Nuclease-independent functions of RAG1 direct distinct DNA damage responses in B cells

When DNA-damage responses meet innate and adaptive immunity

When cells proliferate, stress on DNA replication or exposure to endogenous or external insults frequently results in DNA damage. DNA-Damage Response (DDR) networks are complex signaling pathways used by multicellular organisms to prevent DNA damage. Depending on the type of broken DNA, the various pathways, Base-Excision Repair (BER), Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), Mismatch Repair (MMR), Homologous Recombination (HR), Non-Homologous End-Joining (NHEJ), Interstrand Crosslink (ICL) repair, and other direct repair pathways, can be activated separately or in combination to repair DNA damage. To preserve homeostasis, innate and adaptive immune responses are effective defenses against endogenous mutation or invasion by external pathogens. It is interesting to note that new research keeps showing how closely DDR components and the immune system are related. DDR and immunological response are linked by immune effectors such as the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway. These effectors act as sensors of DNA damage-caused immune response. Furthermore, DDR components themselves function in immune responses to trigger the generation of inflammatory cytokines in a cascade or even trigger programmed cell death. Defective DDR components are known to disrupt genomic stability and compromise immunological responses, aggravating immune imbalance and leading to serious diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. This study examines the most recent developments in the interaction between DDR elements and immunological responses. The DDR network's immune modulators' dual roles may offer new perspectives on treating infectious disorders linked to DNA damage, including cancer, and on the development of target immunotherapy.

MYSM1 attenuates DNA damage signals triggered by physiologic and genotoxic DNA breaks

BACKGROUND

Patients with deleterious variants in MYSM1 have an immune deficiency characterized by B-cell lymphopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia, and increased radiosensitivity. MYSM1 is a histone deubiquitinase with established activity in regulating gene expression. MYSM1 also localizes to sites of DNA injury but its function in cellular responses to DNA breaks has not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine the activity of MYSM1 in regulating DNA damage responses (DDRs) to DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) generated during immunoglobulin receptor gene (Ig) recombination and by ionizing radiation.

METHODS

MYSM1-deficient pre- and non-B cells were used to determine the role of MYSM1 in DSB generation, DSB repair, and termination of DDRs.

RESULTS

Genetic testing in a newborn with abnormal screen for severe combined immune deficiency, T-cell lymphopenia, and near absence of B cells identified a novel splice variant in MYSM1 that results in nearly absent protein expression. Radiosensitivity testing in patient's peripheral blood lymphocytes showed constitutive γH2AX, a marker of DNA damage, in B cells in the absence of irradiation, suggesting a role for MYSM1 in response to DSBs generated during Ig recombination. Suppression of MYSM1 in pre-B cells did not alter generation or repair of Ig DSBs. Rather, loss of MYSM1 resulted in persistent DNA damage foci and prolonged DDR signaling. Loss of MYSM1 also led to protracted DDRs in U2OS cells with irradiation induced DSBs.

CONCLUSIONS

MYSM1 regulates termination of DNA damage responses but does not function in DNA break generation and repair.

DNA Repair Deficiency Regulates Immunity Response in Cancers: Molecular Mechanism and Approaches for Combining Immunotherapy

Defects in DNA repair pathways can lead to genomic instability in multiple tumor types, which contributes to tumor immunogenicity. Inhibition of DNA damage response (DDR) has been reported to increase tumor susceptibility to anticancer immunotherapy. However, the interplay between DDR and the immune signaling pathways remains unclear. In this review, we will discuss how a deficiency in DDR affects anti-tumor immunity, highlighting the cGAS-STING axis as an important link. We will also review the clinical trials that combine DDR inhibition and immune-oncology treatments. A better understanding of these pathways will help exploit cancer immunotherapy and DDR pathways to improve treatment outcomes for various cancers.