scholarly journals High-Content Fluorescent-Based Assay for Screening Activators of DNA Damage Checkpoint Pathways

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 538-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Xiubin Gu ◽  
Uma Uppalapati ◽  
Mark A. Ashwell ◽  
David S. Leggett ◽  
...  

Activation of DNA damage checkpoint pathways, including Chk2, serves as an anticancer barrier in precancerous lesions. In an effort to identify small-molecule activators of Chk2, the authors developed a quantitative cell-based assay using a high-content analysis (HCA) platform. Induction of phosphorylated Chk2 was evaluated using several different parameters, including fold induction, Kolmogorov-Smirnov score, and percentage of positively stained cells. These measurements were highly correlated and provided an accurate method for compound ranking/binning, structure-activity relationship studies, and lead identification. Screening for Chk2 activators was undertaken with a target-focused library and a diversified library from ArQule chemical space. Several compounds exhibited submicromolar EC 50 values for phosphorylated Chk2 induction. These compounds were further analyzed for Chk2-dependent cytotoxicity, as assessed through a high-content cell death assay in combination with siRNA silencing of Chk2 expression. Several compounds were identified and showed specific inhibition or lethality in a target-dependent manner. Therefore, identification of DNA damage checkpoint pathway activators by HCA is an attractive approach for discovering the next generation of targeted cancer therapeutics. ( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2008:538-543)

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 148 (3) ◽  
pp. 1055-1067
Author(s):  
Steven D Harris ◽  
Peter R Kraus

Abstract In Aspergillus nidulans, germinating conidia undergo multiple rounds of nuclear division before the formation of the first septum. Previous characterization of temperature-sensitive sepB and sepJ mutations showed that although they block septation, they also cause moderate defects in chromosomal DNA metabolism. Results presented here demonstrate that a variety of other perturbations of chromosomal DNA metabolism also delay septum formation, suggesting that this is a general cellular response to the presence of sublethal DNA damage. Genetic evidence is provided that suggests that high levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) activity are required for septation in A. nidulans. Consistent with this notion, the inhibition of septum formation triggered by defects in chromosomal DNA metabolism depends upon Tyr-15 phosphorylation of the mitotic cdk p34nimX. Moreover, this response also requires elements of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway. A model is proposed that suggests that the DNA damage checkpoint response represents one of multiple sensory inputs that modulates p34nimX activity to control the timing of septum formation.


Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 343 (6170) ◽  
pp. 533-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bolcun-Filas ◽  
V. D. Rinaldi ◽  
M. E. White ◽  
J. C. Schimenti

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1441-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir I. Bashkirov ◽  
Elena V. Bashkirova ◽  
Edwin Haghnazari ◽  
Wolf-Dietrich Heyer

ABSTRACT The serine-threonine kinase Dun1 contains a forkhead-associated (FHA) domain and functions in the DNA damage checkpoint pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It belongs to the Chk2 family of checkpoint kinases, which includes S. cerevisiae Rad53 and Mek1, Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cds1, and human Chk2. Dun1 is required for DNA damage-induced transcription of certain target genes, transient G2/M arrest after DNA damage, and DNA damage-induced phosphorylation of the DNA repair protein Rad55. Here we report that the FHA phosphoprotein recognition domain of Dun1 is required for direct phosphorylation of Dun1 by Rad53 kinase in vitro and in vivo. trans phosphorylation by Rad53 does not require the Dun1 kinase activity and is likely to involve only a transient interaction between the two kinases. The checkpoint functions of Dun1 kinase in DNA damage-induced transcription, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and Rad55 phosphorylation are severely compromised in an FHA domain mutant of Dun1. As a consequence, the Dun1 FHA domain mutant displays enhanced sensitivity to genotoxic stress induced by UV, methyl methanesulfonate, and the replication inhibitor hydroxyurea. We show that the Dun1 FHA domain is critical for direct kinase-to-kinase signaling from Rad53 to Dun1 in the DNA damage checkpoint pathway.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 4051-4063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaila L. Schollaert ◽  
Julie M. Poisson ◽  
Jennifer S. Searle ◽  
Jennifer A. Schwanekamp ◽  
Craig R. Tomlinson ◽  
...  

Replication blocks and DNA damage incurred during S phase activate the S-phase and intra-S-phase checkpoint responses, respectively, regulated by the Atrp and Chk1p checkpoint kinases in metazoans. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, these checkpoints are regulated by the Atrp homologue Mec1p and the kinase Rad53p. A conserved role of these checkpoints is to block mitotic progression until DNA replication and repair are completed. In S. cerevisiae, these checkpoints include a transcriptional response regulated by the kinase Dun1p; however, dun1Δ cells are proficient for the S-phase-checkpoint-induced anaphase block. Yeast Chk1p kinase regulates the metaphase-to-anaphase transition in the DNA-damage checkpoint pathway via securin (Pds1p) phosphorylation. However, like Dun1p, yeast Chk1p is not required for the S-phase-checkpoint-induced anaphase block. Here we report that Chk1p has a role in the intra-S-phase checkpoint activated when yeast cells replicate their DNA in the presence of low concentrations of hydroxyurea (HU). Chk1p was modified and Pds1p was transiently phosphorylated in this response. Cells lacking Dun1p were dependent on Chk1p for survival in HU, and chk1Δ dun1Δ cells were defective in the recovery from replication interference caused by transient HU exposure. These studies establish a relationship between the S-phase and DNA-damage checkpoint pathways in S. cerevisiae and suggest that at least in some genetic backgrounds, the Chk1p/securin pathway is required for the recovery from stalled or collapsed replication forks.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayurika Lahiri ◽  
Tanya L Gustafson ◽  
Elizabeth R Majors ◽  
Catherine H Freudenreich

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideshi Ishii ◽  
Koshi Mimori ◽  
Taeko Inageta ◽  
Yoshiki Murakumo ◽  
Andrea Vecchione ◽  
...  

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