USP50 suppresses alternative RecQ helicase use and deleterious DNA2 activity during replication.

Mammalian DNA replication employs several RecQ DNA helicases to orchestrate the faithful duplication of genetic information. Helicase function is often coupled to the activity of specific nucleases, but how helicase and nuclease activities are co-directed is unclear. Here we identify the inactive ubiquitin-specific protease, USP50, as a ubiquitin-binding and chromatin-associated protein required for ongoing replication, fork restart, telomere maintenance and cellular survival during replicative stress. USP50 supports WRN:FEN1 at stalled replication forks, suppresses MUS81-dependent fork collapse and restricts double-strand DNA breaks at GC-rich sequences. Surprisingly we find that cells depleted for USP50 and recovering from a replication block exhibit increased DNA2 and RECQL4 foci and that the defects in ongoing replication, poor fork restart and increased fork collapse seen in these cells are mediated by DNA2, RECQL4 and RECQL5. These data define a novel ubiquitin-dependent pathway that promotes the balance of helicase: nuclease use at ongoing and stalled replication forks.

Combined bezafibrate, medroxyprogesterone acetate and valproic acid treatment inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth without adversely affecting normal mesenchymal stem cells.

Drug repurposing is a cost-effective means of targeting new therapies for cancer. We have examined the effects of the repurposed drugs, bezafibrate, medroxyprogesterone acetate and valproic acid on human osteosarcoma cells, i.e., SAOS2 and MG63 compared with their normal cell counterparts, i.e. mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). Cell growth, viability and migration were measured by biochemical assay and live cell imaging, whilst levels of lipid-synthesising enzymes were measured by immunoblotting cell extracts. These drug treatments inhibited the growth and survival of SAOS2 and MG63 cells most effectively when used in combination (termed V-BAP). In contrast, V-BAP treated MSCs remained viable with only moderately reduced cell proliferation. V-BAP treatment also inhibited migratory cell phenotypes. MG63 and SAOS2 cells expressed much greater levels of fatty acid synthase and stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 than MSCs, but these elevated enzyme levels significantly decreased in the V-BAP treated osteosarcoma cells prior to cell death. Hence, we have identified a repurposed drug combination that selectively inhibits the growth and survival of human osteosarcoma cells in association with altered lipid metabolism without adversely affecting their non-transformed cell counterparts.

Isomerization of BRCA1-BARD1 promotes replication fork protection.

The integrity of genomes is constantly threatened by problems encountered by the replication fork. BRCA1, BRCA2 and a subset of Fanconi anaemia proteins protect stalled replication forks from degradation by nucleases, through pathways that involve RAD51. The contribution and regulation of BRCA1 in replication fork protection, and how this role relates to its role in homologous recombination, is unclear. Here we show that BRCA1 in complex with BARD1, and not the canonical BRCA1-PALB2 interaction, is required for fork protection. BRCA1-BARD1 is regulated by a conformational change mediated by the phosphorylation-directed prolyl isomerase PIN1. PIN1 activity enhances BRCA1-BARD1 interaction with RAD51, thereby increasing the presence of RAD51 at stalled replication structures. We identify genetic variants of BRCA1-BARD1 in patients with cancer that exhibit poor protection of nascent strands but retain homologous recombination proficiency, thus defining domains of BRCA1-BARD1 that are required for fork protection and associated with cancer development. Together, these findings reveal a BRCA1-mediated pathway that governs replication fork protection.

Biological relevance of cell-in-cell in cancers.

Cell-in-cell (CIC) is a term used to describe the presence of one, usually living, cell inside another cell that is typically considered non-phagocytic. Examples of this include tumour cells inside tumour cells (homotypic), mesenchymal stem cells inside tumour cells (heterotypic) or immune cells inside tumour cells (heterotypic). CIC formation can occur in cell lines and in tissues and it has been most frequently observed during inflammation and in cancers. Over the past 10 years, many researchers have studied CIC structures and a few different models have been proposed through which they can be formed, including entosis, cannibalism and emperipolesis among others. Recently, our laboratory discovered a role for mutant p53 in facilitating the formation of CIC and promoting genomic instability. These data and research by many others have uncovered a variety of molecules involved in CIC formation and have started to give us an idea of why they are formed and how they could contribute to oncogenic processes. In this perspective, we summarise current literature and speculate on the role of CIC in cancer biology.

The deSUMOylase SENP2 coordinates homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining by independent mechanisms.

SUMOylation (small ubiquitin-like modifier) in the DNA double-strand break (DSB) response regulates recruitment, activity, and clearance of repair factors. However, our understanding of a role for deSUMOylation in this process is limited. Here we identify different mechanistic roles for deSUMOylation in homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) through the investigation of the deSUMOylase SENP2. We found that regulated deSUMOylation of MDC1 prevents excessive SUMOylation and its RNF4-VCP mediated clearance from DSBs, thereby promoting NHEJ. In contrast, we show that HR is differentially sensitive to SUMO availability and SENP2 activity is needed to provide SUMO. SENP2 is amplified as part of the chromosome 3q amplification in many cancers. Increased SENP2 expression prolongs MDC1 focus retention and increases NHEJ and radioresistance. Collectively, our data reveal that deSUMOylation differentially primes cells for responding to DSBs and demonstrates the ability of SENP2 to tune DSB repair responses.

Genomic instability in mutant p53 cancer cells upon entotic engulfment.

Cell-in-cell (CIC) structures are commonly seen in tumours. Their biological significance remains unclear, although they have been associated with more aggressive tumours. Here we report that mutant p53 promotes CIC via live cell engulfment. Engulfed cells physically interfere in cell divisions of host cells and for cells without p53 this leads to host cell death. In contrast, mutant p53 host cells survive, display aberrant divisions, multinucleation and tripolar mitoses. In xenograft studies, CIC-rich p53 mutant/null co-cultures show enhanced tumour growth. Furthermore, our results show that CIC is common within lung adenocarcinomas, is an independent predictor of poor outcome and disease recurrence, is associated with mutant p53 expression and correlated to measures of heterogeneity and genomic instability. These findings suggest that pro-tumorigenic entotic engulfment activity is associated with mutant p53 expression, and the two combined are a key factor in genomic instability.

Publisher Correction: Genomic instability in mutant p53 cancer cells upon entotic engulfment.

The original version of this article incorrectly omitted an affiliation of Patricia A. J. Muller: 'Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester | Alderley Park, Manchester, SK10 4TG, UK'. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.