scholarly journals WRN Is Required for ATM Activation and the S-Phase Checkpoint in Response to Interstrand Cross-Link–Induced DNA Double-Strand Breaks

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 3923-3933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Hsing Cheng ◽  
Diana Muftic ◽  
Meltem Muftuoglu ◽  
Lale Dawut ◽  
Christa Morris ◽  
...  

Werner syndrome (WS) is a human genetic disorder characterized by extensive clinical features of premature aging. Ataxia-telengiectasia (A-T) is a multisystem human genomic instability syndrome that includes premature aging in some of the patients. WRN and ATM, the proteins defective in WS and A-T, respectively, play significant roles in the maintenance of genomic stability and are involved in several DNA metabolic pathways. A role for WRN in DNA repair has been proposed; however, this study provides evidence that WRN is also involved in ATM pathway activation and in a S-phase checkpoint in cells exposed to DNA interstrand cross-link–induced double-strand breaks. Depletion of WRN in such cells by RNA interference results in an intra-S checkpoint defect, and interferes with activation of ATM as well as downstream phosphorylation of ATM target proteins. Treatment of cells under replication stress with the ATM kinase inhibitor KU 55933 results in a S-phase checkpoint defect similar to that observed in WRN shRNA cells. Moreover, γH2AX levels are higher in WRN shRNA cells than in control cells 6 and 16 h after exposure to psoralen DNA cross-links. These results suggest that WRN and ATM participate in a replication checkpoint response, in which WRN facilitates ATM activation in cells with psoralen DNA cross-link–induced collapsed replication forks.

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 5185-5197 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sebastian Yakisich ◽  
Pamela Y. Sandoval ◽  
Tara L. Morrison ◽  
Geoffrey M. Kapler

The ribosomal DNA origin binding protein Tif1p regulates the timing of rDNA replication and is required globally for proper S-phase progression and division of the Tetrahymena thermophila macronucleus. Here, we show that Tif1p safeguards chromosomes from DNA damage in the mitotic micronucleus and amitotic macronucleus. TIF1p localization is dynamically regulated as it moves into the micro- and macronucleus during the respective S phases. TIF1 disruption mutants are hypersensitive to hydroxyurea and methylmethanesulfonate, inducers of DNA damage and intra-S-phase checkpoint arrest in all examined eukaryotes. TIF1 mutants incur double-strand breaks in the absence of exogenous genotoxic stress, destabilizing all five micronuclear chromosomes. Wild-type Tetrahymena elicits an intra-S-phase checkpoint response that is induced by hydroxyurea and suppressed by caffeine, an inhibitor of the apical checkpoint kinase ATR/MEC1. In contrast, hydroxyurea-challenged TIF1 mutants fail to arrest in S phase or exhibit caffeine-sensitive Rad51 overexpression, indicating the involvement of TIF1 in checkpoint activation. Although aberrant micro- and macronuclear division occurs in TIF1 mutants and caffeine-treated wild-type cells, TIF1p bears no similarity to ATR or its substrates. We propose that TIF1 and ATR function in the same epistatic pathway to regulate checkpoint responses in the diploid mitotic micronucleus and polyploid amitotic macronucleus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
So-mi Kang ◽  
Min-Ho Yoon ◽  
Su-Jin Lee ◽  
Jinsook Ahn ◽  
Sang Ah Yi ◽  
...  

AbstractWerner syndrome (WRN) is a rare progressive genetic disorder, caused by functional defects in WRN protein and RecQ4L DNA helicase. Acceleration of the aging process is initiated at puberty and the expected life span is approximately the late 50 s. However, a Wrn-deficient mouse model does not show premature aging phenotypes or a short life span, implying that aging processes differ greatly between humans and mice. Gene expression analysis of WRN cells reveals very similar results to gene expression analysis of Hutchinson Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) cells, suggesting that these human progeroid syndromes share a common pathological mechanism. Here we show that WRN cells also express progerin, an abnormal variant of the lamin A protein. In addition, we reveal that duplicated sequences of human WRN (hWRN) from exon 9 to exon 10, which differ from the sequence of mouse WRN (mWRN), are a natural inhibitor of progerin. Overexpression of hWRN reduced progerin expression and aging features in HGPS cells. Furthermore, the elimination of progerin by siRNA or a progerin-inhibitor (SLC-D011 also called progerinin) can ameliorate senescence phenotypes in WRN fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes, derived from WRN-iPSCs. These results suggest that progerin, which easily accumulates under WRN-deficient conditions, can lead to premature aging in WRN and that this effect can be prevented by SLC-D011.


Aging ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rika Kusumoto-Matsuo ◽  
Deblina Ghosh ◽  
Parimal Karmakar ◽  
Alfred May ◽  
Dale Ramsden ◽  
...  

Genetics ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-148
Author(s):  
R B Painter

ABSTRACT Damage in DNA after irradiation can be classified into five kinds: base damage, single-strand breaks, double-strand breaks, DNA-DNA cross-linking, and DNA-protein cross-linking. Of these, repair of base damage is the best understood. In eukaryotes, at least three repair systems are known that can deal with base damage: photoreactivation, excision repair, and post-replication repair. Photoreactivation is specific for UV-induced damage and occurs widely throughout the biosphere, although it seems to be absent from placental mammals. Excision repair is present in prokaryotes and in animals but does not seem to be present in plants. Post-replication repair is poorly understood. Recent reports indicate that growing points in mammalian DNA simply skip past UV-induced lesions, leaving gaps in newly made DNA that are subsequently filled in by de novo synthesis. Evidence that this concept is oversimplified or incorrect is presented.—Single-strand breaks are induced by ionizing radiation but most cells can rapidly repair most or all of them, even after supralethal doses. The chemistry of the fragments formed when breaks are induced by ionizing radiation is complex and poorly understood. Therefore, the intermediate steps in the repair of single-strand breaks are unknown. Double-strand breaks and the two kinds of cross-linking have been studied very little and almost nothing is known about their mechanisms for repair.—The role of mammalian DNA repair in mutations is not known. Although there is evidence that defective repair can lead to cancer and/or premature aging in humans, the relationship between the molecular defects and the diseased state remains obscure.


Author(s):  
Madalena Tarsounas ◽  
Adelina A. Davies ◽  
Stephen C. West

The efficient repair of double–strand breaks in DNA is critical for the maintenance of genome stability. In response to ionizing radiation and other DNA–damaging agents, the RAD51 protein, which is essential for homologous recombination, relocalizes within the nucleus to form distinct foci that can be visualized by microscopy and are thought to represent sites where repair reactions take place. The formation of RAD51 foci in response to DNA damage is dependent upon BRCA2 and a series of proteins known as the RAD51 paralogues (RAD51B, RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2 and XRCC3), indicating that the components present within foci assemble in a carefully orchestrated and ordered manner. By contrast, RAD51 foci that form spontaneously as cells undergo DNA replication at S phase occur without the need for BRCA2 or the RAD51 paralogues. It is known that BRCA2 interacts directly with RAD51 through a series of degenerative motifs known as the BRC repeats. These interactions modulate the ability of RAD51 to bind DNA. Taken together, these observations indicate that BRCA2 plays a critical role in controlling the actions of RAD51 at both the microscopic (focus formation) and molecular (DNA binding) level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Yuki Sakamoto ◽  
Tetsuya Kokuta ◽  
Ai Teshigahara ◽  
Kenta Iijima ◽  
Hiroyuki Kitao ◽  
...  

Abstract The choice of repair pathways of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is dependent upon the cell cycle phases. While homologous recombination repair (HRR) is active between the S and G2 phases, its involvement in mitotic DSB repair has not been examined in detail. In the present study, we developed a new reporter assay system to detect homology-directed repair (HDR), a major pathway used for HRR, in combination with an inducible DSB-generation system. As expected, the maximal HDR activity was observed in the late S phase, along with minimal activity in the G1 phase and at the G1/S boundary. Surprisingly, significant HDR activity was observed in M phase, and the repair efficiency was similar to that observed in late S phase. HDR was also confirmed in metaphase cells collected with continuous colcemid exposure. ChIP assays revealed the recruitment of RAD51 to the vicinity of DSBs in M phase. In addition, the ChIP assay for gamma-H2AX and phosphorylated DNA-PKcs indicated that a part of M-phase cells with DSBs could proceed into the next G1 phase. These results provide evidence showing that a portion of mitotic cell DSBs are undoubtedly repaired through action of the HDR repair pathway.


2009 ◽  
Vol 172 (2) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyendra K. Singh ◽  
Weizhong Wu ◽  
Wenqi Wu ◽  
Minli Wang ◽  
George Iliakis

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