Homologous recombination (HR) is initiated by DNA end resection, a process in which stretches of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) are generated and used for homology search. Factors implicated in resection include nucleases MRE11, EXO1, and DNA2, which process DNA ends into 3′ ssDNA overhangs; helicases such as BLM, which unwind DNA; and other proteins such as BRCA1 and CtIP whose functions remain unclear. CDK-mediated phosphorylation of CtIP on T847 is required to promote resection, whereas CDK-dependent phosphorylation of CtIP-S327 is required for interaction with BRCA1. Here, we provide evidence that CtIP functions independently of BRCA1 in promoting DSB end resection. First, using mouse models expressing S327A or T847A mutant CtIP as a sole species, and B cells deficient in CtIP, we show that loss of the CtIP-BRCA1 interaction does not detectably affect resection, maintenance of genomic stability or viability, whereas T847 is essential for these functions. Second, although loss of 53BP1 rescues the embryonic lethality and HR defects in BRCA1-deficient mice, it does not restore viability or genome integrity in CtIP−/− mice. Third, the increased resection afforded by loss of 53BP1 and the rescue of BRCA1-deficiency depend on CtIP but not EXO1. Finally, the sensitivity of BRCA1-deficient cells to poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibition is partially rescued by the phospho-mimicking mutant CtIP (CtIP-T847E). Thus, in contrast to BRCA1, CtIP has indispensable roles in promoting resection and embryonic development.
V(D)J recombination is initiated by the RAG endonuclease, which introduces DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the border between two recombining gene segments, generating two hairpin-sealed coding ends and two blunt signal ends. ATM and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) are serine-threonine kinases that orchestrate the cellular responses to DNA DSBs. During V(D)J recombination, ATM and DNA-PKcs have unique functions in the repair of coding DNA ends. ATM deficiency leads to instability of postcleavage complexes and the loss of coding ends from these complexes. DNA-PKcs deficiency leads to a nearly complete block in coding join formation, as DNA-PKcs is required to activate Artemis, the endonuclease that opens hairpin-sealed coding ends. In contrast to loss of DNA-PKcs protein, here we show that inhibition of DNA-PKcs kinase activity has no effect on coding join formation when ATM is present and its kinase activity is intact. The ability of ATM to compensate for DNA-PKcs kinase activity depends on the integrity of three threonines in DNA-PKcs that are phosphorylation targets of ATM, suggesting that ATM can modulate DNA-PKcs activity through direct phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs. Mutation of these threonine residues to alanine (DNA-PKcs3A) renders DNA-PKcs dependent on its intrinsic kinase activity during coding end joining, at a step downstream of opening hairpin-sealed coding ends. Thus, DNA-PKcs has critical functions in coding end joining beyond promoting Artemis endonuclease activity, and these functions can be regulated redundantly by the kinase activity of either ATM or DNA-PKcs.
H4K20 methylation is a broad chromatin modification that has been linked with diverse epigenetic functions. Several enzymes target H4K20 methylation, consistent with distinct mono-, di-, and trimethylation states controlling different biological outputs. To analyze the roles of H4K20 methylation states, we generated conditional null alleles for the two Suv4-20h histone methyltransferase (HMTase) genes in the mouse. Suv4-20h -double-null (dn) mice are perinatally lethal and have lost nearly all H4K20me3 and H4K20me2 states. The genome-wide transition to an H4K20me1 state results in increased sensitivity to damaging stress, since Suv4-20h -dn chromatin is less efficient for DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair and prone to chromosomal aberrations. Notably, Suv4-20h -dn B cells are defective in immunoglobulin class-switch recombination, and Suv4-20h -dn deficiency impairs the stem cell pool of lymphoid progenitors. Thus, conversion to an H4K20me1 state results in compromised chromatin that is insufficient to protect genome integrity and to process a DNA-rearranging differentiation program in the mouse.
Abstract The Shieldin complex, consisting of SHLD1, SHLD2, SHLD3 and REV7, shields DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) from nucleolytic resection. The end-protecting activity of Shieldin promotes productive non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) in G1 but can threaten genome integrity during S-phase by blocking homologous recombination (HR). Curiously, the penultimate Shieldin component, SHLD1 is one of the least abundant mammalian proteins. Here, we report that the transcription factors THAP1, YY1 and HCF1 bind directly to the SHLD1 promoter, where they cooperatively maintain the low basal expression of SHLD1 . Functionally, this transcriptional network ensures that SHLD1 protein levels are kept in check to enable a proper balance between end protection and end resection during physiological DSB repair. In the context of BRCA1 deficiency, loss of THAP1 dependent SHLD1 expression confers cross resistance to PARP inhibitor and cisplatin, and shorter progression free survival in ovarian cancer patients. In contrast, loss of THAP1 in BRCA2 deficient cells increases genome instability and correlates with improved responses to chemotherapy. Pathogenic THAP1 mutations are causatively linked to the adult-onset torsion dystonia type 6 (DYT6) movement disorder, but the critical disease targets are unknown. We further demonstrate that murine models of Thap1 -associated dystonia show reduced Shld1 expression concomitant with elevated levels of unresolved DNA damage in the brain. In summary, our study provides the first example of a transcriptional network that directly controls DSB repair choice and reveals a previously unsuspected link between DNA damage and dystonia.
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease characterized by chromosome instability, progressive pancytopenia and cancer susceptibility. Telomeres are intimately related to chromosome stability and play an important role in organismal viability at the hematological level. Since previous works suggested an accelerated shortening of telomeres in FA, we have studied several markers of telomere integrity and function in FA patients and age-matched controls to get insights into the mechanisms and consequences of telomere erosion in FA. A higher frequency of extra-chromosomic TTAGGG signals and of chromosome ends with undetectable TTAGGG repeats was observed in FA cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), suggesting intensive breakage at telomeric sequences. This was proven by measuring the frequency of excess of telomeric signals per cell, which was 2.8-fold higher in FA. Consistent with previous reports, quantitative FISH analysis showed an accelerated telomere shortening of 0.68 kb in FA, which occurred concurrently in both chromosome arms in a similar magnitude. Our data therefore suggest that the telomere erosion in FA is caused by a higher rate of breakage at TTAGGG sequences in vivo in differentiated cells, in addition to mere replicative shortening during lymphocyte proliferation. Consistent with impaired telomeres in FA patients, we observed a >10-fold increase in chromosome end fusions in FA compared to normal controls. This observation was independent of TRF2, a telomere binding factor that protects human telomeres from end fusions, since immunohistochemistry studies in FA cell lines and corrected counterparts by retrovirus-mediated transfer of FANCA and FANCD2 cDNA showed that a functional FA pathway is not required for telomere binding of TRF2.
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