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Zhou Y, Mouw KW. DNA repair deficiency and the immune microenvironment: A pathways perspective. DNA Repair (Amst) 2024; 133:103594. [PMID: 37980867 PMCID: PMC10841828 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2023.103594] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Timely and accurate repair of DNA damage is required for genomic stability, but DNA repair pathways are often lost or altered in tumors. In addition to directly impacting tumor cell response to DNA damage, DNA repair deficiency can also alter the immune microenvironment via changes in innate and adaptive immune signaling. In some settings, these changes can lead to increased sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this review, we discuss the impact of specific DNA repair pathway dysfunction on immune contexture and ICI response in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kent W Mouw
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Lewis JS, van Oijen AM, Spenkelink LM. Embracing Heterogeneity: Challenging the Paradigm of Replisomes as Deterministic Machines. Chem Rev 2023; 123:13419-13440. [PMID: 37971892 PMCID: PMC10790245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The paradigm of cellular systems as deterministic machines has long guided our understanding of biology. Advancements in technology and methodology, however, have revealed a world of stochasticity, challenging the notion of determinism. Here, we explore the stochastic behavior of multi-protein complexes, using the DNA replication system (replisome) as a prime example. The faithful and timely copying of DNA depends on the simultaneous action of a large set of enzymes and scaffolding factors. This fundamental cellular process is underpinned by dynamic protein-nucleic acid assemblies that must transition between distinct conformations and compositional states. Traditionally viewed as a well-orchestrated molecular machine, recent experimental evidence has unveiled significant variability and heterogeneity in the replication process. In this review, we discuss recent advances in single-molecule approaches and single-particle cryo-EM, which have provided insights into the dynamic processes of DNA replication. We comment on the new challenges faced by structural biologists and biophysicists as they attempt to describe the dynamic cascade of events leading to replisome assembly, activation, and progression. The fundamental principles uncovered and yet to be discovered through the study of DNA replication will inform on similar operating principles for other multi-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S. Lewis
- Macromolecular
Machines Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Antoine M. van Oijen
- Molecular
Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Lisanne M. Spenkelink
- Molecular
Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
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3
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Weber CAM, Krönke N, Volk V, Auber B, Förster A, Trost D, Geffers R, Esmaeilzadeh M, Lalk M, Nabavi A, Samii A, Krauss JK, Feuerhake F, Hartmann C, Wiese B, Brand F, Weber RG. Rare germline variants in POLE and POLD1 encoding the catalytic subunits of DNA polymerases ε and δ in glioma families. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:184. [PMID: 37990341 PMCID: PMC10664377 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01689-5] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic germline variants in the DNA polymerase genes POLE and POLD1 cause polymerase proofreading-associated polyposis, a dominantly inherited disorder with increased risk of colorectal carcinomas and other tumors. POLE/POLD1 variants may result in high somatic mutation and neoantigen loads that confer susceptibility to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). To explore the role of POLE/POLD1 germline variants in glioma predisposition, whole-exome sequencing was applied to leukocyte DNA of glioma patients from 61 tumor families with at least one glioma case each. Rare heterozygous POLE/POLD1 missense variants predicted to be deleterious were identified in glioma patients from 10 (16%) families, co-segregating with the tumor phenotype in families with available DNA from several tumor patients. Glioblastoma patients carrying rare POLE variants had a mean overall survival of 21 months. Additionally, germline variants in POLD1, located at 19q13.33, were detected in 2/34 (6%) patients with 1p/19q-codeleted oligodendrogliomas, while POLE variants were identified in 2/4 (50%) glioblastoma patients with a spinal metastasis. In 13/15 (87%) gliomas from patients carrying POLE/POLD1 variants, features of defective polymerase proofreading, e.g. hypermutation, POLE/POLD1-associated mutational signatures, multinucleated cells, and increased intratumoral T cell response, were observed. In a CRISPR/Cas9-derived POLE-deficient LN-229 glioblastoma cell clone, a mutator phenotype and delayed S phase progression were detected compared to wildtype POLE cells. Our data provide evidence that rare POLE/POLD1 germline variants predispose to gliomas that may be susceptible to ICIs. Data compiled here suggest that glioma patients carrying POLE/POLD1 variants may be recognized by cutaneous manifestations, e.g. café-au-lait macules, and benefit from surveillance colonoscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A M Weber
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicole Krönke
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Valery Volk
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bernd Auber
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alisa Förster
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Robert Geffers
- Genome Analytics Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Michael Lalk
- Department of Neurosurgery, KRH Klinikum Nordstadt, Hannover, Germany
| | - Arya Nabavi
- Department of Neurosurgery, KRH Klinikum Nordstadt, Hannover, Germany
| | - Amir Samii
- Department of Neurosurgery, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany
| | - Joachim K Krauss
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Friedrich Feuerhake
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Institute for Neuropathology, University Clinic Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christian Hartmann
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bettina Wiese
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Henriettenstift, Diakovere Krankenhaus gGmbH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Frank Brand
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ruthild G Weber
- Department of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
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Khadirnaikar S, Shukla S, Prasanna SRM. Integration of pan-cancer multi-omics data for novel mixed subgroup identification using machine learning methods. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287176. [PMID: 37856446 PMCID: PMC10586677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and patients with tumors from different organs can share similar epigenetic and genetic alterations. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the novel subgroups of patients with similar molecular characteristics. It is possible to propose a better treatment strategy when the heterogeneity of the patient is accounted for during subgroup identification, irrespective of the tissue of origin. This work proposes a machine learning (ML) based pipeline for subgroup identification in pan-cancer. Here, mRNA, miRNA, DNA methylation, and protein expression features from pan-cancer samples were concatenated and non-linearly projected to a lower dimension using an ML algorithm. This data was then clustered to identify multi-omics-based novel subgroups. The clinical characterization of these ML subgroups indicated significant differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p-value<0.0001). The subgroups formed by the patients from different tumors shared similar molecular alterations in terms of immune microenvironment, mutation profile, and enriched pathways. Further, decision-level and feature-level fused classification models were built to identify the novel subgroups for unseen samples. Additionally, the classification models were used to obtain the class labels for the validation samples, and the molecular characteristics were verified. To summarize, this work identified novel ML subgroups using multi-omics data and showed that the patients with different tumor types could be similar molecularly. We also proposed and validated the classification models for subgroup identification. The proposed classification models can be used to identify the novel multi-omics subgroups, and the molecular characteristics of each subgroup can be used to design appropriate treatment regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Khadirnaikar
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
| | - Sudhanshu Shukla
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
| | - S. R. M. Prasanna
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
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Strauss JD, Pursell ZF. Replication DNA polymerases, genome instability and cancer therapies. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad033. [PMID: 37388540 PMCID: PMC10304742 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been over a decade since the initial identification of exonuclease domain mutations in the genes encoding the catalytic subunits of replication DNA polymerases ϵ and δ (POLE and POLD1) in tumors from highly mutated endometrial and colorectal cancers. Interest in studying POLE and POLD1 has increased significantly since then. Prior to those landmark cancer genome sequencing studies, it was well documented that mutations in replication DNA polymerases that reduced their DNA synthesis accuracy, their exonuclease activity or their interactions with other factors could lead to increased mutagenesis, DNA damage and even tumorigenesis in mice. There are several recent, well-written reviews of replication DNA polymerases. The aim of this review is to gather and review in some detail recent studies of DNA polymerases ϵ and δ as they pertain to genome instability, cancer and potential therapeutic treatments. The focus here is primarily on recent informative studies on the significance of mutations in genes encoding their catalytic subunits (POLE and POLD1), mutational signatures, mutations in associated genes, model organisms, and the utility of chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition in polymerase mutant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet D Strauss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, 70118 LA, USA
| | - Zachary F Pursell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, 70118 LA, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, 70118 LA, USA
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Yamaguchi M, Cotterill S. Association of Mutations in Replicative DNA Polymerase Genes with Human Disease: Possible Application of Drosophila Models for Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098078. [PMID: 37175782 PMCID: PMC10178534 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098078] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Replicative DNA polymerases, such as DNA polymerase α-primase, δ and ε, are multi-subunit complexes that are responsible for the bulk of nuclear DNA replication during the S phase. Over the last decade, extensive genome-wide association studies and expression profiling studies of the replicative DNA polymerase genes in human patients have revealed a link between the replicative DNA polymerase genes and various human diseases and disorders including cancer, intellectual disability, microcephalic primordial dwarfism and immunodeficiency. These studies suggest the importance of dissecting the mechanisms involved in the functioning of replicative DNA polymerases in understanding and treating a range of human diseases. Previous studies in Drosophila have established this organism as a useful model to understand a variety of human diseases. Here, we review the studies on Drosophila that explored the link between DNA polymerases and human disease. First, we summarize the recent studies linking replicative DNA polymerases to various human diseases and disorders. We then review studies on replicative DNA polymerases in Drosophila. Finally, we suggest the possible use of Drosophila models to study human diseases and disorders associated with replicative DNA polymerases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sue Cotterill
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
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Chi H, Yang J, Peng G, Zhang J, Song G, Xie X, Xia Z, Liu J, Tian G. Circadian rhythm-related genes index: A predictor for HNSCC prognosis, immunotherapy efficacy, and chemosensitivity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1091218. [PMID: 36969232 PMCID: PMC10036372 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1091218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common head and neck cancer and is highly aggressive and heterogeneous, leading to variable prognosis and immunotherapy outcomes. Circadian rhythm alterations in tumourigenesis are of equal importance to genetic factors and several biologic clock genes are considered to be prognostic biomarkers for various cancers. The aim of this study was to establish reliable markers based on biologic clock genes, thus providing a new perspective for assessing immunotherapy response and prognosis in patients with HNSCC.MethodsWe used 502 HNSCC samples and 44 normal samples from the TCGA-HNSCC dataset as the training set. 97 samples from GSE41613 were used as an external validation set. Prognostic characteristics of circadian rhythm-related genes (CRRGs) were established by Lasso, random forest and stepwise multifactorial Cox. Multivariate analysis revealed that CRRGs characteristics were independent predictors of HNSCC, with patients in the high-risk group having a worse prognosis than those in the low-risk group. The relevance of CRRGs to the immune microenvironment and immunotherapy was assessed by an integrated algorithm.Results6-CRRGs were considered to be strongly associated with HNSCC prognosis and a good predictor of HNSCC. The riskscore established by the 6-CRRG was found to be an independent prognostic factor for HNSCC in multifactorial analysis, with patients in the low-risk group having a higher overall survival (OS) than the high-risk group. Nomogram prediction maps constructed from clinical characteristics and riskscore had good prognostic power. Patients in the low-risk group had higher levels of immune infiltration and immune checkpoint expression and were more likely to benefit from immunotherapy.Conclusion6-CRRGs play a key predictive role for the prognosis of HNSCC patients and can guide physicians in selecting potential responders to prioritise immunotherapy, which could facilitate further research in precision immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chi
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jinyan Yang
- School of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Gaoge Peng
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jinhao Zhang
- School of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Guobin Song
- School of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xixi Xie
- School of Stomatology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhijia Xia
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Jinhui Liu, ; Gang Tian,
| | - Jinhui Liu
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Jinhui Liu, ; Gang Tian,
| | - Gang Tian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Jinhui Liu, ; Gang Tian,
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Cohen-Paes A, de Alcântara AL, de Souza Menezes E, Moreira FC, Fernandes MR, Guerreiro JF, Ribeiro-Dos-Santos Â, Dos Santos SEB, dos Santos NPC. Characterization of DNA Polymerase Genes in Amazonian Amerindian Populations. Genes (Basel) 2022; 14:53. [PMID: 36672794 PMCID: PMC9859017 DOI: 10.3390/genes14010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their continuing geographic isolation, the Amerindian populations of the Brazilian Amazon present a different genetic profile when compared to other continental populations. Few studies have investigated genetic variants present in these populations, especially in the context of next-generation sequencing. Knowledge of the molecular profile of a population is one of the bases for inferences about human evolutionary history, in addition, it has the ability to assist in the validation of molecular biomarkers of susceptibility to complex and rare diseases, and in the improvement of specific precision medicine protocols applied to these populations and to populations with high Amerindian ancestry, such as Brazilians. DNA polymerases play essential roles in DNA replication, repair, recombination, or damage repair, and their influence on various clinical phenotypes has been demonstrated in the specialized literature. Thus, the aim of this study is to characterize the molecular profile of POLA1, POLE, POLG, POLQ, and REV3L genes in Amerindian populations from the Brazilian Amazon, comparing these findings with genomic data from five continental populations described in the gnomAD database, and with data from the Brazilian population described in ABraOM. We performed the whole exome sequencing (WES) of 63 Indigenous individuals. Our study described for the first time the allele frequency of 45 variants already described in the other continental populations, but never before described in the investigated Amerindian populations. Our results also describe eight unique variants of the investigated Amerindians populations, with predictions of moderate, modifier and high clinical impact. Our findings demonstrate the unique genetic profile of the Indigenous population of the Brazilian Amazon, reinforcing the need for further studies on these populations, and may contribute to the creation of public policies that optimize not only the quality of life of this population, but also of the Brazilian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Cohen-Paes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil
| | | | - Elisa de Souza Menezes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil
| | | | | | - João Farias Guerreiro
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
| | - Ândrea Ribeiro-Dos-Santos
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
| | - Sidney Emanuel Batista Dos Santos
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
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