Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhong-Xuan Wang, Yi Liu, Yao-Lin Li, Qiao Wei, Rong-Rong Lin, Ruiqing Kang, Yang Ruan, Zhi-Hao Lin, Nai-Jia Xue, Bao-Rong Zhang, Jia-Li Pu
Summary: DNA damage and defective DNA repair are implicated in neurodegeneration of Parkinson's disease. The study shows that the protein DJ-1 plays a crucial role in modulating DNA double-strand break repair by promoting both homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining. DJ-1 interacts with PARP1 and enhances its enzymatic activity during DNA repair. Importantly, PD patients with DJ-1 mutation have impaired PARP1 activity and DSB repair.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kevin M. Wernke, Alina Tirla, Mengzhao Xue, Yulia Surovtseva, Fabian S. Menges, Seth B. Herzon
Summary: Colibactin is a genotoxic metabolite produced by commensal-pathogenic members of the human microbiome, potentially linked to tumorigenesis. Researchers synthesized and studied colibactin 742 (4), finding that it induces DNA interstrand-cross-links and activates DNA repair pathways, providing a new approach to study the genotoxic effects of colibactin.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Heyun Guo, Ericca L. Stamper, Aya Sato-Carlton, Masa A. Shimazoe, Xuan Li, Liangyu Zhang, Lewis Stevens, K. C. Jacky Tam, Abby F. Dernburg, Peter M. Carlton
Summary: In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the level of double-strand breaks (DSBs) during meiotic cell division is regulated by the phosphorylation of DSB-1. The phosphorylation of DSB-1 is controlled by the opposing activities of the PP4 phosphatase and the ATR kinase. The loss of DSB-2, a paralog of DSB-1, leads to a decrease in DSB formation. The results suggest that DSB-1 phosphorylation is compensated by DSB-2 in order to maintain optimal levels of DSBs in older animals.
Article
Cell Biology
Kaixian Liu, Emily M. Grasso, Stephen Pu, Mengyang Zou, Shixin Liu, David Eliezer, Scott Keeney
Summary: This study reports the structure and dynamic DNA binding properties of the Rec114 and Mei4 protein complex, which initiates DNA double-strand breaks during meiotic recombination. The complex can bridge multiple DNA duplexes and generate force to condense DNA through long-range interactions. These findings provide insight into the conserved networks of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions that promote condensate formation and meiotic DSBs.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Md Akram Hossain, Yunfeng Lin, Garrett Driscoll, Jia Li, Anne McMahon, Joshua Matos, Haichao Zhao, Daisuke Tsuchimoto, Yusaku Nakabeppu, Jianjun Zhao, Shan Yan
Summary: APE2 is essential for activating the ATR DDR pathway in response to various stressful conditions in Xenopus laevis egg extracts and human pancreatic cancer cells. Inhibition of APE2 leads to increased DNA damage and sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs, indicating its crucial role in maintaining genome integrity.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Serena Mirata, Vanessa Almonti, Dario Di Giuseppe, Laura Fornasini, Simona Raneri, Stefania Vernazza, Danilo Bersani, Alessandro F. Gualtieri, Anna Maria Bassi, Sonia Scarfi
Summary: This study compares the inflammatory response induced by different carcinogenic mineral fibers in three main macrophage phenotypes. The results reveal that different fibers exert toxic effects through different mechanisms. Furthermore, similar behavior in the production of pro-inflammatory mediators was observed among the three macrophage phenotypes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ilse Delint-Ramirez, Ram Madabhushi
Summary: In a recent study, Pollina et al. have discovered a new neuron-specific NuA4-TIP60 chromatin remodeling complex that aids in the repair of activity-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in neurons, thus protecting against age-related mutations and premature death.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cherine Sifri, Lisa Hoeg, Daniel Durocher, Dheva Setiaputra
Summary: 53BP1 is a chromatin-binding protein that recruits downstream effectors RIF1, shieldin, and CST to promote DNA double-strand break repair. The structural details of protein-protein interactions within the 53BP1-RIF1-shieldin-CST pathway, essential for DNA repair, are largely unknown. In this study, we used AlphaFold2-Multimer (AF2) to predict and provide structural models for seven previously characterized interactions in this pathway. Our analysis also revealed a novel binding interface between RIF1 and SHLD3. Experimental validation demonstrated that the RIF1-SHLD3 binding is crucial for shieldin recruitment, antibody class switch recombination, and PARP inhibitor sensitivity, highlighting the essential role of this interaction in the 53BP1-RIF1-shieldin-CST pathway activity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maher A. Amer, Azza Othman, Mohamed A. El-Missiry, Aya A. Farag, Maggie E. Amer
Summary: The study found that PAs have an anti-fibrotic effect on CCl4-induced liver injury and fibrosis by modulating the interdependence of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and DNA integrity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Diana Rubio-Contreras, Fernando Gomez-Herreros
Summary: This study reveals that double strand breaks (DSBs) induced by DNA topoisomerase I (TOP1) can lead to genome rearrangements, which are repaired by tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1), thereby protecting gene transcription and genome stability.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Genevieve Trombly, Afaf Milad Said, Alexei P. Kudin, Viktoriya Peeva, Janine Altmueller, Kerstin Becker, Karl Koehrer, Gabor Zsurka, Wolfram S. Kunz
Summary: The study investigated the effects of hydrogen peroxide on mitochondrial DNA integrity. The results showed that hydrogen peroxide treatment resulted in DNA breaks, which were then repaired through rapid repair of single-strand breaks and degradation of double-strand breaks-generated linear fragments. Inactivation of mitochondrial DNA degradation resulted in the persistence of linear fragments in mutant cells without affecting the repair of single-strand breaks. These findings highlight the interplay between DNA repair and degradation processes, and the potential generation of somatic mitochondrial DNA deletions.
Article
Oncology
Qunsong Tan, Kaifeng Niu, Yuqi Zhu, Zixiang Chen, Yueyang Li, Mengge Li, Di Wei, Adayabalam S. Balajee, Hongbo Fang, Yongliang Zhao
Summary: The study demonstrates that RNF8 ubiquitinates RecQL4 protein, facilitating its dissociation from DSB sites and hindering the recruitment of downstream DSB repair proteins. RecQL4 also interacts with WRAP53 beta, which enhances its association with RNF8. Overall, the ubiquitination event mediated by RNF8 is essential for RecQL4's function in DSB repair.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kyle B. Vrtis, James M. Dewar, Gheorghe Chistol, R. Alex Wu, Thomas G. W. Graham, Johannes C. Walter
Summary: Research has shown that collisions between the replicative CMG helicase and nicks in DNA templates can lead to different forms of double-strand breaks, causing replisome disassembly.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Saravanapriah Nadarajan, Elisabeth Altendorfer, Takamune T. Saito, Marina Martinez-Garcia, Monica P. Colaiacovo
Summary: HIM-17 plays distinct roles at different stages of meiosis to ensure proper distribution of RAD-51 foci and crossovers, as well as normal chromosome remodeling and accurate chromosome segregation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shaolong Zhang, Pengzhao Shang, Kun Gao, Guomeng Zhao, Jingping Zhou, Rong Chen, Xiaoju Ning, Changying Guo
Summary: The DNA repair machinery plays a role in estrogen-dependent transactivation. The study reveals that mechanisms underlying estrogen-induced DNA damage are complex. It is found that the process of 17 beta-estradiol (E2)-induced ROS production can be divided into two phases, and oxidative DNA damage occurs at different temporal and spatial locations due to intracellular Ca2+ fluctuation and ER alpha-dependent transcription. The study also shows that DNA oxidation is not necessary for estrogen-responsive gene expression, while topoisomerase-mediated DNA strand breaks are essential in estrogen signaling.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jason Z. Li, Yuebin Ke, Hara P. Misra, Michael A. Trush, Y. Robert Li, Hong Zhu, Zhenquan Jia
TOXICOLOGY AND APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jennifer M. Hays, Marissa K. Kieber, Jason Z. Li, Ji In Han, Linda Columbus, Peter M. Kasson
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meagan Belcher Dufrisne, Nicole Swope, Marissa Kieber, Jeong-Yeh Yang, Ji Han, Jason Li, Kelley W. Moremen, James H. Prestegard, Linda Columbus
Summary: Carcinoembryonic cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) play diverse roles in cell signaling, proliferation, and survival. Understanding the physiological oligomeric state of CEACAMs and its contribution to protein function is crucial for cellular research.
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jason Z. Li, Y. Robert Li
Summary: Metformin, a commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug, not only lowers blood glucose levels but also has many other beneficial effects, particularly its cardiovascular protective effect. This review discusses the latest cutting-edge research findings on metformin's cardiovascular protection, including both preclinical studies and randomized clinical trials. The implications of these findings in the context of common cardiovascular and metabolic disorders are also discussed.