Saccharomyces cerevisiae rad51 Mutants Are Defective in DNA Damage-Associated Sister Chromatid Exchanges but Exhibit Increased Rates of Homology-Directed Translocations

Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (3) ◽  
pp. 959-972
Author(s):  
Michael Fasullo ◽  
Peter Giallanza ◽  
Zheng Dong ◽  
Cinzia Cera ◽  
Thomas Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Dna Damage ◽  
Sister Chromatid ◽  
Sister Chromatid Exchanges ◽  
Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Dna Damaging Agents ◽  
Break Induced Replication ◽  
Chromatid Exchanges

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 is structurally similar to Escherichia coli RecA. We investigated the role of S. cerevisiae RAD51 in DNA damage-associated unequal sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), translocations, and inversions. The frequency of these rearrangements was measured by monitoring mitotic recombination between two his3 fragments, his3-Δ5′ and his3-Δ3′::HOcs, when positioned on different chromosomes or in tandem and oriented in direct or inverted orientation. Recombination was measured after cells were exposed to chemical agents and radiation and after HO endonuclease digestion at his3-Δ3′::HOcs. Wild-type and rad51 mutant strains showed no difference in the rate of spontaneous SCEs; however, the rate of spontaneous inversions was decreased threefold in the rad51 mutant. The rad51 null mutant was defective in DNA damage-associated SCE when cells were exposed to either radiation or chemical DNA-damaging agents or when HO endonuclease-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) were directly targeted at his3-Δ3′::HOcs. The defect in DNA damage-associated SCEs in rad51 mutants correlated with an eightfold higher spontaneous level of directed translocations in diploid strains and with a higher level of radiation-associated translocations. We suggest that S. cerevisiae RAD51 facilitates genomic stability by reducing nonreciprocal translocations generated by RAD51-independent break-induced replication (BIR) mechanisms.

scholarly journals Numerical and Spatial Patterning of Yeast Meiotic DNA Breaks by Tel1

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeman Mohibullah ◽  
Scott Keeney
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Dna Damage ◽  
Deep Sequencing ◽  
Meiotic Recombination ◽  
Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Genome Integrity ◽  
Spatial Patterning ◽  
Dna Breaks ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Context Dependent

AbstractThe Spo11-generated double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate meiotic recombination are dangerous lesions that can disrupt genome integrity, so meiotic cells regulate their number, timing, and distribution. Here, we use Spo11-oligonucleotide complexes, a byproduct of DSB formation, to examine the contribution of the DNA damage-responsive kinase Tel1 (ortholog of mammalian ATM) to this regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A tel1Δ mutant had globally increased amounts of Spo11-oligonucleotide complexes and altered Spo11-oligonucleotide lengths, consistent with conserved roles for Tel1 in control of DSB number and processing. A kinase-dead tell mutation also increased Spo11-oligonucleotide levels, but mutating known Tel1 phosphotargets on Hop1 and Rec114 did not. Deep sequencing of Spo11 oligonucleotides from tel1Δ mutants demonstrated that Tel1 shapes the nonrandom DSB distribution in ways that are distinct but partially overlapping with previously described contributions of the recombination regulator Zip3. Finally, we uncover a context-dependent role for Tel1 in hotspot competition, in which an artificial DSB hotspot inhibits nearby hotspots. Evidence for Tel1-dependent competition involving strong natural hotspots is also provided.

scholarly journals RAD51 localization and activation following DNA damage

2004 ◽  
Vol 359 (1441) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madalena Tarsounas ◽  
Adelina A. Davies ◽  
Stephen C. West
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Focus Formation ◽  
Rad51 Protein ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Dna Damaging Agents ◽  
Binding Level

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.

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