DNA Repair Pathways: Mechanisms and Defects in the Maintenance of Genome Stability

2003 ◽  
pp. 257-270
Author(s):  
Murray O. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Repair Pathways

scholarly journals Take a Break to Repair: A Dip in the World of Double-Strand Break Repair Mechanisms Pointing the Gaze on Archaea

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (24) ◽  
pp. 13296
Author(s):  
Mariarosaria De Falco ◽  
Mariarita De Felice
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Dna Damages ◽  
Dna Repair Mechanisms ◽  
Repair Mechanisms ◽  
Repair Pathways

All organisms have evolved many DNA repair pathways to counteract the different types of DNA damages. The detection of DNA damage leads to distinct cellular responses that bring about cell cycle arrest and the induction of DNA repair mechanisms. In particular, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are extremely toxic for cell survival, that is why cells use specific mechanisms of DNA repair in order to maintain genome stability. The choice among the repair pathways is mainly linked to the cell cycle phases. Indeed, if it occurs in an inappropriate cellular context, it may cause genome rearrangements, giving rise to many types of human diseases, from developmental disorders to cancer. Here, we analyze the most recent remarks about the main pathways of DSB repair with the focus on homologous recombination. A thorough knowledge in DNA repair mechanisms is pivotal for identifying the most accurate treatments in human diseases.

scholarly journals The Relevance of G-Quadruplexes for DNA Repair

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 12599
Author(s):  
Rebecca Linke ◽  
Michaela Limmer ◽  
Stefan Juranek ◽  
Annkristin Heine ◽  
Katrin Paeschke
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Genetic Disorders ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Dna Structures ◽  
G4 Dna ◽  
G Quadruplex ◽  
Repair Pathways

DNA molecules can adopt a variety of alternative structures. Among these structures are G-quadruplex DNA structures (G4s), which support cellular function by affecting transcription, translation, and telomere maintenance. These structures can also induce genome instability by stalling replication, increasing DNA damage, and recombination events. G-quadruplex-driven genome instability is connected to tumorigenesis and other genetic disorders. In recent years, the connection between genome stability, DNA repair and G4 formation was further underlined by the identification of multiple DNA repair proteins and ligands which bind and stabilize said G4 structures to block specific DNA repair pathways. The relevance of G4s for different DNA repair pathways is complex and depends on the repair pathway itself. G4 structures can induce DNA damage and block efficient DNA repair, but they can also support the activity and function of certain repair pathways. In this review, we highlight the roles and consequences of G4 DNA structures for DNA repair initiation, processing, and the efficiency of various DNA repair pathways.

scholarly journals Polynucleotide kinase–phosphatase enables neurogenesis via multiple DNA repair pathways to maintain genome stability

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (19) ◽  
pp. 2465-2480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikio Shimada ◽  
Lavinia C Dumitrache ◽  
Helen R Russell ◽  
Peter J McKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Polynucleotide Kinase ◽  
Repair Pathways ◽  
Maintain Genome Stability

scholarly journals Genomic Instability and the Oncohistone H3K27M Drive Gliomagenesis in a Murine Model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lee Pribyl ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Damage Accumulation ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Neural Cells ◽  
Repair Pathways

Maintaining genome stability is crucial for human health and it is of particular importance in neural cells during early brain development. Genome maintenance occurs at two broad stages; surveillance during DNA replication and DNA damage repair in differentiating and mature cells. Neural cells are particularly sensitive to DNA strand breaks and defective DNA damage responses can result in detrimental effects on the nervous system, including cancer. Multiple DNA repair pathways play critical roles in preventing DNA damage accumulation in stem and neural progenitor cells. The mechanisms that protect progenitor genomes also suppress DNA mutations that can result in cancer. A primary objective of this dissertation is to understand the relative contributions of key DNA repair factors that prevent tumorigenesis during cortical development. We have compared the differential effects of inhibition of homologous recombination (HR), via BRCA2-inactivation and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), via LIG4-inactivation towards tumorigenesis by directing their deletion specifically to early cortical progenitors using an Emx1-cre recombinase driver. We find that coincident loss of either of these repair pathways with p53 inhibition result in distinct high-grade glioma (HGG) formation resulting from elevated genome instability by DNA damage accumulation during embryogenesis. Furthermore, the presence of the oncohistone H3K27M mutation, commonly found in pediatric HGGs, enhances genome instability and accelerates cortical gliomagenesis with p53 inactivation and defective HR or NHEJ. Additionally, the H3K27M resultant gliomas showed distinctive differences in increased brain tumor penetrance and diffusion. Through RNA-sequencing and whole exome sequencing we identify upregulation of genes normally controlled by bivalent gene promoter post-translational modifications, which result in transcriptional alterations in genes important for both neural development and tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, this is done by targeting specific populations of cortical cells that are more susceptible to DNA damage and transformations that may cause additional critical mutations during a limited timeframe of early cortical development which eventually result in HGGs. We provide evidence supporting that BRCA2 functions to provide DSBR and genome stability to the early-born proliferating cortical progenitor cell population, while LIG4 provides the same function but to a lesser extent to progenitor cells and more so to post-mitotic neurons. Since, epigenetic regulation is tightly connected with neural development and differentiation, we propose the specific genes that H3K27M effects may differ depending on the time period and particular cell state from which the HGG initiates. We believe this contributes to reduced heterogeneity in glioma expression signatures with H3K27M in addition to either HR- or NHEJ-deficiency. Ultimately this work highlights the power of inducible genetically engineered mouse models as an approach to better understand the complexities of providing a connection between genome instability and gliomagenesis.

scholarly journals Evolution-based screening enables genome-wide prioritization and discovery of DNA repair genes

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (39) ◽  
pp. 19593-19599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Brunette ◽  
Mohd A. Jamalruddin ◽  
Robert A. Baldock ◽  
Nathan L. Clark ◽  
Kara A. Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Dna Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Atm Kinase ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Repair Pathways

DNA repair is critical for genome stability and is maintained through conserved pathways. Traditional genome-wide mammalian screens are both expensive and laborious. However, computational approaches circumvent these limitations and are a powerful tool to identify new DNA repair factors. By analyzing the evolutionary relationships between genes in the major DNA repair pathways, we uncovered functional relationships between individual genes and identified partners. Here we ranked 17,487 mammalian genes for coevolution with 6 distinct DNA repair pathways. Direct comparison to genetic screens for homologous recombination or Fanconi anemia factors indicates that our evolution-based screen is comparable, if not superior, to traditional screening approaches. Demonstrating the utility of our strategy, we identify a role for the DNA damage-induced apoptosis suppressor (DDIAS) gene in double-strand break repair based on its coevolution with homologous recombination. DDIAS knockdown results in DNA double-strand breaks, indicated by ATM kinase activation and 53BP1 foci induction. Additionally, DDIAS-depleted cells are deficient for homologous recombination. Our results reveal that evolutionary analysis is a powerful tool to uncover novel factors and functional relationships in DNA repair.

scholarly journals Bacterial phenotypic heterogeneity in DNA repair and mutagenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxence S. Vincent ◽  
Stephan Uphoff
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Phenotypic Heterogeneity ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Repair Pathways ◽  
Or Gene

Genetically identical cells frequently exhibit striking heterogeneity in various phenotypic traits such as their morphology, growth rate, or gene expression. Such non-genetic diversity can help clonal bacterial populations overcome transient environmental challenges without compromising genome stability, while genetic change is required for long-term heritable adaptation. At the heart of the balance between genome stability and plasticity are the DNA repair pathways that shield DNA from lesions and reverse errors arising from the imperfect DNA replication machinery. In principle, phenotypic heterogeneity in the expression and activity of DNA repair pathways can modulate mutation rates in single cells and thus be a source of heritable genetic diversity, effectively reversing the genotype-to-phenotype dogma. Long-standing evidence for mutation rate heterogeneity comes from genetics experiments on cell populations, which are now complemented by direct measurements on individual living cells. These measurements are increasingly performed using fluorescence microscopy with a temporal and spatial resolution that enables localising, tracking, and counting proteins with single-molecule sensitivity. In this review, we discuss which molecular processes lead to phenotypic heterogeneity in DNA repair and consider the potential consequences on genome stability and dynamics in bacteria. We further inspect these concepts in the context of DNA damage and mutation induced by antibiotics.

scholarly journals Exploiting DNA Endonucleases to Advance Mechanisms of DNA Repair

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Marlo K. Thompson ◽  
Robert W. Sobol ◽  
Aishwarya Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
Zinc Finger Nucleases ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Target Sequence ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Low Cytotoxicity

The earliest methods of genome editing, such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), utilize customizable DNA-binding motifs to target the genome at specific loci. While these approaches provided sequence-specific gene-editing capacity, the laborious process of designing and synthesizing recombinant nucleases to recognize a specific target sequence, combined with limited target choices and poor editing efficiency, ultimately minimized the broad utility of these systems. The discovery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat sequences (CRISPR) in Escherichia coli dates to 1987, yet it was another 20 years before CRISPR and the CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins were identified as part of the microbial adaptive immune system, by targeting phage DNA, to fight bacteriophage reinfection. By 2013, CRISPR/Cas9 systems had been engineered to allow gene editing in mammalian cells. The ease of design, low cytotoxicity, and increased efficiency have made CRISPR/Cas9 and its related systems the designer nucleases of choice for many. In this review, we discuss the various CRISPR systems and their broad utility in genome manipulation. We will explore how CRISPR-controlled modifications have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms of genome stability, using the modulation of DNA repair genes as examples.

scholarly journals Targeting DNA Repair and Chromatin Crosstalk in Cancer Therapy

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 381
Author(s):  
Danielle P. Johnson ◽  
Mahesh B. Chandrasekharan ◽  
Marie Dutreix ◽  
Srividya Bhaskara
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Intervention ◽  
Synthetic Lethality ◽  
Checkpoint Proteins ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Repair Pathways ◽  
Made In

Aberrant DNA repair pathways that underlie developmental diseases and cancers are potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Targeting DNA repair signal effectors, modulators and checkpoint proteins, and utilizing the synthetic lethality phenomena has led to seminal discoveries. Efforts to efficiently translate the basic findings to the clinic are currently underway. Chromatin modulation is an integral part of DNA repair cascades and an emerging field of investigation. Here, we discuss some of the key advancements made in DNA repair-based therapeutics and what is known regarding crosstalk between chromatin and repair pathways during various cellular processes, with an emphasis on cancer.

scholarly journals CRISPR-Associated Primase-Polymerases are implicated in prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas adaptation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Zabrady ◽  
Matej Zabrady ◽  
Peter Kolesar ◽  
Arthur W. H. Li ◽  
Aidan J. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Dna Repair ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Dna Polymerases ◽  
Acquired Immunity ◽  
Strand Displacement ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Type Iiia ◽  
Maintain Genome Stability ◽  
Cas Proteins

AbstractCRISPR-Cas pathways provide prokaryotes with acquired “immunity” against foreign genetic elements, including phages and plasmids. Although many of the proteins associated with CRISPR-Cas mechanisms are characterized, some requisite enzymes remain elusive. Genetic studies have implicated host DNA polymerases in some CRISPR-Cas systems but CRISPR-specific replicases have not yet been discovered. We have identified and characterised a family of CRISPR-Associated Primase-Polymerases (CAPPs) in a range of prokaryotes that are operonically associated with Cas1 and Cas2. CAPPs belong to the Primase-Polymerase (Prim-Pol) superfamily of replicases that operate in various DNA repair and replication pathways that maintain genome stability. Here, we characterise the DNA synthesis activities of bacterial CAPP homologues from Type IIIA and IIIB CRISPR-Cas systems and establish that they possess a range of replicase activities including DNA priming, polymerisation and strand-displacement. We demonstrate that CAPPs operonically-associated partners, Cas1 and Cas2, form a complex that possesses spacer integration activity. We show that CAPPs physically associate with the Cas proteins to form bespoke CRISPR-Cas complexes. Finally, we propose how CAPPs activities, in conjunction with their partners, may function to undertake key roles in CRISPR-Cas adaptation.

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