RESUMO
Targeting poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) is currently explored as a therapeutic approach to treat various cancer types, but we have a poor understanding of the specific genetic vulnerabilities that would make cancer cells susceptible to such a tailored therapy. Moreover, the identification of such vulnerabilities is of interest for targeting BRCA2;p53-deficient tumors that have acquired resistance to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) through loss of PARG expression. Here, by performing whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9 drop-out screens, we identify various genes involved in DNA repair to be essential for the survival of PARG;BRCA2;p53-deficient cells. In particular, our findings reveal EXO1 and FEN1 as major synthetic lethal interactors of PARG loss. We provide evidence for compromised replication fork progression, DNA single-strand break repair, and Okazaki fragment processing in PARG;BRCA2;p53-deficient cells, alterations that exacerbate the effects of EXO1/FEN1 inhibition and become lethal in this context. Since this sensitivity is dependent on BRCA2 defects, we propose to target EXO1/FEN1 in PARPi-resistant tumors that have lost PARG activity. Moreover, EXO1/FEN1 targeting may be a useful strategy for enhancing the effect of PARG inhibitors in homologous recombination-deficient tumors.
Assuntos
Neoplasias , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53 , Humanos , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo , Reparo do DNA , Dano ao DNA , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias/genética , Inibidores de Poli(ADP-Ribose) Polimerases/farmacologia , Glicosídeo Hidrolases/genética , Glicosídeo Hidrolases/metabolismo , Endonucleases Flap/genética , Endonucleases Flap/metabolismo , Endonucleases Flap/uso terapêutico , Exodesoxirribonucleases/genética , Enzimas Reparadoras do DNA/genéticaRESUMO
In response to DNA damage, the histone PARylation factor 1 (HPF1) regulates PARP1/2 activity, facilitating serine ADP-ribosylation of chromatin-associated factors. While PARP1/2 are known for their role in DNA single-strand break repair (SSBR), the significance of HPF1 in this process remains unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of HPF1 deficiency on cellular survival and SSBR following exposure to various genotoxins. We found that HPF1 loss did not generally increase cellular sensitivity to agents that typically induce DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) repaired by PARP1. SSBR kinetics in HPF1-deficient cells were largely unaffected, though its absence partially influenced the accumulation of SSB intermediates after exposure to specific genotoxins in certain cell lines, likely due to altered ADP-ribosylation of chromatin. Despite reduced serine mono-ADP-ribosylation, HPF1-deficient cells maintained robust poly-ADP-ribosylation at SSB sites, possibly reflecting PARP1 auto-poly-ADP-ribosylation at non-serine residues. Notably, poly-ADP-ribose chains were sufficient to recruit the DNA repair factor XRCC1, which may explain the relatively normal SSBR capacity in HPF1-deficient cells. These findings suggest that HPF1 and histone serine ADP-ribosylation are largely dispensable for PARP1-dependent SSBR in response to genotoxic stress, highlighting the complexity of mechanisms that maintain genomic stability and chromatin remodeling.