scholarly journals Replication Restart after Replication-Transcription Conflicts Requires RecA in Bacillus subtilis

2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (14) ◽  
pp. 2374-2382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Million-Weaver ◽  
Ariana Nakta Samadpour ◽  
Houra Merrikh

ABSTRACTEfficient duplication of genomes depends on reactivation of replication forks outside the origin. Replication restart can be facilitated by recombination proteins, especially if single- or double-strand breaks form in the DNA. Each type of DNA break is processed by a distinct pathway, though both depend on the RecA protein. One common obstacle that can stall forks, potentially leading to breaks in the DNA, is transcription. Though replication stalling by transcription is prevalent, the nature of DNA breaks and the prerequisites for replication restart in response to these encounters remain unknown. Here, we used an engineered site-specific replication-transcription conflict to identify and dissect the pathways required for the resolution and restart of replication forks stalled by transcription inBacillus subtilis. We found that RecA, its loader proteins RecO and AddAB, and the Holliday junction resolvase RecU are required for efficient survival and replication restart after conflicts with transcription. Genetic analyses showed that RecO and AddAB act in parallel to facilitate RecA loading at the site of the conflict but that they can each partially compensate for the other's absence. Finally, we found that RecA and either RecO or AddAB are required for the replication restart and helicase loader protein, DnaD, to associate with the engineered conflict region. These results suggest that conflicts can lead to both single-strand gaps and double-strand breaks in the DNA and that RecA loading and Holliday junction resolution are required for replication restart at regions of replication-transcription conflicts.IMPORTANCEHead-on conflicts between replication and transcription occur when a gene is expressed from the lagging strand. These encounters stall the replisome and potentially break the DNA. We investigated the necessary mechanisms forBacillus subtiliscells to overcome a site-specific engineered conflict with transcription of a protein-coding gene. We found that the recombination proteins RecO and AddAB both load RecA onto the DNA in response to the head-on conflict. Additionally, RecA loading by one of the two pathways was required for both replication restart and efficient survival of the collision. Our findings suggest that both single-strand gaps and double-strand DNA breaks occur at head-on conflict regions and demonstrate a requirement for recombination to restart replication after collisions with transcription.

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sucheta Arora ◽  
Rajashree A. Deshpande ◽  
Martin Budd ◽  
Judy Campbell ◽  
America Revere ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Sae2 promotes the repair of DNA double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The role of Sae2 is linked to the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 (MRX) complex, which is important for the processing of DNA ends into single-stranded substrates for homologous recombination. Sae2 has intrinsic endonuclease activity, but the role of this activity has not been assessed independently from its functions in promoting Mre11 nuclease activity. Here we identify and characterize separation-of-function mutants that lack intrinsic nuclease activity or the ability to promote Mre11 endonucleolytic activity. We find that the ability of Sae2 to promote MRX nuclease functions is important for DNA damage survival, particularly in the absence of Dna2 nuclease activity. In contrast, Sae2 nuclease activity is essential for DNA repair when the Mre11 nuclease is compromised. Resection of DNA breaks is impaired when either Sae2 activity is blocked, suggesting roles for both Mre11 and Sae2 nuclease activities in promoting the processing of DNA ends in vivo. Finally, both activities of Sae2 are important for sporulation, indicating that the processing of meiotic breaks requires both Mre11 and Sae2 nuclease activities.


Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Marina A. Bellani ◽  
Jing Huang ◽  
Ryan C. James ◽  
Durga Pokharel ◽  
...  

Replisomes follow a schedule in which replication of DNA in euchromatin is early in S phase while sequences in heterochromatin replicate late. Impediments to DNA replication, referred to as replication stress, can stall replication forks triggering activation of the ATR kinase and downstream pathways. While there is substantial literature on the local consequences of replisome stalling–double strand breaks, reversed forks, or genomic rearrangements–there is limited understanding of the determinants of replisome stalling vs. continued progression. Although many proteins are recruited to stalled replisomes, current models assume a single species of “stressed” replisome, independent of genomic location. Here we describe our approach to visualizing replication fork encounters with the potent block imposed by a DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) and our discovery of an unexpected pathway of replication restart (traverse) past an intact ICL. Additionally, we found two biochemically distinct replisomes distinguished by activity in different stages of S phase and chromatin environment. Each contains different proteins that contribute to ICL traverse.


2014 ◽  
Vol 206 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ensminger ◽  
Lucie Iloff ◽  
Christian Ebel ◽  
Teodora Nikolova ◽  
Bernd Kaina ◽  
...  

Exposures that methylate DNA potently induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and chromosomal aberrations, which are thought to arise when damaged bases block DNA replication. Here, we demonstrate that DNA methylation damage causes DSB formation when replication interferes with base excision repair (BER), the predominant pathway for repairing methylated bases. We show that cells defective in the N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase, which fail to remove N-methylpurines from DNA and do not initiate BER, display strongly reduced levels of methylation-induced DSBs and chromosomal aberrations compared with wild-type cells. Also, cells unable to generate single-strand breaks (SSBs) at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites do not form DSBs immediately after methylation damage. In contrast, cells deficient in x-ray cross-complementing protein 1, DNA polymerase β, or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 activity, all of which fail to seal SSBs induced at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites, exhibit strongly elevated levels of methylation-induced DSBs and chromosomal aberrations. We propose that DSBs and chromosomal aberrations after treatment with N-alkylators arise when replication forks collide with SSBs generated during BER.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Marinus

ABSTRACT Double mutants of Escherichia coli dam (DNA adenine methyltransferase) strains with ruvA, ruvB, orruvC could not be constructed, whereas damderivatives with recD, recF, recJ, and recR were viable. The ruv gene products are required for Holliday junction translocation and resolution of recombination intermediates. A dam recG (Holliday junction translocation) mutant strain was isolated but at a very much lower frequency than expected. The inviability of a dam lexA(Ind−) host was abrogated by the simultaneous presence of plasmids encoding both recA and ruvAB. This result indicates that of more than 20 SOS genes, only recAand ruvAB need to be derepressed to allow fordam mutant survival. The presence of mutS ormutL mutations allowed the construction of dam lexA (Ind−) derivatives. The requirement forrecA, recB, recC, ruvA,ruvB, ruvC, and possibly recG gene expression indicates that recombination is essential for viability ofdam bacteria probably to repair DNA double-strand breaks. The effect of mutS and mutL mutations indicates that DNA mismatch repair is the ultimate source of most of these DNA breaks. The requirement for recombination also suggests an explanation for the sensitivity of dam cells to certain DNA-damaging agents.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Humberto Sanchez ◽  
Dawit Kidane ◽  
M. Castillo Cozar ◽  
Peter L. Graumann ◽  
Juan C. Alonso

ABSTRACT The recognition and processing of double-strand breaks (DSBs) to a 3′ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) overhang structure in Bacillus subtilis is poorly understood. Mutations in addA and addB or null mutations in recJ (ΔrecJ), recQ (ΔrecQ), or recS (ΔrecS) genes, when present in otherwise-Rec+ cells, render cells moderately sensitive to the killing action of different DNA-damaging agents. Inactivation of a RecQ-like helicase (ΔrecQ or ΔrecS) in addAB cells showed an additive effect; however, when ΔrecJ was combined with addAB, a strong synergistic effect was observed with a survival rate similar to that of ΔrecA cells. RecF was nonepistatic with RecJ or AddAB. After induction of DSBs, RecN-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) foci were formed in addAB ΔrecJ cells. AddAB and RecJ were required for the formation of a single RecN focus, because in their absence multiple RecN-YFP foci accumulated within the cells. Green fluorescent protein-RecA failed to form filamentous structures (termed threads) in addAB ΔrecJ cells. We propose that RecN is one of the first recombination proteins detected as a discrete focus in live cells in response to DSBs and that either AddAB or RecQ(S)-RecJ are required for the generation of a duplex with a 3′-ssDNA tail needed for filament formation of RecA.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (37) ◽  
pp. 15762-15767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha G. Zeitlin ◽  
Norman M. Baker ◽  
Brian R. Chapados ◽  
Evi Soutoglou ◽  
Jean Y. J. Wang ◽  
...  

The histone H3 variant CENP-A is required for epigenetic specification of centromere identity through a loading mechanism independent of DNA sequence. Using multiphoton absorption and DNA cleavage at unique sites by I-SceI endonuclease, we demonstrate that CENP-A is rapidly recruited to double-strand breaks in DNA, along with three components (CENP-N, CENP-T, and CENP-U) associated with CENP-A at centromeres. The centromere-targeting domain of CENP-A is both necessary and sufficient for recruitment to double-strand breaks. CENP-A accumulation at DNA breaks is enhanced by active non-homologous end-joining but does not require DNA-PKcs or Ligase IV, and is independent of H2AX. Thus, induction of a double-strand break is sufficient to recruit CENP-A in human and mouse cells. Finally, since cell survival after radiation-induced DNA damage correlates with CENP-A expression level, we propose that CENP-A may have a function in DNA repair.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeman Mohibullah ◽  
Scott Keeney

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.


Author(s):  
Eva Janisiw ◽  
Marilina Raices ◽  
Fabiola Balmir ◽  
Luis Paulin Paz ◽  
Antoine Baudrimont ◽  
...  

SummaryPoly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a reversible post-translational modification synthetized by ADP-ribose transferases and removed by poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), which plays important roles in DNA damage repair. While well-studied in somatic tissues, much less is known about poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the germline, where DNA double-strand breaks are introduced by a regulated program and repaired by crossover recombination to establish a tether between homologous chromosomes. The interaction between the parental chromosomes is facilitated by meiotic specific adaptation of the chromosome axes and cohesins, and reinforced by the synaptonemal complex. Here, we uncover an unexpected role for PARG in promoting the induction of meiotic DNA breaks and their homologous recombination-mediated repair in Caenorhabditis elegans. PARG-1/PARG interacts with both axial and central elements of the synaptonemal complex, REC-8/Rec8 and the MRN/X complex. PARG-1 shapes the recombination landscape and reinforces the tightly regulated control of crossover numbers without requiring its catalytic activity. We unravel roles in regulating meiosis, beyond its enzymatic activity in poly(ADP-ribose) catabolism.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 373-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Goyon ◽  
M Lichten

To better understand the means by which chromosomes pair and recombine during meiosis, we have determined the time of appearance of heteroduplex DNA relative to the times of appearance of double-strand DNA breaks and of mature recombined molecules. Site-specific double-strand breaks appeared early in meiosis and were formed and repaired with a timing consistent with a role for breaks as initiators of recombination. Heteroduplex-containing molecules appeared about 1 h after double-strand breaks and were followed shortly by crossover products and the first meiotic nuclear division. We conclude that parental chromosomes are stably joined in heteroduplex-containing structures late in meiotic prophase and that these structures are rapidly resolved to yield mature crossover products. If the chromosome pairing and synapsis observed earlier in meiotic prophase is mediated by formation of biparental DNA structures, these structures most likely either contain regions of non-Watson-Crick base pairs or contain regions of heteroduplex DNA that either are very short or dissociate during DNA purification. Two loci were examined in this study: the normal ARG4 locus, and an artificial locus consisting of an arg4-containing plasmid inserted at MAT. Remarkably, sequences in the ARG4 promoter that suffered double-strand cleavage at the normal ARG4 locus were not cut at significant levels when present at MAT::arg4. These results indicate that the formation of double-strand breaks during meiosis does not simply involve the specific recognition and cleavage of a short nucleotide sequence.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kam Pou Ha ◽  
Rebecca S. Clarke ◽  
Gyu-Lee Kim ◽  
Jane L. Brittan ◽  
Jessica E. Rowley ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT To cause infection, Staphylococcus aureus must withstand damage caused by host immune defenses. However, the mechanisms by which staphylococcal DNA is damaged and repaired during infection are poorly understood. Using a panel of transposon mutants, we identified the rexBA operon as being important for the survival of Staphylococcus aureus in whole human blood. Mutants lacking rexB were also attenuated for virulence in murine models of both systemic and skin infections. We then demonstrated that RexAB is a member of the AddAB family of helicase/nuclease complexes responsible for initiating the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Using a fluorescent reporter system, we were able to show that neutrophils cause staphylococcal DNA double-strand breaks through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the respiratory burst, which are repaired by RexAB, leading to the induction of the mutagenic SOS response. We found that RexAB homologues in Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus gordonii also promoted the survival of these pathogens in human blood, suggesting that DNA double-strand break repair is required for Gram-positive bacteria to survive in host tissues. Together, these data demonstrate that DNA is a target of host immune cells, leading to double-strand breaks, and that the repair of this damage by an AddAB-family enzyme enables the survival of Gram-positive pathogens during infection. IMPORTANCE To cause infection, bacteria must survive attack by the host immune system. For many bacteria, including the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, the greatest threat is posed by neutrophils. These immune cells ingest the invading organisms and try to kill them with a cocktail of chemicals that includes reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ability of S. aureus to survive this attack is crucial for the progression of infection. However, it was not clear how the ROS damaged S. aureus and how the bacterium repaired this damage. In this work, we show that ROS cause breaks in the staphylococcal DNA, which must be repaired by a two-protein complex known as RexAB; otherwise, the bacterium is killed, and it cannot sustain infection. This provides information on the type of damage that neutrophils cause S. aureus and the mechanism by which this damage is repaired, enabling infection.


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