PCNA ubiquitination and REV1 define temporally distinct mechanisms for controlling translesion synthesis in the avian cell line DT40

Relevance of simultaneous mono-ubiquitinations of multiple units of PCNA homo-trimers in DNA damage tolerance

DNA damage tolerance (DDT) pathways, including translesion synthesis (TLS) and additional unknown mechanisms, enable recovery from replication arrest at DNA lesions. DDT pathways are regulated by post-translational modifications of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) at its K164 residue. In particular, mono-ubiquitination by the ubiquitin ligase RAD18 is crucial for Polη-mediated TLS. Although the importance of modifications of PCNA to DDT pathways is well known, the relevance of its homo-trimer form, in which three K164 residues are present in a single ring, remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that multiple units of a PCNA homo-trimer are simultaneously mono-ubiquitinated in vitro and in vivo. RAD18 catalyzed sequential mono-ubiquitinations of multiple units of a PCNA homo-trimer in a reconstituted system. Exogenous PCNA formed hetero-trimers with endogenous PCNA in WI38VA13 cell transformants. When K164R-mutated PCNA was expressed in these cells at levels that depleted endogenous PCNA homo-trimers, multiple modifications of PCNA complexes were reduced and the cells showed defects in DDT after UV irradiation. Notably, ectopic expression of mutant PCNA increased the UV sensitivities of Polη-proficient, Polη-deficient, and REV1-depleted cells, suggesting the disruption of a DDT pathway distinct from the Polη- and REV1-mediated pathways. These results suggest that simultaneous modifications of multiple units of a PCNA homo-trimer are required for a certain DDT pathway in human cells.

Contributions of the specialised DNA polymerases to replication of structured DNA

It is becoming increasingly clear that processive DNA replication is threatened not only by DNA damage but also by secondary structures that can form in the DNA template. Failure to resolve these structures promptly leads to both genetic instability, for instance DNA breaks and rearrangements, and to epigenetic instability, in which inaccurate propagation of the parental chromatin state leads to unscheduled changes in gene expression. Multiple overlapping mechanisms are needed to deal with the wide range of potential DNA structural challenges to replication. This review focuses on the emerging mechanisms by which specialised DNA polymerases, best known for their role in the replication of damaged DNA, contribute to the replication of undamaged but structured DNA, particularly G quadruplexes.

Cancer therapy and replication stress: forks on the road to perdition

Deregulated DNA replication occurs in cancer where it contributes to genomic instability. This process is a target of cytotoxic therapies. Chemotherapies exploit high DNA replication in cancer cells by modifying the DNA template or by inhibiting vital enzymatic activities that lead to slowing or stalling replication fork progression. Stalled replication forks can be converted into toxic DNA double-strand breaks resulting in cell death, i.e., replication stress. While likely crucial for many cancer treatments, replication stress is poorly understood due to its complexity. While we still know relatively little about the role of replication stress in cancer therapy, technical advances in recent years have shed new light on the effect that cancer therapeutics have on replication forks and the molecular mechanisms that lead from obstructed fork progression to cell death. This chapter will give an overview of our current understanding of replication stress in the context of cancer therapy.

The POLD3 subunit of DNA polymerase δ can promote translesion synthesis independently of DNA polymerase ζ

The replicative DNA polymerase Polδ consists of a catalytic subunit POLD1/p125 and three regulatory subunits POLD2/p50, POLD3/p66 and POLD4/p12. The ortholog of POLD3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pol32, is required for a significant proportion of spontaneous and UV-induced mutagenesis through its additional role in translesion synthesis (TLS) as a subunit of DNA polymerase ζ. Remarkably, chicken DT40 B lymphocytes deficient in POLD3 are viable and able to replicate undamaged genomic DNA with normal kinetics. Like its counterpart in yeast, POLD3 is required for fully effective TLS, its loss resulting in hypersensitivity to a variety of DNA damaging agents, a diminished ability to maintain replication fork progression after UV irradiation and a significant decrease in abasic site-induced mutagenesis in the immunoglobulin loci. However, these defects appear to be largely independent of Polζ, suggesting that POLD3 makes a significant contribution to TLS independently of Polζ in DT40 cells. Indeed, combining polη, polζ and pold3 mutations results in synthetic lethality. Additionally, we show in vitro that POLD3 promotes extension beyond an abasic by the Polδ holoenzyme suggesting that while POLD3 is not required for normal replication, it may help Polδ to complete abasic site bypass independently of canonical TLS polymerases.

Roles of mutagenic translesion synthesis in mammalian genome stability, health and disease

Most spontaneous and DNA damage-induced nucleotide substitutions in eukaryotes depend on translesion synthesis polymerases Rev1 and Pol ζ, the latter consisting of the catalytic subunit Rev3 and the accessory protein Rev7. Here we review the regulation, and the biochemical and cellular functions, of Rev1/Pol ζ-dependent translesion synthesis. These are correlated with phenotypes of mouse models with defects in Rev1, Rev3 or Rev7. The data indicate that Rev1/Pol ζ-mediated translesion synthesis is important for adaptive immunity while playing paradoxical roles in oncogenesis. On the other hand, by enabling the replication of endogenously damaged templates, Rev1/Pol ζ -dependent translesion synthesis protects stem cells, thereby preventing features of ageing. In conclusion, Rev1/Pol ζ-dependent translesion synthesis at DNA helix-distorting nucleotide lesions orchestrates pleiotropic responses that determine organismal fitness and disease.

Roles of PCNA ubiquitination and TLS polymerases κ and η in the bypass of methyl methanesulfonate-induced DNA damage

Translesion synthesis (TLS) provides a highly conserved mechanism that enables DNA synthesis on a damaged template. TLS is performed by specialized DNA polymerases of which polymerase (Pol) κ is important for the cellular response to DNA damage induced by benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), ultraviolet (UV) light and the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). As TLS polymerases are intrinsically error-prone, tight regulation of their activity is required. One level of control is provided by ubiquitination of the homotrimeric DNA clamp PCNA at lysine residue 164 (PCNA-Ub). We here show that Polκ can function independently of PCNA modification and that Polη can function as a backup during TLS of MMS-induced lesions. Compared to cell lines deficient for PCNA modification (Pcna(K164R)) or Polκ, double mutant cell lines display hypersensitivity to MMS but not to BPDE or UV-C. Double mutant cells also displayed delayed post-replicative TLS, accumulate higher levels of replication stress and delayed S-phase progression. Furthermore, we show that Polη and Polκ are redundant in the DNA damage bypass of MMS-induced DNA damage. Taken together, we provide evidence for PCNA-Ub-independent activation of Polκ and establish Polη as an important backup polymerase in the absence of Polκ in response to MMS-induced DNA damage.

Determinants of G quadruplex-induced epigenetic instability in REV1-deficient cells

REV1-deficient chicken DT40 cells are compromised in replicating G quadruplex (G4)-forming DNA. This results in localised, stochastic loss of parental chromatin marks and changes in gene expression. We previously proposed that this epigenetic instability arises from G4-induced replication fork stalls disrupting the accurate propagation of chromatin structure through replication. Here, we test this model by showing that a single G4 motif is responsible for the epigenetic instability of the BU-1 locus in REV1-deficient cells, despite its location 3.5 kb from the transcription start site (TSS). The effect of the G4 is dependent on it residing on the leading strand template, but is independent of its in vitro thermal stability. Moving the motif to more than 4 kb from the TSS stabilises expression of the gene. However, loss of histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K9/14ac) around the transcription start site correlates with the position of the G4 motif, expression being lost only when the promoter is affected. This supports the idea that processive replication is required to maintain the histone modification pattern and full transcription of this model locus.

Homologous recombination maintenance of genome integrity during DNA damage tolerance

The DNA strand exchange protein Rad51 provides a safe mechanism for the repair of DNA breaks using the information of a homologous DNA template. Homologous recombination (HR) also plays a key role in the response to DNA damage that impairs the advance of the replication forks by providing mechanisms to circumvent the lesion and fill in the tracks of single-stranded DNA that are generated during the process of lesion bypass. These activities postpone repair of the blocking lesion to ensure that DNA replication is completed in a timely manner. Experimental evidence generated over the last few years indicates that HR participates in this DNA damage tolerance response together with additional error-free (template switch) and error-prone (translesion synthesis) mechanisms through intricate connections, which are presented here. The choice between repair and tolerance, and the mechanism of tolerance, is critical to avoid increased mutagenesis and/or genome rearrangements, which are both hallmarks of cancer.

The fork and the kinase: a DNA replication tale from a CHK1 perspective

Replication fork progression is being continuously hampered by exogenously introduced and naturally occurring DNA lesions and other physical obstacles. Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is activated at replication forks that encounter damaged DNA. Subsequently, Chk1 inhibits the initiation of new replication factories and stimulates the firing of dormant origins (those in the vicinity of stalled forks). Chk1 also avoids fork collapse into DSBs (double strand breaks) and promotes fork elongation. At the molecular level, the current model considers stalled forks as the site of Chk1 activation and the nucleoplasm as the location where Chk1 phosphorylates target proteins. This model certainly serves to explain how Chk1 modulates origin firing, but how Chk1 controls the fate of stalled forks is less clear. Interestingly, recent reports demonstrating that Chk1 phosphorylates chromatin-bound proteins and even holds kinase-independent functions might shed light on how Chk1 contributes to the elongation of damaged DNA. Indeed, such findings have unveiled a puzzling connection between Chk1 and DNA lesion bypass, which might be central to promoting fork elongation and checkpoint attenuation. In summary, Chk1 is a multifaceted and versatile signaling factor that acts at ongoing forks and replication origins to determine the extent and quality of the cellular response to replication stress.

Histone H3.3 is required to maintain replication fork progression after UV damage

Unlike histone H3, which is present only in S phase, the variant histone H3.3 is expressed throughout the cell cycle [1] and is incorporated into chromatin independent of replication [2]. Recently, H3.3 has been implicated in the cellular response to ultraviolet (UV) light [3]. Here, we show that chicken DT40 cells completely lacking H3.3 are hypersensitive to UV light, a defect that epistasis analysis suggests may result from less-effective nucleotide excision repair. Unexpectedly, H3.3-deficient cells also exhibit a substantial defect in maintaining replication fork progression on UV-damaged DNA, which is independent of nucleotide excision repair, demonstrating a clear requirement for H3.3 during S phase. Both the UV hypersensitivity and replication fork slowing are reversed by expression of H3.3 and require the specific residues in the α2 helix that are responsible for H3.3 binding its dedicated chaperones. However, expression of an H3.3 mutant in which serine 31 is replaced with alanine, the equivalent residue in H3.2, restores normal fork progression but not UV resistance, suggesting that H3.3[S31A] may be incorporated at UV-damaged forks but is unable to help cells tolerate UV lesions. Similar behavior was observed with expression of H3.3 carrying mutations at K27 and G34, which have been reported in pediatric brain cancers. We speculate that incorporation of H3.3 during replication may mark sites of lesion bypass and, possibly through an as-yet-unidentified function of the N-terminal tail, facilitate subsequent processing of the damage.

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We report a vertebrate cell line completely lacking the histone variant H3.3

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H3.3-deficient cells are hypersensitive to DNA damage

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A supply of H3.3 is required to maintain fork progression after UV damage

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This S phase role requires the distinct chaperone-binding patch of H3.3

WRNIP1 functions upstream of DNA polymerase η in the UV-induced DNA damage response

WRNIP1 (WRN-interacting protein 1) was first identified as a factor that interacts with WRN, the protein that is defective in Werner syndrome (WS). WRNIP1 associates with DNA polymerase η (Polη), but the biological significance of this interaction remains unknown. In this study, we analyzed the functional interaction between WRNIP1 and Polη by generating knockouts of both genes in DT40 chicken cells. Disruption of WRNIP1 in Polη-disrupted (POLH(-/-)) cells suppressed the phenotypes associated with the loss of Polη: sensitivity to ultraviolet light (UV), delayed repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD), elevated frequency of mutation, elevated levels of UV-induced sister chromatid exchange (SCE), and reduced rate of fork progression after UV irradiation. These results suggest that WRNIP1 functions upstream of Polη in the response to UV irradiation.

Tolerating DNA damage during eukaryotic chromosome replication

In eukaryotes, the evolutionarily conserved RAD6/RAD18 pathway of DNA damage tolerance overcomes unrepaired DNA lesions that interfere with the progression of replication forks, helping to ensure the completion of chromosome replication and the maintenance of genome stability in every cell cycle. This pathway uses two different strategies for damage bypass: translesion DNA synthesis, which is carried out by specialized polymerases that can replicate across the lesions, and DNA damage avoidance, a process that relies on a switch to an undamaged-DNA template for synthesis past the lesion. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on DNA damage tolerance mechanisms mediated by RAD6/RAD18 that are used by eukaryotic cells to cope with DNA lesions during chromosome replication.

Sphingosine, a modulator of human translesion DNA polymerase activity

Translesion (TLS) DNA polymerases are specialized, error-prone enzymes that synthesize DNA across bulky, replication-stalling DNA adducts. In so doing, they facilitate the progression of DNA synthesis and promote cell proliferation. To potentiate the effect of cancer chemotherapeutic regimens, we sought to identify inhibitors of TLS DNA polymerases. We screened five libraries of ∼ 3000 small molecules, including one comprising ∼ 600 nucleoside analogs, for their effect on primer extension activity of DNA polymerase η (Pol η). We serendipitously identified sphingosine, a lipid-signaling molecule that robustly stimulates the activity of Pol η by ∼ 100-fold at low micromolar concentrations but inhibits it at higher concentrations. This effect is specific to the Y-family DNA polymerases, Pols η, κ, and ι. The addition of a single phosphate group on sphingosine completely abrogates this effect. Likewise, the inclusion of other sphingolipids, including ceramide and sphingomyelin to extension reactions does not elicit this response. Sphingosine increases the rate of correct and incorrect nucleotide incorporation while having no effect on polymerase processivity. Endogenous Pol η activity is modulated similarly as the recombinant enzyme. Importantly, sphingosine-treated cells exhibit increased lesion bypass activity, and sphingosine tethered to membrane lipids mimics the effects of free sphingosine. Our studies have uncovered sphingosine as a modulator of TLS DNA polymerase activity; this property of sphingosine may be associated with its known role as a signaling molecule in regulating cell proliferation in response to cellular stress.

Kinetics, structure, and mechanism of 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine bypass by human DNA polymerase η

DNA damage incurred by a multitude of endogenous and exogenous factors constitutes an inevitable challenge for the replication machinery. Cells rely on various mechanisms to either remove lesions or bypass them in a more or less error-prone fashion. The latter pathway involves the Y-family polymerases that catalyze trans-lesion synthesis across sites of damaged DNA. 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) is a major lesion that is a consequence of oxidative stress and is associated with cancer, aging, hepatitis, and infertility. We have used steady-state and transient-state kinetics in conjunction with mass spectrometry to analyze in vitro bypass of 8-oxoG by human DNA polymerase η (hpol η). Unlike the high fidelity polymerases that show preferential insertion of A opposite 8-oxoG, hpol η is capable of bypassing 8-oxoG in a mostly error-free fashion, thus preventing GC→AT transversion mutations. Crystal structures of ternary hpol η-DNA complexes and incoming dCTP, dATP, or dGTP opposite 8-oxoG reveal that an arginine from the finger domain assumes a key role in avoiding formation of the nascent 8-oxoG:A pair. That hpol η discriminates against dATP exclusively at the insertion stage is confirmed by structures of ternary complexes that allow visualization of the extension step. These structures with G:dCTP following either 8-oxoG:C or 8-oxoG:A pairs exhibit virtually identical active site conformations. Our combined data provide a detailed understanding of hpol η bypass of the most common oxidative DNA lesion.

PrimPol bypasses UV photoproducts during eukaryotic chromosomal DNA replication

DNA damage can stall the DNA replication machinery, leading to genomic instability. Thus, numerous mechanisms exist to complete genome duplication in the absence of a pristine DNA template, but identification of the enzymes involved remains incomplete. Here, we establish that Primase-Polymerase (PrimPol; CCDC111), an archaeal-eukaryotic primase (AEP) in eukaryotic cells, is involved in chromosomal DNA replication. PrimPol is required for replication fork progression on ultraviolet (UV) light-damaged DNA templates, possibly mediated by its ability to catalyze translesion synthesis (TLS) of these lesions. This PrimPol UV lesion bypass pathway is not epistatic with the Pol η-dependent pathway and, as a consequence, protects xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XP-V) patient cells from UV-induced cytotoxicity. In addition, we establish that PrimPol is also required for efficient replication fork progression during an unperturbed S phase. These and other findings indicate that PrimPol is an important player in replication fork progression in eukaryotic cells.

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PrimPol is a DNA primase-polymerase catalyzing bypass of UV and oxidative lesions

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PrimPol operates in a UV lesion tolerance pathway that is non-epistatic with Pol η

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PrimPol null cells are defective in fork progression, particularly after UV treatment

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Loss of PrimPol leads to increased mitotic chromosomal breaks

Gap-filling and bypass at the replication fork are both active mechanisms for tolerance of low-dose ultraviolet-induced DNA damage in the human genome

Ultraviolet (UV)-induced DNA damage are removed by nucleotide excision repair (NER) or can be tolerated by specialized translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerases, such as Polη. TLS may act at stalled replication forks or through an S-phase independent gap-filling mechanism. After UVC irradiation, Polη-deficient (XP-V) human cells were arrested in early S-phase and exhibited both single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and prolonged replication fork stalling, as detected by DNA fiber assay. In contrast, NER deficiency in XP-C cells caused no apparent defect in S-phase progression despite the accumulation of ssDNA and a G2-phase arrest. These data indicate that while Polη is essential for DNA synthesis at ongoing damaged replication forks, NER deficiency might unmask the involvement of tolerance pathway through a gap-filling mechanism. ATR knock down by siRNA or caffeine addition provoked increased cell death in both XP-V and XP-C cells exposed to low-dose of UVC, underscoring the involvement of ATR/Chk1 pathway in both DNA damage tolerance mechanisms. We generated a unique human cell line deficient in XPC and Polη proteins, which exhibited both S- and G2-phase arrest after UVC irradiation, consistent with both single deficiencies. In these XP-C/Polη(KD) cells, UVC-induced replicative intermediates may collapse into double-strand breaks, leading to cell death. In conclusion, both TLS at stalled replication forks and gap-filling are active mechanisms for the tolerance of UVC-induced DNA damage in human cells and the preference for one or another pathway depends on the cellular genotype.

Replicating damaged DNA in eukaryotes

DNA damage is one of many possible perturbations that challenge the mechanisms that preserve genetic stability during the copying of the eukaryotic genome in S phase. This short review provides, in the first part, a general introduction to the topic and an overview of checkpoint responses. In the second part, the mechanisms of error-free tolerance in response to fork-arresting DNA damage will be discussed in some detail.

N-Aroyl indole thiobarbituric acids as inhibitors of DNA repair and replication stress response polymerases

Using a robust and quantitative assay, we have identified a novel class of DNA polymerase inhibitors that exhibits some specificity against an enzyme involved in resistance to anti-cancer drugs, namely, human DNA polymerase eta (hpol η). In our initial screen, we identified the indole thiobarbituric acid (ITBA) derivative 5-((1-(2-bromobenzoyl)-5-chloro-1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (ITBA-12) as an inhibitor of the Y-family DNA member hpol η, an enzyme that has been associated with increased resistance to cisplatin and doxorubicin treatments. An additional seven DNA polymerases from different subfamilies were tested for inhibition by ITBA-12. Hpol η was the most potently inhibited enzyme (30 ± 3 μM), with hpol β, hpol γ, and hpol κ exhibiting comparable but higher IC50 values of 41 ± 24, 49 ± 6, and 59 ± 11 μM, respectively. The other polymerases tested had IC50 values closer to 80 μM. Steady-state kinetic analysis was used to investigate the mechanism of polymerase inhibition by ITBA-12. Based on changes in the Michaelis constant, it was determined that ITBA-12 acts as an allosteric (or partial) competitive inhibitor of dNTP binding. The parent ITBA scaffold was modified to produce 20 derivatives and establish structure-activity relationships by testing for inhibition of hpol η. Two compounds with N-naphthoyl Ar-substituents, ITBA-16 and ITBA-19, were both found to have improved potency against hpol η with IC50 values of 16 ± 3 μM and 17 ± 3 μM, respectively. Moreover, the specificity of ITBA-16 was improved relative to that of ITBA-12. The presence of a chloro substituent at position 5 on the indole ring appears to be crucial for effective inhibition of hpol η, with the indole N-1-naphthoyl and N-2-naphthoyl analogues being the most potent inhibitors of hpol η. These results provide a framework from which second-generation ITBA derivatives may be developed against specialized polymerases that are involved in mechanisms of radio- and chemo-resistance.

Single cell analysis of human RAD18-dependent DNA post-replication repair by alkaline bromodeoxyuridine comet assay

Damage to DNA can block replication progression resulting in gaps in the newly synthesized DNA. Cells utilize a number of post-replication repair (PRR) mechanisms such as the RAD18 controlled translesion synthesis or template switching to overcome the discontinuities formed opposite the DNA lesions and to complete DNA replication. Gaining more insights into the role of PRR genes promotes better understanding of DNA damage tolerance and of how their malfunction can lead to increased genome instability and cancer. However, a simple and efficient method to characterise gene specific PRR deficiencies at a single cell level has not been developed. Here we describe the so named BrdU comet PRR assay to test the contribution of human RAD18 to PRR at a single cell level, by which we kinetically characterized the consequences of the deletion of human RAD18 on the replication of UV-damaged DNA. Moreover, we demonstrate the capability of our method to evaluate PRR at a single cell level in unsynchronized cell population.

UV-triggered p21 degradation facilitates damaged-DNA replication and preserves genomic stability

Although many genotoxic treatments upregulate the cyclin kinase inhibitor p21, agents such as UV irradiation trigger p21 degradation. This suggests that p21 blocks a process relevant for the cellular response to UV. Here, we show that forced p21 stabilization after UV strongly impairs damaged-DNA replication, which is associated with permanent deficiencies in the recruitment of DNA polymerases from the Y family involved in translesion DNA synthesis), with the accumulation of DNA damage markers and increased genomic instability. Remarkably, such noxious effects disappear when disrupting the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) interacting motif of stable p21, thus suggesting that the release of PCNA from p21 interaction is sufficient to allow the recruitment to PCNA of partners (such as Y polymerases) relevant for the UV response. Expression of degradable p21 only transiently delays early replication events and Y polymerase recruitment after UV irradiation. These temporary defects disappear in a manner that correlates with p21 degradation with no detectable consequences on later replication events or genomic stability. Together, our findings suggest that the biological role of UV-triggered p21 degradation is to prevent replication defects by facilitating the tolerance of UV-induced DNA lesions.

Rescuing stalled or damaged replication forks

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that prokaryotes and eukaryotes are armed with sophisticated mechanisms to restart stalled or collapsed replication forks. Although these processes are better understood in bacteria, major breakthroughs have also been made to explain how fork restart mechanisms operate in eukaryotic cells. In particular, repriming on the leading strand and fork regression are now established as critical for the maintenance and recovery of stalled forks in both systems. Despite the lack of conservation between the factors involved, these mechanisms are strikingly similar in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, they differ in that fork restart occurs in the context of chromatin in eukaryotes and is controlled by multiple regulatory pathways.

Regulatory role of ubiquitin in eukaryotic DNA translesion synthesis

Although often associated with proteasome-mediated protein degradation, ubiquitin plays essential nondegradative roles in a myriad of cellular processes, including chromatin dynamics, membrane trafficking, innate immunity, and DNA damage response. The recent progress in understanding DNA translesion synthesis (TLS), an important branch of DNA damage response, has largely been stimulated by the finding that ubiquitination of an essential nuclear protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), controls precisely how eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage. Despite the remarkable activity of the TLS polymerases in synthesizing past the damaged nucleotides, they are intrinsically error-prone on the normal DNA template. Therefore, a stringent regulation of the TLS polymerases is essential for the faithful replication of the DNA genome. Here we review the structure and function of the Y-family TLS polymerases and their interactions with ubiquitin and monoubiquitinated PCNA (Ub-PCNA). Driven by the need for monoubiquitinated PCNA in a sufficient quantity and purity, researchers developed both chemical and enzymatic methods for PCNA monoubiquitination, which have propelled our understanding of the structure of Ub-PCNA by X-ray crystallography and small-angle X-ray scattering. Together with studies using a reconstituted polymerase switching assay, these investigations revealed a surprising conformational flexibility of ubiquitin as a modifier on PCNA. Although the molecular details of TLS in cells still need to be deciphered, two working models, polymerase switching and postreplicative gap filling, have been proposed and tested in both in vitro and cellular systems. Evidence for both models is discussed herein. Compared to PCNA monoubiquitination, polyubiquitination of PCNA in DNA damage response is much less well understood and will be the subject of a future investigation. Given the close connection of DNA damage response and anticancer therapy, an in-depth understanding of the eukaryotic translesion synthesis and its regulation by ubiquitin will likely provide new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Regulation of PCNA-protein interactions for genome stability

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) has a central role in promoting faithful DNA replication, providing a molecular platform that facilitates the myriad protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions that occur at the replication fork. Numerous PCNA-associated proteins compete for binding to a common surface on PCNA; hence these interactions need to be tightly regulated and coordinated to ensure proper chromosome replication and integrity. Control of PCNA-protein interactions is multilayered and involves post-translational modifications, in particular ubiquitylation, accessory factors and regulated degradation of PCNA-associated proteins. This regulatory framework allows cells to maintain a fine-tuned balance between replication fidelity and processivity in response to DNA damage.

Readers of PCNA modifications

The eukaryotic sliding clamp, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), acts as a central coordinator of DNA transactions by providing a multivalent interaction surface for factors involved in DNA replication, repair, chromatin dynamics and cell cycle regulation. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs), such as mono- and polyubiquitylation, sumoylation, phosphorylation and acetylation, further expand the repertoire of PCNA’s binding partners. These modifications affect PCNA’s activity in the bypass of lesions during DNA replication, the regulation of alternative damage processing pathways such as homologous recombination and DNA interstrand cross-link repair, or impact on the stability of PCNA itself. In this review, we summarise our current knowledge about how the PTMs are “read” by downstream effector proteins that mediate the appropriate action. Given the variety of interaction partners responding to PCNA’s modified forms, the ensemble of PCNA modifications serves as an instructive model for the study of biological signalling through PTMs in general.

Translesion DNA synthesis and mutagenesis in eukaryotes

The structural features that enable replicative DNA polymerases to synthesize DNA rapidly and accurately also limit their ability to copy damaged DNA. Direct replication of DNA damage is termed translesion synthesis (TLS), a mechanism conserved from bacteria to mammals and executed by an array of specialized DNA polymerases. This chapter examines how these translesion polymerases replicate damaged DNA and how they are regulated to balance their ability to replicate DNA lesions with the risk of undesirable mutagenesis. It also discusses how TLS is co-opted to increase the diversity of the immunoglobulin gene hypermutation and the contribution it makes to the mutations that sculpt the genome of cancer cells.

Srs2 mediates PCNA-SUMO-dependent inhibition of DNA repair synthesis

Completion of DNA replication needs to be ensured even when challenged with fork progression problems or DNA damage. PCNA and its modifications constitute a molecular switch to control distinct repair pathways. In yeast, SUMOylated PCNA (S-PCNA) recruits Srs2 to sites of replication where Srs2 can disrupt Rad51 filaments and prevent homologous recombination (HR). We report here an unexpected additional mechanism by which S-PCNA and Srs2 block the synthesis-dependent extension of a recombination intermediate, thus limiting its potentially hazardous resolution in association with a cross-over. This new Srs2 activity requires the SUMO interaction motif at its C-terminus, but neither its translocase activity nor its interaction with Rad51. Srs2 binding to S-PCNA dissociates Polδ and Polη from the repair synthesis machinery, thus revealing a novel regulatory mechanism controlling spontaneous genome rearrangements. Our results suggest that cycling cells use the Siz1-dependent SUMOylation of PCNA to limit the extension of repair synthesis during template switch or HR and attenuate reciprocal DNA strand exchanges to maintain genome stability.

An unexpected non-catalytic function of the recombination-attenuating helicase Srs2 further expands the manifold roles of PCNA modifications in ensuring genome stability.

Cell cycle stage-specific roles of Rad18 in tolerance and repair of oxidative DNA damage

The E3 ubiquitin ligase Rad18 mediates tolerance of replication fork-stalling bulky DNA lesions, but whether Rad18 mediates tolerance of bulky DNA lesions acquired outside S-phase is unclear. Using synchronized cultures of primary human cells, we defined cell cycle stage-specific contributions of Rad18 to genome maintenance in response to ultraviolet C (UVC) and H(2)O(2)-induced DNA damage. UVC and H(2)O(2) treatments both induced Rad18-mediated proliferating cell nuclear antigen mono-ubiquitination during G(0), G(1) and S-phase. Rad18 was important for repressing H(2)O(2)-induced (but not ultraviolet-induced) double strand break (DSB) accumulation and ATM S1981 phosphorylation only during G(1), indicating a specific role for Rad18 in processing of oxidative DNA lesions outside S-phase. However, H(2)O(2)-induced DSB formation in Rad18-depleted G1 cells was not associated with increased genotoxin sensitivity, indicating that back-up DSB repair mechanisms compensate for Rad18 deficiency. Indeed, in DNA LigIV-deficient cells Rad18-depletion conferred H(2)O(2)-sensitivity, demonstrating functional redundancy between Rad18 and non-homologous end joining for tolerance of oxidative DNA damage acquired during G(1). In contrast with G(1)-synchronized cultures, S-phase cells were H(2)O(2)-sensitive following Rad18-depletion. We conclude that although Rad18 pathway activation by oxidative lesions is not restricted to S-phase, Rad18-mediated trans-lesion synthesis by Polη is dispensable for damage-tolerance in G(1) (because of back-up non-homologous end joining-mediated DSB repair), yet Rad18 is necessary for damage tolerance during S-phase.

Analysis of CPD ultraviolet lesion bypass in chicken DT40 cells: polymerase η and PCNA ubiquitylation play identical roles

Translesion synthesis (TLS) provides a mechanism of copying damaged templates during DNA replication. This potentially mutagenic process may operate either at the replication fork or at post-replicative gaps. We used the example of T-T cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) bypass to determine the influence of polymerase recruitment via PCNA ubiquitylation versus the REV1 protein on the efficiency and mutagenic outcome of TLS. Using mutant chicken DT40 cell lines we show that, on this numerically most important UV lesion, defects in polymerase η or in PCNA ubiquitylation similarly result in the long-term failure of lesion bypass with persistent strand gaps opposite the lesion, and the elevation of mutations amongst successful TLS events. Our data suggest that PCNA ubiquitylation promotes CPD bypass mainly by recruiting polymerase η, resulting in the majority of CPD lesions bypassed in an error-free manner. In contrast, we find that polymerase ζ is responsible for the majority of CPD-dependent mutations, but has no essential function in the completion of bypass. These findings point to a hierarchy of access of the different TLS polymerases to the lesion, suggesting a temporal order of their recruitment. The similarity of REV1 and REV3 mutant phenotypes confirms that the involvement of polymerase ζ in TLS is largely determined by its recruitment to DNA by REV1. Our data demonstrate the influence of the TLS polymerase recruitment mechanism on the success and accuracy of bypass.

REV1 and DNA polymerase zeta in DNA interstrand crosslink repair

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are covalent linkages between two strands of DNA, and their presence interferes with essential metabolic processes such as transcription and replication. These lesions are extremely toxic, and their repair is essential for genome stability and cell survival. In this review, we will discuss how the removal of ICLs requires interplay between multiple genome maintenance pathways and can occur in the absence of replication (replication-independent ICL repair) or during S phase (replication-coupled ICL repair), the latter being the predominant pathway used in mammalian cells. It is now well recognized that translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), especially through the activities of REV1 and DNA polymerase zeta (Polζ), is necessary for both ICL repair pathways operating throughout the cell cycle. Recent studies suggest that the convergence of two replication forks upon an ICL initiates a cascade of events including unhooking of the lesion through the actions of structure-specific endonucleases, thereby creating a DNA double-stranded break (DSB). TLS across the unhooked lesion is necessary for restoring the sister chromatid before homologous recombination repair. Biochemical and genetic studies implicate REV1 and Polζ as being essential for performing lesion bypass across the unhooked crosslink, and this step appears to be important for subsequent events to repair the intermediate DSB. The potential role of Fanconi anemia pathway in the regulation of REV1 and Polζ-dependent TLS and the involvement of additional polymerases, including DNA polymerases kappa, nu, and theta, in the repair of ICLs is also discussed in this review.

The roles of DNA polymerase ζ and the Y family DNA polymerases in promoting or preventing genome instability

Cancer cells display numerous abnormal characteristics which are initiated and maintained by elevated mutation rates and genome instability. Chromosomal DNA is continuously surveyed for the presence of damage or blocked replication forks by the DNA Damage Response (DDR) network. The DDR is complex and includes activation of cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, gene transcription, and induction of apoptosis. Duplicating a damaged genome is associated with elevated risks to fork collapse and genome instability. Therefore, the DNA damage tolerance (DDT) pathway is also employed to enhance survival and involves the recruitment of translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) polymerases to sites of replication fork blockade or single stranded DNA gaps left after the completion of replication in order to restore DNA to its double stranded form before mitosis. TLS polymerases are specialized for inserting nucleotides opposite DNA adducts, abasic sites, or DNA crosslinks. By definition, the DDT pathway is not involved in the actual repair of damaged DNA, but provides a mechanism to tolerate DNA lesions during replication thereby increasing survival and lessening the chance for genome instability. However this may be associated with increased mutagenesis. In this review, we will describe the specialized functions of Y family polymerases (Rev1, Polη, Polι and Polκ) and DNA polymerase ζ in lesion bypass, mutagenesis, and prevention of genome instability, the latter due to newly appreciated roles in DNA repair. The recently described role of the Fanconi anemia pathway in regulating Rev1 and Polζ-dependent TLS is also discussed in terms of their involvement in TLS, interstrand crosslink repair, and homologous recombination.

Structural insights into the assembly of human translesion polymerase complexes

In addition to DNA repair pathways, cells utilize translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) to bypass DNA lesions during replication. During TLS, Y-family DNA polymerase (Polη, Polκ, Polı and Rev1) inserts specific nucleotide opposite preferred DNA lesions, and then Polζ consisting of two subunits, Rev3 and Rev7, carries out primer extension. Here, we report the complex structures of Rev3-Rev7-Rev1(CTD) and Rev3-Rev7-Rev1(CTD)-Polκ(RIR). These two structures demonstrate that Rev1(CTD) contains separate binding sites for Polκ and Rev7. Our BIAcore experiments provide additional support for the notion that the interaction between Rev3 and Rev7 increases the affinity of Rev7 and Rev1. We also verified through FRET experiment that Rev1, Rev3, Rev7 and Polκ form a stable quaternary complex in vivo, thereby suggesting an efficient switching mechanism where the "inserter" polymerase can be immediately replaced by an "extender" polymerase within the same quaternary complex.

CtIP is required to initiate replication-dependent interstrand crosslink repair

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are toxic lesions that block the progression of replication and transcription. CtIP is a conserved DNA repair protein that facilitates DNA end resection in the double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway. Here we show that CtIP plays a critical role during initiation of ICL processing in replicating human cells that is distinct from its role in DSB repair. CtIP depletion sensitizes human cells to ICL inducing agents and significantly impairs the accumulation of DNA damage response proteins RPA, ATR, FANCD2, γH2AX, and phosphorylated ATM at sites of laser generated ICLs. In contrast, the appearance of γH2AX and phosphorylated ATM at sites of laser generated double strand breaks (DSBs) is CtIP-independent. We present a model in which CtIP functions early in ICL repair in a BRCA1– and FANCM–dependent manner prior to generation of DSB repair intermediates.

One of the most lethal forms of DNA damage is the interstrand crosslink (ICL). An ICL is a chemical bridge between two nucleotides on complementary strands of DNA. An unrepaired ICL is toxic because it poses an unsurpassable block to DNA replication and transcription. Certain forms of cancer treatment exploit the toxicity of ICL generating agents to target rapidly dividing cells. Sensitivity to crosslinking agents is a defining characteristic of Fanconi Anemia (FA), a hereditary syndrome characterized by an increased risk in cancer development and hematopoietic abnormalities frequently resulting in bone marrow failure. The mechanism underlying ICL repair is important to human health; however, the sequence of molecular events governing ICL repair is poorly understood. Here we describe how the repair protein CtIP functions to initiate ICL repair in replicating cells in a manner distinct from its previously described role in other forms of DNA repair.

Enhancement of human DNA polymerase η activity and fidelity is dependent upon a bipartite interaction with the Werner syndrome protein

We have investigated the interaction between human DNA polymerase η (hpol η) and the Werner syndrome protein (WRN). Functional assays revealed that the WRN exonuclease and RecQ C-terminal (RQC) domains are necessary for full stimulation of hpol η-catalyzed formation of correct base pairs. We find that WRN does not stimulate hpol η-catalyzed formation of mispairs. Moreover, the exonuclease activity of WRN prevents stable mispair formation by hpol η. These results are consistent with a proofreading activity for WRN during single-nucleotide additions. ATP hydrolysis by WRN appears to attenuate stimulation of hpol η. Pre-steady-state kinetic results show that k(pol) is increased 4-fold by WRN. Finally, pulldown assays reveal a bipartite physical interaction between hpol η and WRN that is mediated by the exonuclease and RQC domains. Taken together, these results are consistent with alteration of the rate-limiting step in polymerase catalysis by direct protein-protein interactions between WRN and hpol η. In summary, WRN improves the efficiency and fidelity of hpol η to promote more effective replication of DNA.

DNA secondary structures: stability and function of G-quadruplex structures

In addition to the canonical double helix, DNA can fold into various other inter- and intramolecular secondary structures. Although many such structures were long thought to be in vitro artefacts, bioinformatics demonstrates that DNA sequences capable of forming these structures are conserved throughout evolution, suggesting the existence of non-B-form DNA in vivo. In addition, genes whose products promote formation or resolution of these structures are found in diverse organisms, and a growing body of work suggests that the resolution of DNA secondary structures is critical for genome integrity. This Review focuses on emerging evidence relating to the characteristics of G-quadruplex structures and the possible influence of such structures on genomic stability and cellular processes, such as transcription.

Regulation of DNA cross-link repair by the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway

The maintenance of genome stability is critical for survival, and its failure is often associated with tumorigenesis. The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway is essential for the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs), and a germline defect in the pathway results in FA, a cancer predisposition syndrome driven by genome instability. Central to this pathway is the monoubiquitination of FANCD2, which coordinates multiple DNA repair activities required for the resolution of ICLs. Recent studies have demonstrated how the FA pathway coordinates three critical DNA repair processes, including nucleolytic incision, translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), and homologous recombination (HR). Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the downstream ICL repair steps initiated by ubiquitin-mediated FA pathway activation.

Structural basis of Rev1-mediated assembly of a quaternary vertebrate translesion polymerase complex consisting of Rev1, heterodimeric polymerase (Pol) ζ, and Pol κ

DNA synthesis across lesions during genomic replication requires concerted actions of specialized DNA polymerases in a potentially mutagenic process known as translesion synthesis. Current models suggest that translesion synthesis in mammalian cells is achieved in two sequential steps, with a Y-family DNA polymerase (κ, η, ι, or Rev1) inserting a nucleotide opposite the lesion and with the heterodimeric B-family polymerase ζ, consisting of the catalytic Rev3 subunit and the accessory Rev7 subunit, replacing the insertion polymerase to carry out primer extension past the lesion. Effective translesion synthesis in vertebrates requires the scaffolding function of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of Rev1 that interacts with the Rev1-interacting region of polymerases κ, η, and ι and with the Rev7 subunit of polymerase ζ. We report the purification and structure determination of a quaternary translesion polymerase complex consisting of the Rev1 CTD, the heterodimeric Pol ζ complex, and the Pol κ Rev1-interacting region. Yeast two-hybrid assays were employed to identify important interface residues of the translesion polymerase complex. The structural elucidation of such a quaternary translesion polymerase complex encompassing both insertion and extension polymerases bridged by the Rev1 CTD provides the first molecular explanation of the essential scaffolding function of Rev1 and highlights the Rev1 CTD as a promising target for developing novel cancer therapeutics to suppress translesion synthesis. Our studies support the notion that vertebrate insertion and extension polymerases could structurally cooperate within a megatranslesion polymerase complex (translesionsome) nucleated by Rev1 to achieve efficient lesion bypass without incurring an additional switching mechanism.

NMR structure and dynamics of the C-terminal domain from human Rev1 and its complex with Rev1 interacting region of DNA polymerase η

Rev1 is a translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase essential for DNA damage tolerance in eukaryotes. In the process of TLS stalled high-fidelity replicative DNA polymerases are temporarily replaced by specialized TLS enzymes that can bypass sites of DNA damage (lesions), thus allowing replication to continue or postreplicational gaps to be filled. Despite its limited catalytic activity, human Rev1 plays a key role in TLS by serving as a scaffold that provides an access of Y-family TLS polymerases polη, ι, and κ to their cognate DNA lesions and facilitates their subsequent exchange to polζ that extends the distorted DNA primer-template. Rev1 interaction with the other major human TLS polymerases, polη, ι, κ, and the regulatory subunit Rev7 of polζ, is mediated by Rev1 C-terminal domain (Rev1-CT). We used NMR spectroscopy to determine the spatial structure of the Rev1-CT domain (residues 1157-1251) and its complex with Rev1 interacting region (RIR) from polη (residues 524-539). The domain forms a four-helix bundle with a well-structured N-terminal β-hairpin docking against helices 1 and 2, creating a binding pocket for the two conserved Phe residues of the RIR motif that upon binding folds into an α-helix. NMR spin-relaxation and NMR relaxation dispersion measurements suggest that free Rev1-CT and Rev1-CT/polη-RIR complex exhibit μs-ms conformational dynamics encompassing the RIR binding site, which might facilitate selection of the molecular configuration optimal for binding. These results offer new insights into the control of TLS in human cells by providing a structural basis for understanding the recognition of the Rev1-CT by Y-family DNA polymerases.

Multifaceted recognition of vertebrate Rev1 by translesion polymerases ζ and κ

Translesion synthesis is a fundamental biological process that enables DNA replication across lesion sites to ensure timely duplication of genetic information at the cost of replication fidelity, and it is implicated in development of cancer drug resistance after chemotherapy. The eukaryotic Y-family polymerase Rev1 is an essential scaffolding protein in translesion synthesis. Its C-terminal domain (CTD), which interacts with translesion polymerase ζ through the Rev7 subunit and with polymerases κ, ι, and η in vertebrates through the Rev1-interacting region (RIR), is absolutely required for function. We report the first solution structures of the mouse Rev1 CTD and its complex with the Pol κ RIR, revealing an atypical four-helix bundle. Using yeast two-hybrid assays, we have identified a Rev7-binding surface centered at the α2-α3 loop and N-terminal half of α3 of the Rev1 CTD. Binding of the mouse Pol κ RIR to the Rev1 CTD induces folding of the disordered RIR peptide into a three-turn α-helix, with the helix stabilized by an N-terminal cap. RIR binding also induces folding of a disordered N-terminal loop of the Rev1 CTD into a β-hairpin that projects over the shallow α1-α2 surface and creates a deep hydrophobic cavity to interact with the essential FF residues juxtaposed on the same side of the RIR helix. Our combined structural and biochemical studies reveal two distinct surfaces of the Rev1 CTD that separately mediate the assembly of extension and insertion translesion polymerase complexes and provide a molecular framework for developing novel cancer therapeutics to inhibit translesion synthesis.

A role for chromatin remodellers in replication of damaged DNA

In eukaryotic cells, replication past damaged sites in DNA is regulated by the ubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Little is known about how this process is affected by chromatin structure. There are two isoforms of the Remodels the Structure of Chromatin (RSC) remodelling complex in yeast. We show that deletion of RSC2 results in a dramatic reduction in the level of PCNA ubiquitination after DNA-damaging treatments, whereas no such effect was observed after deletion of RSC1. Similarly, depletion of the BAF180 component of the corresponding PBAF (Polybromo BRG1 (Brahma-Related Gene 1) Associated Factor) complex in human cells led to a similar reduction in PCNA ubiquitination. Remarkably, we found that depletion of BAF180 resulted after UV-irradiation, in a reduction not only of ubiquitinated PCNA but also of chromatin-associated unmodified PCNA and Rad18 (the E3 ligase that ubiquitinates PCNA). This was accompanied by a modest decrease in fork progression. We propose a model to account for these findings that postulates an involvement of PBAF in repriming of replication downstream from replication forks blocked at sites of DNA damage. In support of this model, chromatin immunoprecipitation data show that the RSC complex in yeast is present in the vicinity of the replication forks, and by extrapolation, this is also likely to be the case for the PBAF complex in human cells.

Replication fork dynamics and the DNA damage response

Prevention and repair of DNA damage is essential for maintenance of genomic stability and cell survival. DNA replication during S-phase can be a source of DNA damage if endogenous or exogenous stresses impair the progression of replication forks. It has become increasingly clear that DNA-damage-response pathways do not only respond to the presence of damaged DNA, but also modulate DNA replication dynamics to prevent DNA damage formation during S-phase. Such observations may help explain the developmental defects or cancer predisposition caused by mutations in DNA-damage-response genes. The present review focuses on molecular mechanisms by which DNA-damage-response pathways control and promote replication dynamics in vertebrate cells. In particular, DNA damage pathways contribute to proper replication by regulating replication initiation, stabilizing transiently stalled forks, promoting replication restart and facilitating fork movement on difficult-to-replicate templates. If replication fork progression fails to be rescued, this may lead to DNA damage and genomic instability via nuclease processing of aberrant fork structures or incomplete sister chromatid separation during mitosis.

Requirement of Rad18 protein for replication through DNA lesions in mouse and human cells

In yeast, the Rad6-Rad18 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme plays a critical role in promoting replication although DNA lesions by translesion synthesis (TLS). In striking contrast, a number of studies have indicated that TLS can occur in the absence of Rad18 in human and other mammalian cells, and also in chicken cells. In this study, we determine the role of Rad18 in TLS that occurs during replication in human and mouse cells, and show that in the absence of Rad18, replication of duplex plasmids containing a cis-syn TT dimer or a (6-4) TT photoproduct is severely inhibited in human cells and that mutagenesis resulting from TLS opposite cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts formed at the TT, TC, and CC dipyrimidine sites in the chromosomal cII gene in UV-irradiated mouse cells is abolished. From these and other observations with Rad18, we conclude that the Rad6-Rad18 enzyme plays an essential role in promoting replication through DNA lesions by TLS in mammalian cells. In contrast, the dispensability of Rad18 for TLS in chicken DT40 cells would suggest that the role of the Rad6-Rad18 enzyme complex has diverged considerably between chicken and mammals, raising the possibility that TLS mechanisms differ among them.

Kinase-independent function of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) in the replication of damaged DNA

The checkpoint kinases Chk1 and ATR are broadly known for their role in the response to the accumulation of damaged DNA. Because Chk1 activation requires its phosphorylation by ATR, it is expected that ATR or Chk1 down-regulation should cause similar alterations in the signals triggered by DNA lesions. Intriguingly, we found that Chk1, but not ATR, promotes the progression of replication forks after UV irradiation. Strikingly, this role of Chk1 is independent of its kinase-domain and of its partnership with Claspin. Instead, we demonstrate that the ability of Chk1 to promote replication fork progression on damaged DNA templates relies on its recently identified proliferating cell nuclear antigen-interacting motif, which is required for its release from chromatin after DNA damage. Also supporting the importance of Chk1 release, a histone H2B-Chk1 chimera, which is permanently immobilized in chromatin, is unable to promote the replication of damaged DNA. Moreover, inefficient chromatin dissociation of Chk1 impairs the efficient recruitment of the specialized DNA polymerase η (pol η) to replication-associated foci after UV. Given the critical role of pol η during translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), these findings unveil an unforeseen facet of the regulation by Chk1 of DNA replication. This kinase-independent role of Chk1 is exclusively associated to the maintenance of active replication forks after UV irradiation in a manner in which Chk1 release prompts TLS to avoid replication stalling.

Temporally distinct translesion synthesis pathways for ultraviolet light-induced photoproducts in the mammalian genome

Replicative polymerases (Pols) arrest at damaged DNA nucleotides, which induces ubiquitination of the DNA sliding clamp PCNA (PCNA-Ub) and DNA damage signaling. PCNA-Ub is associated with the recruitment or activation of translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases of the Y family that can bypass the lesions, thereby rescuing replication and preventing replication fork collapse and consequent formation of double-strand DNA breaks. Here, we have used gene-targeted mouse embryonic fibroblasts to perform a comprehensive study of the in vivo roles of PCNA-Ub and of the Y family TLS Pols η, ι, κ, Rev1 and the B family TLS Polζ in TLS and in the suppression of DNA damage signaling and genome instability after exposure to UV light. Our data indicate that TLS Pols ι and κ and the N-terminal BRCT domain of Rev1, that previously was implicated in the regulation of TLS, play minor roles in TLS of DNA photoproducts. PCNA-Ub is critical for an early TLS pathway that replicates both strongly helix-distorting (6-4) pyrimidine-pyrimidone ((6-4)PP) and mildly distorting cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) photoproducts. The role of Polη is mainly restricted to early TLS of CPD photoproducts, whereas Rev1 and, in particular, Polζ are essential for the bypass of (6-4)PP photoproducts, both early and late after exposure. Thus, structurally distinct photoproducts at the mammalian genome are bypassed by different TLS Pols in temporally different, PCNA-Ub-dependent and independent fashions.

Competition, collaboration and coordination--determining how cells bypass DNA damage

Cells must overcome replication blocks that might otherwise lead to genomic instability or cell death. Classical genetic experiments have identified a series of mechanisms that cells use to replicate damaged DNA: translesion synthesis, template switching and homologous recombination. In translesion synthesis, DNA lesions are replicated directly by specialised DNA polymerases, a potentially error-prone approach. Template switching and homologous recombination use an alternative undamaged template to allow the replicative polymerases to bypass DNA lesions and, hence, are generally error free. Classically, these pathways have been viewed as alternatives, competing to ensure replication of damaged DNA templates is completed. However, this view of a series of static pathways has been blurred by recent work using a combination of genetic approaches and methodology for examining the physical intermediates of bypass reactions. These studies have revealed a much more dynamic interaction between the pathways than was initially appreciated. In this Commentary, I argue that it might be more helpful to start thinking of lesion-bypass mechanisms in terms of a series of dynamically assembled 'modules', often comprising factors from different classical pathways, whose deployment is crucially dependent on the context in which the bypass event takes place.

Cellular epigenetic stability and cancer

When a cell divides, it must not only accurately duplicate its genome, but also restore its previous levels of gene expression. The information determining gene expression is often not directly encoded in the DNA and is hence termed 'epigenetic'. The molecular basis of epigenetic memory remains a subject of intense debate, but is likely to arise from the collaboration of several mechanisms, including histone post-translational modifications, transcription factors, DNA methylation and noncoding RNAs. In this article, we look at how these mechanisms interact to generate robust epigenetic states. We then consider recent observations that mitotic inheritance of stable gene expression can be compromised by interruption of DNA replication. We discuss how these data may provide direct evidence for a central role for histone modifications in transcriptional memory and how they could potentially provide an explanation for the some of the widespread alterations in transcription seen in cancer cells.

Propagation of histone marks and epigenetic memory during normal and interrupted DNA replication

Although all nucleated cells within a multicellular organism contain a complete copy of the genome, cell identity relies on the expression of a specific subset of genes. Therefore, when cells divide they must not only copy their genome to their daughters, but also ensure that the pattern of gene expression present before division is restored. While the carrier of this epigenetic memory has been a topic of much research and debate, post-translational modifications of histone proteins have emerged in the vanguard of candidates. In this paper we examine the mechanisms by which histone post-translational modifications are propagated through DNA replication and cell division, and we critically examine the evidence that they can also act as vectors of epigenetic memory. Finally, we consider ways in which epigenetic memory might be disrupted by interfering with the mechanisms of DNA replication.

Interferon regulatory factor 1 transactivates expression of human DNA polymerase η in response to carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

DNA polymerase η (Polη) implements translesion DNA synthesis but has low fidelity in replication. We have previously shown that Polη plays an important role in the genesis of nontargeted mutations at undamaged DNA sites in cells exposed to the carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Here, we report that MNNG-induced Polη expression in an interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1)-dependent manner in human cells. Mutagenesis analysis showed that four critical residues (Arg-82, Cys-83, Asn-86, and Ser-87) located in the IRF family conserved DNA binding domain-helix α3 were involved in DNA binding and POLH transactivation by IRF1. Furthermore, Polη up-regulation induced by IRF1 was responsible for the increase of mutation frequency in a SupF shuttle plasmid replicated in the MNNG-exposed cells. Interestingly, IRF1 was acetylated by the histone acetyltransferase CBP in these cells. Lys → Arg substitution revealed that Lys-78 of helix α3 was the major acetylation site, and the IRF1-K78R mutation partially inhibited DNA binding and its transcriptional activity. Thus, we propose that IRF1 activation is responsible for MNNG-induced Polη up-regulation, which contributes to mutagenesis and ultimately carcinogenesis in cells.