Sae2 and Rif2 regulate MRX endonuclease activity at DNA double-strand breaks in opposite manners.

The Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex detects and processes DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Its DNA binding and processing activities are regulated by transitions between an ATP-bound state and a post-hydrolysis cutting state that is nucleolytically active. Mre11 endonuclease activity is stimulated by Sae2, whose lack increases MRX persistence at DSBs and checkpoint activation. Here we show that the Rif2 protein inhibits Mre11 endonuclease activity and is responsible for the increased MRX retention at DSBs in sae2Δ cells. We identify a Rad50 residue that is important for Rad50-Rif2 interaction and Rif2 inhibition of Mre11 nuclease. This residue is located near a Rad50 surface that binds Sae2 and is important in stabilizing the Mre11-Rad50 (MR) interaction in the cutting state. We propose that Sae2 stimulates Mre11 endonuclease activity by stabilizing a post-hydrolysis MR conformation that is competent for DNA cleavage, whereas Rif2 antagonizes this Sae2 function and stabilizes an endonuclease inactive MR conformation.

Processing of DNA Double-Strand Breaks by the MRX Complex in a Chromatin Context.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly cytotoxic lesions that must be repaired to ensure genomic stability and avoid cell death. The cellular response to DSBs is initiated by the evolutionarily conserved Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2/NBS1 (MRX/MRN) complex that has structural and catalytic functions. Furthermore, it is responsible for DSB signaling through the activation of the checkpoint kinase Tel1/ATM. Here, we review functions and regulation of the MRX/MRN complex in DSB processing in a chromatin context, as well as its interplay with Tel1/ATM.

The ATP-bound conformation of the Mre11-Rad50 complex is essential for Tel1/ATM activation.

Activation of the checkpoint protein Tel1 requires the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex, which recruits Tel1 at DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) through direct interaction between Tel1 and Xrs2. However, in vitro Tel1 activation by MRX requires ATP binding to Rad50, suggesting a role also for the MR subcomplex in Tel1 activation. Here we describe two separation-of-functions alleles, mre11-S499P and rad50-A78T, which we show to specifically affect Tel1 activation without impairing MRX functions in DSB repair. Both Mre11-S499P and Rad50-A78T reduce Tel1-MRX interaction leading to poor Tel1 association at DSBs and consequent loss of Tel1 activation. The Mre11-S499P variant reduces Mre11-Rad50 interaction, suggesting an important role for MR complex formation in Tel1 activation. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the wild type MR subcomplex bound to ATP lingers in a tightly 'closed' conformation, while ADP presence leads to the destabilization of Rad50 dimer and of Mre11-Rad50 association, both events being required for MR conformational transition to an open state. By contrast, MRA78T undertakes complex opening even if Rad50 is bound to ATP, indicating that defective Tel1 activation caused by MRA78T results from destabilization of the ATP-bound conformational state.

Structure-function relationships of the Mre11 protein in the control of DNA end bridging and processing.

The evolutionarily conserved Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex cooperates with the Sae2 protein in initiating resection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and in maintaining the DSB ends tethered to each other for their accurate repair. How these MRX-Sae2 functions contribute to DNA damage resistance is not understood. By taking advantage of mre11 alleles that suppress the hypersensitivity of sae2∆ cells to genotoxic agents, we have recently found that Mre11 can be divided in two structurally distinct domains that support resistance to genotoxic agents by mediating different processes. While the Mre11 N-terminal domain impacts on the resection activity of long-range resection nucleases by mediating MRX and Tel1/ATM association to DNA DSBs, the C-terminus influences the MRX-tethering activity by its virtue to interact with Rad50. Given the evolutionary conservation of the MRX complex, our results have implications for understanding the consequences of its dysfunctions in human diseases.

Structurally distinct Mre11 domains mediate MRX functions in resection, end-tethering and DNA damage resistance.

Sae2 cooperates with the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex to initiate resection of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and to maintain the DSB ends in close proximity to allow their repair. How these diverse MRX-Sae2 functions contribute to DNA damage resistance is not known. Here, we describe mre11 alleles that suppress the hypersensitivity of sae2Δ cells to genotoxic agents. By assessing the impact of these mutations at the cellular and structural levels, we found that all the mre11 alleles that restore sae2Δ resistance to both camptothecin and phleomycin affect the Mre11 N-terminus and suppress the resection defect of sae2Δ cells by lowering MRX and Tel1 association to DSBs. As a consequence, the diminished Tel1 persistence potentiates Sgs1-Dna2 resection activity by decreasing Rad9 association to DSBs. By contrast, the mre11 mutations restoring sae2Δ resistance only to phleomycin are located in Mre11 C-terminus and bypass Sae2 function in end-tethering but not in DSB resection, possibly by destabilizing the Mre11-Rad50 open conformation. These findings unmask the existence of structurally distinct Mre11 domains that support resistance to genotoxic agents by mediating different processes.