scholarly journals In Vivo Evidence for Two Active Nuclease Motifs in the Double-Strand Break Repair Enzyme RexAB ofLactococcus lactis

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (13) ◽  
pp. 4071-4078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andréa Quiberoni ◽  
Indranil Biswas ◽  
Meriem El Karoui ◽  
Lahcen Rezaı̈ki ◽  
Patrick Tailliez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In bacteria, double-strand DNA break (DSB) repair involves an exonuclease/helicase (exo/hel) and a short regulatory DNA sequence (Chi) that attenuates exonuclease activity and stimulates DNA repair. Despite their key role in cell survival, these DSB repair components show surprisingly little conservation. The best-studied exo/hel, RecBCD of Escherichia coli, is composed of three subunits. In contrast, RexAB of Lactococcus lactis and exo/hel enzymes of other low-guanine-plus-cytosine branch gram-positive bacteria contain two subunits. We report that RexAB functions via a novel mechanism compared to that of the RecBCD model. Two potential nuclease motifs are present in RexAB compared with a single nuclease in RecBCD. Site-specific mutagenesis of the RexA nuclease motif abolished all nuclease activity. In contrast, the RexB nuclease motif mutants displayed strongly reduced nuclease activity but maintained Chi recognition and had a Chi-stimulated hyperrecombination phenotype. The distinct phenotypes resulting from RexA or RexB nuclease inactivation lead us to suggest that each of the identified active nuclease sites in RexAB is involved in the degradation of one DNA strand. In RecBCD, the single RecB nuclease degrades both DNA strands and is presumably positioned by RecD. The presence of two nucleases would suggest that this RecD function is dispensable in RexAB.

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (21) ◽  
pp. 8059-8068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chonghui Cheng ◽  
Stewart Shuman

ABSTRACT Topoisomerase IB catalyzes recombinogenic DNA strand transfer reactions in vitro and in vivo. Here we characterize a new pathway of topoisomerase-mediated DNA ligation in vitro (flap ligation) in which vaccinia virus topoisomerase bound to a blunt-end DNA joins the covalently held strand to a 5′ resected end of a duplex DNA containing a 3′ tail. The joining reaction occurs with high efficiency when the sequence of the 3′ tail is complementary to that of the scissile strand immediately 5′ of the cleavage site. A 6-nucleotide segment of complementarity suffices for efficient flap ligation. Invasion of the flap into the duplex apparently occurs while topoisomerase remains bound to DNA, thereby implying a conformational flexibility of the topoisomerase clamp around the DNA target site. The 3′ flap acceptor DNA mimics a processed end in the double-strand-break-repair recombination pathway. Our findings suggest that topoisomerase-induced breaks may be rectified by flap ligation, with ensuing genomic deletions or translocations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (114) ◽  
pp. 20150679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Murray ◽  
Bart Cornelissen ◽  
Katherine A. Vallis ◽  
S. Jon Chapman

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are formed as a result of genotoxic insults, such as exogenous ionizing radiation, and are among the most serious types of DNA damage. One of the earliest molecular responses following DSB formation is the phosphorylation of the histone H2AX, giving rise to γ H2AX. Many copies of γ H2AX are generated at DSBs and can be detected in vitro as foci using well-established immuno-histochemical methods. It has previously been shown that anti- γ H2AX antibodies, modified by the addition of the cell-penetrating peptide TAT and a fluorescent or radionuclide label, can be used to visualize and quantify DSBs in vivo . Moreover, when labelled with a high amount of the short-range, Auger electron-emitting radioisotope, 111 In, the amount of DNA damage within a cell can be increased, leading to cell death. In this report, we develop a mathematical model that describes how molecular processes at individual sites of DNA damage give rise to quantifiable foci. Equations that describe stochastic mean behaviours at individual DSB sites are derived and parametrized using population-scale, time-series measurements from two different cancer cell lines. The model is used to examine two case studies in which the introduction of an antibody (anti- γ H2AX-TAT) that targets a key component in the DSB repair pathway influences system behaviour. We investigate: (i) how the interaction between anti- γ H2AX-TAT and γ H2AX effects the kinetics of H2AX phosphorylation and DSB repair and (ii) model behaviour when the anti- γ H2AX antibody is labelled with Auger electron-emitting 111 In and can thus instigate additional DNA damage. This work supports the conclusion that DSB kinetics are largely unaffected by the introduction of the anti- γ H2AX antibody, a result that has been validated experimentally, and hence the hypothesis that the use of anti- γ H2AX antibody to quantify DSBs does not violate the image tracer principle. Moreover, it provides a novel model of DNA damage accumulation in the presence of Auger electron-emitting 111 In that is supported qualitatively by the available experimental data.


2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (16) ◽  
pp. 5082-5092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anwaar Ahmad ◽  
Andria Rasile Robinson ◽  
Anette Duensing ◽  
Ellen van Drunen ◽  
H. Berna Beverloo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT ERCC1-XPF endonuclease is required for nucleotide excision repair (NER) of helix-distorting DNA lesions. However, mutations in ERCC1 or XPF in humans or mice cause a more severe phenotype than absence of NER, prompting a search for novel repair activities of the nuclease. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, orthologs of ERCC1-XPF (Rad10-Rad1) participate in the repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs). Rad10-Rad1 contributes to two error-prone DSB repair pathways: microhomology-mediated end joining (a Ku86-independent mechanism) and single-strand annealing. To determine if ERCC1-XPF participates in DSB repair in mammals, mutant cells and mice were screened for sensitivity to gamma irradiation. ERCC1-XPF-deficient fibroblasts were hypersensitive to gamma irradiation, and γH2AX foci, a marker of DSBs, persisted in irradiated mutant cells, consistent with a defect in DSB repair. Mutant mice were also hypersensitive to irradiation, establishing an essential role for ERCC1-XPF in protecting against DSBs in vivo. Mice defective in both ERCC1-XPF and Ku86 were not viable. However, Ercc1 −/− Ku86 −/− fibroblasts were hypersensitive to gamma irradiation compared to single mutants and accumulated significantly greater chromosomal aberrations. Finally, in vitro repair of DSBs with 3′ overhangs led to large deletions in the absence of ERCC1-XPF. These data support the conclusion that, as in yeast, ERCC1-XPF facilitates DSB repair via an end-joining mechanism that is Ku86 independent.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (17) ◽  
pp. 6986-6991 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Neuman ◽  
G. Charvin ◽  
D. Bensimon ◽  
V. Croquette

Topoisomerase IV (Topo IV), an essential ATP-dependent bacterial type II topoisomerase, transports one segment of DNA through a transient double-strand break in a second segment of DNA. In vivo, Topo IV unlinks catenated chromosomes before cell division and relaxes positive supercoils generated during DNA replication. In vitro, Topo IV relaxes positive supercoils at least 20-fold faster than negative supercoils. The mechanisms underlying this chiral discrimination by Topo IV and other type II topoisomerases remain speculative. We used magnetic tweezers to measure the relaxation rates of single and multiple DNA crossings by Topo IV. These measurements allowed us to determine unambiguously the relative importance of DNA crossing geometry and enzymatic processivity in chiral discrimination by Topo IV. Our results indicate that Topo IV binds and passes DNA strands juxtaposed in a nearly perpendicular orientation and that relaxation of negative supercoiled DNA is perfectly distributive. Together, these results suggest that chiral discrimination arises primarily from dramatic differences in the processivity of relaxing positive and negative supercoiled DNA: Topo IV is highly processive on positively supercoiled DNA, whereas it is perfectly distributive on negatively supercoiled DNA. These results provide fresh insight into topoisomerase mechanisms and lead to a model that reconciles contradictory aspects of previous findings while providing a framework to interpret future results.


Author(s):  
Nicole Stantial ◽  
Anna Rogojina ◽  
Matthew Gilbertson ◽  
Yilun Sun ◽  
Hannah Miles ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTopoisomerase II (Top2) is an essential enzyme that resolves catenanes between sister chromatids as well as supercoils associated with the over- or under-winding of duplex DNA. Top2 alters DNA topology by making a double-strand break (DSB) in DNA and passing an intact duplex through the break. Each component monomer of the Top2 homodimer nicks one of the DNA strands and forms a covalent phosphotyrosyl bond with the 5’ end. Stabilization of this intermediate by chemotherapeutic drugs such as etoposide leads to persistent and potentially toxic DSBs. We describe the isolation of a yeast top2 mutant (top2- F1025Y,R1128G) whose product generates a stabilized cleavage intermediate in vitro. In yeast cells, overexpression of the top2- F1025Y,R1128G allele is associated with a novel mutation signature that is characterized by de novo duplications of DNA sequence that depend on the nonhomologous end-joining pathway of DSB repair. Top2-associated duplications are promoted by the clean removal of the enzyme from DNA ends and are suppressed when the protein is removed as part of an oligonucleotide. TOP2 cells treated with etoposide exhibit the same mutation signature, as do cells that over-express the wild-type protein. These results have implications for genome evolution and are relevant to the clinical use of chemotherapeutic drugs that target Top2.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTDNA-strand separation during transcription and replication creates topological problems that are resolved by topoisomerases. These enzymes nick DNA strands to allow strand passage and then reseal the broken DNA to restore its integrity. Topoisomerase II (Top2) nicks complementary DNA strands to create double-strand break (DSBs) intermediates that can be stabilized by chemotherapeutic drugs and are toxic if not repaired. We identified a mutant form of yeast Top2 that forms stabilized cleavage intermediates in the absence of drugs. Over- expression of the mutant Top2 was associated with a unique mutation signature in which small (1-4 bp), unique segments of DNA were duplicated. These de novo duplications required the nonhomologous end-joining pathway of DSB repair, and their Top2-dependence has clinical and evolutionary implications.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Aldag ◽  
Fabian Welzel ◽  
Leonhard Jakob ◽  
Andreas Schmidbauer ◽  
Marius Rutkauskas ◽  
...  

CRISPR-Cas9 is a ribonucleoprotein complex that sequence-specifically binds and cleaves double-stranded DNA. Wildtype Cas9 as well as its nickase and cleavage-incompetent mutants have been used in various biological techniques due to their versatility and programmable specificity. Cas9 has been shown to bind very stably to DNA even after cleavage of the individual DNA strands, inhibiting further turnovers and considerably slowing down in-vivo repair processes. This poses an obstacle in genome editing applications. Here, we employed single-molecule magnetic tweezers to investigate the binding stability of different S. pyogenes Cas9 variants after cleavage by challenging them with supercoiling. We find that different release mechanisms occur depending on which DNA strand is cleaved. After non-target strand cleavage, supercoils are immediately but slowly released by swiveling of the non-target strand around the DNA with friction. Consequently, Cas9 and its non-target strand nicking mutant stay stably bound to the DNA for many hours even at elevated torsional stress. After target-strand cleavage, supercoils are only removed after the collapse of the R-loop. We identified several states with different stabilities of the R-loop. Most importantly, we find that the post-cleavage state of Cas9 exhibits a higher stability compared to the pre-cleavage state. This suggests that Cas9 has evolved to remain tightly bound to its cut target.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (17) ◽  
pp. e100-e100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasper Che-Yung Chien ◽  
Elie Tabet ◽  
Kelsey Pinkham ◽  
Cintia Carla da Hora ◽  
Jason Cheng-Yu Chang ◽  
...  

Abstract Tracking DNA double strand break (DSB) repair is paramount for the understanding and therapeutic development of various diseases including cancers. Herein, we describe a multiplexed bioluminescent repair reporter (BLRR) for non-invasive monitoring of DSB repair pathways in living cells and animals. The BLRR approach employs secreted Gaussia and Vargula luciferases to simultaneously detect homology-directed repair (HDR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), respectively. BLRR data are consistent with next-generation sequencing results for reporting HDR (R2 = 0.9722) and NHEJ (R2 = 0.919) events. Moreover, BLRR analysis allows longitudinal tracking of HDR and NHEJ activities in cells, and enables detection of DSB repairs in xenografted tumours in vivo. Using the BLRR system, we observed a significant difference in the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing with guide RNAs only 1–10 bp apart. Moreover, BLRR analysis detected altered dynamics for DSB repair induced by small-molecule modulators. Finally, we discovered HDR-suppressing functions of anticancer cardiac glycosides in human glioblastomas and glioma cancer stem-like cells via inhibition of DNA repair protein RAD51 homolog 1 (RAD51). The BLRR method provides a highly sensitive platform to simultaneously and longitudinally track HDR and NHEJ dynamics that is sufficiently versatile for elucidating the physiology and therapeutic development of DSB repair.


2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 3058-3069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugo Déry ◽  
Yan Coulombe ◽  
Amélie Rodrigue ◽  
Andrzej Stasiak ◽  
Stéphane Richard ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Human MRE11 is a key enzyme in DNA double-strand break repair and genome stability. Human MRE11 bears a glycine-arginine-rich (GAR) motif that is conserved among multicellular eukaryotic species. We investigated how this motif influences MRE11 function. Human MRE11 alone or a complex of MRE11, RAD50, and NBS1 (MRN) was methylated in insect cells, suggesting that this modification is conserved during evolution. We demonstrate that PRMT1 interacts with MRE11 but not with the MRN complex, suggesting that MRE11 arginine methylation occurs prior to the binding of NBS1 and RAD50. Moreover, the first six methylated arginines are essential for the regulation of MRE11 DNA binding and nuclease activity. The inhibition of arginine methylation leads to a reduction in MRE11 and RAD51 focus formation on a unique double-strand break in vivo. Furthermore, the MRE11-methylated GAR domain is sufficient for its targeting to DNA damage foci and colocalization with γ-H2AX. These studies highlight an important role for the GAR domain in regulating MRE11 function at the biochemical and cellular levels during DNA double-strand break repair.


1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3274-3279 ◽  
Author(s):  
R M Gronostajski ◽  
P D Sadowski

The FLP recombinase, encoded by the 2 micron plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, promotes efficient recombination in vivo and in vitro between its specific target sites (FLP sites). It was previously determined that FLP interacts with DNA sequences within its target site (B. J. Andrews, G. A. Proteau, L. G. Beatty, and P. D. Sadowski. Cell 40:795-803, 1985), generates a single-stranded break on both DNA strands within the FLP site, and remains covalently attached to the 3' end of each break. We now show that the FLP protein is bound to the 3' side of each break by an O-phosphotyrosyl residue and that it appears that the same tyrosyl residue(s) is used to attach to either DNA strand within the FLP site.


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