Cytidine Deaminase Resolves Replicative Stress and Protects Pancreatic Cancer from DNA-Targeting Drugs.

Cytidine deaminase (CDA) functions in the pyrimidine salvage pathway for DNA and RNA syntheses and has been shown to protect cancer cells from deoxycytidine-based chemotherapies. In this study, we observed that CDA was overexpressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma from patients at baseline and was essential for experimental tumor growth. Mechanistic investigations revealed that CDA localized to replication forks where it increased replication speed, improved replication fork restart efficiency, reduced endogenous replication stress, minimized DNA breaks, and regulated genetic stability during DNA replication. In cellular pancreatic cancer models, high CDA expression correlated with resistance to DNA-damaging agents. Silencing CDA in patient-derived primary cultures in vitro and in orthotopic xenografts in vivo increased replication stress and sensitized pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells to oxaliplatin. This study sheds light on the role of CDA in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, offering insights into how this tumor type modulates replication stress. These findings suggest that CDA expression could potentially predict therapeutic efficacy and that targeting CDA induces intolerable levels of replication stress in cancer cells, particularly when combined with DNA-targeted therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: Cytidine deaminase reduces replication stress and regulates DNA replication to confer resistance to DNA-damaging drugs in pancreatic cancer, unveiling a molecular vulnerability that could enhance treatment response.

The nucleolar protein GNL3 prevents resection of stalled replication forks.

Faithful DNA replication requires specific proteins that protect replication forks and so prevent the formation of DNA lesions that may damage the genome. Identification of new proteins involved in this process is essential to understand how DNA lesions accumulate in cancer cells and how they tolerate them. Here, we show that human GNL3/nucleostemin, a GTP-binding protein localized mostly in the nucleolus and highly expressed in cancer cells, prevents nuclease-dependent resection of nascent DNA in response to replication stress. We demonstrate that inhibiting origin firing reduces resection. This suggests that the heightened replication origin activation observed upon GNL3 depletion largely drives the observed DNA resection probably due to the exhaustion of the available RPA pool. We show that GNL3 and DNA replication initiation factor ORC2 interact in the nucleolus and that the concentration of GNL3 in the nucleolus is required to limit DNA resection. We propose that the control of origin firing by GNL3 through the sequestration of ORC2 in the nucleolus is critical to prevent nascent DNA resection in response to replication stress.

The organizer of chromatin topology RIF1 ensures cellular resilience to DNA replication stress.

Eukaryotic genomes are duplicated from thousands of replication origins that fire sequentially forming a defined spatiotemporal pattern of replication clusters. The temporal order of DNA replication is determined by chromatin architecture and, more specifically, by chromatin contacts that are stabilized by RIF1. Here, we show that RIF1 localizes near newly synthesized DNA. In cells exposed to the DNA replication inhibitor aphidicolin, suppression of RIF1 markedly decreased the efficacy of isolation of proteins on nascent DNA, suggesting that the isolation of proteins on nascent DNA procedure is biased by chromatin topology. RIF1 was required to limit the accumulation of DNA lesions induced by aphidicolin treatment and promoted the recruitment of cohesins in the vicinity of nascent DNA. Collectively, the data suggest that the stabilization of chromatin topology by RIF1 limits replication-associated genomic instability.

Replication gap suppression depends on the double-strand DNA binding activity of BRCA2.

Replication stress (RS) is a major source of genomic instability and is intrinsic to cancer cells. RS is also the consequence of chemotherapeutic drugs for treating cancer. However, adaptation to RS is also a mechanism of resistance to chemotherapy. BRCA2 deficiency results in replication stress in human cells. BRCA2 protein's main functions include DNA repair by homologous recombination (HR) both at induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and spontaneous replicative lesions. At stalled replication forks, BRCA2 protects the DNA from aberrant nucleolytic degradation and is thought to limit the appearance of ssDNA gaps by arresting replication and via post-replicative HR. However, whether and how BRCA2 acts to limit the formation of ssDNA gaps or mediate their repair, remains ill-defined. Here, we use breast cancer variants affecting different domains of BRCA2 to shed light on this function. We demonstrate that the N-terminal DNA binding domain (NTD), and specifically, its dsDNA binding activity, is required to prevent and repair/fill-in ssDNA gaps upon nucleotide depletion but not to limit PARPi-induced ssDNA gaps. Thus, these findings suggest that nucleotide depletion and PARPi trigger gaps via distinct mechanisms and that the NTD of BRCA2 prevents nucleotide depletion-induced ssDNA gaps.

KDM5A and KDM5B histone-demethylases contribute to HU-induced replication stress response and tolerance.

KDM5A and KDM5B histone-demethylases are overexpressed in many cancers and have been involved in drug tolerance. Here, we describe that KDM5A, together with KDM5B, contribute to replication stress (RS) response and tolerance. First, they positively regulate RRM2, the regulatory subunit of ribonucleotide reductase. Second, they are required for optimal levels of activated Chk1, a major player of the intra-S phase checkpoint that protects cells from RS. We also found that KDM5A is enriched at ongoing replication forks and associates with both PCNA and Chk1. Because RRM2 is a major determinant of replication stress tolerance, we developed cells resistant to HU, and show that KDM5A/B proteins are required for both RRM2 overexpression and tolerance to HU. Altogether, our results indicate that KDM5A/B are major players of RS management. They also show that drugs targeting the enzymatic activity of KDM5 proteins may not affect all cancer-related consequences of KDM5A/B overexpression.

Dihydropyrimidinase protects from DNA replication stress caused by cytotoxic metabolites.

Imbalance in the level of the pyrimidine degradation products dihydrouracil and dihydrothymine is associated with cellular transformation and cancer progression. Dihydropyrimidines are degraded by dihydropyrimidinase (DHP), a zinc metalloenzyme that is upregulated in solid tumors but not in the corresponding normal tissues. How dihydropyrimidine metabolites affect cellular phenotypes remains elusive. Here we show that the accumulation of dihydropyrimidines induces the formation of DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) and causes DNA replication and transcriptional stress. We used Xenopus egg extracts to recapitulate DNA replication invitro. We found that dihydropyrimidines interfere directly with the replication of both plasmid and chromosomal DNA. Furthermore, we show that the plant flavonoid dihydromyricetin inhibits human DHP activity. Cellular exposure to dihydromyricetin triggered DPCs-dependent DNA replication stress in cancer cells. This study defines dihydropyrimidines as potentially cytotoxic metabolites that may offer an opportunity for therapeutic-targeting of DHP activity in solid tumors.

Recruitment of ubiquitin-activating enzyme UBA1 to DNA by poly(ADP-ribose) promotes ATR signalling.

The DNA damage response (DDR) ensures cellular adaptation to genotoxic insults. In the crowded environment of the nucleus, the assembly of productive DDR complexes requires multiple protein modifications. How the apical E1 ubiquitin activation enzyme UBA1 integrates spatially and temporally in the DDR remains elusive. Using a human cell-free system, we show that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 promotes the recruitment of UBA1 to DNA. We find that the association of UBA1 with poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated protein-DNA complexes is necessary for the phosphorylation replication protein A and checkpoint kinase 1 by the serine/threonine protein kinase ataxia-telangiectasia and RAD3-related, a prototypal response to DNA damage. UBA1 interacts directly with poly(ADP-ribose) via a solvent-accessible and positively charged patch conserved in the Animalia kingdom but not in Fungi. Thus, ubiquitin activation can anchor to poly(ADP-ribose)-seeded protein assemblies, ensuring the formation of functional ataxia-telangiectasia mutated and RAD3-related-signalling complexes.

Exploring Quantitative Yeast Phenomics with Single-Cell Analysis of DNA Damage Foci.

A significant challenge of functional genomics is to develop methods for genome-scale acquisition and analysis of cell biological data. Here, we present an integrated method that combines genome-wide genetic perturbation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with high-content screening to facilitate the genetic description of sub-cellular structures and compartment morphology. As proof of principle, we used a Rad52-GFP marker to examine DNA damage foci in ∼20 million single cells from ∼5,000 different mutant backgrounds in the context of selected genetic or chemical perturbations. Phenotypes were classified using a machine learning-based automated image analysis pipeline. 345 mutants were identified that had elevated numbers of DNA damage foci, almost half of which were identified only in sensitized backgrounds. Subsequent analysis of Vid22, a protein implicated in the DNA damage response, revealed that it acts together with the Sgs1 helicase at sites of DNA damage and preferentially binds G-quadruplex regions of the genome. This approach is extensible to numerous other cell biological markers and experimental systems.

Nascent DNA Proteomics Reveals a Chromatin Remodeler Required for Topoisomerase I Loading at Replication Forks.

During transcription and DNA replication, the DNA template is overwound ahead of RNA and DNA polymerases and relaxed by DNA topoisomerases. Inhibitors of topoisomerases are potent anti-cancer agents. Camptothecin traps topoisomerase I on DNA and exerts preferential cytotoxicity toward cancer cells by way of its interference with the progression of replication forks. Starting with an unbiased proteomic analysis, we find that the chromatin remodeling complex BAZ1B-SMARCA5 accumulates near replication forks in camptothecin-exposed cells. We report that BAZ1B associates with topoisomerase I and facilitates its access to replication forks. Single-molecule analyses of replication structures show that BAZ1B contributes to replication interference by camptothecin. A lack of BAZ1B confers increased cellular tolerance of camptothecin. These findings reveal BAZ1B as a key facilitator of topoisomerase I function during DNA replication that affects the response of cancer cells to topoisomerase I inhibitors.

FANCD2 binds MCM proteins and controls replisome function upon activation of s phase checkpoint signaling.

Proteins disabled in Fanconi anemia (FA) are necessary for the maintenance of genome stability during cell proliferation. Upon replication stress signaling by ATR, the FA core complex monoubiquitinates FANCD2 and FANCI in order to activate DNA repair. Here, we identified FANCD2 and FANCI in a proteomic screen of replisome-associated factors bound to nascent DNA in response to replication arrest. We found that FANCD2 can interact directly with minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins. ATR signaling promoted the transient association of endogenous FANCD2 with the MCM2-MCM7 replicative helicase independently of FANCD2 monoubiquitination. FANCD2 was necessary for human primary cells to restrain DNA synthesis in the presence of a reduced pool of nucleotides and prevented the accumulation of single-stranded DNA, the induction of p21, and the entry of cells into senescence. These data reveal that FANCD2 is an effector of ATR signaling implicated in a general replisome surveillance mechanism that is necessary for sustaining cell proliferation and attenuating carcinogenesis.

Rif1 and Rif2 shape telomere function and architecture through multivalent Rap1 interactions.

Yeast telomeres comprise irregular TG1₋3 DNA repeats bound by the general transcription factor Rap1. Rif1 and Rif2, along with Rap1, form the telosome, a protective cap that inhibits telomerase, counteracts SIR-mediated transcriptional silencing, and prevents inadvertent recognition of telomeres as DNA double-strand breaks. We provide a molecular, biochemical, and functional dissection of the protein backbone at the core of the yeast telosome. The X-ray structures of Rif1 and Rif2 bound to the Rap1 C-terminal domain and that of the Rif1 C terminus are presented. Both Rif1 and Rif2 have separable and independent Rap1-binding epitopes, allowing Rap1 binding over large distances (42-110 Å). We identify tetramerization (Rif1) and polymerization (Rif2) modules that, in conjunction with the long-range binding, give rise to a higher-order architecture that interlinks Rap1 units. This molecular Velcro relies on Rif1 and Rif2 to recruit and stabilize Rap1 on telomeric arrays and is required for telomere homeostasis in vivo.

Regulation of telomere addition at DNA double-strand breaks.

Telomeres constitute the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. Due to the conventional mode of DNA replication, telomeric DNA erodes at each cell division. To counteract this, a specialized reverse transcriptase, telomerase, can elongate chromosome ends to maintain them at a constant average length. Because of their similarity to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), telomeres might be expected to induce a DNA damage response, which would lead to repair reactions and the generation of translocations or fusions. Many proteins present at telomeres prevent this by protecting (capping) the chromosome termini. Conversely, a DSB occurring in other regions of the genome, due, for instance, to a stalled replication fork or genotoxic agents, must be repaired by homologous recombination or end-joining to ensure genome stability. Interestingly, telomerase is able to generate a telomere de novo at an accidental DSB, with potentially lethal consequences in haploid cells and, at a minimum, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in diploid cells. Recent data suggest that telomerase is systematically recruited to DSBs but is prevented from acting in the absence of a minimal stretch of flanking telomere-repeat sequences. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms that regulate telomere addition to DSBs.

Anticheckpoint pathways at telomeres in yeast.

Telomeres hide (or 'cap') chromosome ends from DNA-damage surveillance mechanisms that arrest the cell cycle and promote repair, but the checkpoint status of telomeres is not well understood. Here we characterize the response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) flanked by varying amounts of telomeric repeat sequences (TG(1-3)). We show that even short arrays of TG(1-3) repeats do not induce G2/M arrest. Both Rif1 and Rif2 are required for capping at short, rapidly elongating ends, yet are largely dispensable for protection of longer telomeric arrays. Rif1 and Rif2 act through parallel pathways to block accumulation of both RPA and Rad24, activators of checkpoint kinase Mec1 (ATR). Finally, we show that Rif function is correlated with an 'anticheckpoint' effect, in which checkpoint recovery at an adjacent unprotected end is stimulated, and we provide insight into the molecular mechanism of this phenomenon.

DNA-end capping by the budding yeast transcription factor and subtelomeric binding protein Tbf1.

Telomere repeats in budding yeast are maintained at a constant average length and protected ('capped'), in part, by mechanisms involving the TG(1-3) repeat-binding protein Rap1. However, metazoan telomere repeats (T(2)AG(3)) can be maintained in yeast through a Rap1-independent mechanism. Here, we examine the dynamics of capping and telomere formation at an induced DNA double-strand break flanked by varying lengths of T(2)AG(3) repeats. We show that a 60-bp T(2)AG(3) repeat array induces a transient G2/M checkpoint arrest, but is rapidly elongated by telomerase to generate a stable T(2)AG(3)/TG(1-3) hybrid telomere. In contrast, a 230-bp T(2)AG(3) array induces neither G2/M arrest nor telomerase elongation. This capped state requires the T(2)AG(3)-binding protein Tbf1, but is independent of two Tbf1-interacting factors, Vid22 and Ygr071c. Arrays of binding sites for three other subtelomeric or Myb/SANT domain-containing proteins fail to display a similar end-protection effect, indicating that Tbf1 capping is an evolved function. Unexpectedly, we observed strong telomerase association with non-telomeric ends, whose elongation is blocked by a Mec1-dependent mechanism, apparently acting at the level of Cdc13 binding.

A conserved motif within RAP1 has diversified roles in telomere protection and regulation in different organisms.

Repressor activator protein 1 (RAP1) is the most highly conserved telomere protein. It is involved in protecting chromosome ends in fission yeast and promoting gene silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas it represses homology-directed recombination at telomeres in mammals. To understand how RAP1 has such diverse functions at telomeres, we solved the crystal or solution structures of the RAP1 C-terminal (RCT) domains of RAP1 from multiple organisms in complex with their respective protein-binding partners. Our analysis establishes RAP1(RCT) as an evolutionarily conserved protein-protein interaction module. In mammalian and fission yeast cells, this module interacts with TRF2 and Taz1, respectively, targeting RAP1 to chromosome ends for telomere protection. In contrast, S. cerevisiae RAP1 uses its RCT domain to recruit Sir3 to telomeres to mediate gene silencing. Together, our results show that, depending on the organism, the evolutionarily conserved RAP1 RCT motif has diverse functional roles at telomeres.

The telomere-binding protein Tbf1 demarcates snoRNA gene promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) play a key role in ribosomal RNA biogenesis, yet factors controlling their expression are unknown. We found that the majority of Saccharomyces snoRNA promoters display an aRCCCTaa sequence motif at the upstream border of a TATA-containing nucleosome-free region. Genome-wide ChIP-seq analysis showed that these motifs are bound by Tbf1, a telomere-binding protein known to recognize mammalian-like T(2)AG(3) repeats at subtelomeric regions. Tbf1 has over 100 additional promoter targets, including several other genes involved in ribosome biogenesis and the TBF1 gene itself. Tbf1 is required for full snoRNA expression, yet it does not influence nucleosome positioning at snoRNA promoters. In contrast, Tbf1 contributes to nucleosome exclusion at non-snoRNA promoters, where it selectively colocalizes with the Tbf1-interacting zinc-finger proteins Vid22 and Ygr071c. Our data show that, besides the ribosomal protein gene regulator Rap1, a second telomere-binding protein also functions as a transcriptional regulator linked to yeast ribosome biogenesis.

The yeast Pif1 helicase prevents genomic instability caused by G-quadruplex-forming CEB1 sequences in vivo.

In budding yeast, the Pif1 DNA helicase is involved in the maintenance of both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, but its role in these processes is still poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence for a new Pif1 function by demonstrating that its absence promotes genetic instability of alleles of the G-rich human minisatellite CEB1 inserted in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, but not of other tandem repeats. Inactivation of other DNA helicases, including Sgs1, had no effect on CEB1 stability. In vitro, we show that CEB1 repeats formed stable G-quadruplex (G4) secondary structures and the Pif1 protein unwinds these structures more efficiently than regular B-DNA. Finally, synthetic CEB1 arrays in which we mutated the potential G4-forming sequences were no longer destabilized in pif1Delta cells. Hence, we conclude that CEB1 instability in pif1Delta cells depends on the potential to form G-quadruplex structures, suggesting that Pif1 could play a role in the metabolism of G4-forming sequences.

Complex minisatellite rearrangements generated in the total or partial absence of Rad27/hFEN1 activity occur in a single generation and are Rad51 and Rad52 dependent.

Genomes contain tandem repeat blocks that are at risk of expansion or contraction. The mechanisms of destabilization of the human minisatellite CEB1 (arrays of 36- to 43-bp repeats) were investigated in a previously developed model system, in which CEB1-0.6 (14 repeats) and CEB1-1.8 (42 repeats) alleles were inserted into the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As in human cells, CEB1 is stable in mitotically growing yeast cells but is frequently rearranged in the absence of the Rad27/hFEN1 protein involved in Okazaki fragments maturation. To gain insight into this mode of destabilization, the CEB1-1.8 and CEB1-0.6 human alleles and 47 rearrangements derived from a CEB1-1.8 progenitor in rad27Delta cells were sequenced. A high degree of polymorphism of CEB1 internal repeats was observed, attesting to a large variety of homology-driven rearrangements. Simple deletion, double deletion, and highly complex events were observed. Pedigree analysis showed that all rearrangements, even the most complex, occurred in a single generation and were inherited equally by mother and daughter cells. Finally, the rearrangement frequency was found to increase with array size, and partial complementation of the rad27Delta mutation by hFEN1 demonstrated that the production of novel CEB1 alleles is Rad52 and Rad51 dependent. Instability can be explained by an accumulation of unresolved flap structures during replication, leading to the formation of recombinogenic lesions and faulty repair, best understood by homology-dependent synthesis-strand displacement and annealing.