scholarly journals Fanconi anemia signaling and Mus81 cooperate to safeguard development and crosslink repair

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (15) ◽  
pp. 9807-9820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Larin ◽  
David Gallo ◽  
Laura Tamblyn ◽  
Jay Yang ◽  
Hudson Liao ◽  
...  

AbstractIndividuals with Fanconi anemia (FA) are susceptible to bone marrow failure, congenital abnormalities, cancer predisposition and exhibit defective DNA crosslink repair. The relationship of this repair defect to disease traits remains unclear, given that crosslink sensitivity is recapitulated in FA mouse models without most of the other disease-related features. Mice deficient in Mus81 are also defective in crosslink repair, yet MUS81 mutations have not been linked to FA. Using mice deficient in both Mus81 and the FA pathway protein FancC, we show both proteins cooperate in parallel pathways, as concomitant loss of FancC and Mus81 triggered cell-type-specific proliferation arrest, apoptosis and DNA damage accumulation in utero. Mice deficient in both FancC and Mus81 that survived to birth exhibited growth defects and an increased incidence of congenital abnormalities. This cooperativity of FancC and Mus81 in developmental outcome was also mirrored in response to crosslink damage and chromosomal integrity. Thus, our findings reveal that both pathways safeguard against DNA damage from exceeding a critical threshold that triggers proliferation arrest and apoptosis, leading to compromised in utero development.

2011 ◽  
pp. 453-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. HUCL ◽  
E. GALLMEIER

DNA repair is an active cellular process to respond to constant DNA damage caused by metabolic processes and environmental factors. Since the outcome of DNA damage is generally adverse and long term effects may contribute to oncogenesis, cells have developed a variety of DNA repair mechanisms, which operate depending on the type of DNA damage inflicted. At least 15 Fanconi anemia (FA) proteins interact in a common pathway involved in homologous recombination. Inherited homozygous mutations in any of these FA genes cause a rare disease, Fanconi anemia, characterized by congenital abnormalities, progressive bone-marrow failure and cancer susceptibility. Heterozygous germline FA mutations predispose to various types of cancer. In addition, somatic FA mutations have been identified in diverse cancer types. Evidence exists that cells deficient in the FA pathway become dependent on alternative pathways for survival. Additional inhibition of such alternative pathways is thus expected to result in cell death, creating a relationship of synthetic lethality. Identifying these relationships can reveal yet unknown mechanisms of DNA repair and new targets for therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Dorsaf Touil ◽  
Rahma Bouhouch ◽  
Raoua Belkacem Chebil ◽  
Lamia Oualha ◽  
Nabiha Douki

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and higher susceptibility to malignancies, especially to head and neck carcinomas. Only few reports about the oral manifestations of FA are available. The main reported oral conditions associated with FA are microdontia and advanced periodontitis. The aim of this paper was to report a case of a 10-year-old patient with FA presenting severe spontaneous gingival bleeding, as well as to discuss the role of the dentist in the management and treatment of this condition.


Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arindam Datta ◽  
Robert M. Brosh Jr.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a hereditary chromosomal instability disorder often displaying congenital abnormalities and characterized by a predisposition to progressive bone marrow failure (BMF) and cancer. Over the last 25 years since the discovery of the first linkage of genetic mutations to FA, its molecular genetic landscape has expanded tremendously as it became apparent that FA is a disease characterized by a defect in a specific DNA repair pathway responsible for the correction of covalent cross-links between the two complementary strands of the DNA double helix. This pathway has become increasingly complex, with the discovery of now over 20 FA-linked genes implicated in interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair. Moreover, gene products known to be involved in double-strand break (DSB) repair, mismatch repair (MMR), and nucleotide excision repair (NER) play roles in the ICL response and repair of associated DNA damage. While ICL repair is predominantly coupled with DNA replication, it also can occur in non-replicating cells. DNA damage accumulation and hematopoietic stem cell failure are thought to contribute to the increased inflammation and oxidative stress prevalent in FA. Adding to its confounding nature, certain FA gene products are also engaged in the response to replication stress, caused endogenously or by agents other than ICL-inducing drugs. In this review, we discuss the mechanistic aspects of the FA pathway and the molecular defects leading to elevated replication stress believed to underlie the cellular phenotypes and clinical features of FA.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 723-723
Author(s):  
Alexandra Sobeck ◽  
Stacie Stone ◽  
Bendert deGraaf ◽  
Vincenzo Costanzo ◽  
Johan deWinter ◽  
...  

Abstract Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disorder characterized by hypersensitivity to DNA crosslinking agents and diverse clinical symptoms, including developmental anomalies, progressive bone marrow failure, and predisposition to leukemias and other cancers. FA is genetically heterogeneous, resulting from mutations in any of at least eleven different genes. The FA proteins function together in a pathway composed of a mulitprotein core complex that is required to trigger the DNA-damage dependent activation of the downstream FA protein, FANCD2. This activation is thought to be the key step in a DNA damage response that functionally links FA proteins to major breast cancer susceptibility proteins BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA2 is FA gene FANCD1). The essential function of the FA proteins is unknown, but current models suggest that FA proteins function at the interface between cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair and DNA replication, and are likely to play roles in the DNA damage response during S phase. To provide a platform for dissecting the key functional events during S-phase, we developed cell-free assays for FA proteins based on replicating extracts from Xenopus eggs. We identified the Xenopus homologs of human FANCD2 (xFANCD2) and several of the FA core complex proteins (xCCPs), and biochemically characterized these proteins in replicating cell-free extracts. We found that xCCPs and a modified isoform of xFANCD2 become associated with chromatin during normal and disrupted DNA replication. Blocking initiation of replication with geminin demonstrated that association of xCCPs and xFANCD2 with chromatin occurs in a strictly replication-dependent manner that is enhanced following DNA damage by crosslinking agents or by addition of aphidicolin, an inhibitor of replicative DNA polymerases. In addition, chromatin binding of xFANCD2, but not xBRCA2, is abrogated when xFANCA is quantitatively depleted from replicating extracts suggesting that xFANCA promotes the loading of xFANCD2 on chromatin. The chromatin-association of xFANCD2 and xCCPs is diminished in the presence of caffeine, an inhibitor of checkpoint kinases. Taken together, our data suggest a model in which the ordered loading of FA proteins on chromatin is required for processing a subset of DNA replication-blocking lesions that are resolved during late stages of replication.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 648-648
Author(s):  
Naoya Suzuki ◽  
Asuka Hira ◽  
Akira Niwa ◽  
Megumu Saito ◽  
Keitaro Matsuo ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 648 Introduction Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genome instability disorder with clinical characteristics including progressive bone marrow failure (BMF), developmental abnormalities, and increased occurrence of leukemia and cancer. To date 15 genes have been implicated in FA, and their products form a common DNA repair network often referred to as “FA pathway”. Following DNA damage or replication stress, the FA pathway is activated, leading to the monoubiquitination of FANCD2 and FANCI proteins (the ID complex). The monoubiquitinated ID complex is loaded on damaged chromatin with subnuclear foci formation, and mediates homologous recombination. Since cells derived from FA patients are hypersensitive to treatments that induce DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs), the FA pathway has been considered to function in ICL repair. However, it still remains unclear what type of endogenous DNA damage is repaired through the FA pathway and is the cause of phenotypes in FA patients. Recent studies have suggested that cells deficient in the FA pathway are also sensitive to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Aldehydes may create DNA adducts including ICLs or protein DNA crosslinking. These results raise a possibility that the FA pathway prevents BMF by mitigating genotoxicity due to endogenous aldehydes. It has been known that ALDH2 deficiency resulting from Glu487Lys substitution (A allele) is prevalent in East Asian populations. While the Glu487 form (G allele) is proficient in aldehyde catabolism, even the GA heterozygote displayed strongly reduced catalysis because ALDH2 is a tetrameric enzyme and the variant form can suppress the activity in a dominant negative manner. Therefore some Japanese FA patients are expected to be deficient in ALDH2, providing an opportunity to test role of ALDH2 and aldehyde metabolism in human FA patients. Results and discussion In FA fetus, p53/p21 axis has already activated in fetal liver (Ceccaldi, Cell stem cell, 2012), indicating the possibility that hematopoietic defects in FA patients originates from an earlier developmental stage. Since human hematopoietic system originates from embryonic mesoderm, we set out to estimate the role of ALDH2 and FANCA pathway during early embryogenesis. For this, we reprogrammed somatic cells from a patient with ALDH2 GA genotype and observed their in vitro mesodermal differentiation. We first introduced reprogramming factors into fibroblasts by episomal vectors, and obtained colonies which are morphologically compatible with human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These iPSC-like cells (designated as FA-iPLCs) showed close similarity to conventional ES/iPSCs regarding marker gene expressions and differentiation ability into three germ layers. We obtained gene-complemented FA-iPLCs (designated as cFA-iPLCs) for control study. To evaluate the impact of ALDH2 activity on iPSC- or iPLC-derived mesodermal differentiation, we next adapted the previously reported serum-free monolayer culture system. Both FA- and cFA-iPLCs showed similar differentiation manners with conventional embryonic stem cells and iPSCs, and percentages of KDR+ mesodermal progenitors including KDR+CD34+ common hemoangiogenic progenitors were comparable. Notably, ALDH2 agonist Alda1 did increase only FA-iPLC-derived mesodermal progenitors but not cFA-iPLCs. These data supported the hypothesis that mesodermal development towards hematopoietic cells in human can be affected by ALDH2 activity in the absence of FA pathway. To confirm the hypothesis, next we set out to assess whether the variation in ALDH2 affects symptoms in Japanese FA patients. Strikingly, we found that progression of BMF was strongly accelerated in heterozygous carrier of the variant A allele compared to homozygous GG patients. Furthermore we looked at occurrence of leukemia and/or myelodysplasia and the somatic developments. Interestingly, these were not significantly difference between patients with each variation of ALDH2, indicating the possibility that aldehydes affect only in early hematopoietic development, not other mesodermal tissues. Overall, our results from FA-iPLCs and clinical study indicate that the variation in ALDH2 affects the occurrence of bone marrow failure in FA patients, and that hematopoietic defect in FA patients is caused by aldehydes in early mesodermal developmental stage. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moonjung Jung ◽  
Ramanagouda Ramanagoudr-Bhojappa ◽  
Sylvie van Twest ◽  
Rasim Ozgur Rosti ◽  
Vincent Murphy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFanconi anemia (FA) is the most common genetic cause of bone marrow failure, and is caused by inherited pathogenic variants in any of 22 genes. Of these, only FANCB is X-linked. We describe a cohort of 19 children with FANCB variants, from 16 families of the International Fanconi Anemia Registry (IFAR). Those with FANCB deletion or truncation demonstrate earlier than average onset of bone marrow failure, and more severe congenital abnormalities compared to a large series of FA individuals in the published reports. This reflects the indispensable role of FANCB protein in the enzymatic activation of FANCD2 monoubiquitination, an essential step in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks. For FANCB missense variants, more variable severity is associated with the extent of residual FANCD2 monoubiquitination activity. We used transcript analysis, genetic complementation, and biochemical reconstitution of FANCD2 monoubiquitination to determine the pathogenicity of each variant. Aberrant splicing and transcript destabilization was associated with two missence variants. Individuals carrying missense variants with drastically reduced FANCD2 monoubiquitination in biochemical and/or cell-based assays showed earlier onset of hematologic disease and shorter survival. Conversely, variants with near-normal FANCD2 monoubiquitination were associated with more favorable outcome. Our study reveals a genotype-phenotype correlation within the FA-B complementation group of FA, where severity is linked to the extent of residual FANCD2 monoubiquitination.KEY POINTSX-linked FANCB pathogenic variants predominantly cause acute, early onset bone marrow failure and severe congenital abnormalitiesBiochemical and cell-based assays with patient variants reveal functional properties of FANCB that associate with clinical severity


2020 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 589-600
Author(s):  
Anna Repczyńska ◽  
Olga Haus

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease caused by mutations in genes whose protein products are involved in important cell processes such as replication, cell cycle control and repair of DNA damage. FA is characterized by congenital malformations, bone marrow failure and high risk of cancer. Phenotypic symptoms, present in about 75% of patients, most often include such abnormalities as short stature, microcephaly, thumb and radial side of the limb defects, abnormal skin pigmentation, gastrointestinal and genitourinary defects. Progressive bone marrow failure occurs in the first decade of life, often initially with leukopenia or thrombocytopenia. The most common cancers occurring in patients with FA are myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, as well as solid tumors of the head and neck, skin, gastrointestinal system and genitourinary system. So far, 22 genes of Fanconi anemia (FANC) have been identified, which are located on the autosomal chromosomes, except for FANCB, which is located on the X chromosome. Protein products of FANC genes are the elements of Fanconi anemia pathway, which regulates DNA damage repair systems. Genetic diagnostics of Fanconi anemia should start by testing crosslinking agents: mitomycin C (MMC) or diepoxybutane (DEB) assuring differential diagnosis of chromosome instability syndromes. In patients with Fanconi anemia, an increased number of chromosomal gaps and breaks as well as specific radial structures are observed. In order to detect a mutation underlying Fanconi anemia, molecular techniques should be used, preferentially next generation sequencing (NGS).


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anfeng Mu ◽  
Asuka Hira ◽  
Akira Niwa ◽  
Mitsujiro Osawa ◽  
Kenichi Yoshida ◽  
...  

We have recently discovered Japanese children with a novel Fanconi anemia-like inherited bone marrow failure syndrome. This disorder is likely caused by the loss of a catabolic system directed toward endogenous formaldehyde, due to biallelic variants in ADH5 combined with a heterozygous ALDH2*2 dominant-negative allele (rs671), which is associated with alcohol-induced Asian flushing. PHA-stimulated lymphocytes from these patients displayed highly increased numbers of spontaneous sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), reflecting homologous recombination repair of formaldehyde damage. Here we report that, by contrast, patient-derived fibroblasts showed normal levels of SCEs, suggesting that different cell types or conditions generate varying amounts of formaldehyde. To obtain insights about endogenous formaldehyde production and how defects in ADH5/ALDH2 affect human hematopoiesis, we constructed disease model cell lines, including iPS cells (iPSC). We found that ADH5 is the primary defense against formaldehyde, and ALDH2 provides a backup. DNA repair capacity in the ADH5/ALDH2-deficient cell lines can be overwhelmed by exogenous low-dose formaldehyde as indicated by higher levels of DNA damage than FANCD2-deficient cells. Although ADH5/ALDH2-deficient cell lines were healthy and showed stable growth, disease model iPSCs displayed drastically defective cell expansion when stimulated into hematopoietic differentiation in vitro, displaying increased levels of DNA damage. The expansion defect was partially reversed by treatment with a new small molecule termed C1, which is an agonist of ALDH2, thus identifying a potential therapeutic strategy for the patients. We propose that hematopoiesis or lymphocyte blastogenesis may entail formaldehyde generation that necessitates elimination by ADH5/ALDH2 enzymes.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan P. Trujillo ◽  
Leonardo B. Mina ◽  
Roser Pujol ◽  
Massimo Bogliolo ◽  
Joris Andrieux ◽  
...  

Abstract Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare bone marrow failure disorder with defective DNA interstrand crosslink repair. Still, there are FA patients without mutations in any of the 15 genes individually underlying the disease. A candidate protein for those patients, FA nuclease 1 (FAN1), whose gene is located at chromosome 15q13.3, is recruited to stalled replication forks by binding to monoubiquitinated FANCD2 and is required for interstrand crosslink repair, suggesting that mutation of FAN1 may cause FA. Here we studied clinical, cellular, and genetic features in 4 patients carrying a homozygous 15q13.3 micro-deletion, including FAN1 and 6 additional genes. Biallelic deletion of the entire FAN1 gene was confirmed by failure of 3′- and 5′-PCR amplification. Western blot analysis failed to show FAN1 protein in the patients' cell lines. Chromosome fragility was normal in all 4 FAN1-deficient patients, although their cells showed mild sensitivity to mitomycin C in terms of cell survival and G2 phase arrest, dissimilar in degree to FA cells. Clinically, there were no symptoms pointing the way to FA. Our results suggest that FAN1 has a minor role in interstrand crosslink repair compared with true FA genes and exclude FAN1 as a novel FA gene.


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