Multivalent binding of the tardigrade Dsup protein to chromatin promotes yeast survival and longevity upon exposure to oxidative damage.

Tardigrades are remarkable in their ability to survive extreme environments. The damage suppressor (Dsup) protein is thought responsible for their extreme resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by irradiation. Here we show that expression of Ramazzottius varieornatus Dsup in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reduces oxidative DNA damage and extends the lifespan of budding yeast exposed to chronic oxidative genotoxicity. This protection from ROS requires either the Dsup HMGN-like domain or sequences C-terminal to same. Dsup associates with no apparent bias across the yeast genome, using multiple modes of nucleosome binding; the HMGN-like region interacts with both the H2A/H2B acidic patch and H3/H4 histone tails, while the C-terminal region binds DNA. These findings give precedent for engineering an organism by physically shielding its genome to promote survival and longevity in the face of oxidative damage.

A novel single alpha-helix DNA-binding domain in CAF-1 promotes gene silencing and DNA damage survival through tetrasome-length DNA selectivity and spacer function.

The histone chaperone chromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF-1) deposits two nascent histone H3/H4 dimers onto newly replicated DNA forming the central core of the nucleosome known as the tetrasome. How CAF-1 ensures there is sufficient space for the assembly of tetrasomes remains unknown. Structural and biophysical characterization of the lysine/glutamic acid/arginine-rich (KER) region of CAF-1 revealed a 128-Å single alpha-helix (SAH) motif with unprecedented DNA-binding properties. Distinct KER sequence features and length of the SAH drive the selectivity of CAF-1 for tetrasome-length DNA and facilitate function in budding yeast. In vivo, the KER cooperates with the DNA-binding winged helix domain in CAF-1 to overcome DNA damage sensitivity and maintain silencing of gene expression. We propose that the KER SAH links functional domains within CAF-1 with structural precision, acting as a DNA-binding spacer element during chromatin assembly.

A Simple, Improved Method for Scarless Genome Editing of Budding Yeast Using CRISPR-Cas9.

Until recently, the favored method for making directed modifications to the budding yeast genome involved the introduction of a DNA template carrying the desired genetic changes along with a selectable marker, flanked by homology arms. This approach both limited the ability to make changes within genes due to disruption by the introduced selectable marker and prevented the use of that selectable marker for subsequent genomic manipulations. Following the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing, protocols were developed for modifying any DNA region of interest in a similar single transformation step without the need for a permanent selectable marker. This approach involves the generation of a DNA double-strand break (DSB) at the desired genomic location by the Cas9 nuclease, expressed on a plasmid which also expresses the guide RNA (gRNA) sequence directing the location of the DSB. The DSB is subsequently repaired via homologous recombination using a PCR-derived DNA repair template. Here, we describe in detail an improved method for incorporation of the gRNA-encoding DNA sequences into the Cas9 expression plasmid. Using Golden Gate cloning, annealed oligonucleotides bearing unique single-strand DNA overhangs are ligated into directional restriction enzyme sites. We describe the use of this CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing protocol to introduce multiple types of directed genetic changes into the yeast genome.

Reprogramming Carbohydrate Metabolism in Cancer and Its Role in Regulating the Tumor Microenvironment.

Altered metabolism has become an emerging feature of cancer cells impacting their proliferation and metastatic potential in myriad ways. Proliferating heterogeneous tumor cells are surrounded by other resident or infiltrating cells, along with extracellular matrix proteins, and other secretory factors constituting the tumor microenvironment. The diverse cell types of the tumor microenvironment exhibit different molecular signatures that are regulated at their genetic and epigenetic levels. The cancer cells elicit intricate crosstalks with these supporting cells, exchanging essential metabolites which support their anabolic processes and can promote their survival, proliferation, EMT, angiogenesis, metastasis and even therapeutic resistance. In this context, carbohydrate metabolism ensures constant energy supply being a central axis from which other metabolic and biosynthetic pathways including amino acid and lipid metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway are diverged. In contrast to normal cells, increased glycolytic flux is a distinguishing feature of the highly proliferative cancer cells, which supports them to adapt to a hypoxic environment and also protects them from oxidative stress. Such rewired metabolic properties are often a result of epigenetic alterations in the cancer cells, which are mediated by several factors including, DNA, histone and non-histone protein modifications and non-coding RNAs. Conversely, epigenetic landscapes of the cancer cells are also dictated by their diverse metabolomes. Altogether, this metabolic and epigenetic interplay has immense potential for the development of efficient anti-cancer therapeutic strategies. In this book chapter we emphasize upon the significance of reprogrammed carbohydrate metabolism in regulating the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression, with an aim to explore the different metabolic and epigenetic targets for better cancer treatment.

A Flow Cytometry-Based Method for Analyzing DNA End Resection in G0- and G1-Phase Mammalian Cells.

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) constantly arise in cells during normal cellular processes or upon exposure to genotoxic agents, and are repaired mostly by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). One key determinant of DNA DSB repair pathway choice is the processing of broken DNA ends to generate single strand DNA (ssDNA) overhangs, a process termed DNA resection. The generation of ssDNA overhangs commits DSB repair through HR and inhibits NHEJ. Therefore, DNA resection must be carefully regulated to avoid mis-repaired or persistent DSBs. Accordingly, many approaches have been developed to monitor ssDNA generation in cells to investigate genes and pathways that regulate DNA resection. Here we describe a flow cytometric approach measuring the levels of replication protein A (RPA) complex, a high affinity ssDNA binding complex composed of three subunits (RPA70, RPA32, and RPA14 in mammals), on chromatin after DNA DSB induction to assay DNA resection. This flow cytometric assay requires only conventional flow cytometers and can easily be scaled up to analyze a large number of samples or even for genetic screens of pooled mutants on a genome-wide scale. We adopt this assay in G0- and G1- phase synchronized cells where DNA resection needs to be kept in check to allow normal NHEJ.

The Chromatin Landscape Channels DNA Double-Strand Breaks to Distinct Repair Pathways.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), the most deleterious DNA lesions, are primarily repaired by two pathways, namely homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), the choice of which is largely dependent on cell cycle phase and the local chromatin landscape. Recent studies have revealed that post-translational modifications on histones play pivotal roles in regulating DSB repair pathways including repair pathway choice. In this review, we present our current understanding of how these DSB repair pathways are employed in various chromatin landscapes to safeguard genomic integrity. We place an emphasis on the impact of different histone post-translational modifications, characteristic of euchromatin or heterochromatin regions, on DSB repair pathway choice. We discuss the potential roles of damage-induced chromatin modifications in the maintenance of genome and epigenome integrity. Finally, we discuss how RNA transcripts from the vicinity of DSBs at actively transcribed regions also regulate DSB repair pathway choice.

DNA-PK promotes DNA end resection at DNA double strand breaks in G0 cells.

DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination is confined to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle partly due to 53BP1 antagonizing DNA end resection in G1 phase and non-cycling quiescent (G0) cells where DSBs are predominately repaired by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Unexpectedly, we uncovered extensive MRE11- and CtIP-dependent DNA end resection at DSBs in G0 murine and human cells. A whole genome CRISPR/Cas9 screen revealed the DNA-dependent kinase (DNA-PK) complex as a key factor in promoting DNA end resection in G0 cells. In agreement, depletion of FBXL12, which promotes ubiquitylation and removal of the KU70/KU80 subunits of DNA-PK from DSBs, promotes even more extensive resection in G0 cells. In contrast, a requirement for DNA-PK in promoting DNA end resection in proliferating cells at the G1 or G2 phase of the cell cycle was not observed. Our findings establish that DNA-PK uniquely promotes DNA end resection in G0, but not in G1 or G2 phase cells, which has important implications for DNA DSB repair in quiescent cells.

The RNF8 and RNF168 Ubiquitin Ligases Regulate Pro- and Anti-Resection Activities at Broken DNA Ends During Non-Homologous End Joining.

The RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligases RNF8 and RNF168 recruit DNA damage response (DDR) factors to chromatin flanking DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) including 53BP1, which protects DNA ends from resection during DNA DSB repair by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Deficiency of RNF8 or RNF168 does not lead to demonstrable NHEJ defects, but like deficiency of 53BP1, the combined deficiency of XLF and RNF8 or RNF168 leads to diminished NHEJ in lymphocytes arrested in G0/G1 phase. The function of RNF8 in NHEJ depends on its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Loss of RNF8 or RNF168 in G0/G1-phase lymphocytes leads to the resection of broken DNA ends, demonstrating that RNF8 and RNF168 function to protect DNA ends from nucleases, pos sibly through the recruitment of 53BP1. However, the loss of 53BP1 leads to more severe resection than the loss of RNF8 or RNF168. Moreover, in 53BP1-deficient cells, the loss of RNF8 or RNF168 leads to diminished DNA end resection. We conclude that RNF8 and RNF168 regulate pathways that both prevent and promote DNA end resection in cells arrested in G0/G1 phase.

LIN37-DREAM prevents DNA end resection and homologous recombination at DNA double-strand breaks in quiescent cells.

DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR) is thought to be restricted to the S- and G2- phases of the cell cycle in part due to 53BP1 antagonizing DNA end resection in G1-phase and non-cycling quiescent (G0) cells. Here, we show that LIN37, a component of the DREAM transcriptional repressor, functions in a 53BP1-independent manner to prevent DNA end resection and HR in G0 cells. Loss of LIN37 leads to the expression of HR proteins, including BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, and RAD51, and promotes DNA end resection in G0 cells even in the presence of 53BP1. In contrast to 53BP1-deficiency, DNA end resection in LIN37-deficient G0 cells depends on BRCA1 and leads to RAD51 filament formation and HR. LIN37 is not required to protect DNA ends in cycling cells at G1-phase. Thus, LIN37 regulates a novel 53BP1-independent cell phase-specific DNA end protection pathway that functions uniquely in quiescent cells.

Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) activity is required for V(D)J recombination.

A whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9 screen identified ATP2A2, the gene encoding the Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) 2 protein, as being important for V(D)J recombination. SERCAs are ER transmembrane proteins that pump Ca2+ from the cytosol into the ER lumen to maintain the ER Ca2+ reservoir and regulate cytosolic Ca2+-dependent processes. In preB cells, loss of SERCA2 leads to reduced V(D)J recombination kinetics due to diminished RAG-mediated DNA cleavage. SERCA2 deficiency in B cells leads to increased expression of SERCA3, and combined loss of SERCA2 and SERCA3 results in decreased ER Ca2+ levels, increased cytosolic Ca2+ levels, reduction in RAG1 and RAG2 gene expression, and a profound block in V(D)J recombination. Mice with B cells deficient in SERCA2 and humans with Darier disease, caused by heterozygous ATP2A2 mutations, have reduced numbers of mature B cells. We conclude that SERCA proteins modulate intracellular Ca2+ levels to regulate RAG1 and RAG2 gene expression and V(D)J recombination and that defects in SERCA functions cause lymphopenia.

Selenium supplementation inhibits IGF-1 signaling and confers methionine restriction-like healthspan benefits to mice.

Methionine restriction (MR) dramatically extends the healthspan of several organisms. Methionine-restricted rodents have less age-related pathology and increased longevity as compared with controls, and recent studies suggest that humans might benefit similarly. Mechanistically, it is likely that the decreased IGF-1 signaling that results from MR underlies the benefits of this regimen. Thus, we hypothesized that interventions that decrease IGF-1 signaling would also produce MR-like healthspan benefits. Selenium supplementation inhibits IGF-1 signaling in rats and has been studied for its putative healthspan benefits. Indeed, we show that feeding mice a diet supplemented with sodium selenite results in an MR-like phenotype, marked by protection against diet-induced obesity, as well as altered plasma levels of IGF-1, FGF-21, adiponectin, and leptin. Selenomethionine supplementation results in a similar, albeit less robust response, and also extends budding yeast lifespan. Our results indicate that selenium supplementation is sufficient to produce MR-like healthspan benefits for yeast and mammals.

A new era for research into aging.

eLife is publishing a special issue on aging, geroscience and longevity to mark the rapid progress made in this field over the past decade, both in terms of mechanistic understanding and translational approaches that are poised to have clinical impact on age-related diseases.

A Proximity Ligation Method to Detect Proteins Bound to Single-Stranded DNA after DNA End Resection at DNA Double-Strand Breaks.

After a DNA double-strand break, cells utilize either non-homologous end joining or homologous recombination to repair the broken DNA ends. Homologous recombination requires extensive nucleolytic processing of one of the DNA strands, resulting in long stretches of 3' single-strand DNA overhangs. Typically, single-stranded DNA is measured using immunofluorescence microscopy to image the foci of replication protein A, a single-stranded DNA-binding protein. Microscopy analysis of bromodeoxyuridine foci under nondenaturing conditions has also been used to measure single-stranded DNA. Here, we describe a proximity ligation assay which uses genome-wide bromodeoxyuridine incorporation to label single-stranded DNA in order to measure the association of a protein of interest with single-stranded DNA. This method is advantageous over traditional foci analysis because it is more direct and specific than traditional foci co-localization microscopy methods, uses only one color channel, and can reveal protein-single-stranded DNA interactions that are rare and potentially undetectable using traditional microscopy methods. We show here the association of replication protein A and bromodeoxyuridine as proof-of-concept.

Dynamic Incorporation of Histone H3 Variants into Chromatin Is Essential for Acquisition of Aggressive Traits and Metastatic Colonization.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer mortality. Chromatin remodeling provides the foundation for the cellular reprogramming necessary to drive metastasis. However, little is known about the nature of this remodeling and its regulation. Here, we show that metastasis-inducing pathways regulate histone chaperones to reduce canonical histone incorporation into chromatin, triggering deposition of H3.3 variant at the promoters of poor-prognosis genes and metastasis-inducing transcription factors. This specific incorporation of H3.3 into chromatin is both necessary and sufficient for the induction of aggressive traits that allow for metastasis formation. Together, our data clearly show incorporation of histone variant H3.3 into chromatin as a major regulator of cell fate during tumorigenesis, and histone chaperones as valuable therapeutic targets for invasive carcinomas.

XLF and H2AX function in series to promote replication fork stability.

XRCC4-like factor (XLF) is a non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNA double strand break repair protein. However, XLF deficiency leads to phenotypes in mice and humans that are not necessarily consistent with an isolated defect in NHEJ. Here we show that XLF functions during DNA replication. XLF undergoes cell division cycle 7-dependent phosphorylation; associates with the replication factor C complex, a critical component of the replisome; and is found at replication forks. XLF deficiency leads to defects in replication fork progression and an increase in fork reversal. The additional loss of H2AX, which protects DNA ends from resection, leads to a requirement for ATR to prevent an MRE11-dependent loss of newly synthesized DNA and activation of DNA damage response. Moreover, H2ax-/-:Xlf-/- cells exhibit a marked dependence on the ATR kinase for survival. We propose that XLF and H2AX function in series to prevent replication stress induced by the MRE11-dependent resection of regressed arms at reversed replication forks.

Is Gcn4-induced autophagy the ultimate downstream mechanism by which hormesis extends yeast replicative lifespan?

The number of times a cell divides before irreversibly arresting is termed replicative lifespan. Despite discovery of many chemical, dietary and genetic interventions that extend replicative lifespan, usually first discovered in budding yeast and subsequently shown to apply to metazoans, there is still little understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms involved. One unifying theme is that most, if not all, interventions that extend replicative lifespan induce "hormesis", where a little inflicted damage makes cells more able to resist similar challenges in the future. One of the many cellular changes that occur during hormesis is a global reduction in protein synthesis, which has been linked to enhanced longevity in many organisms. Our recent study in budding yeast found that it was not the reduction in protein synthesis per se, but rather the subsequent induction of the conserved Gcn4 transcriptional regulator and its ability to induce autophagy that was responsible for extending replicative lifespan. We propose that Gcn4-dependent induction of autophagy occurring downstream of reduced global protein synthesis may be a unifying molecular mechanism for many interventions that extend replicative lifespan.

Ssd1 and Gcn2 suppress global translation efficiency in replicatively aged yeast while their activation extends lifespan.

Translational efficiency correlates with longevity, yet its role in lifespan determination remains unclear. Using ribosome profiling, translation efficiency is globally reduced during replicative aging in budding yeast by at least two mechanisms: Firstly, Ssd1 is induced during aging, sequestering mRNAs to P-bodies. Furthermore, Ssd1 overexpression in young cells reduced translation and extended lifespan, while loss of Ssd1 reduced the translational deficit of old cells and shortened lifespan. Secondly, phosphorylation of eIF2α, mediated by the stress kinase Gcn2, was elevated in old cells, contributing to the global reduction in translation without detectable induction of the downstream Gcn4 transcriptional activator. tRNA overexpression activated Gcn2 in young cells and extended lifespan in a manner dependent on Gcn4. Moreover, overexpression of Gcn4 sufficed to extend lifespan in an autophagy-dependent manner in the absence of changes in global translation, indicating that Gcn4-mediated autophagy induction is the ultimate downstream target of activated Gcn2, to extend lifespan.

MRI Is a DNA Damage Response Adaptor during Classical Non-homologous End Joining.

The modulator of retrovirus infection (MRI or CYREN) is a 30-kDa protein with a conserved N-terminal Ku-binding motif (KBM) and a C-terminal XLF-like motif (XLM). We show that MRI is intrinsically disordered and interacts with many DNA damage response (DDR) proteins, including the kinases ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and DNA-PKcs and the classical non-homologous end joining (cNHEJ) factors Ku70, Ku80, XRCC4, XLF, PAXX, and XRCC4. MRI forms large multimeric complexes that depend on its N and C termini and localizes to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), where it promotes the retention of DDR factors. Mice deficient in MRI and XLF exhibit embryonic lethality at a stage similar to those deficient in the core cNHEJ factors XRCC4 or DNA ligase IV. Moreover, MRI is required for cNHEJ-mediated DSB repair in XLF-deficient lymphocytes. We propose that MRI is an adaptor that, through multivalent interactions, increases the avidity of DDR factors to DSB-associated chromatin to promote cNHEJ.

The histone chaperone ASF1 regulates the activation of ATM and DNA-PKcs in response to DNA double-strand breaks.

The Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase and the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) are activated by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). These DSBs occur in the context of chromatin but how chromatin influences the activation of these kinases is not known. Here we show that loss of the replication-dependent chromatin assembly factors ASF1A/B or CAF-1 compromises ATM activation, while augmenting DNA-PKcs activation, in response to DNA DSBs. Cells deficient in ASF1A/B or CAF-1 exhibit reduced histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation (H4K16ac), a histone mark known to promote ATM activation. ASF1A interacts with the histone acetyl transferase, hMOF that mediates H4K16ac. ASF1A depletion leads to increased recruitment of DNA-PKcs to DSBs. We propose normal chromatin assembly and H4K16ac during DNA replication is required to regulate ATM and DNA-PKcs activity in response to the subsequent induction of DNA DSBs.