scholarly journals Imaging the response to DNA damage in heterochromatin domains reveals core principles of heterochromatin maintenance

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Fortuny ◽  
Audrey Chansard ◽  
Pierre Caron ◽  
Odile Chevallier ◽  
Olivier Leroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transcriptional Silencing ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Uv Damage

ABSTRACTHeterochromatin is a critical chromatin compartment, whose integrity governs genome stability and cell fate transitions. How heterochromatin features, including higher-order chromatin folding and histone modifications associated with transcriptional silencing, are maintained following a genotoxic stress challenge is unknown. Here, we establish a system for targeting UV damage to pericentric heterochromatin in mammalian cells and for tracking the heterochromatin response to UV in real time. We uncover profound heterochromatin compaction changes during repair, orchestrated by the UV damage sensor DDB2, which stimulates linker histone displacement from chromatin. Despite massive heterochromatin unfolding, heterochromatin-specific histone modifications and transcriptional silencing are maintained. We unveil a central role for the methyltransferase SETDB1 in the maintenance of heterochromatic histone marks after UV, SETDB1 coordinating histone methylation with new histone deposition in damaged heterochromatin, thus protecting cells from genome instability. Our data shed light on fundamental molecular mechanisms safeguarding higher-order chromatin integrity following DNA damage.

scholarly journals Imaging the response to DNA damage in heterochromatin domains reveals core principles of heterochromatin maintenance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Fortuny ◽  
Audrey Chansard ◽  
Pierre Caron ◽  
Odile Chevallier ◽  
Olivier Leroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transcriptional Silencing ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Uv Damage

AbstractHeterochromatin is a critical chromatin compartment, whose integrity governs genome stability and cell fate transitions. How heterochromatin features, including higher-order chromatin folding and histone modifications associated with transcriptional silencing, are maintained following a genotoxic stress challenge is unknown. Here, we establish a system for targeting UV damage to pericentric heterochromatin in mammalian cells and for tracking the heterochromatin response to UV in real time. We uncover profound heterochromatin compaction changes during repair, orchestrated by the UV damage sensor DDB2, which stimulates linker histone displacement from chromatin. Despite massive heterochromatin unfolding, heterochromatin-specific histone modifications and transcriptional silencing are maintained. We unveil a central role for the methyltransferase SETDB1 in the maintenance of heterochromatic histone marks after UV. SETDB1 coordinates histone methylation with new histone deposition in damaged heterochromatin, thus protecting cells from genome instability. Our data shed light on fundamental molecular mechanisms safeguarding higher-order chromatin integrity following DNA damage.

scholarly journals A targeted and tuneable DNA damage tool using CRISPR/Cas9

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Emmanouilidis ◽  
Natalia Fili ◽  
Alexander W. Cook ◽  
Yukti Hari-Gupta ◽  
Ália dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Guide Rnas ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Culture Models ◽  
Repair Pathways

ABSTRACTMammalian cells are constantly subjected to a variety of DNA damaging events that lead to the activation of DNA repair pathways. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of the DNA damage response allows the development of therapeutics which target elements of these pathways.Double-Strand Breaks (DSB) are particularly deleterious to cell viability and genome stability. Typically, DSB repair is studied using DNA damaging agents such as ionising irradiation or genotoxic drugs. These induce random lesions at non-predictive genome sites, where damage dosage is difficult to control. Such interventions are unsuitable for studying how different DNA damage recognition and repair pathways are invoked at specific DSB sites in relation to the local chromatin state.The RNA-guided Cas9 (CRISPR associated protein 9) endonuclease enzyme, is a powerful tool to mediate targeted genome alterations. Cas9-based genomic intervention is attained through DSB formation in the genomic area of interest. Here, we have harnessed the power to induce DSBs at defined quantities and locations across the human genome, using custom-designed promiscuous guide RNAs, based on in silico predictions. This was achieved using electroporation of recombinant Cas9-guide complex which provides a generic, low-cost and rapid methodology for inducing controlled DNA damage in cell culture models.

scholarly journals A Targeted and Tuneable DNA Damage Tool Using CRISPR/Cas9

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 288
Author(s):  
Ioannis Emmanouilidis ◽  
Natalia Fili ◽  
Alexander W. Cook ◽  
Yukti Hari-Gupta ◽  
Ália dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Guide Rnas ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Culture Models ◽  
Repair Pathways

Mammalian cells are constantly subjected to a variety of DNA damaging events that lead to the activation of DNA repair pathways. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of the DNA damage response allows the development of therapeutics which target elements of these pathways. Double-strand breaks (DSB) are particularly deleterious to cell viability and genome stability. Typically, DSB repair is studied using DNA damaging agents such as ionising irradiation or genotoxic drugs. These induce random lesions at non-predictive genome sites, where damage dosage is difficult to control. Such interventions are unsuitable for studying how different DNA damage recognition and repair pathways are invoked at specific DSB sites in relation to the local chromatin state. The RNA-guided Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) endonuclease enzyme is a powerful tool to mediate targeted genome alterations. Cas9-based genomic intervention is attained through DSB formation in the genomic area of interest. Here, we have harnessed the power to induce DSBs at defined quantities and locations across the human genome, using custom-designed promiscuous guide RNAs, based on in silico predictions. This was achieved using electroporation of recombinant Cas9-guide complex, which provides a generic, low-cost and rapid methodology for inducing controlled DNA damage in cell culture models.

scholarly journals Genome Maintenance Mechanisms at the Chromatin Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10384
Author(s):  
Hirotomo Takatsuka ◽  
Atsushi Shibata ◽  
Masaaki Umeda
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Genome Integrity ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Order Structure ◽  
Chromatin Modifications ◽  
Level Control ◽  
Regulatory Systems

Genome integrity is constantly threatened by internal and external stressors, in both animals and plants. As plants are sessile, a variety of environment stressors can damage their DNA. In the nucleus, DNA twines around histone proteins to form the higher-order structure “chromatin”. Unraveling how chromatin transforms on sensing genotoxic stress is, thus, key to understanding plant strategies to cope with fluctuating environments. In recent years, accumulating evidence in plant research has suggested that chromatin plays a crucial role in protecting DNA from genotoxic stress in three ways: (1) changes in chromatin modifications around damaged sites enhance DNA repair by providing a scaffold and/or easy access to DNA repair machinery; (2) DNA damage triggers genome-wide alterations in chromatin modifications, globally modulating gene expression required for DNA damage response, such as stem cell death, cell-cycle arrest, and an early onset of endoreplication; and (3) condensed chromatin functions as a physical barrier against genotoxic stressors to protect DNA. In this review, we highlight the chromatin-level control of genome stability and compare the regulatory systems in plants and animals to find out unique mechanisms maintaining genome integrity under genotoxic stress.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle-Induced Genotoxicity

Materials ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agmal Scherzad ◽  
Till Meyer ◽  
Norbert Kleinsasser ◽  
Stephan Hackenberg
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Zinc Oxide ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Oxidative Dna Damage ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Zno Nps ◽  
Cytotoxic Effects

Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are among the most frequently applied nanomaterials in consumer products. Evidence exists regarding the cytotoxic effects of ZnO NPs in mammalian cells; however, knowledge about the potential genotoxicity of ZnO NPs is rare, and results presented in the current literature are inconsistent. Objectives: The aim of this review is to summarize the existing data regarding the DNA damage that ZnO NPs induce, and focus on the possible molecular mechanisms underlying genotoxic events. Methods: Electronic literature databases were systematically searched for studies that report on the genotoxicity of ZnO NPs. Results: Several methods and different endpoints demonstrate the genotoxic potential of ZnO NPs. Most publications describe in vitro assessments of the oxidative DNA damage triggered by dissoluted Zn2+ ions. Most genotoxicological investigations of ZnO NPs address acute exposure situations. Conclusion: Existing evidence indicates that ZnO NPs possibly have the potential to damage DNA. However, there is a lack of long-term exposure experiments that clarify the intracellular bioaccumulation of ZnO NPs and the possible mechanisms of DNA repair and cell survival.

scholarly journals Hypersensitivity to DNA damage leads to increased apoptosis during early mouse development

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 2072-2084
Author(s):  
Babette S. Heyer ◽  
Alasdair MacAuley ◽  
Ole Behrendtsen ◽  
Zena Werb
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Embryonic Cells ◽  
Mouse Development ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Proliferation And Differentiation ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Early Mouse ◽  
Surveillance Mechanism

Gastrulation in mice is associated with the start of extreme proliferation and differentiation. The potential cost to the embryo of a very rapid proliferation rate is a high production of damaged cells. We demonstrate a novel surveillance mechanism for the elimination of cells damaged by ionizing radiation during mouse gastrulation. During this restricted developmental window, the embryo becomes hypersensitive to DNA damage induced by low dose irradiation (<0.5 Gy) and undergoes apoptosis without cell cycle arrest. Intriguingly, embryonic cells, including germ cell progenitors, but not extraembryonic cells, become hypersensitive to genotoxic stress and undergo Atm- and p53-dependent apoptosis. Thus, hypersensitivity to apoptosis in the early mouse embryo is a cell fate-dependent mechanism to ensure genomic integrity during a period of extreme proliferation and differentiation.

scholarly journals The nucleosome: orchestrating DNA damage signaling and repair within chromatin

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (5) ◽  
pp. 381-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poonam Agarwal ◽  
Kyle M. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Damage Response ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Chromatin Structure ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current View ◽  
Target Specificity ◽  
Dna Damage Signaling ◽  
Damage Response ◽  
Transcription And Replication

DNA damage occurs within the chromatin environment, which ultimately participates in regulating DNA damage response (DDR) pathways and repair of the lesion. DNA damage activates a cascade of signaling events that extensively modulates chromatin structure and organization to coordinate DDR factor recruitment to the break and repair, whilst also promoting the maintenance of normal chromatin functions within the damaged region. For example, DDR pathways must avoid conflicts between other DNA-based processes that function within the context of chromatin, including transcription and replication. The molecular mechanisms governing the recognition, target specificity, and recruitment of DDR factors and enzymes to the fundamental repeating unit of chromatin, i.e., the nucleosome, are poorly understood. Here we present our current view of how chromatin recognition by DDR factors is achieved at the level of the nucleosome. Emerging evidence suggests that the nucleosome surface, including the nucleosome acidic patch, promotes the binding and activity of several DNA damage factors on chromatin. Thus, in addition to interactions with damaged DNA and histone modifications, nucleosome recognition by DDR factors plays a key role in orchestrating the requisite chromatin response to maintain both genome and epigenome integrity.

scholarly journals MORC2 regulates DNA damage response through a PARP1-dependent pathway

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (16) ◽  
pp. 8502-8520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Da-Qiang Li
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Zinc Finger ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Dna Damage Response ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Dna Lesions ◽  
Damage Response

Abstract Microrchidia family CW-type zinc finger 2 (MORC2) is a newly identified chromatin remodeling enzyme with an emerging role in DNA damage response (DDR), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), a key chromatin-associated enzyme responsible for the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymers in mammalian cells, interacts with and PARylates MORC2 at two residues within its conserved CW-type zinc finger domain. Following DNA damage, PARP1 recruits MORC2 to DNA damage sites and catalyzes MORC2 PARylation, which stimulates its ATPase and chromatin remodeling activities. Mutation of PARylation residues in MORC2 results in reduced cell survival after DNA damage. MORC2, in turn, stabilizes PARP1 through enhancing acetyltransferase NAT10-mediated acetylation of PARP1 at lysine 949, which blocks its ubiquitination at the same residue and subsequent degradation by E3 ubiquitin ligase CHFR. Consequently, depletion of MORC2 or expression of an acetylation-defective PARP1 mutant impairs DNA damage-induced PAR production and PAR-dependent recruitment of DNA repair proteins to DNA lesions, leading to enhanced sensitivity to genotoxic stress. Collectively, these findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanistic link between MORC2 and PARP1 in the regulation of cellular response to DNA damage.

scholarly journals Cell Cycle and DNA Repair Regulation in the Damage Response: Protein Phosphatases Take Over the Reins

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián Campos ◽  
Andrés Clemente-Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Damage ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Protein Phosphatases ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Protein Composition ◽  
Genotoxic Stress ◽  
Damage Response ◽  
Protein Dephosphorylation

Cells are constantly suffering genotoxic stresses that affect the integrity of our genetic material. Genotoxic insults must be repaired to avoid the loss or inappropriate transmission of the genetic information, a situation that could lead to the appearance of developmental abnormalities and tumorigenesis. To combat this threat, eukaryotic cells have evolved a set of sophisticated molecular mechanisms that are collectively known as the DNA damage response (DDR). This surveillance system controls several aspects of the cellular response, including the detection of lesions, a temporary cell cycle arrest, and the repair of the broken DNA. While the regulation of the DDR by numerous kinases has been well documented over the last decade, the complex roles of protein dephosphorylation have only recently begun to be investigated. Here, we review recent progress in the characterization of DDR-related protein phosphatases during the response to a DNA lesion, focusing mainly on their ability to modulate the DNA damage checkpoint and the repair of the damaged DNA. We also discuss their protein composition and structure, target specificity, and biochemical regulation along the different stages encompassed in the DDR. The compilation of this information will allow us to better comprehend the physiological significance of protein dephosphorylation in the maintenance of genome integrity and cell viability in response to genotoxic stress.

Control of genome stability by Slx protein complexes

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rouse
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Alkylating Agents ◽  
Strand Break

The six Saccharomyces cerevisiae SLX genes were identified in a screen for factors required for the viability of cells lacking Sgs1, a member of the RecQ helicase family involved in processing stalled replisomes and in the maintenance of genome stability. The six SLX gene products form three distinct heterodimeric complexes, and all three have catalytic activity. Slx3–Slx2 (also known as Mus81–Mms4) and Slx1–Slx4 are both heterodimeric endonucleases with a marked specificity for branched replication fork-like DNA species, whereas Slx5–Slx8 is a SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier)-targeted E3 ubiquitin ligase. All three complexes play important, but distinct, roles in different aspects of the cellular response to DNA damage and perturbed DNA replication. Slx4 interacts physically not only with Slx1, but also with Rad1–Rad10 [XPF (xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F)–ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementing 1) in humans], another structure-specific endonuclease that participates in the repair of UV-induced DNA damage and in a subpathway of recombinational DNA DSB (double-strand break) repair. Curiously, Slx4 is essential for repair of DSBs by Rad1–Rad10, but is not required for repair of UV damage. Slx4 also promotes cellular resistance to DNA-alkylating agents that block the progression of replisomes during DNA replication, by facilitating the error-free mode of lesion bypass. This does not require Slx1 or Rad1–Rad10, and so Slx4 has several distinct roles in protecting genome stability. In the present article, I provide an overview of our current understanding of the cellular roles of the Slx proteins, paying particular attention to the advances that have been made in understanding the cellular roles of Slx4. In particular, protein–protein interactions and underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed and I draw attention to the many questions that have yet to be answered.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document