Review
Cell Biology
Stephanie M. Ackerson, Carlan Romney, P. Logan Schuck, Jason A. Stewart
Summary: Regulation of DNA double-strand breaks and telomeres in cells is diametrically opposed, with DSBs requiring quick recognition and repair while telomeres must be protected to prevent unwanted chromosome fusions. Decision on whether to join DNA ends is critical for genome stability, and processing of telomeres and DSBs share commonalities. Repair of DSBs is determined by decision points that shift towards homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Marta Llorens-Agost, Michael Ensminger, Hang Phuong Le, Anugrah Gawai, Jie Liu, Andres Cruz-Garcia, Sarita Bhetawal, Richard D. Wood, Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, Markus Loebrich
Summary: BRCA2-deficient cells are vulnerable to inactivation of DNA repair pathways for DSBs, which can be exploited clinically. RAD52 and BRCA2 regulate the TMEJ process by blocking the POL theta function, ensuring proper repair of DSBs in mitosis.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jakub Muraszko, Karol Kramarz, Bilge Argunhan, Kentaro Ito, Gabriela Baranowska, Yumiko Kurokawa, Yasuto Murayama, Hideo Tsubouchi, Sarah Lambert, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Dorota Dziadkowiec
Summary: Rrp1 plays a role in modulating Rad51 function by alleviating toxicity associated with excessive Rad51 levels through its ATPase domain. It interacts directly with Rad51, removes it from double-stranded DNA, and has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity with Rad51 as a substrate, suggesting a multi-tiered regulation of Rad51 by Rrp1.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicole Kaminski, Anne R. Wondisford, Youngho Kwon, Michelle Lee Lynskey, Ragini Bhargava, Jonathan Barroso-Gonzalez, Laura Garcia-Exposito, Boxue He, Meng Xu, Dattatreya Mellacheruvu, Simon C. Watkins, Mauro Modesti, Kyle M. Miller, Alexey Nesvizhskii, Huaiying Zhang, Patrick Sung, Roderick J. O'Sullivan
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that RAD51AP1 interacts with TERRA and utilizes it to generate D and R-loop HR intermediates. RAD51AP1 binds to and stabilizes TERRA-containing R-loops, playing a role in the suppression of TERRA and prevention of TRCs during ALT-HDR. These findings provide insights into the important role of RAD51AP1 in the ALT mechanism and regulation of TERRA.
Article
Plant Sciences
Carolina L. Gandini, Laura E. Garcia, Cinthia C. Abbona, Luis F. Ceriotti, Sergei Kushnir, Danny Geelen, M. Virginia Sanchez-Puerta
Summary: Somatic hybrids between distant species provide a valuable model for studying genomic recombination after mitochondrial fusion. This study used a sensitive bioinformatic strategy to detect recombination activity in somatic hybrid mitochondria and identified multiple common recombination hotspots. The findings have significant implications for mitogenome editing and the understanding of DNA integration following mitochondrial DNA horizontal transfer events.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Thomas Kent, David Clynes
Summary: Research has shown that some cancers involve abnormal repair of DNA double-strand breaks at telomeres, resulting in telomere lengthening. Recent breakthroughs in understanding the mechanism of alternative lengthening of telomeres provide important insights into the regulation of DSB repair at telomeres.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabel E. Wassing, Emily Graham, Xanita Saayman, Lucia Rampazzo, Christine Ralf, Andrew Bassett, Fumiko Esashi
Summary: The study reveals a previously unknown function of RAD51 in promoting genomic stability during mitosis by protecting under-replicated DNA, promoting mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS), and successful chromosome segregation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nhung Pham, Zhenxin Yan, Yang Yu, Mosammat Faria Afreen, Anna Malkova, James E. Haber, Grzegorz Ira
Summary: The research demonstrates that mutagenic break-induced replication (BIR) is suppressed at two-ended DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by proteins coordinating the usage of two ends of a DSB. Key proteins involved in this suppression include ssDNA annealing proteins Rad52 and Rad59, D-loop unwinding helicase Mph1, and the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex promoting synchronous resection of DSB ends. Sir2 also plays a role in silencing heterochromatic repair templates to prevent BIR.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Makoto Isono, Kazuki Okubo, Takako Asano, Akinori Sato
Summary: The combination of gemcitabine and the ATR inhibitor AZD6738 showed efficacy in inhibiting bladder cancer cell viability, colony formation, and promoting apoptosis. Mechanistically, AZD6738 interfered with CHK1 and hindered the repair of DNA damage induced by gemcitabine.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cunliang Li, Yuyu Guo, Lili Wang, Shunping Yan
Summary: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly toxic forms of DNA damage that pose a threat to genome stability. Homologous recombination is an error-free pathway for DSB repair, in which the evolutionarily conserved SMC5/6 complex plays crucial roles. It has been discovered that SMC5/6 recruits the PAF1 complex (PAF1C) to facilitate DSB repair in plants.
Article
Oncology
Arathi Rajan, Geetu R. Varghese, Induprabha Yadev, Jaimie Anandan, Neetha R. Latha, Dipyaman Patra, Neethu Krishnan, Krithiga Kuppusamy, Arathy Warrier, Satej Bhushan, Revathy Nadhan, Ram Mohan Ram Kumar, Priya Srinivas
Summary: BRCA1 mutation carriers have a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study found that in breast cancer cells, E2 and ER-α signaling can enhance BRCA1-mediated DNA repair, while deficiency in ER-α delays DNA damage repair and promotes tumor progression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alison C. Carley, Manisha Jalan, Shyamal Subramanyam, Rohini Roy, Gloria E. O. Borgstahl, Simon N. Powell
Summary: Loss of RAD52 in BRCA-deficient cells is synthetically lethal due to its role in backup homologous recombination repair. We demonstrate that phosphorylation of RPA is necessary for RAD52 to function as a mediator in HR, especially in BRCA-deficient cells.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Xiaoqing Fan, Suling Sun, Haoran Yang, Huihui Ma, Chenggang Zhao, Wanxiang Niu, Junqi Fan, Zhiyou Fang, Xueran Chen
Summary: This study reveals the inactivation of the ZDHHC16/SETD2/H3K36me3 signaling axis in EGFR-altered GBM, which affects DNA damage repair signaling. The depalmitoylation inhibitor, PalmB, shows potential as a novel adjuvant treatment for GBM patients undergoing radiation therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY BIOLOGY PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ricardo Peraza-Vega, Mahara Valverde, Emilio Rojas
Summary: The repair of DNA damage is crucial for maintaining genetic information and cell functioning. Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most harmful type of DNA damage, and their repair involves two main mechanisms: non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination repair (HRR). MiRNAs have been shown to play an important role in regulating genes involved in NHEJ and HRR, and alterations in miRNA expression can impact the ability of cells to repair DSBs and affect cancer therapy sensitivity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yi-Li Feng, Qian Liu, Ruo-Dan Chen, Si-Cheng Liu, Zhi-Cheng Huang, Kun-Ming Liu, Xiao-Ying Yang, An-Yong Xie
Summary: Analysis of human cancer genome sequences has identified specific mutation characteristics associated with BRCA1-deficient tumors, but the mechanisms behind them are not well understood. In this study, it was found that one-ended DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) converted from CRISPR/Cas9-induced nicks by DNA replication, rather than two-ended DSBs, cause more chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei in Brca1-deficient cells. BRCA1 is required for efficient homologous recombination of these nick-converted DSBs and suppresses bias towards long tract gene conversion and tandem duplication mediated by two-round strand invasion in a replication strand asymmetry. However, abnormal repair of these nick-converted one-ended DSBs, not of two-ended DSBs in Brca1-deficient cells, generates mutational signatures similar to those observed in BRCA1-deficient tumors. These results suggest that DNA nicks play a major role in the mutational signatures associated with BRCA1 deficiency in cancer and shed light on the underlying mechanisms.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)