- Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alberto Bardelli
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), Italy.,Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Italy
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21
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Dhar S, Datta A, Brosh RM. DNA helicases and their roles in cancer. DNA Repair (Amst) 2020; 96:102994. [PMID: 33137625 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2020.102994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA helicases, known for their fundamentally important roles in genomic stability, are high profile players in cancer. Not only are there monogenic helicase disorders with a strong disposition to cancer, it is well appreciated that helicase variants are associated with specific cancers (e.g., breast cancer). Flipping the coin, DNA helicases are frequently overexpressed in cancerous tissues and reduction in helicase gene expression results in reduced proliferation and growth capacity, as well as DNA damage induction and apoptosis of cancer cells. The seminal roles of helicases in the DNA damage and replication stress responses, as well as DNA repair pathways, validate their vital importance in cancer biology and suggest their potential values as targets in anti-cancer therapy. In recent years, many laboratories have characterized the specialized roles of helicase to resolve transcription-replication conflicts, maintain telomeres, mediate cell cycle checkpoints, remodel stalled replication forks, and regulate transcription. In vivo models, particularly mice, have been used to interrogate helicase function and serve as a bridge for preclinical studies that may lead to novel therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will summarize our current knowledge of DNA helicases and their roles in cancer, emphasizing the latest developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srijita Dhar
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Arindam Datta
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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22
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Datta A, Dhar S, Awate S, Brosh RM. Synthetic Lethal Interactions of RECQ Helicases. Trends Cancer 2020; 7:146-161. [PMID: 33041245 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
DNA helicases have risen to the forefront as genome caretakers. Their prominent roles in chromosomal stability are demonstrated by the linkage of mutations in helicase genes to hereditary disorders with defects in DNA repair, the replication stress response, and/or transcriptional activation. Conversely, accumulating evidence suggests that DNA helicases in cancer cells have a network of pathway interactions such that codeficiency of some helicases and their genetically interacting proteins results in synthetic lethality (SL). Such genetic interactions may potentially be exploited for cancer therapies. We discuss the roles of RECQ DNA helicases in cancer, emphasizing some of the more recent developments in SL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Datta
- Section on DNA Helicases, Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Srijita Dhar
- Section on DNA Helicases, Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Sanket Awate
- Section on DNA Helicases, Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Section on DNA Helicases, Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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23
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Jain CK, Mukhopadhyay S, Ganguly A. RecQ Family Helicases in Replication Fork Remodeling and Repair: Opening New Avenues towards the Identification of Potential Targets for Cancer Chemotherapy. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2020; 20:1311-1326. [PMID: 32418530 DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200518082433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Replication fork reversal and restart has gained immense interest as a central response mechanism to replication stress following DNA damage. Although the exact mechanism of fork reversal has not been elucidated precisely, the involvement of diverse pathways and different factors has been demonstrated, which are central to this phenomenon. RecQ helicases known for their vital role in DNA repair and maintaining genome stability has recently been implicated in the restart of regressed replication forks. Through interaction with vital proteins like Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1), these helicases participate in the replication fork reversal and restart phenomenon. Most therapeutic agents used for cancer chemotherapy act by causing DNA damage in replicating cells and subsequent cell death. These DNA damages can be repaired by mechanisms involving fork reversal as the key phenomenon eventually reducing the efficacy of the therapeutic agent. Hence the factors contributing to this repair process can be good selective targets for developing more efficient chemotherapeutic agents. In this review, we have discussed in detail the role of various proteins in replication fork reversal and restart with special emphasis on RecQ helicases. Involvement of other proteins like PARP1, recombinase rad51, SWI/SNF complex has also been discussed. Since RecQ helicases play a central role in the DNA damage response following chemotherapeutic treatment, we propose that targeting these helicases can emerge as an alternative to available intervention strategies. We have also summarized the current research status of available RecQ inhibitors and siRNA based therapeutic approaches that targets RecQ helicases. In summary, our review gives an overview of the DNA damage responses involving replication fork reversal and provides new directions for the development of more efficient and sustainable chemotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetan K Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Swagata Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Agneyo Ganguly
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
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24
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Sato M. Phenotypic screening using large-scale genomic libraries to identify drug targets for the treatment of cancer. Oncol Lett 2020; 19:3617-3626. [PMID: 32391087 PMCID: PMC7204489 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During malignant progression to overt cancer cells, normal cells accumulate multiple genetic and non-genetic changes, which result in the acquisition of various oncogenic properties, such as uncontrolled proliferation, drug resistance, invasiveness, anoikis-resistance, the ability to bypass oncogene-induced senescence and cancer stemness. To identify potential novel drug targets contributing to these malignant phenotypes, researchers have performed large-scale genomic screening using various in vitro and in vivo screening models and identified numerous promising cancer drug target genes. However, there are issues with these identified genes, such as low reproducibility between different datasets. In the present study, the recent advances in the functional screening for identification of cancer drug target genes are summarized, and current issues and future perspectives are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuo Sato
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8673, Japan
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25
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Brosh RM, Matson SW. History of DNA Helicases. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11030255. [PMID: 32120966 PMCID: PMC7140857 DOI: 10.3390/genes11030255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the DNA double helix, there has been a fascination in understanding the molecular mechanisms and cellular processes that account for: (i) the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next and (ii) the remarkable stability of the genome. Nucleic acid biologists have endeavored to unravel the mysteries of DNA not only to understand the processes of DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription but to also characterize the underlying basis of genetic diseases characterized by chromosomal instability. Perhaps unexpectedly at first, DNA helicases have arisen as a key class of enzymes to study in this latter capacity. From the first discovery of ATP-dependent DNA unwinding enzymes in the mid 1970's to the burgeoning of helicase-dependent pathways found to be prevalent in all kingdoms of life, the story of scientific discovery in helicase research is rich and informative. Over four decades after their discovery, we take this opportunity to provide a history of DNA helicases. No doubt, many chapters are left to be written. Nonetheless, at this juncture we are privileged to share our perspective on the DNA helicase field - where it has been, its current state, and where it is headed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Brosh
- Section on DNA Helicases, Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Correspondence: (R.M.B.J.); (S.W.M.); Tel.: +1-410-558-8578 (R.M.B.J.); +1-919-962-0005 (S.W.M.)
| | - Steven W. Matson
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Correspondence: (R.M.B.J.); (S.W.M.); Tel.: +1-410-558-8578 (R.M.B.J.); +1-919-962-0005 (S.W.M.)
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26
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Electrochemical detection of T4 polynucleotide kinase based on target-assisted ligation reaction coupled with silver nanoparticles. Anal Chim Acta 2019; 1085:85-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2019.07.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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27
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Estep KN, Butler TJ, Ding J, Brosh RM. G4-Interacting DNA Helicases and Polymerases: Potential Therapeutic Targets. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:2881-2897. [PMID: 29149833 DOI: 10.2174/0929867324666171116123345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guanine-rich DNA can fold into highly stable four-stranded DNA structures called G-quadruplexes (G4). In recent years, the G-quadruplex field has blossomed as new evidence strongly suggests that such alternately folded DNA structures are likely to exist in vivo. G4 DNA presents obstacles for the replication machinery, and both eukaryotic DNA helicases and polymerases have evolved to resolve and copy G4 DNA in vivo. In addition, G4-forming sequences are prevalent in gene promoters, suggesting that G4-resolving helicases act to modulate transcription. METHODS We have searched the PubMed database to compile an up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of the field's current knowledge to provide an overview of the molecular interactions of Gquadruplexes with DNA helicases and polymerases implicated in their resolution. RESULTS Novel computational tools and alternative strategies have emerged to detect G4-forming sequences and assess their biological consequences. Specialized DNA helicases and polymerases catalytically act upon G4-forming sequences to maintain normal replication and genomic stability as well as appropriate gene regulation and cellular homeostasis. G4 helicases also resolve telomeric repeats to maintain chromosomal DNA ends. Bypass of many G4-forming sequences is achieved by the action of translesion DNS polymerases or the PrimPol DNA polymerase. While the collective work has supported a role of G4 in nuclear DNA metabolism, an emerging field centers on G4 abundance in the mitochondrial genome. CONCLUSION Discovery of small molecules that specifically bind and modulate DNA helicases and polymerases or interact with the G4 DNA structure itself may be useful for the development of anticancer regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina N Estep
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Thomas J Butler
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Jun Ding
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
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28
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Lieb S, Blaha-Ostermann S, Kamper E, Rippka J, Schwarz C, Ehrenhöfer-Wölfer K, Schlattl A, Wernitznig A, Lipp JJ, Nagasaka K, van der Lelij P, Bader G, Koi M, Goel A, Neumüller RA, Peters JM, Kraut N, Pearson MA, Petronczki M, Wöhrle S. Werner syndrome helicase is a selective vulnerability of microsatellite instability-high tumor cells. eLife 2019; 8:43333. [PMID: 30910006 PMCID: PMC6435321 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted cancer therapy is based on exploiting selective dependencies of tumor cells. By leveraging recent functional screening data of cancer cell lines we identify Werner syndrome helicase (WRN) as a novel specific vulnerability of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cancer cells. MSI, caused by defective mismatch repair (MMR), occurs frequently in colorectal, endometrial and gastric cancers. We demonstrate that WRN inactivation selectively impairs the viability of MSI-H but not microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal and endometrial cancer cell lines. In MSI-H cells, WRN loss results in severe genome integrity defects. ATP-binding deficient variants of WRN fail to rescue the viability phenotype of WRN-depleted MSI-H cancer cells. Reconstitution and depletion studies indicate that WRN dependence is not attributable to acute loss of MMR gene function but might arise during sustained MMR-deficiency. Our study suggests that pharmacological inhibition of WRN helicase function represents an opportunity to develop a novel targeted therapy for MSI-H cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lieb
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Janine Rippka
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | - Jesse J Lipp
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kota Nagasaka
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Gerd Bader
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Minoru Koi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Ajay Goel
- Center for Gastrointestinal Research, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | | | | | - Norbert Kraut
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Simon Wöhrle
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
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29
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Kategaya L, Perumal SK, Hager JH, Belmont LD. Werner Syndrome Helicase Is Required for the Survival of Cancer Cells with Microsatellite Instability. iScience 2019; 13:488-497. [PMID: 30898619 PMCID: PMC6441948 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Werner syndrome protein (WRN) is a RecQ enzyme involved in the maintenance of genome integrity. Germline loss-of-function mutations in WRN led to premature aging and predisposition to cancer. We evaluated synthetic lethal (SL) interactions between WRN and another human RecQ helicase, BLM, with DNA damage response genes in cancer cell lines. We found that WRN was SL with a DNA mismatch repair protein MutL homolog 1, loss of which is associated with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). MSI-H cells exhibited increased double-stranded DNA breaks, altered cell cycles, and decreased viability in response to WRN knockdown, in contrast to microsatellite stable (MSS) lines, which tolerated depletion of WRN. Although WRN is the only human RecQ enzyme with a distinct exonuclease domain, only loss of helicase activity drives the MSI SL interaction. This SL interaction in MSI cancer cells positions WRN as a relevant therapeutic target in patients with MSI-H tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorn Kategaya
- Biology Department, IDEAYA Biosciences, 7000 Sierra Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | - Senthil K Perumal
- Biology Department, IDEAYA Biosciences, 7000 Sierra Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Hager
- Biology Department, IDEAYA Biosciences, 3033 Science Park Road, Suite 250, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Lisa D Belmont
- Biology Department, IDEAYA Biosciences, 7000 Sierra Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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30
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Datta A, Brosh RM. Holding All the Cards-How Fanconi Anemia Proteins Deal with Replication Stress and Preserve Genomic Stability. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10020170. [PMID: 30813363 PMCID: PMC6409899 DOI: 10.3390/genes10020170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a hereditary chromosomal instability disorder often displaying congenital abnormalities and characterized by a predisposition to progressive bone marrow failure (BMF) and cancer. Over the last 25 years since the discovery of the first linkage of genetic mutations to FA, its molecular genetic landscape has expanded tremendously as it became apparent that FA is a disease characterized by a defect in a specific DNA repair pathway responsible for the correction of covalent cross-links between the two complementary strands of the DNA double helix. This pathway has become increasingly complex, with the discovery of now over 20 FA-linked genes implicated in interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair. Moreover, gene products known to be involved in double-strand break (DSB) repair, mismatch repair (MMR), and nucleotide excision repair (NER) play roles in the ICL response and repair of associated DNA damage. While ICL repair is predominantly coupled with DNA replication, it also can occur in non-replicating cells. DNA damage accumulation and hematopoietic stem cell failure are thought to contribute to the increased inflammation and oxidative stress prevalent in FA. Adding to its confounding nature, certain FA gene products are also engaged in the response to replication stress, caused endogenously or by agents other than ICL-inducing drugs. In this review, we discuss the mechanistic aspects of the FA pathway and the molecular defects leading to elevated replication stress believed to underlie the cellular phenotypes and clinical features of FA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Datta
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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31
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Sommers JA, Kulikowicz T, Croteau DL, Dexheimer T, Dorjsuren D, Jadhav A, Maloney DJ, Simeonov A, Bohr VA, Brosh RM. A high-throughput screen to identify novel small molecule inhibitors of the Werner Syndrome Helicase-Nuclease (WRN). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210525. [PMID: 30625228 PMCID: PMC6326523 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Werner syndrome (WS), an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, displays accelerated clinical symptoms of aging leading to a mean lifespan less than 50 years. The WS helicase-nuclease (WRN) is involved in many important pathways including DNA replication, recombination and repair. Replicating cells are dependent on helicase activity, leading to the pursuit of human helicases as potential therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Small molecule inhibitors of DNA helicases can be used to induce synthetic lethality, which attempts to target helicase-dependent compensatory DNA repair pathways in tumor cells that are already genetically deficient in a specific pathway of DNA repair. Alternatively, helicase inhibitors may be useful as tools to study the specialized roles of helicases in replication and DNA repair. In this study, approximately 350,000 small molecules were screened based on their ability to inhibit duplex DNA unwinding by a catalytically active WRN helicase domain fragment in a high-throughput fluorometric assay to discover new non-covalent small molecule inhibitors of the WRN helicase. Select compounds were screened to exclude ones that inhibited DNA unwinding by other helicases in the screen, bound non-specifically to DNA, acted as irreversible inhibitors, or possessed unfavorable chemical properties. Several compounds were tested for their ability to impair proliferation of cultured tumor cells. We observed that two of the newly identified WRN helicase inhibitors inhibited proliferation of cancer cells in a lineage-dependent manner. These studies represent the first high-throughput screen for WRN helicase inhibitors and the results have implications for anti-cancer strategies targeting WRN in different cancer cells and genetic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A. Sommers
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tomasz Kulikowicz
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Deborah L. Croteau
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas Dexheimer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dorjbal Dorjsuren
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ajit Jadhav
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David J. Maloney
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Vilhelm A. Bohr
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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32
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Awate S, Dhar S, Sommers JA, Brosh RM. Cellular Assays to Study the Functional Importance of Human DNA Repair Helicases. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1999:185-207. [PMID: 31127577 PMCID: PMC9123881 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9500-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
DNA helicases represent a specialized class of enzymes that play crucial roles in the DNA damage response. Using the energy of nucleoside triphosphate binding and hydrolysis, helicases behave as molecular motors capable of efficiently disrupting the many noncovalent hydrogen bonds that stabilize DNA molecules with secondary structure. In addition to their importance in DNA damage sensing and signaling, DNA helicases facilitate specific steps in DNA repair mechanisms that require polynucleotide tract unwinding or resolution. Because they play fundamental roles in the DNA damage response and DNA repair, defects in helicases disrupt cellular homeostasis. Thus, helicase deficiency or inhibition may result in reduced cell proliferation and survival, apoptosis, DNA damage induction, defective localization of repair proteins to sites of genomic DNA damage, chromosomal instability, and defective DNA repair pathways such as homologous recombination of double-strand breaks. In this chapter, we will describe step-by-step protocols to assay the functional importance of human DNA repair helicases in genome stability and cellular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanket Awate
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Srijita Dhar
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua A Sommers
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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33
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Liao H, Ji F, Helleday T, Ying S. Mechanisms for stalled replication fork stabilization: new targets for synthetic lethality strategies in cancer treatments. EMBO Rep 2018; 19:embr.201846263. [PMID: 30108055 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201846263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Timely and faithful duplication of the entire genome depends on completion of replication. Replication forks frequently encounter obstacles that may cause genotoxic fork stalling. Nevertheless, failure to complete replication rarely occurs under normal conditions, which is attributed to an intricate network of proteins that serves to stabilize, repair and restart stalled forks. Indeed, many of the components in this network are encoded by tumour suppressor genes, and their loss of function by mutation or deletion generates genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer. Paradoxically, the same fork-protective network also confers resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs that induce high-level replication stress. Here, we review the mechanisms and major pathways rescuing stalled replication forks, with a focus on fork stabilization preventing fork collapse. A coherent understanding of how cells protect their replication forks will not only provide insight into how cells maintain genome stability, but also unravel potential therapeutic targets for cancers refractory to conventional chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Liao
- Department of Pharmacology & Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fang Ji
- Department of Pharmacology & Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Thomas Helleday
- Science for Life Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden .,Sheffield Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Songmin Ying
- Department of Pharmacology & Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Zhejiang Province, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Datta A, Brosh RM. New Insights Into DNA Helicases as Druggable Targets for Cancer Therapy. Front Mol Biosci 2018; 5:59. [PMID: 29998112 PMCID: PMC6028597 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2018.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Small molecules that deter the functions of DNA damage response machinery are postulated to be useful for enhancing the DNA damaging effects of chemotherapy or ionizing radiation treatments to combat cancer by impairing the proliferative capacity of rapidly dividing cells that accumulate replicative lesions. Chemically induced or genetic synthetic lethality is a promising area in personalized medicine, but it remains to be optimized. A new target in cancer therapy is DNA unwinding enzymes known as helicases. Helicases play critical roles in all aspects of nucleic acid metabolism. We and others have investigated small molecule targeted inhibition of helicase function by compound screens using biochemical and cell-based approaches. Small molecule-induced trapping of DNA helicases may represent a generalized mechanism exemplified by certain topoisomerase and PARP inhibitors that exert poisonous consequences, especially in rapidly dividing cancer cells. Taking the lead from the broader field of DNA repair inhibitors and new information gleaned from structural and biochemical studies of DNA helicases, we predict that an emerging strategy to identify useful helicase-interacting compounds will be structure-based molecular docking interfaced with a computational approach. Potency, specificity, drug resistance, and bioavailability of helicase inhibitor drugs and targeting such compounds to subcellular compartments where the respective helicases operate must be addressed. Beyond cancer therapy, continued and new developments in this area may lead to the discovery of helicase-interacting compounds that chemically rescue clinically relevant helicase missense mutant proteins or activate the catalytic function of wild-type DNA helicases, which may have novel therapeutic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Datta
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Leland BA, Chen AC, Zhao AY, Wharton RC, King MC. Rev7 and 53BP1/Crb2 prevent RecQ helicase-dependent hyper-resection of DNA double-strand breaks. eLife 2018; 7:33402. [PMID: 29697047 PMCID: PMC5945276 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(ADP ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) target cancer cells deficient in homology-directed repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In preclinical models, PARPi resistance is tied to altered nucleolytic processing (resection) at the 5’ ends of a DSB. For example, loss of either 53BP1 or Rev7/MAD2L2/FANCV derepresses resection to drive PARPi resistance, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. Long-range resection can be catalyzed by two machineries: the exonuclease Exo1, or the combination of a RecQ helicase and Dna2. Here, we develop a single-cell microscopy assay that allows the distinct phases and machineries of resection to be interrogated simultaneously in living S. pombe cells. Using this assay, we find that the 53BP1 orthologue and Rev7 specifically repress long-range resection through the RecQ helicase-dependent pathway, thereby preventing hyper-resection. These results suggest that ‘rewiring’ of BRCA1-deficient cells to employ an Exo1-independent hyper-resection pathway is a driver of PARPi resistance. Healthy cells can typically repair damage to their DNA with high accuracy, keeping their genetic code intact. In contrast, cancer cells often lose this ability. Inaccurate repair leads to more frequent DNA mutations, which can make a tumor more aggressive. However, DNA repair-deficient tumors can be targeted with cancer therapies, such as PARP inhibitors, which kill cells that do not have working DNA repair mechanisms. PARP inhibitors show great promise clinically, but unfortunately some tumor cells can become resistant to these treatments over time. Recent work has shown that resistance to PARP inhibitors is often caused by further alternations to DNA repair machineries. Being able to visualize DNA repair in living cells is crucial to understanding this process and to find ways to improve cancer treatments. Previous studies have used repetitive DNA sequences called Lac operators (LacO) to visualize the dynamic behavior of DNA in live cells. Leland et al. have now adapted this system to watch individual DNA repair events in living yeast cells under the microscope. Their experiments reveal that when cells lose a single protein called Rev7, an early phase of DNA repair becomes hyperactive. Leland et al. traced the cause of this hyperactivity to an enzyme in the RecQ helicase family. A RecQ helicase becoming hyperactive in cells lacking Rev7 could explain how some cancer cells become resistant to PARP inhibitor treatments. This information could help fine-tune future approaches to treating cancer. For example, using an inhibitor of RecQ helicase alongside PARP inhibitors may help block this type of resistance from developing in the first place. As well as potentially paving the way for better cancer treatments, this method of visualization could improve scientists’ understanding of the basic processes of DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan A Leland
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Angela C Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Amy Y Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Robert C Wharton
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Megan C King
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
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Seo YS, Kang YH. The Human Replicative Helicase, the CMG Complex, as a Target for Anti-cancer Therapy. Front Mol Biosci 2018; 5:26. [PMID: 29651420 PMCID: PMC5885281 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2018.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA helicases unwind or rearrange duplex DNA during replication, recombination and repair. Helicases of many pathogenic organisms such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa have been studied as potential therapeutic targets to treat infectious diseases, and human DNA helicases as potential targets for anti-cancer therapy. DNA replication machineries perform essential tasks duplicating genome in every cell cycle, and one of the important functions of these machineries are played by DNA helicases. Replicative helicases are usually multi-subunit protein complexes, and the minimal complex active as eukaryotic replicative helicase is composed of 11 subunits, requiring a functional assembly of two subcomplexes and one protein. The hetero-hexameric MCM2-7 helicase is activated by forming a complex with Cdc45 and the hetero-tetrameric GINS complex; the Cdc45-Mcm2-7-GINS (CMG) complex. The CMG complex can be a potential target for a treatment of cancer and the feasibility of this replicative helicase as a therapeutic target has been tested recently. Several different strategies have been implemented and are under active investigations to interfere with helicase activity of the CMG complex. This review focuses on the molecular function of the CMG helicase during DNA replication and its relevance to cancers based on data published in the literature. In addition, current efforts made to identify small molecules inhibiting the CMG helicase to develop anti-cancer therapeutic strategies were summarized, with new perspectives to advance the discovery of the CMG-targeting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon-Soo Seo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Young-Hoon Kang
- Core Protein Resources Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, South Korea
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Gupta I, Ouhtit A, Al-Ajmi A, Rizvi SGA, Al-Riyami H, Al-Riyami M, Tamimi Y. BRIP1 overexpression is correlated with clinical features and survival outcome of luminal breast cancer subtypes. Endocr Connect 2018; 7:65-77. [PMID: 29138235 PMCID: PMC5744628 DOI: 10.1530/ec-17-0173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In Oman, breast cancer is most common, representing approximately more than 25% of all cancers in women. Relatively younger populations of patients (25-40 years) present surprisingly with an aggressive phenotype and advanced tumor stages. In this study, we investigated differential gene expressions in Luminal A, Luminal B, triple-negative and Her2+ breast cancer subtypes and compared data to benign tumor samples. We identified a potential candidate gene BRIP1, showing differential expression in the four breast cancer subtypes examined, suggesting that BRIP1 has the profile of a useful diagnostic marker, suitable for targeted therapeutic intervention. RT-qPCR and Western blotting analysis showed higher BRIP1 expression in luminal samples as compared to triple-negative subtype patient's samples. We further screened BRIP1 for eventual mutations/SNPs/deletions by sequencing the entire coding region. Four previously identified polymorphisms were detected, one within the 5'-UTR region (c.141-64G > A) and three in the BRCA-binding domain (c.2755T > C, c.2647G > A and c.3411T > C). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with overexpression of BRIP1 displayed a poor survival rate (P < 0.05). BRIP1 has a dual function of an oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene in addition to its role as a potential biomarker to predict survival and prognosis. Data obtained in this study suggest that BRIP1 can plausibly have an oncogenic role in sporadic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Gupta
- Department of GeneticsCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Alkoudh, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Allal Ouhtit
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesCollege of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Adil Al-Ajmi
- Department of SurgeryCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Alkoudh, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Syed Gauhar A Rizvi
- Department of Family Medicine and Public HealthCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Alkoudh, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Hamad Al-Riyami
- Department of GeneticsCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Alkoudh, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Marwa Al-Riyami
- Department of PathologyCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Alkoudh, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Yahya Tamimi
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Alkoudh, Sultanate of Oman
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Schmidt H, Malik A, Bicker A, Poetzsch G, Avivi A, Shams I, Hankeln T. Hypoxia tolerance, longevity and cancer-resistance in the mole rat Spalax - a liver transcriptomics approach. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14348. [PMID: 29084988 PMCID: PMC5662568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13905-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The blind subterranean mole rat Spalax shows a remarkable tolerance to hypoxia, cancer-resistance and longevity. Unravelling the genomic basis of these adaptations will be important for biomedical applications. RNA-Seq gene expression data were obtained from normoxic and hypoxic Spalax and rat liver tissue. Hypoxic Spalax broadly downregulates genes from major liver function pathways. This energy-saving response is likely a crucial adaptation to low oxygen levels. In contrast, the hypoxia-sensitive rat shows massive upregulation of energy metabolism genes. Candidate genes with plausible connections to the mole rat’s phenotype, such as important key genes related to hypoxia-tolerance, DNA damage repair, tumourigenesis and ageing, are substantially higher expressed in Spalax than in rat. Comparative liver transcriptomics highlights the importance of molecular adaptations at the gene regulatory level in Spalax and pinpoints a variety of starting points for subsequent functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanno Schmidt
- Molecular Genetics and Genome Analysis, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Johann Joachim Becher-Weg 30 A, D-55128, Mainz, Germany.,Genomic Evolution and Climate, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), D-60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Assaf Malik
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 31905, Israel
| | - Anne Bicker
- Molecular Genetics and Genome Analysis, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Johann Joachim Becher-Weg 30 A, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Gesa Poetzsch
- Molecular Genetics and Genome Analysis, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Johann Joachim Becher-Weg 30 A, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Aaron Avivi
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 31905, Israel
| | - Imad Shams
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 31905, Israel.
| | - Thomas Hankeln
- Molecular Genetics and Genome Analysis, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Johann Joachim Becher-Weg 30 A, D-55128, Mainz, Germany.
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Hengel SR, Spies MA, Spies M. Small-Molecule Inhibitors Targeting DNA Repair and DNA Repair Deficiency in Research and Cancer Therapy. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 24:1101-1119. [PMID: 28938088 PMCID: PMC5679738 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
To maintain stable genomes and to avoid cancer and aging, cells need to repair a multitude of deleterious DNA lesions, which arise constantly in every cell. Processes that support genome integrity in normal cells, however, allow cancer cells to develop resistance to radiation and DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics. Chemical inhibition of the key DNA repair proteins and pharmacologically induced synthetic lethality have become instrumental in both dissecting the complex DNA repair networks and as promising anticancer agents. The difficulty in capitalizing on synthetically lethal interactions in cancer cells is that many potential targets do not possess well-defined small-molecule binding determinates. In this review, we discuss several successful campaigns to identify and leverage small-molecule inhibitors of the DNA repair proteins, from PARP1, a paradigm case for clinically successful small-molecule inhibitors, to coveted new targets, such as RAD51 recombinase, RAD52 DNA repair protein, MRE11 nuclease, and WRN DNA helicase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Hengel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - M Ashley Spies
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
| | - Maria Spies
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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40
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Interactive Roles of DNA Helicases and Translocases with the Single-Stranded DNA Binding Protein RPA in Nucleic Acid Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18061233. [PMID: 28594346 PMCID: PMC5486056 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Helicases and translocases use the energy of nucleoside triphosphate binding and hydrolysis to unwind/resolve structured nucleic acids or move along a single-stranded or double-stranded polynucleotide chain, respectively. These molecular motors facilitate a variety of transactions including replication, DNA repair, recombination, and transcription. A key partner of eukaryotic DNA helicases/translocases is the single-stranded DNA binding protein Replication Protein A (RPA). Biochemical, genetic, and cell biological assays have demonstrated that RPA interacts with these human molecular motors physically and functionally, and their association is enriched in cells undergoing replication stress. The roles of DNA helicases/translocases are orchestrated with RPA in pathways of nucleic acid metabolism. RPA stimulates helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding, enlists translocases to sites of action, and modulates their activities in DNA repair, fork remodeling, checkpoint activation, and telomere maintenance. The dynamic interplay between DNA helicases/translocases and RPA is just beginning to be understood at the molecular and cellular levels, and there is still much to be learned, which may inform potential therapeutic strategies.
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Targeted inhibition of WRN helicase, replication stress and cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2016; 1867:42-48. [PMID: 27902925 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
WRN helicase has several roles in genome maintenance, such as replication, base excision repair, recombination, DNA damage response and transcription. These processes are often found upregulated in human cancers, many of which display increased levels of WRN. Therefore, directed inhibition of this RecQ helicase could be beneficial to selective cancer therapy. Inhibition of WRN is feasible by the use of small-molecule inhibitors or application of RNA interference and EGS/RNase P targeting systems. Remarkably, helicase depletion leads to a severe reduction in cell viability due to mitotic catastrophe, which is triggered by replication stress induced by DNA repair failure and fork progression arrest. Moreover, we present new evidence that WRN depletion results in early changes of RNA polymerase III and RNase P activities, thereby implicating chromatin-associated tRNA enzymes in WRN-related stress response. Combined with the recently discovered roles of RecQ helicases in cancer, current data support the targeting prospect of these genome guardians, as a means of developing clinical phases aimed at diminishing adaptive resistance to present targeted therapies.
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42
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Palermo V, Rinalducci S, Sanchez M, Grillini F, Sommers JA, Brosh RM, Zolla L, Franchitto A, Pichierri P. CDK1 phosphorylates WRN at collapsed replication forks. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12880. [PMID: 27634057 PMCID: PMC5028418 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of end-processing is critical for accurate repair and to switch between homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). End resection is a two-stage process but very little is known about regulation of the long-range resection, especially in humans. WRN participates in one of the two alternative long-range resection pathways mediated by DNA2 or EXO1. Here we demonstrate that phosphorylation of WRN by CDK1 is essential to perform DNA2-dependent end resection at replication-related DSBs, promoting HR, replication recovery and chromosome stability. Mechanistically, S1133 phosphorylation of WRN is dispensable for relocalization in foci but is involved in the interaction with the MRE11 complex. Loss of WRN phosphorylation negatively affects MRE11 foci formation and acts in a dominant negative manner to prevent long-range resection altogether, thereby licensing NHEJ at collapsed forks. Collectively, we unveil a CDK1-dependent regulation of the WRN-DNA2-mediated resection and identify an undescribed function of WRN as a DSB repair pathway switch. End-resection of double strand DNA breaks is essential for pathway choice between non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination. Here the authors show that phosphorylation of WRN helicase by CDK1 is essential for resection at replication-related breaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Palermo
- Section of Experimental and Computational Carcinogenesis, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Sara Rinalducci
- Proteomics Lab, Department of Ecology and Biology, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Massimo Sanchez
- Section of Gene and Cell Therapy, Department of Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Grillini
- Section of Experimental and Computational Carcinogenesis, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Joshua A Sommers
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, NIH Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Lello Zolla
- Proteomics Lab, Department of Ecology and Biology, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Annapaola Franchitto
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Pichierri
- Section of Experimental and Computational Carcinogenesis, Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy
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Getting Ready for the Dance: FANCJ Irons Out DNA Wrinkles. Genes (Basel) 2016; 7:genes7070031. [PMID: 27376332 PMCID: PMC4962001 DOI: 10.3390/genes7070031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that alternate DNA structures, which deviate from normal double helical DNA, form in vivo and influence cellular processes such as replication and transcription. However, our understanding of how the cellular machinery deals with unusual DNA structures such as G-quadruplexes (G4), triplexes, or hairpins is only beginning to emerge. New advances in the field implicate a direct role of the Fanconi Anemia Group J (FANCJ) helicase, which is linked to a hereditary chromosomal instability disorder and important for cancer suppression, in replication past unusual DNA obstacles. This work sets the stage for significant progress in dissecting the molecular mechanisms whereby replication perturbation by abnormal DNA structures leads to genomic instability. In this review, we focus on FANCJ and its role to enable efficient DNA replication when the fork encounters vastly abundant naturally occurring DNA obstacles, which may have implications for targeting rapidly dividing cancer cells.
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Welcsh P, Kehrli K, Lazarchuk P, Ladiges W, Sidorova J. Application of the microfluidic-assisted replication track analysis to measure DNA repair in human and mouse cells. Methods 2016; 108:99-110. [PMID: 27130890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional studies of the roles that DNA helicases play in human cells have benefited immensely from DNA fiber (or single molecule) technologies, which enable us to discern minute differences in behaviors of individual replication forks in genomic DNA in vivo. DNA fiber technologies are a group of methods that use different approaches to unravel and stretch genomic DNA to its contour length, and display it on a glass surface in order to immuno-stain nucleoside analog incorporation into DNA to reveal tracks (or tracts) of replication. We have previously adopted a microfluidic approach to DNA stretching and used it to analyze DNA replication. This method was introduced under the moniker maRTA or microfluidic-assisted Replication Track Analysis, and we have since used it to analyze roles of the RECQ helicases WRN and BLM, and other proteins in normal and perturbed replication. Here we describe a novel application of maRTA to detect and measure repair of DNA damage produced by three different agents relevant to etiology or therapy of cancer: methyl-methanesulfonate, UV irradiation, and mitomycin C. Moreover, we demonstrate the utility of this method by analyzing DNA repair in cells with reduced levels of WRN or of the base excision repair protein XRCC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piri Welcsh
- Department of Pathology, Box 357705, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195-7705, USA
| | - Keffy Kehrli
- Department of Pathology, Box 357705, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195-7705, USA
| | - Pavlo Lazarchuk
- Department of Pathology, Box 357705, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195-7705, USA
| | - Warren Ladiges
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Box 357340, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195-7340, USA
| | - Julia Sidorova
- Department of Pathology, Box 357705, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195-7705, USA.
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45
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Biochemical and cell biological assays to identify and characterize DNA helicase inhibitors. Methods 2016; 108:130-41. [PMID: 27064001 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing number of DNA helicases implicated in hereditary disorders and cancer indicates that this particular class of enzymes plays key roles in genomic stability and cellular homeostasis. Indeed, a large body of work has provided molecular and cellular evidence that helicases act upon a variety of nucleic acid substrates and interact with numerous proteins to enact their functions in replication, DNA repair, recombination, and transcription. Understanding how helicases operate in unique and overlapping pathways is a great challenge to researchers. In this review, we describe a series of experimental approaches and methodologies to identify and characterize DNA helicase inhibitors which collectively provide an alternative and useful strategy to explore their biological significance in cell-based systems. These procedures were used in the discovery of biologically active compounds that inhibited the DNA unwinding function catalyzed by the human WRN helicase-nuclease defective in the premature aging disorder Werner syndrome. We describe in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches to characterize helicase inhibitors with WRN as the model, anticipating that these approaches may be extrapolated to other DNA helicases, particularly those implicated in DNA repair and/or the replication stress response.
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46
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Hitrik A, Abboud-Jarrous G, Orlovetskie N, Serruya R, Jarrous N. Targeted inhibition of WRN helicase by external guide sequence and RNase P RNA. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2016; 1859:572-80. [PMID: 26808708 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Human WRN, a RecQ helicase encoded by the Werner syndrome gene, is implicated in genome maintenance, including replication, recombination, excision repair and DNA damage response. These genetic processes and expression of WRN are concomitantly upregulated in many types of cancers. Therefore, targeted destruction of this helicase could be useful for elimination of cancer cells. Here, we provide a proof of concept for applying the external guide sequence (EGS) approach in directing an RNase P RNA to efficiently cleave the WRN mRNA in cultured human cell lines, thus abolishing translation and activity of this distinctive 3'-5' DNA helicase-nuclease. Remarkably, EGS-directed knockdown of WRN leads to severe inhibition of cell viability. Hence, further assessment of this targeting system could be beneficial for selective cancer therapies, particularly in the light of the recent improvements introduced into EGSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hitrik
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Ghada Abboud-Jarrous
- Institute for Dental Sciences, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Natalie Orlovetskie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Raphael Serruya
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Nayef Jarrous
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Institute for Dental Sciences, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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Sommers JA, Suhasini AN, Brosh RM. Protein degradation pathways regulate the functions of helicases in the DNA damage response and maintenance of genomic stability. Biomolecules 2015; 5:590-616. [PMID: 25906194 PMCID: PMC4496686 DOI: 10.3390/biom5020590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Degradation of helicases or helicase-like proteins, often mediated by ubiquitin-proteasomal pathways, plays important regulatory roles in cellular mechanisms that respond to DNA damage or replication stress. The Bloom’s syndrome helicase (BLM) provides an example of how helicase degradation pathways, regulated by post-translational modifications and protein interactions with components of the Fanconi Anemia (FA) interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair pathway, influence cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, and replication restart. The FANCM DNA translocase can be targeted by checkpoint kinases that exert dramatic effects on FANCM stability and chromosomal integrity. Other work provides evidence that degradation of the F-box DNA helicase (FBH1) helps to balance translesion synthesis (TLS) and homologous recombination (HR) repair at blocked replication forks. Degradation of the helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF), a DNA translocase and ubiquitylating enzyme, influences the choice of post replication repair (PRR) pathway. Stability of the Werner syndrome helicase-nuclease (WRN) involved in the replication stress response is regulated by its acetylation. Turning to transcription, stability of the Cockayne Syndrome Group B DNA translocase (CSB) implicated in transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is regulated by a CSA ubiquitin ligase complex enabling recovery of RNA synthesis. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that helicases can be targeted for degradation to maintain genome homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Sommers
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Avvaru N Suhasini
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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Kamiya H, Yamazaki D, Nakamura E, Makino T, Kobayashi M, Matsuoka I, Harashima H. Action-at-a-Distance Mutagenesis Induced by Oxidized Guanine in Werner Syndrome Protein-Reduced Human Cells. Chem Res Toxicol 2015; 28:621-8. [DOI: 10.1021/tx500418m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Kamiya
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Graduate
School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
- College
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8578, Japan
- Graduate
School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Daiki Yamazaki
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Eri Nakamura
- Graduate
School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Tetsuaki Makino
- Graduate
School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
- Graduate
School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Miwako Kobayashi
- College
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8578, Japan
| | - Ichiro Matsuoka
- College
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8578, Japan
| | - Hideyoshi Harashima
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
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Sun K, Gong A, Liang P. Predictive impact of genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes on susceptibility and therapeutic outcomes to colorectal cancer patients. Tumour Biol 2014; 36:1549-59. [PMID: 25355595 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-014-2721-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Several hereditary syndromes characterized by defective DNA repair are associated with high risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). To explore whether common polymorphisms in DNA repair genes affect risk and prognosis of CRC, we evaluated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in XPG, XPC, and WRN gene and susceptibility of CRC, and clinical outcomes in a population-based case-control study. A total of 890 CRC cases and 910 controls recruited into the study provided a biologic sample. Individuals with variant genotypes of XPC Ala499Val appeared to be associated with the increased risk of CRC. WRN Cys1367Arg variants carriers showed an increased susceptibility for CRC. More importantly, the risk of CRC increased further in a combined analysis of multiple polymorphisms. Furthermore, stratified analyses revealed that XPG Arg1104His polymorphism was associated with tumor differentiation of CRC patients (P = 0.043). Log-rank test and adjusted multivariate Cox regression analysis verified that XPG Arg1104His variants were associated with a longer disease-free survival (DFS) [CG genotype: adjusted HR (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.163 (0.107-0.248), P < 0.001; CC genotype: adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.333 (0.235-0.470), P < 0.001; CG/CC genotype: adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.333 (0.235-0.470)] in patients with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (N = 718). Moreover, XPC Ala499Val CT genotype showed a significant impact on DFS [CC genotype: adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.691 (0.528-0.904), P = 0.007; CT/CC genotype: adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.602 (0.389-0.934), P = 0.024]. However, no correlation was found between WRN Cys1367Arg polymorphism and prognosis in CRC patients. Our findings will add to the literature on the impact of genetic variation in DNA repair genes involved in susceptibility for CRC and therapeutic outcomes in response to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Sun
- Department of Digestive Endoscopy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, NO.222 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116011, Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China,
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Brosh RM, Cantor SB. Molecular and cellular functions of the FANCJ DNA helicase defective in cancer and in Fanconi anemia. Front Genet 2014; 5:372. [PMID: 25374583 PMCID: PMC4204437 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The FANCJ DNA helicase is mutated in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer as well as the progressive bone marrow failure disorder Fanconi anemia (FA). FANCJ is linked to cancer suppression and DNA double strand break repair through its direct interaction with the hereditary breast cancer associated gene product, BRCA1. FANCJ also operates in the FA pathway of interstrand cross-link repair and contributes to homologous recombination. FANCJ collaborates with a number of DNA metabolizing proteins implicated in DNA damage detection and repair, and plays an important role in cell cycle checkpoint control. In addition to its role in the classical FA pathway, FANCJ is believed to have other functions that are centered on alleviating replication stress. FANCJ resolves G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures that are known to affect cellular replication and transcription, and potentially play a role in the preservation and functionality of chromosomal structures such as telomeres. Recent studies suggest that FANCJ helps to maintain chromatin structure and preserve epigenetic stability by facilitating smooth progression of the replication fork when it encounters DNA damage or an alternate DNA structure such as a G4. Ongoing studies suggest a prominent but still not well-understood role of FANCJ in transcriptional regulation, chromosomal structure and function, and DNA damage repair to maintain genomic stability. This review will synthesize our current understanding of the molecular and cellular functions of FANCJ that are critical for chromosomal integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Brosh
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sharon B Cantor
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School - UMASS Memorial Cancer Center Worcester, MA, USA
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