Requirement of ATM-dependent pathway for the repair of a subset of DNA double strand breaks created by restriction endonucleases

Analyzing ATM Function by Electroporation of Endonucleases and Immunofluorescence Microscopy

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein, which plays a crucial role in DNA damage checkpoint signaling, is activated by DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) caused by ionizing radiation. While radiation exposure induces various types of DNA break ends, here, we describe a method, which enables creating defined types of DSBs by applying restriction endonucleases and foci analysis by immunofluorescence microscopy. The protocol greatly improves our knowledge on specific roles of ATM function in different DNA repair pathways.

Restriction endonucleases from invasive Neisseria gonorrhoeae cause double-strand breaks and distort mitosis in epithelial cells during infection

The host epithelium is both a barrier against, and the target for microbial infections. Maintaining regulated cell growth ensures an intact protective layer towards microbial-induced cellular damage. Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections disrupt host cell cycle regulation machinery and the infection causes DNA double strand breaks that delay progression through the G2/M phase. We show that intracellular gonococci upregulate and release restriction endonucleases that enter the nucleus and damage human chromosomal DNA. Bacterial lysates containing restriction endonucleases were able to fragment genomic DNA as detected by PFGE. Lysates were also microinjected into the cytoplasm of cells in interphase and after 20 h, DNA double strand breaks were identified by 53BP1 staining. In addition, by using live-cell microscopy and NHS-ester stained live gonococci we visualized the subcellular location of the bacteria upon mitosis. Infected cells show dysregulation of the spindle assembly checkpoint proteins MAD1 and MAD2, impaired and prolonged M-phase, nuclear swelling, micronuclei formation and chromosomal instability. These data highlight basic molecular functions of how gonococcal infections affect host cell cycle regulation, cause DNA double strand breaks and predispose cellular malignancies.

The telomeric protein SNM1B/Apollo is required for normal cell proliferation and embryonic development

Conserved metallo β-Lactamase and β-CASP (CPSF-Artemis-Snm1-Pso2) domain nuclease family member SNM1B/Apollo is a shelterin-associated protein that localizes to telomeres through its interaction with TRF2. To study its in vivo role, we generated a knockout of SNM1B/Apollo in a mouse model. Snm1B/Apollo homozygous null mice die at birth with developmental delay and defects in multiple organ systems. Cell proliferation defects were observed in Snm1B/Apollo mutant mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) owing to high levels of telomeric end-to-end fusions. Deficiency of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) factor Ku70, but not p53, rescued the developmental defects and lethality observed in Snm1B/Apollo mutant mice as well as the impaired proliferation of Snm1B/Apollo-deficient MEFs. These findings demonstrate that SNM1B/Apollo is required to protect telomeres against NHEJ-mediated repair, which results in genomic instability and the consequent multi-organ developmental failure. Although Snm1B/Apollo-deficient MEFs exhibited high levels of apoptosis, abrogation of p53-dependent programmed cell death did not rescue the multi-organ developmental failure in the mice.