scholarly journals Mechanisms Underlying the Suppression of Chromosome Rearrangements by Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1232
Author(s):  
Motohiro Yamauchi

Chromosome rearrangements are structural variations in chromosomes, such as inversions and translocations. Chromosome rearrangements have been implicated in a variety of human diseases. Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a broad range of clinical and cellular phenotypes. At the cellular level, one of the most prominent features of A-T cells is chromosome rearrangement, especially that in T lymphocytes. The gene that is defective in A-T is ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM). The ATM protein is a serine/threonine kinase and plays a central role in the cellular response to DNA damage, particularly DNA double-strand breaks. In this review, the mechanisms by which ATM suppresses chromosome rearrangements are discussed.

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1370
Author(s):  
Atsushi Shibata ◽  
Penny A. Jeggo

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a central kinase that activates an extensive network of responses to cellular stress via a signaling role. ATM is activated by DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and by oxidative stress, subsequently phosphorylating a plethora of target proteins. In the last several decades, newly developed molecular biological techniques have uncovered multiple roles of ATM in response to DNA damage—e.g., DSB repair, cell cycle checkpoint arrest, apoptosis, and transcription arrest. Combinational dysfunction of these stress responses impairs the accuracy of repair, consequently leading to dramatic sensitivity to ionizing radiation (IR) in ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) cells. In this review, we summarize the roles of ATM that focus on DSB repair.


2012 ◽  
Vol 198 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yosef Shiloh ◽  
Yael Ziv

The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase regulates the cellular response to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double-strand breaks by phosphorylating numerous players in the extensive DNA damage response network. Two papers in this issue (Daniel et al. 2012. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb201204035; Yamamoto et al. 2012. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb201204098) strikingly show that, in mice, the presence of a catalytically inactive version of ATM is embryonically lethal. This is surprising because mice completely lacking ATM have a much more moderate phenotype. The findings impact on basic cancer research and cancer therapeutics.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 109 (5) ◽  
pp. 1887-1896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina R. Matei ◽  
Rebecca A. Gladdy ◽  
Lauryl M. J. Nutter ◽  
Angelo Canty ◽  
Cynthia J. Guidos ◽  
...  

Abstract Mutations in ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) cause ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), a disease characterized by neurodegeneration, sterility, immunodeficiency, and T-cell leukemia. Defective ATM-mediated DNA damage responses underlie many aspects of the AT syndrome, but the basis for the immune deficiency has not been defined. ATM associates with DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), and some evidence suggests that ATM may regulate V(D)J recombination. However, it remains unclear how ATM loss compromises lymphocyte development in vivo. Here, we show that T-cell receptor β (TCRβ)–dependent proliferation and production of TCRβlow CD4+CD8+ (DP) thymocytes occurred normally in Atm−/− mice. In striking contrast, the postmitotic maturation of TCRβlow DP precursors into TCRβint DP cells and TCRβhi mature thymocytes was profoundly impaired. Furthermore, Atm−/− thymocytes expressed abnormally low amounts of TCRα mRNA and protein. These defects were not attributable to the induction of a BCL-2–sensitive apoptotic pathway. Rather, they were associated with frequent biallelic loss of distal Va gene segments in DP thymocytes, revealing that ATM maintains Tcra locus integrity as it undergoes V(D)J recombination. Collectively, our data demonstrate that ATM loss increases the frequency of aberrant Tcra deletion events, which compromise DP thymocyte maturation and likely promote the generation of oncogenic TCR translocations.


Author(s):  
Parisa Amirifar ◽  
Mahya Mehrmohamadi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Ranjouri ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Akrami ◽  
Nima Rezaei ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. A-T patients manifest considerable variability in clinical and immunological features, suggesting the presence of genetic modifying factors. A striking heterogeneity has been observed in class switching recombination (CSR) in A-T patients which cannot be explained by the severity of ATM mutations. Methods To investigate the cause of variable CSR in A-T patients, we applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 20 A-T patients consisting of 10 cases with CSR defect (CSR-D) and 10 controls with normal CSR (CSR-N). Comparative analyses on modifier variants found in the exomes of these two groups of patients were performed. Results For the first time, we identified some variants in the exomes of the CSR-D group that were significantly associated with antigen processing and presentation pathway. Moreover, in this group of patients, the variants in four genes involved in DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) repair signaling, in particular, XRCC3 were observed, suggesting an association with CSR defect. Conclusion Additional impact of certain variants, along with ATM mutations, may explain the heterogeneity in CSR defect phenotype among A-T patients. It can be concluded that genetic modulators play an important role in the course of A-T disease and its clinical severity.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3207
Author(s):  
Bruna Sabino Pinho de Oliveira ◽  
Sabrina Putti ◽  
Fabio Naro ◽  
Manuela Pellegrini

Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, first reported in 1926, caused by a deficiency of ATM (Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated) protein. The disease is characterized by progressive cerebellar neurodegeneration, immunodeficiency, leukemia, and lymphoma cancer predisposition. Immunoglobulin replacement, antioxidants, neuroprotective factors, growth, and anti-inflammatory hormones are commonly used for A-T treatment, but, to date, there is no known cure. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a successful therapy for several forms of diseases and it is a valid approach for tumors, hemoglobinopathies, autoimmune diseases, inherited disorders of metabolism, and other pathologies. Some case reports of A-T patients have shown that BMT is becoming a good option, as a correct engraftment of healthy cells can restore some aspects of immunologic capacity. However, due to a high risk of mortality as a result of a clinical and cellular hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation and radiomimetic drugs, a specific non-myeloablative conditioning is required before BMT. Although BMT might be considered as one promising therapy for the treatment of immunological defects and cancer prevention in selected A-T patients, the therapy is currently not recommended or recognized and the eligibility of A-T patients for BMT is a point to deepen and deliberate.


2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 2566-2576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna D. Friesner ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Kevin Culligan ◽  
Anne B. Britt

The histone variant H2AX is rapidly phosphorylated at the sites of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). This phosphorylated H2AX (γ-H2AX) is involved in the retention of repair and signaling factor complexes at sites of DNA damage. The dependency of this phosphorylation on the various PI3K-related protein kinases (in mammals, ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related [ATR], ataxia telangiectasia mutated [ATM], and DNA-PKCs) has been a subject of debate; it has been suggested that ATM is required for the induction of foci at DSBs, whereas ATR is involved in the recognition of stalled replication forks. In this study, using Arabidopsis as a model system, we investigated the ATR and ATM dependency of the formation of γ-H2AX foci in M-phase cells exposed to ionizing radiation (IR). We find that although the majority of these foci are ATM-dependent, ∼10% of IR-induced γ-H2AX foci require, instead, functional ATR. This indicates that even in the absence of DNA replication, a distinct subset of IR-induced damage is recognized by ATR. In addition, we find that in plants, γ-H2AX foci are induced at only one-third the rate observed in yeasts and mammals. This result may partly account for the relatively high radioresistance of plants versus yeast and mammals.


2009 ◽  
Vol 187 (7) ◽  
pp. 977-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sairei So ◽  
Anthony J. Davis ◽  
David J. Chen

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) plays a critical role in the cellular response to DNA damage. In response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), ATM is autophosphorylated at serine 1981. Although this autophosphorylation is widely considered a sign of ATM activation, it is still not clear if autophosphorylation is required for ATM functions including localization to DSBs and activation of ATM kinase activity. In this study, we show that localization of ATM to DSBs is differentially regulated with the initial localization requiring the MRE11–RAD50–NBS1 complex and sustained retention requiring autophosphorylation of ATM at serine 1981. Autophosphorylated ATM interacts with MDC1 and the latter is required for the prolonged association of ATM to DSBs. Ablation of ATM autophosphorylation or knock-down of MDC1 protein affects the ability of ATM to phosphorylate downstream substrates and confer radioresistance. Together, these data suggest that autophosphorylation at serine 1981 stabilizes ATM at the sites of DSBs, and this is required for a proper DNA damage response.


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