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Hou H, Kyriacou E, Thadani R, Klutstein M, Chapman JH, Cooper JP. Centromeres are dismantled by foundational meiotic proteins Spo11 and Rec8. Nature 2021; 591:671-676. [PMID: 33658710 PMCID: PMC8843027 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03279-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Meiotic processes are potentially dangerous to genome stability and could be disastrous if activated in proliferative cells. Here we show that two key meiosis-defining proteins, the topoisomerase Spo11 (which forms double-strand breaks) and the meiotic cohesin Rec8, can dismantle centromeres. This dismantlement is normally observable only in mutant cells that lack the telomere bouquet, which provides a nuclear microdomain conducive to centromere reassembly1; however, overexpression of Spo11 or Rec8 leads to levels of centromere dismantlement that cannot be countered by the bouquet. Specific nucleosome remodelling factors mediate centromere dismantlement by Spo11 and Rec8. Ectopic expression of either protein in proliferating cells leads to the loss of mitotic kinetochores in both fission yeast and human cells. Hence, while centromeric chromatin has been characterized as extraordinarily stable, Spo11 and Rec8 challenge this stability and may jeopardize kinetochores in cancers that express meiotic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitong Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E. 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, Phone 303-724-3203,Former address: Telomere Biology Laboratory, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892,Co-corresponding authors: ;
| | - Eftychia Kyriacou
- Former address: Telomere Biology Laboratory, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892,Current address: Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rahul Thadani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E. 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, Phone 303-724-3203,Former address: Telomere Biology Laboratory, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Michael Klutstein
- Chromatin and Aging Research Laboratory, Institute of Dental Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem PO 12272, Israel 91120
| | - Joseph H. Chapman
- Former address: Telomere Biology Laboratory, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892,Current address: Single Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, NHLBI, NIH
| | - Julia Promisel Cooper
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E. 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, Phone 303-724-3203,Former address: Telomere Biology Laboratory, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892,Co-corresponding authors: ;
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Mukiza TO, Protacio RU, Davidson MK, Steiner WW, Wahls WP. Diverse DNA Sequence Motifs Activate Meiotic Recombination Hotspots Through a Common Chromatin Remodeling Pathway. Genetics 2019; 213:789-803. [PMID: 31511300 PMCID: PMC6827382 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In meiosis, multiple different DNA sequence motifs help to position homologous recombination at hotspots in the genome. How do the seemingly disparate cis-acting regulatory modules each promote locally the activity of the basal recombination machinery? We defined molecular mechanisms of action for five different hotspot-activating DNA motifs (M26, CCAAT, Oligo-C, 4095, 4156) located independently at the same site within the ade6 locus of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe Each motif promoted meiotic recombination (i.e., is active) within this context, and this activity required the respective binding proteins (transcription factors Atf1, Pcr1, Php2, Php3, Php5, Rst2). High-resolution analyses of chromatin structure by nucleosome scanning assays revealed that each motif triggers the displacement of nucleosomes surrounding the hotspot motif in meiosis. This chromatin remodeling required the respective sequence-specific binding proteins, was constitutive for two motifs, and was enhanced meiotically for three others. Hotspot activity of each motif strongly required the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzyme Snf22 (Snf2/Swi2), with lesser dependence on Gcn5, Mst2, and Hrp3. These findings support a model in which most meiotic recombination hotspots are positioned by the binding of transcription factors to their respective DNA sites. The functional redundancy of multiple, sequence-specific protein-DNA complexes converges upon shared chromatin remodeling pathways that help provide the basal recombination machinery (Spo11/Rec12 complex) access to its DNA substrates within chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tresor O Mukiza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-7199
| | - Reine U Protacio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-7199
| | - Mari K Davidson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-7199
| | - Walter W Steiner
- Department of Biology, Niagara University, Lewiston, New York 14109
| | - Wayne P Wahls
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-7199
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DNA repair pathways in trypanosomatids: from DNA repair to drug resistance. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2014; 78:40-73. [PMID: 24600040 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00045-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
All living organisms are continuously faced with endogenous or exogenous stress conditions affecting genome stability. DNA repair pathways act as a defense mechanism, which is essential to maintain DNA integrity. There is much to learn about the regulation and functions of these mechanisms, not only in human cells but also equally in divergent organisms. In trypanosomatids, DNA repair pathways protect the genome against mutations but also act as an adaptive mechanism to promote drug resistance. In this review, we scrutinize the molecular mechanisms and DNA repair pathways which are conserved in trypanosomatids. The recent advances made by the genome consortiums reveal the complete genomic sequences of several pathogens. Therefore, using bioinformatics and genomic sequences, we analyze the conservation of DNA repair proteins and their key protein motifs in trypanosomatids. We thus present a comprehensive view of DNA repair processes in trypanosomatids at the crossroads of DNA repair and drug resistance.
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Le AH, Mastro TL, Forsburg SL. The C-terminus of S. pombe DDK subunit Dfp1 is required for meiosis-specific transcription and cohesin cleavage. Biol Open 2013; 2:728-38. [PMID: 23862021 PMCID: PMC3711041 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20135173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The DDK complex is a conserved kinase complex, consisting of a catalytic subunit, Hsk1 (Cdc7), and its regulatory subunit Dfp1 (Dbf4). This kinase is essential for DNA replication. In this work, we show that dfp1-r35, which truncates the Dfp1 C-terminus zinc finger, causes severe meiotic defects, including reduced spore viability, reduced formation of programmed double strand breaks, altered expression of meiotic genes, and disrupted chromosome segregation. There is a high frequency of dyad formation. Mutants are also defective in the phosphorylation and degradation of the meiotic cohesion, Rec8, resulting in a failure to proceed through the MII division. These defects are more pronounced in a haploid meiosis model than in a normal diploid meiosis. Thus, several critical meiotic functions are linked specifically to the C-terminus of Dfp1, which may target specific substrates for phosphorylation by Hsk1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh-Huy Le
- Program in Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910 , USA
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Kan F, Davidson MK, Wahls WP. Meiotic recombination protein Rec12: functional conservation, crossover homeostasis and early crossover/non-crossover decision. Nucleic Acids Res 2010; 39:1460-72. [PMID: 21030440 PMCID: PMC3045620 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In fission yeast and other eukaryotes, Rec12 (Spo11) is thought to catalyze the formation of dsDNA breaks (DSBs) that initiate homologous recombination in meiosis. Rec12 is orthologous to the catalytic subunit of topoisomerase VI (Top6A). Guided by the crystal structure of Top6A, we engineered the rec12 locus to encode Rec12 proteins each with a single amino acid substitution in a conserved residue. Of 21 substitutions, 10 significantly reduced or abolished meiotic DSBs, gene conversion, crossover recombination and the faithful segregation of chromosomes. Critical residues map within the metal ion-binding pocket toprim (E179A, D229A, D231A), catalytic region 5Y-CAP (R94A, D95A, Y98F) and the DNA-binding interface (K201A, G202E, R209A, K242A). A subset of substitutions reduced DSBs but maintained crossovers, demonstrating crossover homeostasis. Furthermore, a strong separation of function mutation (R304A) suggests that the crossover/non-crossover decision is established early by a protein–protein interaction surface of Rec12. Fission yeast has multiple crossovers per bivalent, and chromosome segregation was robust above a threshold of about one crossover per bivalent, below which non-disjunction occurred. These results support structural and functional conservation among Rec12/Spo11/Top6A family members for the catalysis of DSBs, and they reveal how Rec12 regulates other features of meiotic chromosome dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengling Kan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street (slot 516), Little Rock, AR 72205-7199, USA
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Shingu Y, Mikawa T, Onuma M, Hirayama T, Shibata T. A DNA-binding surface of SPO11-1, an Arabidopsis SPO11 orthologue required for normal meiosis. FEBS J 2010; 277:2360-74. [PMID: 20423461 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2010.07651.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic recombination is initiated by DNA double-stranded breaks introduced by the SPO11 protein. Despite a decade of research, the biochemical functions of SPO11 remain largely unknown, perhaps because of difficulties in studying the functionally active SPO11. Arabidopsis thaliana encodes three SPO11-related proteins, two of which (SPO11-1 and SPO11-2) are required for, and cooperate in, meiosis. We isolated soluble SPO11-1, fused with or free of a trigger factor-tag at its N terminus. The tag-free SPO11-1 needed to interact physically with soluble SPO11-1 to maintain its solubility, suggesting a multimeric active form including a solubilizing protein cofactor. An N-terminal fragment of PRD1, a SPO11-1-interacting protein required for normal meiosis, but not SPO11-2, forms a soluble complex with trigger factor-tagged SPO11-1, but the trigger factor-tag was required for the solubility. Formation of the complex is not sufficient to express endonuclease activity. Trigger factor-tagged SPO11-1 exhibited DNA-binding activities: Glu substitutions of the invariant Gly215 and Arg222 and of the nonconserved Arg223 and Arg226 in a conserved motif (G215E, R222E, R223E, R226E) reduced the DNA-binding ability in vitro, but substitutions of the conserved Arg130 and invariant Tyr103 (a residue in the putative endonuclease-active center) and of Arg residues outside conserved motifs by Glu or Phe (R130E, Y103F, R207E and R254E), did not. Tests for the ability of mutant spo11-1 proteins to complement the silique-defective phenotype of a spo11-1-homozygous mutant in vivo revealed that R222E and G215E induced serious deficiencies, while R130E caused a partial defect in silique formation. Thus, the Gly215, Arg222 and Arg223 residues of SPO11-1 form a DNA-binding surface that is functional in meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshinori Shingu
- Cellular & Molecular Biology Laboratory, RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
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Keeney S. Spo11 and the Formation of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Meiosis. GENOME DYNAMICS AND STABILITY 2008; 2:81-123. [PMID: 21927624 PMCID: PMC3172816 DOI: 10.1007/7050_2007_026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Meiotic recombination is carried out through a specialized pathway for the formation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks made by the Spo11 protein, a relative of archaeal topoisomerase VI. This review summarizes recent studies that provide insight to the mechanism of DNA cleavage by Spo11, functional interactions of Spo11 with other proteins required for break formation, mechanisms that control the timing of recombination initiation, and evolutionary conservation and divergence of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Keeney
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY 10021 USA,
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Abstract
Meiotic prophase I is a long and complex phase. Homologous recombination is an important process that occurs between homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase I. Formation of chiasmata, which hold homologous chromosomes together until the metaphase I to anaphase I transition, is critical for proper chromosome segregation. Recent studies have suggested that the SPO11 proteins have conserved functions in a number of organisms in generating sites of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) that are thought to be the starting points of homologous recombination. Processing of these sites of DSBs requires the function of RecA homologs, such as RAD51, DMC1, and others, as suggested by mutant studies; thus the failure to repair these meiotic DSBs results in abnormal chromosomal alternations, leading to disrupted meiosis. Recent discoveries on the functions of these RecA homologs have improved the understanding of the mechanisms underlying meiotic homologous recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuxing Li
- The Department of Biology, The Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Physiology, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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