scholarly journals APOBEC3B-dependent kataegis and TREX1-driven chromothripsis in telomere crisis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Maciejowski ◽  
Aikaterini Chatzipli ◽  
Alexandra Dananberg ◽  
Titia de Lange ◽  
Peter J. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Genome Instability ◽  
Genome Rearrangements ◽  
Cytosine Deamination ◽  
Dicentric Chromosomes ◽  
Strand Breakage ◽  
Exonuclease Trex1

Chromothripsis and kataegis are frequently observed in cancer and can arise from telomere crisis, a period of genome instability during tumorigenesis when depletion of the telomere reserve generates unstable dicentric chromosomes1–5. Here we report on the mechanism underlying chromothripsis and kataegis using an in vitro telomere crisis model. We show that the cytoplasmic exonuclease TREX1, which promotes the resolution of dicentric chromosomes4, plays a prominent role in chromothriptic fragmentation. In absence of TREX1, the genome alterations induced by telomere crisis primarily involve Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles and simple genome rearrangements rather than chromothripsis. Furthermore, we show that the kataegis observed at chromothriptic breakpoints is the consequence of cytosine deamination by APOBEC3B. In addition, APOBEC3B increased the frequency of chromothriptic fragmentation, possibly due to strand breakage after cytosine deamination. These data reveal that chromothripsis and kataegis arise from a combination of nucleolytic processing by TREX1 and cytosine editing by APOBEC3B.

scholarly journals Elevating CDCA3 levels in non-small cell lung cancer enhances sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina Kildey ◽  
Neha S. Gandhi ◽  
Katherine B. Sahin ◽  
Esha T. Shah ◽  
Eric Boittier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Cell Lung Cancer ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Platinum Based Chemotherapy ◽  
Platinum Agents

AbstractPlatinum-based chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for most non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases either as maintenance therapy or in combination with immunotherapy. However, resistance remains a primary issue. Our findings point to the possibility of exploiting levels of cell division cycle associated protein-3 (CDCA3) to improve response of NSCLC tumours to therapy. We demonstrate that in patients and in vitro analyses, CDCA3 levels correlate with measures of genome instability and platinum sensitivity, whereby CDCA3high tumours are sensitive to cisplatin and carboplatin. In NSCLC, CDCA3 protein levels are regulated by the ubiquitin ligase APC/C and cofactor Cdh1. Here, we identified that the degradation of CDCA3 is modulated by activity of casein kinase 2 (CK2) which promotes an interaction between CDCA3 and Cdh1. Supporting this, pharmacological inhibition of CK2 with CX-4945 disrupts CDCA3 degradation, elevating CDCA3 levels and increasing sensitivity to platinum agents. We propose that combining CK2 inhibitors with platinum-based chemotherapy could enhance platinum efficacy in CDCA3low NSCLC tumours and benefit patients.

scholarly journals Human rDNA Copy Number Is Unstable in Metastatic Breast Cancers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Valori ◽  
Katalin Tus ◽  
Christina Laukaitis ◽  
David T. Harris ◽  
Lauren LeBeau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Copy Number Variation ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Genome Rearrangements ◽  
Epigenetic Silencing ◽  
Healthy Tissue ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Number Variation

AbstractEpigenetic silencing, including the formation of heterochromatin, silent chromosome territories, and repressed gene promoters, acts to stabilize patterns of gene regulation and the physical structure of the genome. Reduction of epigenetic silencing can result in genome rearrangements, particularly at intrinsically unstable regions of the genome such as transposons, satellite repeats, and repetitive gene clusters including the rRNA gene clusters (rDNA). It is thus expected that mutational or environmental conditions that compromise heterochromatin function might cause genome instability, and diseases associated with decreased epigenetic stability might exhibit genome changes as part of their etiology. We find support of this hypothesis in invasive ductal breast carcinoma, in which reduced epigenetic silencing has been previously described, by using a facile method to quantify rDNA copy number in biopsied breast tumors and pair-matched healthy tissue. We found that rDNA and satellite DNA sequences had significant copy number variation – both losses and gains of copies – compared to healthy tissue, arguing that these genome rearrangements are common in developing breast cancer. Thus, any proposed etiology onset or progression of breast cancer should consider alterations to the epigenome, but must also accommodate concomitant changes to genome sequence at heterochromatic loci.Authors’ StatementOne of the common hallmarks of cancer is genome instability, including hypermutation and changes to chromosome structure. Using tumor tissues obtained from women with invasive ductal carcinoma, we find that a sensitive area of the genome – the ribosomal DNA gene repeat cluster – shows hypervariability in copy number. The patterns we observe as not consistent with an adaptive loss leading to increased tumor growth, but rather we conclude that copy number variation at repeat DNA is a general consequence of reduced heterochromatin function in cancer progression.

scholarly journals A CDK-regulated chromatin segregase promoting chromosome replication

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Chacin ◽  
Priyanka Bansal ◽  
Karl-Uwe Reusswig ◽  
Luis M. Diaz-Santin ◽  
Pedro Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Chromosome Replication ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Chromatin Dynamics ◽  
Replicative Stress ◽  
Cdk Phosphorylation ◽  
Nucleosome Disassembly

The replication of chromosomes during S phase is critical for cellular and organismal function. Replicative stress can result in genome instability, which is a major driver of cancer. Yet how chromatin is made accessible during eukaryotic DNA synthesis is poorly understood.Here, we report the identification of a novel class of chromatin remodeling enzyme, entirely distinct from classical SNF2-ATPase family remodelers. Yta7 is a AAA+-ATPase that assembles into ~ 1 MDa hexameric complexes capable of segregating histones from DNA. Yta7 chromatin segregase promotes chromosome replication both in vivo and in vitro. Biochemical reconstitution experiments using purified proteins revealed that Yta7’s enzymatic activity is regulated by S phase-forms of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (S-CDK). S-CDK phosphorylation stimulates ATP hydrolysis by Yta7, promoting nucleosome disassembly and chromatin replication.Our results present a novel mechanism of how cells orchestrate chromatin dynamics in co-ordination with the cell cycle machinery to promote genome duplication during S phase.

scholarly journals Bloom syndrome protein restrains innate immune sensing of micronuclei by cGAS

2019 ◽  
Vol 216 (5) ◽  
pp. 1199-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthieu Gratia ◽  
Mathieu P. Rodero ◽  
Cécile Conrad ◽  
Elias Bou Samra ◽  
Mathieu Maurin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Bloom Syndrome ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Genome Integrity ◽  
Immune Sensing ◽  
Syndrome Protein ◽  
Innate Immune Sensing ◽  
Exonuclease Trex1

Cellular innate immune sensors of DNA are essential for host defense against invading pathogens. However, the presence of self-DNA inside cells poses a risk of triggering unchecked immune responses. The mechanisms limiting induction of inflammation by self-DNA are poorly understood. BLM RecQ–like helicase is essential for genome integrity and is deficient in Bloom syndrome (BS), a rare genetic disease characterized by genome instability, accumulation of micronuclei, susceptibility to cancer, and immunodeficiency. Here, we show that BLM-deficient fibroblasts show constitutive up-regulation of inflammatory interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, which is mediated by the cGAS–STING–IRF3 cytosolic DNA–sensing pathway. Increased DNA damage or down-regulation of the cytoplasmic exonuclease TREX1 enhances ISG expression in BLM-deficient fibroblasts. cGAS-containing cytoplasmic micronuclei are increased in BS cells. Finally, BS patients demonstrate elevated ISG expression in peripheral blood. These results reveal that BLM limits ISG induction, thus connecting DNA damage to cellular innate immune response, which may contribute to human pathogenesis.

scholarly journals PHF2 histone demethylase prevents DNA damage and genome instability by controlling cell cycle progression of neural progenitors

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (39) ◽  
pp. 19464-19473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella Pappa ◽  
Natalia Padilla ◽  
Simona Iacobucci ◽  
Marta Vicioso ◽  
Elena Álvarez de la Campa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Damage ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Neural Progenitors ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Cycle Arrest ◽  
Biochemical Assays

Histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) is essential for cellular homeostasis; however, its contribution to development is not well established. Here, we demonstrate that the H3K9me2 demethylase PHF2 is essential for neural progenitor proliferation in vitro and for early neurogenesis in the chicken spinal cord. Using genome-wide analyses and biochemical assays we show that PHF2 controls the expression of critical cell cycle progression genes, particularly those related to DNA replication, by keeping low levels of H3K9me3 at promoters. Accordingly, PHF2 depletion induces R-loop accumulation that leads to extensive DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. These data reveal a role of PHF2 as a guarantor of genome stability that allows proper expansion of neural progenitors during development.

scholarly journals Replisome bypass of a protein-based R-loop block by Pif1

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (48) ◽  
pp. 30354-30361
Author(s):  
Grant D. Schauer ◽  
Lisanne M. Spenkelink ◽  
Jacob S. Lewis ◽  
Olga Yurieva ◽  
Stefan H. Mueller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Multiprotein Complex ◽  
Genome Maintenance ◽  
Visualization Technique ◽  
General Displacement ◽  
Maintain Genome Stability ◽  
Protein Blocks

Efficient and faithful replication of the genome is essential to maintain genome stability. Replication is carried out by a multiprotein complex called the replisome, which encounters numerous obstacles to its progression. Failure to bypass these obstacles results in genome instability and may facilitate errors leading to disease. Cells use accessory helicases that help the replisome bypass difficult barriers. All eukaryotes contain the accessory helicase Pif1, which tracks in a 5′–3′ direction on single-stranded DNA and plays a role in genome maintenance processes. Here, we reveal a previously unknown role for Pif1 in replication barrier bypass. We use an in vitro reconstitutedSaccharomyces cerevisiaereplisome to demonstrate that Pif1 enables the replisome to bypass an inactive (i.e., dead) Cas9 (dCas9) R-loop barrier. Interestingly, dCas9 R-loops targeted to either strand are bypassed with similar efficiency. Furthermore, we employed a single-molecule fluorescence visualization technique to show that Pif1 facilitates this bypass by enabling the simultaneous removal of the dCas9 protein and the R-loop. We propose that Pif1 is a general displacement helicase for replication bypass of both R-loops and protein blocks.

scholarly journals The Functional Consequences of Eukaryotic Topoisomerase 1 Interaction with G-Quadruplex DNA

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Alexandra Berroyer ◽  
Nayun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Topoisomerase I ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Dna Topology ◽  
Single Strand Break ◽  
Dna Structures ◽  
G4 Dna ◽  
G Quadruplex

Topoisomerase I in eukaryotic cells is an important regulator of DNA topology. Its catalytic function is to remove positive or negative superhelical tension by binding to duplex DNA, creating a reversible single-strand break, and finally religating the broken strand. Proper maintenance of DNA topological homeostasis, in turn, is critically important in the regulation of replication, transcription, DNA repair, and other processes of DNA metabolism. One of the cellular processes regulated by the DNA topology and thus by Topoisomerase I is the formation of non-canonical DNA structures. Non-canonical or non-B DNA structures, including the four-stranded G-quadruplex or G4 DNA, are potentially pathological in that they interfere with replication or transcription, forming hotspots of genome instability. In this review, we first describe the role of Topoisomerase I in reducing the formation of non-canonical nucleic acid structures in the genome. We further discuss the interesting recent discovery that Top1 and Top1 mutants bind to G4 DNA structures in vivo and in vitro and speculate on the possible consequences of these interactions.

scholarly journals Programmed genome rearrangements in Oxytricha produce transcriptionally active extrachromosomal circular DNA

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (18) ◽  
pp. 9741-9760 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Talya Yerlici ◽  
Michael W Lu ◽  
Carla R Hoge ◽  
Richard V Miller ◽  
Rafik Neme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Genome Rearrangement ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Genome Rearrangements ◽  
Circular Dna ◽  
Dna Elimination ◽  
Circular Dnas ◽  
Bona Fide ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
2D Gel

Abstract Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) is both a driver of eukaryotic genome instability and a product of programmed genome rearrangements, but its extent had not been surveyed in Oxytricha, a ciliate with elaborate DNA elimination and translocation during development. Here, we captured rearrangement-specific circular DNA molecules across the genome to gain insight into its processes of programmed genome rearrangement. We recovered thousands of circularly excised Tc1/mariner-type transposable elements and high confidence non-repetitive germline-limited loci. We verified their bona fide circular topology using circular DNA deep-sequencing, 2D gel electrophoresis and inverse polymerase chain reaction. In contrast to the precise circular excision of transposable elements, we report widespread heterogeneity in the circular excision of non-repetitive germline-limited loci. We also demonstrate that circular DNAs are transcribed in Oxytricha, producing rearrangement-specific long non-coding RNAs. The programmed formation of thousands of eccDNA molecules makes Oxytricha a model system for studying nucleic acid topology. It also suggests involvement of eccDNA in programmed genome rearrangement.

scholarly journals G-Quadruplexes at Telomeres: Friend or Foe?

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (16) ◽  
pp. 3686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy M. Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Tandem Repeats ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Telomeric Dna ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Telomere Biology ◽  
Linear Chromosomes

Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that cap and protect the ends of linear chromosomes. In almost all species, telomeric DNA has a G/C strand bias, and the short tandem repeats of the G-rich strand have the capacity to form into secondary structures in vitro, such as four-stranded G-quadruplexes. This has long prompted speculation that G-quadruplexes play a positive role in telomere biology, resulting in selection for G-rich tandem telomere repeats during evolution. There is some evidence that G-quadruplexes at telomeres may play a protective capping role, at least in yeast, and that they may positively affect telomere maintenance by either the enzyme telomerase or by recombination-based mechanisms. On the other hand, G-quadruplex formation in telomeric DNA, as elsewhere in the genome, can form an impediment to DNA replication and a source of genome instability. This review summarizes recent evidence for the in vivo existence of G-quadruplexes at telomeres, with a focus on human telomeres, and highlights some of the many unanswered questions regarding the location, form, and functions of these structures.

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