scholarly journals Altered DNA ligase activity in human disease

Mutagenesis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan E Tomkinson ◽  
Tasmin Naila ◽  
Seema Khattri Bhandari

Abstract The joining of interruptions in the phosphodiester backbone of DNA is critical to maintain genome stability. These breaks, which are generated as part of normal DNA transactions, such as DNA replication, V(D)J recombination and meiotic recombination as well as directly by DNA damage or due to DNA damage removal, are ultimately sealed by one of three human DNA ligases. DNA ligases I, III and IV each function in the nucleus whereas DNA ligase III is the sole enzyme in mitochondria. While the identification of specific protein partners and the phenotypes caused either by genetic or chemical inactivation have provided insights into the cellular functions of the DNA ligases and evidence for significant functional overlap in nuclear DNA replication and repair, different results have been obtained with mouse and human cells, indicating species-specific differences in the relative contributions of the DNA ligases. Inherited mutations in the human LIG1 and LIG4 genes that result in the generation of polypeptides with partial activity have been identified as the causative factors in rare DNA ligase deficiency syndromes that share a common clinical symptom, immunodeficiency. In the case of DNA ligase IV, the immunodeficiency is due to a defect in V(D)J recombination whereas the cause of the immunodeficiency due to DNA ligase I deficiency is not known. Overexpression of each of the DNA ligases has been observed in cancers. For DNA ligase I, this reflects increased proliferation. Elevated levels of DNA ligase III indicate an increased dependence on an alternative non-homologous end-joining pathway for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks whereas elevated level of DNA ligase IV confer radioresistance due to increased repair of DNA double-strand breaks by the major non-homologous end-joining pathway. Efforts to determine the potential of DNA ligase inhibitors as cancer therapeutics are on-going in preclinical cancer models.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lior Onn ◽  
Miguel Portillo ◽  
Stefan Ilic ◽  
Gal Cleitman ◽  
Daniel Stein ◽  
...  

AbstractDNA double strand breaks are the most deleterious type of DNA damage. In this work, we show that SIRT6 directly recognizes DNA damage through a tunnel-like structure, with high affinity for double strand breaks. It relocates to sites of damage independently of signalling and known sensors and activates downstream signalling cascades for double strand break repair by triggering ATM recruitment, H2AX phosphorylation and the recruitment of proteins of the Homologous Recombination and Non-Homologous End Joining pathways. Our findings indicate that SIRT6 plays a previously uncharacterized role as DNA damage sensor, which is critical for initiating the DNA damage response (DDR). Moreover, other Sirtuins share some DSB binding capacity and DDR activation. SIRT6 activates the DDR, before the repair pathway is chosen, and prevents genomic instability. Our findings place SIRT6 at the top of the DDR and pave the road to dissect the contributions of distinct double strand break sensors in downstream signalling.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi R. Joshi ◽  
Sk Imran Ali ◽  
Amanda K. Ashley

DNA damage is a hallmark of cancer, and mutation and misregulation of proteins that maintain genomic fidelity are associated with the development of multiple cancers. DNA double strand breaks are arguably considered the most deleterious type of DNA damage. The nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway is one mechanism to repair DNA double strand breaks, and proteins involved in NHEJ may also regulate DNA replication. We previously established that DNA-PKcs, a NHEJ protein, promotes genomic stability and cell viability following cellular exposure to replication stress; we wanted to discern whether another NHEJ protein, DNA ligase IV (Lig4), shares this phenotype. Our investigations focused on triple negative breast cancer cells, as, compared to nonbasal breast cancer, LIG4 is frequently amplified, and an increased gene dose is associated with higher Lig4 expression. We depleted Lig4 using siRNA and confirmed our knockdown by qPCR and western blotting. Cell survival diminished with Lig4 depletion alone, and this was associated with increased replication fork stalling. Checkpoint protein Chk1 activation and dephosphorylation were unchanged in Lig4-depleted cells. Lig4 depletion resulted in sustained DNA-PKcs phosphorylation following hydroxyurea exposure. Understanding the effect of Lig4 on genomic replication and the replication stress response will clarify the biological ramifications of inhibiting Lig4 activity. In addition, Lig4 is an attractive clinical target for directing CRISPR/Cas9-mediated repair towards homology-directed repair and away from NHEJ, thus understanding of how diminishing Lig4 impacts cell biology is critical.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 6236-6249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk L West ◽  
Jessica L Kelliher ◽  
Zhanzhan Xu ◽  
Liwei An ◽  
Megan R Reed ◽  
...  

Abstract The tumor suppressor protein 53BP1 plays key roles in response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by serving as a master scaffold at the damaged chromatin. Current evidence indicates that 53BP1 assembles a cohort of DNA damage response (DDR) factors to distinctly execute its repertoire of DSB responses, including checkpoint activation and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair. Here, we have uncovered LC8 (a.k.a. DYNLL1) as an important 53BP1 effector. We found that LC8 accumulates at laser-induced DNA damage tracks in a 53BP1-dependent manner and requires the canonical H2AX-MDC1-RNF8-RNF168 signal transduction cascade. Accordingly, genetic inactivation of LC8 or its interaction with 53BP1 resulted in checkpoint defects. Importantly, loss of LC8 alleviated the hypersensitivity of BRCA1-depleted cells to ionizing radiation and PARP inhibition, highlighting the 53BP1-LC8 module in counteracting BRCA1-dependent functions in the DDR. Together, these data establish LC8 as an important mediator of a subset of 53BP1-dependent DSB responses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kailey Harrell ◽  
Madison Day ◽  
Sarit Smolikove

AbstractDNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most dangerous assaults on the genome, and yet their natural and programmed production are inherent to life. When DSBs arise close together (clustered) they are particularly deleterious, and their repair may require an altered form of the DNA damage response. Our understanding of how clustered DSBs are repaired in the germline is unknown. Using UV laser microirradiation, we examine early events in the repair of clustered DSBs in germ cells within whole, live, Caenorhabditis elegans. We use precise temporal resolution to show how the recruitment of MRE-11 to complex damage is regulated, and that clustered DNA damage can recruit proteins from various repair pathways. Abrogation of non-homologous end joining or COM-1 attenuates the recruitment of MRE-11 through distinct mechanisms. The synaptonemal complex plays both positive and negative regulatory roles in these mutant contexts. These findings together indicate that MRE-11 is regulated by modifying its accessibility to chromosomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. jcs.249706
Author(s):  
Matteo Cabrini ◽  
Marco Roncador ◽  
Alessandro Galbiati ◽  
Lina Cipolla ◽  
Antonio Maffia ◽  
...  

The DNA damage response (DDR) is the signaling cascade that recognizes DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and promotes their resolution via the DNA repair pathways of Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) or Homologous Recombination (HR). We and others have shown that DDR activation requires DROSHA. However, whether DROSHA exerts its functions by associating with damage sites, what controls its recruitment and how DROSHA influences DNA repair, remains poorly understood. Here we show that DROSHA associates to DSBs independently from transcription. Neither H2AX, nor ATM nor DNA-PK kinase activities are required for its recruitment to break site. Rather, DROSHA interacts with RAD50 and inhibition of MRN by Mirin treatment abolishes this interaction. MRN inactivation by RAD50 knockdown or mirin treatment prevents DROSHA recruitment to DSB and, as a consequence, also 53BP1 recruitment. During DNA repair, DROSHA inactivation reduces NHEJ and boosts HR frequency. Indeed, DROSHA knockdown also increase the association of downstream HR factors such as RAD51 to DNA ends. Overall, our results demonstrate that DROSHA is recruited at DSBs by the MRN complex and direct DNA repair toward NHEJ.


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 3297-3310 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Liang ◽  
L. Deng ◽  
S. C. Nguyen ◽  
X. Zhao ◽  
C. D. Maulion ◽  
...  

DNA Repair ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 741-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Nakamura ◽  
Wataru Sakai ◽  
Takuo Kawamoto ◽  
Ronan T. Bree ◽  
Noel F. Lowndes ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Roopa Thapar

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are deleterious lesions that are generated in response to ionizing radiation or replication fork collapse that can lead to genomic instability and cancer.  Eukaryotes have evolved two major pathways, namely homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) to repair DSBs.  Whereas the roles of protein-DNA interactions in HR and NHEJ have been fairly well defined, the functions of small and long non-coding RNAs and RNA-DNA hybrids in the DNA damage response is just beginning to be elucidated.  This review summarizes recent discoveries on the identification of non-coding RNAs and RNA-mediated regulation of DSB repair


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