RESUMEN
Collisions of the transcription and replication machineries on the same DNA strand can pose a significant threat to genomic stability. These collisions occur in part due to the formation of RNA-DNA hybrids termed R-loops, in which a newly transcribed RNA molecule hybridizes with the DNA template strand. This study investigated the role of RAD52, a known DNA repair factor, in preventing collisions by directing R-loop formation and resolution. We show that RAD52 deficiency increases R-loop accumulation, exacerbating collisions and resulting in elevated DNA damage. Furthermore, RAD52's ability to interact with the transcription machinery, coupled with its capacity to facilitate R-loop dissolution, highlights its role in preventing collisions. Lastly, we provide evidence of an increased mutational burden from double-strand breaks at conserved R-loop sites in human tumor samples, which is increased in tumors with low RAD52 expression. In summary, this study underscores the importance of RAD52 in orchestrating the balance between replication and transcription processes to prevent collisions and maintain genome stability.
Asunto(s)
Replicación del ADN , Inestabilidad Genómica , Estructuras R-Loop , Proteína Recombinante y Reparadora de ADN Rad52 , Transcripción Genética , Proteína Recombinante y Reparadora de ADN Rad52/metabolismo , Proteína Recombinante y Reparadora de ADN Rad52/genética , Replicación del ADN/genética , Estructuras R-Loop/genética , Humanos , Daño del ADN , Roturas del ADN de Doble Cadena , ADN/metabolismo , ADN/genética , Reparación del ADN , Mutación , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/metabolismoRESUMEN
Double strand break (DSB) repair primarily occurs through 3 pathways: non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), alternative end-joining (Alt-EJ), and homologous recombination (HR). Typical methods to measure pathway usage include integrated cassette reporter assays or visualization of DNA damage induced nuclear foci. It is now well understood that repair of Cas9-induced breaks also involves NHEJ, Alt-EJ, and HR pathways, providing a new format to measure pathway usage. Here, we have developed a simple Cas9-based system with validated repair outcomes that accurately represent each pathway and then converted it to a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) readout, thus obviating the need for Next Generation Sequencing and bioinformatic analysis with the goal to make Cas9-based system accessible to more laboratories. The assay system has reproduced several important insights. First, absence of the key Alt-EJ factor Pol θ only abrogates â¼50% of total Alt-EJ. Second, single-strand templated repair (SSTR) requires BRCA1 and MRE11 activity, but not BRCA2, establishing that SSTR commonly used in genome editing is not conventional HR. Third, BRCA1 promotes Alt-EJ usage at two-ended DSBs in contrast to BRCA2. This assay can be used in any system, which permits Cas9 delivery and, importantly, allows rapid genotype-to-phenotype correlation in isogenic cell line pairs.
Asunto(s)
Reparación del ADN por Unión de Extremidades , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Reparación del ADN por Recombinación , Proteína BRCA1/fisiología , Proteína BRCA2/fisiología , Proteína 9 Asociada a CRISPR , Línea Celular , Roturas del ADN de Doble Cadena , Sitios Genéticos , Humanos , TransfecciónRESUMEN
Tumors resistant to PARP inhibitors frequently show signs of replication stress, with hyper-activated PARP. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Pillay et al. demonstrate that inhibiting PAR-chain turnover results in cell-cycle arrest, which is cytotoxic when combined with cell-cycle checkpoint inhibition and constitutes a novel cancer therapy.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Ováricas , Mutaciones Letales Sintéticas , ADN , Femenino , Glicósido Hidrolasas , Humanos , Inhibidores de Poli(ADP-Ribosa) PolimerasasRESUMEN
The Rad51 paralogs are required for homologous recombination (HR) and the maintenance of genomic stability. The molecular mechanisms by which the five vertebrate Rad51 paralogs regulate HR and genomic integrity remain unclear. The Rad51 paralogs associate with one another in two distinct complexes: Rad51B-Rad51C-Rad51D-XRCC2 (BCDX2) and Rad51C-XRCC3 (CX3). We find that the BCDX2 and CX3 complexes act at different stages of the HR pathway. In response to DNA damage, the BCDX2 complex acts downstream of BRCA2 recruitment but upstream of Rad51 recruitment. In contrast, the CX3 complex acts downstream of Rad51 recruitment but still has a marked impact on the measured frequency of homologous recombination. Both complexes are epistatic with BRCA2 and synthetically lethal with Rad52. We conclude that human Rad51 paralogs facilitate BRCA2-Rad51-dependent homologous recombination at different stages in the pathway and function independently of Rad52.