1
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Merker L, Feller L, Dorn A, Puchta H. Deficiency of both classical and alternative end-joining pathways leads to a synergistic defect in double-strand break repair but not to an increase in homology-dependent gene targeting in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:242-254. [PMID: 38179887 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, double-strand breaks (DSBs) are either repaired by homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). In somatic plant cells, HR is very inefficient. Therefore, the vast majority of DSBs are repaired by two different pathways of NHEJ. The classical (cNHEJ) pathway depends on the heterodimer KU70/KU80, while polymerase theta (POLQ) is central to the alternative (aNHEJ) pathway. Surprisingly, Arabidopsis plants are viable, even when both pathways are impaired. However, they exhibit severe growth retardation and reduced fertility. Analysis of mitotic anaphases indicates that the double mutant is characterized by a dramatic increase in chromosome fragmentation due to defective DSB repair. In contrast to the single mutants, the double mutant was found to be highly sensitive to the DSB-inducing genotoxin bleomycin. Thus, both pathways can complement for each other efficiently in DSB repair. We speculated that in the absence of both NHEJ pathways, HR might be enhanced. This would be especially attractive for gene targeting (GT) in which predefined changes are introduced using a homologous template. Unexpectedly, the polq single mutant as well as the double mutant showed significantly lower GT frequencies in comparison to wildtype plants. Accordingly, we were able to show that elimination of both NHEJ pathways does not pose an attractive approach for Agrobacterium-mediated GT. However, our results clearly indicate that a loss of cNHEJ leads to an increase in GT frequency, which is especially drastic and attractive for practical applications, in which the in planta GT strategy is used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Merker
- Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Laura Feller
- Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Annika Dorn
- Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Holger Puchta
- Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
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2
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Stracker TH, Osagie OI, Escorcia FE, Citrin DE. Exploiting the DNA Damage Response for Prostate Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:83. [PMID: 38201511 PMCID: PMC10777950 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancers that progress despite androgen deprivation develop into castration-resistant prostate cancer, a fatal disease with few treatment options. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of prostate cancer subtypes and alterations in the DNA damage response (DDR) that can predispose to the development of prostate cancer and affect its progression. We identify barriers to conventional treatments, such as radiotherapy, and discuss the development of new therapies, many of which target the DDR or take advantage of recurring genetic alterations in the DDR. We place this in the context of advances in understanding the genetic variation and immune landscape of CRPC that could help guide their use in future treatment strategies. Finally, we discuss several new and emerging agents that may advance the treatment of lethal disease, highlighting selected clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis H. Stracker
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (O.I.O.); (F.E.E.); (D.E.C.)
| | - Oloruntoba I. Osagie
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (O.I.O.); (F.E.E.); (D.E.C.)
| | - Freddy E. Escorcia
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (O.I.O.); (F.E.E.); (D.E.C.)
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Deborah E. Citrin
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (O.I.O.); (F.E.E.); (D.E.C.)
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3
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Ronson GE, Starowicz K, Anthony EJ, Piberger AL, Clarke LC, Garvin AJ, Beggs AD, Whalley CM, Edmonds MJ, Beesley JFJ, Morris JR. Mechanisms of synthetic lethality between BRCA1/2 and 53BP1 deficiencies and DNA polymerase theta targeting. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7834. [PMID: 38030626 PMCID: PMC10687250 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43677-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A synthetic lethal relationship exists between disruption of polymerase theta (Polθ), and loss of either 53BP1 or homologous recombination (HR) proteins, including BRCA1; however, the mechanistic basis of these observations are unclear. Here we reveal two distinct mechanisms of Polθ synthetic lethality, identifying dual influences of 1) whether Polθ is lost or inhibited, and 2) the underlying susceptible genotype. Firstly, we find that the sensitivity of BRCA1/2- and 53BP1-deficient cells to Polθ loss, and 53BP1-deficient cells to Polθ inhibition (ART558) requires RAD52, and appropriate reduction of RAD52 can ameliorate these phenotypes. We show that in the absence of Polθ, RAD52 accumulations suppress ssDNA gap-filling in G2/M and encourage MRE11 nuclease accumulation. In contrast, the survival of BRCA1-deficient cells treated with Polθ inhibitor are not restored by RAD52 suppression, and ssDNA gap-filling is prevented by the chemically inhibited polymerase itself. These data define an additional role for Polθ, reveal the mechanism underlying synthetic lethality between 53BP1, BRCA1/2 and Polθ loss, and indicate genotype-dependent Polθ inhibitor mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- George E Ronson
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Katarzyna Starowicz
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Adthera Bio, Lyndon House, 62 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 8PE, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Anthony
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ann Liza Piberger
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Lucy C Clarke
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, Birmingham Women's Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, B15 2TG, UK
| | - Alexander J Garvin
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Andrew D Beggs
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Genomics Birmingham, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Celina M Whalley
- Genomics Birmingham, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Matthew J Edmonds
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Certara Insight, Danebrook Court, Oxford Office Village, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 1LQ, UK
| | - James F J Beesley
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Joanna R Morris
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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4
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Stroik S, Carvajal-Garcia J, Gupta D, Edwards A, Luthman A, Wyatt DW, Dannenberg RL, Feng W, Kunkel TA, Gupta GP, Hedglin M, Wood R, Doublié S, Rothenberg E, Ramsden DA. Stepwise requirements for polymerases δ and θ in theta-mediated end joining. Nature 2023; 623:836-841. [PMID: 37968395 PMCID: PMC10959172 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06729-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Timely repair of chromosomal double-strand breaks is required for genome integrity and cellular viability. The polymerase theta-mediated end joining pathway has an important role in resolving these breaks and is essential in cancers defective in other DNA repair pathways, thus making it an emerging therapeutic target1. It requires annealing of 2-6 nucleotides of complementary sequence, microhomologies, that are adjacent to the broken ends, followed by initiation of end-bridging DNA synthesis by polymerase θ. However, the other pathway steps remain inadequately defined, and the enzymes required for them are unknown. Here we demonstrate requirements for exonucleolytic digestion of unpaired 3' tails before polymerase θ can initiate synthesis, then a switch to a more accurate, processive and strand-displacing polymerase to complete repair. We show the replicative polymerase, polymerase δ, is required for both steps; its 3' to 5' exonuclease activity for flap trimming, then its polymerase activity for extension and completion of repair. The enzymatic steps that are essential and specific to this pathway are mediated by two separate, sequential engagements of the two polymerases. The requisite coupling of these steps together is likely to be facilitated by physical association of the two polymerases. This pairing of polymerase δ with a polymerase capable of end-bridging synthesis, polymerase θ, may help to explain why the normally high-fidelity polymerase δ participates in genome destabilizing processes such as mitotic DNA synthesis2 and microhomology-mediated break-induced replication3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Stroik
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Dipika Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alyssa Edwards
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Adam Luthman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David W Wyatt
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rachel L Dannenberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Wanjuan Feng
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas A Kunkel
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Gaorav P Gupta
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mark Hedglin
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Richard Wood
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sylvie Doublié
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Eli Rothenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dale A Ramsden
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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5
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Fleury H, MacEachern MK, Stiefel CM, Anand R, Sempeck C, Nebenfuehr B, Maurer-Alcalá K, Ball K, Proctor B, Belan O, Taylor E, Ortega R, Dodd B, Weatherly L, Dansoko D, Leung JW, Boulton SJ, Arnoult N. The APE2 nuclease is essential for DNA double-strand break repair by microhomology-mediated end joining. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1429-1445.e8. [PMID: 37044098 PMCID: PMC10164096 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) is an intrinsically mutagenic pathway of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair essential for proliferation of homologous recombination (HR)-deficient tumors. Although targeting MMEJ has emerged as a powerful strategy to eliminate HR-deficient (HRD) cancers, this is limited by an incomplete understanding of the mechanism and factors required for MMEJ repair. Here, we identify the APE2 nuclease as an MMEJ effector. We show that loss of APE2 inhibits MMEJ at deprotected telomeres and at intra-chromosomal DSBs and is epistatic with Pol Theta for MMEJ activity. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that APE2 possesses intrinsic flap-cleaving activity, that its MMEJ function in cells depends on its nuclease activity, and further identify an uncharacterized domain required for its recruitment to DSBs. We conclude that this previously unappreciated role of APE2 in MMEJ contributes to the addiction of HRD cells to APE2, which could be exploited in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Fleury
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Myles K MacEachern
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Clara M Stiefel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Roopesh Anand
- DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Colin Sempeck
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Benjamin Nebenfuehr
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kelper Maurer-Alcalá
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kerri Ball
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Bruce Proctor
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ondrej Belan
- DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Erin Taylor
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Raquel Ortega
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Benjamin Dodd
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Laila Weatherly
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Djelika Dansoko
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Justin W Leung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Simon J Boulton
- DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Artios Pharma Ltd, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3FH, UK
| | - Nausica Arnoult
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
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6
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Pismataro MC, Astolfi A, Barreca ML, Pacetti M, Schenone S, Bandiera T, Carbone A, Massari S. Small Molecules Targeting DNA Polymerase Theta (POLθ) as Promising Synthetic Lethal Agents for Precision Cancer Therapy. J Med Chem 2023; 66:6498-6522. [PMID: 37134182 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic lethality (SL) is an innovative strategy in targeted anticancer therapy that exploits tumor genetic vulnerabilities. This topic has come to the forefront in recent years, as witnessed by the increased number of publications since 2007. The first proof of concept for the effectiveness of SL was provided by the approval of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase inhibitors, which exploit a SL interaction in BRCA-deficient cells, although their use is limited by resistance. Searching for additional SL interactions involving BRCA mutations, the DNA polymerase theta (POLθ) emerged as an exciting target. This review summarizes, for the first time, the POLθ polymerase and helicase inhibitors reported to date. Compounds are described focusing on chemical structure and biological activity. With the aim to enable further drug discovery efforts in interrogating POLθ as a target, we propose a plausible pharmacophore model for POLθ-pol inhibitors and provide a structural analysis of the known POLθ ligand binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Pismataro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Astolfi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Martina Pacetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Silvia Schenone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Tiziano Bandiera
- D3 PharmaChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Anna Carbone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Serena Massari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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7
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Rogers CB, Kram RE, Lin K, Myers CL, Sobeck A, Hendrickson EA, Bielinsky AK. Fanconi anemia-associated chromosomal radial formation is dependent on POLθ-mediated alternative end joining. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112428. [PMID: 37086407 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway after treatment with mitomycin C (MMC) is essential for preventing chromosome translocations termed "radials." When replication forks stall at MMC-induced interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), the FA pathway is activated to orchestrate ICL unhooking and repair of the DNA break intermediates. However, in FA-deficient cells, how ICL-associated breaks are resolved in a manner that leads to radials is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that MMC-induced radials are dependent on DNA polymerase theta (POLθ)-mediated alternative end joining (A-EJ). Specifically, we show that radials observed in FANCD2-/- cells are dependent on POLθ and DNA ligase III and occur independently of classical non-homologous end joining. Furthermore, treatment of FANCD2-/- cells with POLθ inhibitors abolishes radials and leads to the accumulation of breaks co-localizing with common fragile sites. Uniformly, these observations implicate A-EJ in radial formation and provide mechanistic insights into the treatment of FA pathway-deficient cancers with POLθ inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette B Rogers
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Rachel E Kram
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kevin Lin
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Chad L Myers
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexandra Sobeck
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Eric A Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Anja-Katrin Bielinsky
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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8
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Schimmel J, Muñoz-Subirana N, Kool H, van Schendel R, van der Vlies S, Kamp JA, de Vrij FMS, Kushner SA, Smith GCM, Boulton SJ, Tijsterman M. Modulating mutational outcomes and improving precise gene editing at CRISPR-Cas9-induced breaks by chemical inhibition of end-joining pathways. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112019. [PMID: 36701230 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene editing through repair of CRISPR-Cas9-induced chromosomal breaks offers a means to correct a wide range of genetic defects. Directing repair to produce desirable outcomes by modulating DNA repair pathways holds considerable promise to increase the efficiency of genome engineering. Here, we show that inhibition of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or polymerase theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ) can be exploited to alter the mutational outcomes of CRISPR-Cas9. We show robust inhibition of TMEJ activity at CRISPR-Cas9-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) using ART558, a potent polymerase theta (Polϴ) inhibitor. Using targeted sequencing, we show that ART558 suppresses the formation of microhomology-driven deletions in favor of NHEJ-specific outcomes. Conversely, NHEJ deficiency triggers the formation of large kb-sized deletions, which we show are the products of mutagenic TMEJ. Finally, we show that combined chemical inhibition of TMEJ and NHEJ increases the efficiency of homology-driven repair (HDR)-mediated precise gene editing. Our work reports a robust strategy to improve the fidelity and safety of genome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Schimmel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Núria Muñoz-Subirana
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hanneke Kool
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robin van Schendel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sven van der Vlies
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Juliette A Kamp
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Femke M S de Vrij
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven A Kushner
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Graeme C M Smith
- Artios Pharma, The Glenn Berge Building, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon J Boulton
- Artios Pharma, The Glenn Berge Building, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Marcel Tijsterman
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands.
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9
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Multifaceted Nature of DNA Polymerase θ. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043619. [PMID: 36835031 PMCID: PMC9962433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerase θ belongs to the A family of DNA polymerases and plays a key role in DNA repair and damage tolerance, including double-strand break repair and DNA translesion synthesis. Pol θ is often overexpressed in cancer cells and promotes their resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss unique biochemical properties and structural features of Pol θ, its multiple roles in protection of genome stability and the potential of Pol θ as a target for cancer treatment.
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10
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Patterson-Fortin J, D'Andrea AD. Targeting Polymerase Theta (POLθ) for Cancer Therapy. Cancer Treat Res 2023; 186:285-298. [PMID: 37978141 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30065-3_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Polymerase theta (POLθ) is the critical multi-domain enzyme in microhomology-mediated end-joining DNA double-stranded break repair. POLθ is expressed at low levels in normal tissue but is often overexpressed in cancers, especially in DNA repair deficient cancers, such as homologous-recombination cancers, rendering them exquisitely sensitive to POLθ inhibition secondary to synthetic lethality. Development of POLθ inhibitors is an active area of investigation with inhibitors of the N-terminal helicase domain or the C-terminal polymerase domain currently in clinical trial. Here, we review POLθ-mediated microhomology-mediated end-joining, the development of POLθ inhibitors, and the potential clinical uses of POLθ inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Patterson-Fortin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Alan D D'Andrea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers (SFSCWC), The Fuller-American Cancer Society, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, HIM 243, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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11
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Faria J, Briggs EM, Black JA, McCulloch R. Emergence and adaptation of the cellular machinery directing antigenic variation in the African trypanosome. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102209. [PMID: 36215868 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Survival of the African trypanosome within its mammalian hosts, and hence transmission between hosts, relies upon antigenic variation, where stochastic changes in the composition of their protective variant-surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat thwart effective removal of the pathogen by adaptive immunity. Antigenic variation has evolved remarkable mechanistic complexity in Trypanosoma brucei, with switching of the VSG coat executed by either transcriptional or recombination reactions. In the former, a single T. brucei cell selectively transcribes one telomeric VSG transcription site, termed the expression site (ES), from a pool of around 15. Silencing of the active ES and activation of one previously silent ES can lead to a co-ordinated VSG coat switch. Outside the ESs, the T. brucei genome contains an enormous archive of silent VSG genes and pseudogenes, which can be recombined into the ES to execute a coat switch. Most such recombination involves gene conversion, including copying of a complete VSG and more complex reactions where novel 'mosaic' VSGs are formed as patchworks of sequences from several silent (pseudo)genes. Understanding of the cellular machinery that directs transcriptional and recombination VSG switching is growing rapidly and the emerging picture is of the use of proteins, complexes and pathways that are not limited to trypanosomes, but are shared across the wider grouping of kinetoplastids and beyond, suggesting co-option of widely used, core cellular reactions. We will review what is known about the machinery of antigenic variation and discuss if there remains the possibility of trypanosome adaptations, or even trypanosome-specific machineries, that might offer opportunities to impair this crucial parasite-survival process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Faria
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom.
| | - Emma M Briggs
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer A Black
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
| | - Richard McCulloch
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom.
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12
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Abstract
DNA polymerase θ (Pol θ) is a DNA repair enzyme widely conserved in animals and plants. Pol θ uses short DNA sequence homologies to initiate repair of double-strand breaks by theta-mediated end joining. The DNA polymerase domain of Pol θ is at the C terminus and is connected to an N-terminal DNA helicase-like domain by a central linker. Pol θ is crucial for maintenance of damaged genomes during development, protects DNA against extensive deletions, and limits loss of heterozygosity. The cost of using Pol θ for genome protection is that a few nucleotides are usually deleted or added at the repair site. Inactivation of Pol θ often enhances the sensitivity of cells to DNA strand-breaking chemicals and radiation. Since some homologous recombination-defective cancers depend on Pol θ for growth, inhibitors of Pol θ may be useful in treating such tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard D Wood
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Center, Houston, Texas, USA;
| | - Sylvie Doublié
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA;
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13
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Schrempf A, Bernardo S, Arasa Verge EA, Ramirez Otero MA, Wilson J, Kirchhofer D, Timelthaler G, Ambros AM, Kaya A, Wieder M, Ecker GF, Winter GE, Costanzo V, Loizou JI. POLθ processes ssDNA gaps and promotes replication fork progression in BRCA1-deficient cells. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111716. [PMID: 36400033 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymerase theta (POLθ) is an error-prone DNA polymerase whose loss is synthetically lethal in cancer cells bearing breast cancer susceptibility proteins 1 and 2 (BRCA1/2) mutations. To investigate the basis of this genetic interaction, we utilized a small-molecule inhibitor targeting the POLθ polymerase domain. We found that POLθ processes single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) gaps that emerge in the absence of BRCA1, thus promoting unperturbed replication fork progression and survival of BRCA1 mutant cells. A genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen uncovered suppressors of the functional interaction between POLθ and BRCA1, including NBN, a component of the MRN complex, and cell-cycle regulators such as CDK6. While the MRN complex nucleolytically processes ssDNA gaps, CDK6 promotes cell-cycle progression, thereby exacerbating replication stress, a feature of BRCA1-deficient cells that lack POLθ activity. Thus, ssDNA gap formation, modulated by cell-cycle regulators and MRN complex activity, underlies the synthetic lethality between POLθ and BRCA1, an important insight for clinical trials with POLθ inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schrempf
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sara Bernardo
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Emili A Arasa Verge
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miguel A Ramirez Otero
- DNA Metabolism Laboratory, IFOM ETS, The AIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Jordan Wilson
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominik Kirchhofer
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Timelthaler
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna M Ambros
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Atilla Kaya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Wieder
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard F Ecker
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg E Winter
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincenzo Costanzo
- DNA Metabolism Laboratory, IFOM ETS, The AIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Joanna I Loizou
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Baxter JS, Zatreanu D, Pettitt SJ, Lord CJ. Resistance to DNA repair inhibitors in cancer. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3811-3827. [PMID: 35567571 PMCID: PMC9627783 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR) represents a complex network of proteins which detect and repair DNA damage, thereby maintaining the integrity of the genome and preventing the transmission of mutations and rearranged chromosomes to daughter cells. Faults in the DDR are a known driver and hallmark of cancer. Furthermore, inhibition of DDR enzymes can be used to treat the disease. This is exemplified by PARP inhibitors (PARPi) used to treat cancers with defects in the homologous recombination DDR pathway. A series of novel DDR targets are now also under pre-clinical or clinical investigation, including inhibitors of ATR kinase, WRN helicase or the DNA polymerase/helicase Polθ (Pol-Theta). Drug resistance is a common phenomenon that impairs the overall effectiveness of cancer treatments and there is already some understanding of how resistance to PARPi occurs. Here, we discuss how an understanding of PARPi resistance could inform how resistance to new drugs targeting the DDR emerges. We also discuss potential strategies that could limit the impact of these therapy resistance mechanisms in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S. Baxter
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Diana Zatreanu
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Stephen J. Pettitt
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Christopher J. Lord
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
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15
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Morris BB, Smith JP, Zhang Q, Jiang Z, Hampton OA, Churchman ML, Arnold SM, Owen DH, Gray JE, Dillon PM, Soliman HH, Stover DG, Colman H, Chakravarti A, Shain KH, Silva AS, Villano JL, Vogelbaum MA, Borges VF, Akerley WL, Gentzler RD, Hall RD, Matsen CB, Ulrich CM, Post AR, Nix DA, Singer EA, Larner JM, Stukenberg PT, Jones DR, Mayo MW. Replicative Instability Drives Cancer Progression. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1570. [PMID: 36358918 PMCID: PMC9688014 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, defective DNA repair has been increasingly linked with cancer progression. Human tumors with markers of defective DNA repair and increased replication stress exhibit genomic instability and poor survival rates across tumor types. Seminal studies have demonstrated that genomic instability develops following inactivation of BRCA1, BRCA2, or BRCA-related genes. However, it is recognized that many tumors exhibit genomic instability but lack BRCA inactivation. We sought to identify a pan-cancer mechanism that underpins genomic instability and cancer progression in BRCA-wildtype tumors. Methods: Using multi-omics data from two independent consortia, we analyzed data from dozens of tumor types to identify patient cohorts characterized by poor outcomes, genomic instability, and wildtype BRCA genes. We developed several novel metrics to identify the genetic underpinnings of genomic instability in tumors with wildtype BRCA. Associated clinical data was mined to analyze patient responses to standard of care therapies and potential differences in metastatic dissemination. Results: Systematic analysis of the DNA repair landscape revealed that defective single-strand break repair, translesion synthesis, and non-homologous end-joining effectors drive genomic instability in tumors with wildtype BRCA and BRCA-related genes. Importantly, we find that loss of these effectors promotes replication stress, therapy resistance, and increased primary carcinoma to brain metastasis. Conclusions: Our results have defined a new pan-cancer class of tumors characterized by replicative instability (RIN). RIN is defined by the accumulation of intra-chromosomal, gene-level gain and loss events at replication stress sensitive (RSS) genome sites. We find that RIN accelerates cancer progression by driving copy number alterations and transcriptional program rewiring that promote tumor evolution. Clinically, we find that RIN drives therapy resistance and distant metastases across multiple tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B. Morris
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jason P. Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Susanne M. Arnold
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Dwight H. Owen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jhanelle E. Gray
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Patrick M. Dillon
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Hatem H. Soliman
- Department of Breast Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Daniel G. Stover
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Howard Colman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute and Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Arnab Chakravarti
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kenneth H. Shain
- Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Ariosto S. Silva
- Department of Cancer Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - John L. Villano
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | | | - Virginia F. Borges
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Wallace L. Akerley
- Department of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ryan D. Gentzler
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Richard D. Hall
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Cindy B. Matsen
- Department of Surgery, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - C. M. Ulrich
- Huntsman Cancer Institute and Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Andrew R. Post
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - David A. Nix
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Eric A. Singer
- Section of Urologic Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - James M. Larner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Peter Todd Stukenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - David R. Jones
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marty W. Mayo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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16
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Liddiard K, Aston-Evans AN, Cleal K, Hendrickson E, Baird D. POLQ suppresses genome instability and alterations in DNA repeat tract lengths. NAR Cancer 2022; 4:zcac020. [PMID: 35774233 PMCID: PMC9241439 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerase theta (POLQ) is a principal component of the alternative non-homologous end-joining (ANHEJ) DNA repair pathway that ligates DNA double-strand breaks. Utilizing independent models of POLQ insufficiency during telomere-driven crisis, we found that POLQ - /- cells are resistant to crisis-induced growth deceleration despite sustaining inter-chromosomal telomere fusion frequencies equivalent to wild-type (WT) cells. We recorded longer telomeres in POLQ - / - than WT cells pre- and post-crisis, notwithstanding elevated total telomere erosion and fusion rates. POLQ - /- cells emerging from crisis exhibited reduced incidence of clonal gross chromosomal abnormalities in accordance with increased genetic heterogeneity. High-throughput sequencing of telomere fusion amplicons from POLQ-deficient cells revealed significantly raised frequencies of inter-chromosomal fusions with correspondingly depreciated intra-chromosomal recombinations. Long-range interactions culminating in telomere fusions with centromere alpha-satellite repeats, as well as expansions in HSAT2 and HSAT3 satellite and contractions in ribosomal DNA repeats, were detected in POLQ - / - cells. In conjunction with the expanded telomere lengths of POLQ - /- cells, these results indicate a hitherto unrealized capacity of POLQ for regulation of repeat arrays within the genome. Our findings uncover novel considerations for the efficacy of POLQ inhibitors in clinical cancer interventions, where potential genome destabilizing consequences could drive clonal evolution and resistant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Liddiard
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Alys N Aston-Evans
- Dementia Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Kez Cleal
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Eric A Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Duncan M Baird
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
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17
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Drzewiecka M, Barszczewska-Pietraszek G, Czarny P, Skorski T, Śliwiński T. Synthetic Lethality Targeting Polθ. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13061101. [PMID: 35741863 PMCID: PMC9223150 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Research studies regarding synthetic lethality (SL) in human cells are primarily motivated by the potential of this phenomenon to be an effective, but at the same time, safe to the patient's anti-cancer chemotherapy. Among the factors that are targets for the induction of the synthetic lethality effect, those involved in DNA repair seem to be the most relevant. Specifically, when mutation in one of the canonical DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways occurs, which is a frequent event in cancer cells, the alternative pathways may be a promising target for the elimination of abnormal cells. Currently, inhibiting RAD52 and/or PARP1 in the tumor cells that are deficient in the canonical repair pathways has been the potential target for inducing the effect of synthetic lethality. Unfortunately, the development of resistance to commonly used PARP1 inhibitors (PARPi) represents the greatest obstacle to working out a successful treatment protocol. DNA polymerase theta (Polθ), encoded by the POLQ gene, plays a key role in an alternative DSB repair pathway-theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ). Thus, it is a promising target in the treatment of tumors harboring deficiencies in homologous recombination repair (HRR), where its inhibition can induce SL. In this review, the authors discuss the current state of knowledge on Polθ as a potential target for synthetic lethality-based anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Drzewiecka
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.D.); (G.B.-P.)
| | - Gabriela Barszczewska-Pietraszek
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.D.); (G.B.-P.)
| | - Piotr Czarny
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-216 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Skorski
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Departament of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Correspondence: (T.S.); (T.Ś.); Tel.: +1-215-707-9157 (T.S.); +48-42-635-44-86 (T.Ś.)
| | - Tomasz Śliwiński
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (M.D.); (G.B.-P.)
- Correspondence: (T.S.); (T.Ś.); Tel.: +1-215-707-9157 (T.S.); +48-42-635-44-86 (T.Ś.)
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18
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Vanson S, Li Y, Wood RD, Doublié S. Probing the structure and function of polymerase θ helicase-like domain. DNA Repair (Amst) 2022; 116:103358. [PMID: 35753097 PMCID: PMC10329254 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2022.103358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
DNA Polymerase θ is the key actuator of the recently identified double-strand break repair pathway, theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ). It is the only known polymerase to have a 3-domain architecture containing an independently functional family A DNA polymerase tethered by a long central region to an N-terminal helicase-like domain (HLD). Full-length polymerase θ and the isolated HLD hydrolyze ATP in the presence of DNA, but no processive DNA duplex unwinding has been observed. Based on sequence and structure conservation, the HLD is classified as a member of helicase superfamily II and, more specifically, the Ski2-like family. The specific subdomain composition and organization most closely resemble that of archaeal DNA repair helicases Hel308 and Hjm. The underlying structural basis as to why the HLD is not able to processively unwind duplex DNA, despite its similarity to bona fide helicases, remains elusive. Activities of the HLD include ATP hydrolysis, protein displacement, and annealing of complementary DNA. These observations have led to speculation about the role of the HLD within the context of double-strand break repair via TMEJ, such as removal of single-stranded DNA binding proteins like RPA and RAD51 and microhomology alignment. This review summarizes the structural classification and organization of the polymerase θ HLD and its homologs and explores emerging data on its biochemical activities. We conclude with a simple, speculative model for the HLD's role in TMEJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Vanson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Yuzhen Li
- Department of Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Center, Houston, TX 77230, USA
| | - Richard D Wood
- Department of Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Center, Houston, TX 77230, USA.
| | - Sylvie Doublié
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
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19
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Cosenza MR, Rodriguez-Martin B, Korbel JO. Structural Variation in Cancer: Role, Prevalence, and Mechanisms. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:123-152. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-120121-101149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Somatic rearrangements resulting in genomic structural variation drive malignant phenotypes by altering the expression or function of cancer genes. Pan-cancer studies have revealed that structural variants (SVs) are the predominant class of driver mutation in most cancer types, but because they are difficult to discover, they remain understudied when compared with point mutations. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of somatic SVs, discussing their primary roles, prevalence in different contexts, and mutational mechanisms. SVs arise throughout the life history of cancer, and 55% of driver mutations uncovered by the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project represent SVs. Leveraging the convergence of cell biology and genomics, we propose a mechanistic classification of somatic SVs, from simple to highly complex DNA rearrangement classes. The actions of DNA repair and DNA replication processes together with mitotic errors result in a rich spectrum of SV formation processes, with cascading effects mediating extensive structural diversity after an initiating DNA lesion has formed. Thanks to new sequencing technologies, including the sequencing of single-cell genomes, open questions about the molecular triggers and the biomolecules involved in SV formation as well as their mutational rates can now be addressed. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, Volume 23 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jan O. Korbel
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Schreier HK, Wiehe RS, Ricchetti M, Wiesmüller L. Polymerase ζ is Involved in Mitochondrial DNA Maintenance Processes in Concert with APE1 Activity. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050879. [PMID: 35627264 PMCID: PMC9141751 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damaged by reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggers so far poorly understood processes of mtDNA maintenance that are coordinated by a complex interplay among DNA repair, DNA degradation, and DNA replication. This study was designed to identify the proteins involved in mtDNA maintenance by applying a special long-range PCR, reflecting mtDNA integrity in the minor arc. A siRNA screening of literature-based candidates was performed under conditions of enforced oxidative phosphorylation revealing the functional group of polymerases and therein polymerase ζ (POLZ) as top hits. Thus, POLZ knockdown caused mtDNA accumulation, which required the activity of the base excision repair (BER) nuclease APE1, and was followed by compensatory mtDNA replication determined by the single-cell mitochondrial in situ hybridization protocol (mTRIP). Quenching reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria unveiled an additional, ROS-independent involvement of POLZ in the formation of a typical deletion in the minor arc region. Together with data demonstrating the localization of POLZ in mitochondria, we suggest that POLZ plays a significant role in mtDNA turnover, particularly under conditions of oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Katrin Schreier
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ulm University, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (H.K.S.); (R.S.W.)
| | - Rahel Stefanie Wiehe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ulm University, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (H.K.S.); (R.S.W.)
| | - Miria Ricchetti
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institute Pasteur, CEDEX 15, 75724 Paris, France;
| | - Lisa Wiesmüller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ulm University, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (H.K.S.); (R.S.W.)
- Correspondence:
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21
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Shapiro JA. What we have learned about evolutionary genome change in the past 7 decades. Biosystems 2022; 215-216:104669. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2022.104669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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22
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Ramsden DA, Carvajal-Garcia J, Gupta GP. Mechanism, cellular functions and cancer roles of polymerase-theta-mediated DNA end joining. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:125-140. [PMID: 34522048 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00405-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cellular pathways that repair chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) have pivotal roles in cell growth, development and cancer. These DSB repair pathways have been the target of intensive investigation, but one pathway - alternative end joining (a-EJ) - has long resisted elucidation. In this Review, we highlight recent progress in our understanding of a-EJ, especially the assignment of DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) as the predominant mediator of a-EJ in most eukaryotes, and discuss a potential molecular mechanism by which Polθ-mediated end joining (TMEJ) occurs. We address possible cellular functions of TMEJ in resolving DSBs that are refractory to repair by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), DSBs generated following replication fork collapse and DSBs present owing to stalling of repair by homologous recombination. We also discuss how these context-dependent cellular roles explain how TMEJ can both protect against and cause genome instability, and the emerging potential of Polθ as a therapeutic target in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale A Ramsden
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Juan Carvajal-Garcia
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gaorav P Gupta
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Hacker L, Capdeville N, Feller L, Enderle-Kukla J, Dorn A, Puchta H. The DNA-dependent protease AtWSS1A suppresses persistent double strand break formation during replication. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1172-1187. [PMID: 34761387 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The protease WSS1A is an important factor in the repair of DNA-protein crosslinks in plants. Here we show that the loss of WSS1A leads to a reduction of 45S rDNA repeats and chromosomal fragmentation in Arabidopsis. Moreover, in the absence of any factor of the RTR (RECQ4A/TOP3α/RMI1/2) complex, which is involved in the dissolution of DNA replication intermediates, WSS1A becomes essential for viability. If WSS1A loss is combined with loss of the classical (c) or alternative (a) nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathways of double-strand break (DSB) repair, the resulting mutants show proliferation defects and enhanced chromosome fragmentation, which is especially aggravated in the absence of aNHEJ. This indicates that WSS1A is involved either in the suppression of DSB formation or in DSB repair itself. To test the latter we induced DSB by CRISPR/Cas9 at different loci in wild-type and mutant cells and analyzed their repair by deep sequencing. However, no change in the quality of the repair events and only a slight increase in their quantity was found. Thus, by removing complex DNA-protein structures, WSS1A seems to be required for the repair of replication intermediates which would otherwise be resolved into persistent DSB leading to genome instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Hacker
- Botanical Institute, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Niklas Capdeville
- Botanical Institute, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Laura Feller
- Botanical Institute, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Janina Enderle-Kukla
- Botanical Institute, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Annika Dorn
- Botanical Institute, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
| | - Holger Puchta
- Botanical Institute, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany
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24
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Feng W, Smith CM, Simpson DA, Gupta GP. Targeting Non-homologous and Alternative End Joining Repair to Enhance Cancer Radiosensitivity. Semin Radiat Oncol 2021; 32:29-41. [PMID: 34861993 DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Many cancer therapies, including radiotherapy, induce DSBs as the major driving mechanism for inducing cancer cell death. Thus, modulating DSB repair has immense potential for radiosensitization, although such interventions must be carefully designed to be tumor selective to ensure that normal tissue toxicities are not also increased. Here, we review mechanisms of error-prone DSB repair through a highly efficient process called end joining. There are two major pathways of end-joining repair: non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and alternative end joining (a-EJ), both of which can be selectively upregulated in cancer and thus represent attractive therapeutic targets for radiosensitization. These EJ pathways each have therapeutically targetable pioneer factors - DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) for NHEJ and DNA Polymerase Theta (Pol θ) for a-EJ. We summarize the current status of therapeutic targeting of NHEJ and a-EJ to enhance the effects of radiotherapy - focusing on challenges that must be overcome and opportunities that require further exploration. By leveraging preclinical insights into mechanisms of altered DSB repair programs in cancer, selective radiosensitization through NHEJ and/or a-EJ targeting remains a highly attractive avenue for ongoing and future clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chelsea M Smith
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; Pathobiology and Translational Science Graduate Program
| | | | - Gaorav P Gupta
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; Pathobiology and Translational Science Graduate Program; Department of Radiation Oncology; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
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25
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Ferenczi A, Chew YP, Kroll E, von Koppenfels C, Hudson A, Molnar A. Mechanistic and genetic basis of single-strand templated repair at Cas12a-induced DNA breaks in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6751. [PMID: 34799578 PMCID: PMC8604939 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) are widely used as DNA repair templates in CRISPR/Cas precision genome editing. However, the underlying mechanisms of single-strand templated DNA repair (SSTR) are inadequately understood, constraining rational improvements to precision editing. Here we study SSTR at CRISPR/Cas12a-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the eukaryotic model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We demonstrate that ssODNs physically incorporate into the genome during SSTR at Cas12a-induced DSBs. This process is genetically independent of the Rad51-dependent homologous recombination and Fanconi anemia pathways, is strongly antagonized by non-homologous end-joining, and is mediated almost entirely by the alternative end-joining enzyme polymerase θ. These findings suggest differences in SSTR between C. reinhardtii and animals. Our work illustrates the promising potentially of C. reinhardtii as a model organism for studying nuclear DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aron Ferenczi
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Yen Peng Chew
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Erika Kroll
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
- Department of Biointeractions and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | | | - Andrew Hudson
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Attila Molnar
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK.
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26
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27
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Koh G, Degasperi A, Zou X, Momen S, Nik-Zainal S. Mutational signatures: emerging concepts, caveats and clinical applications. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:619-637. [PMID: 34316057 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00377-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Whole-genome sequencing has brought the cancer genomics community into new territory. Thanks to the sheer power provided by the thousands of mutations present in each patient's cancer, we have been able to discern generic patterns of mutations, termed 'mutational signatures', that arise during tumorigenesis. These mutational signatures provide new insights into the causes of individual cancers, revealing both endogenous and exogenous factors that have influenced cancer development. This Review brings readers up to date in a field that is expanding in computational, experimental and clinical directions. We focus on recent conceptual advances, underscoring some of the caveats associated with using the mutational signature frameworks and highlighting the latest experimental insights. We conclude by bringing attention to areas that are likely to see advancements in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gene Koh
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Cancer Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrea Degasperi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Cancer Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xueqing Zou
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Cancer Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sophie Momen
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Cancer Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Serena Nik-Zainal
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- MRC Cancer Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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28
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Pan Q, Wang L, Liu Y, Li M, Zhang Y, Peng W, Deng T, Peng ML, Jiang JQ, Tang J, Wang J, Duan HX, Fan SS. Knockdown of POLQ interferes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:482. [PMID: 34517891 PMCID: PMC8436534 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02178-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background DNA Polymerase Theta (POLQ) is a DNA polymerase involved in error-prone translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) and error-prone repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), whose function in hepatocellular carcinoma has not been investigated. Methods In the present study, both the data collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and our group’s results showed higher POLQ expression in HCC tissues than the para-cancerous tissues, which was associated with higher malignancy and poor prognosis. POLQ knockdown HCC cell model (shPOLQ) was constructed along with the corresponding negative control (shCtrl) through lentivirus infection for loss-of-function study. Results We found that, upon knockdown of POLQ, the proliferation and migration of HCC cells decreased and apoptosis percentage increased. Moreover, the percentage of cells in G2 phase significantly increased in shPOLQ group compared with shCtrl group. Xenografts in mice grafted with shPOLQ cells grew much slower than that transplanted with shCtrl cells, and expressed lower Ki67 level. Furthermore, an apoptosis-related signaling array was used to explore the involvement of downstream signaling pathways, suggesting the enhanced phosphorylation of HSP27 and JNK, and the de-activation of mTOR, PRAS40, ERK1/2 and STAT3 pathways. Conclusions Collectively, our study revealed that POLQ may participate in the development of HCC, depletion of which may be a promising treatment strategy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Pan
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Department of Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Department of Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Min Li
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Peng
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Tan Deng
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Mei-Ling Peng
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Jin-Qiong Jiang
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Jiao Tang
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China
| | - Hua-Xin Duan
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China.
| | - Sha-Sha Fan
- Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China.
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29
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Prodhomme MK, Péricart S, Pommier RM, Morel AP, Brunac AC, Franchet C, Moyret-Lalle C, Brousset P, Puisieux A, Hoffmann JS, Tissier A. Opposite Roles for ZEB1 and TMEJ in the Regulation of Breast Cancer Genome Stability. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:727429. [PMID: 34458275 PMCID: PMC8388841 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.727429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer cells frequently acquire mutations in faithful DNA repair genes, as exemplified by BRCA-deficiency. Moreover, overexpression of an inaccurate DNA repair pathway may also be at the origin of the genetic instability arising during the course of cancer progression. The specific gain in expression of POLQ, encoding the error-prone DNA polymerase Theta (POLθ) involved in theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ), is associated with a characteristic mutational signature. To gain insight into the mechanistic regulation of POLQ expression, this review briefly presents recent findings on the regulation of POLQ in the claudin-low breast tumor subtype, specifically expressing transcription factors involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) such as ZEB1 and displaying a paucity in genomic abnormality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie K Prodhomme
- INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Sarah Péricart
- Laboratoire d'Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Roxane M Pommier
- Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Platform, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Anne-Pierre Morel
- INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Anne-Cécile Brunac
- Laboratoire d'Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Camille Franchet
- Laboratoire d'Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Caroline Moyret-Lalle
- INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre Brousset
- Laboratoire d'Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Alain Puisieux
- INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Institut Curie, Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Hoffmann
- Laboratoire d'Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Agnès Tissier
- INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
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30
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Osia B, Alsulaiman T, Jackson T, Kramara J, Oliveira S, Malkova A. Cancer cells are highly susceptible to accumulation of templated insertions linked to MMBIR. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8714-8731. [PMID: 34379776 PMCID: PMC8421209 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR) is a DNA repair pathway initiated by polymerase template switching at microhomology, which can produce templated insertions that initiate chromosomal rearrangements leading to neurological and metabolic diseases, and promote complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) found in cancer. Yet, how often templated insertions accumulate from processes like MMBIR in genomes is poorly understood due to difficulty in directly identifying these events by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Here, by using our newly developed MMBSearch software, we directly detect such templated insertions (MMB-TIs) in human genomes and report substantial differences in frequency and complexity of MMB-TI events between normal and cancer cells. Through analysis of 71 cancer genomes from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we observed that MMB-TIs readily accumulate de novo across several cancer types, with particularly high accumulation in some breast and lung cancers. By contrast, MMB-TIs appear only as germline variants in normal human fibroblast cells, and do not accumulate as de novo somatic mutations. Finally, we performed WGS on a lung adenocarcinoma patient case and confirmed MMB-TI-initiated chromosome fusions that disrupted potential tumor suppressors and induced chromothripsis-like CGRs. Based on our findings we propose that MMB-TIs represent a trigger for widespread genomic instability and tumor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Osia
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA
| | - Thamer Alsulaiman
- Department of Computer Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA
| | - Tyler Jackson
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA
| | - Juraj Kramara
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA
| | - Suely Oliveira
- Department of Computer Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA
| | - Anna Malkova
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA
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McPherson KS, Korzhnev DM. Targeting protein-protein interactions in the DNA damage response pathways for cancer chemotherapy. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1167-1195. [PMID: 34458830 PMCID: PMC8342002 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00101a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular DNA damage response (DDR) is an extensive signaling network that orchestrates DNA damage recognition, repair and avoidance, cell cycle progression and cell death. DDR alteration is a hallmark of cancer, with the deficiency in one DDR capability often compensated by a dependency on alternative pathways endowing cancer cells with survival and growth advantage. Targeting these DDR pathways has provided multiple opportunities for the development of cancer therapies. Traditional drug discovery has mainly focused on catalytic inhibitors that block enzyme active sites, which limits the number of potential drug targets within the DDR pathways. This review article describes the emerging approach to the development of cancer therapeutics targeting essential protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in the DDR network. The overall strategy for the structure-based design of small molecule PPI inhibitors is discussed, followed by an overview of the major DNA damage sensing, DNA repair, and DNA damage tolerance pathways with a specific focus on PPI targets for anti-cancer drug design. The existing small molecule inhibitors of DDR PPIs are summarized that selectively kill cancer cells and/or sensitize cancers to front-line genotoxic therapies, and a range of new PPI targets are proposed that may lead to the development of novel chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Silva McPherson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health Center Farmington CT 06030 USA +1 860 679 3408 +1 860 679 2849
| | - Dmitry M Korzhnev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health Center Farmington CT 06030 USA +1 860 679 3408 +1 860 679 2849
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Chen XS, Pomerantz RT. DNA Polymerase θ: A Cancer Drug Target with Reverse Transcriptase Activity. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1146. [PMID: 34440316 PMCID: PMC8391894 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of precision medicine from the development of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors that preferentially kill cells defective in homologous recombination has sparked wide interest in identifying and characterizing additional DNA repair enzymes that are synthetic lethal with HR factors. DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) is a validated anti-cancer drug target that is synthetic lethal with HR factors and other DNA repair proteins and confers cellular resistance to various genotoxic cancer therapies. Since its initial characterization as a helicase-polymerase fusion protein in 2003, many exciting and unexpected activities of Polθ in microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) and translesion synthesis (TLS) have been discovered. Here, we provide a short review of Polθ's DNA repair activities and its potential as a drug target and highlight a recent report that reveals Polθ as a naturally occurring reverse transcriptase (RT) in mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojiang S. Chen
- Molecular and Computational Biology, USC Dornsife Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;
| | - Richard T. Pomerantz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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33
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Audoynaud C, Vagner S, Lambert S. Non-homologous end-joining at challenged replication forks: an RNA connection? Trends Genet 2021; 37:973-985. [PMID: 34238592 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Defective DNA replication, known as 'replication stress', is a source of DNA damage, a hallmark of numerous human diseases, including cancer, developmental defect, neurological disorders, and premature aging. Recent work indicates that non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is unexpectedly active during DNA replication to repair replication-born DNA lesions and to safeguard replication fork integrity. However, erroneous NHEJ events are deleterious to genome stability. RNAs are novel regulators of NHEJ activity through their ability to modulate the assembly of repair complexes in trans. At DNA damage sites, RNAs and DNA-embedded ribonucleotides modulate repair efficiency and fidelity. We discuss here how RNAs and associated proteins, including RNA binding proteins, may regulate NHEJ to sustain genome stability during DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Audoynaud
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, 91400 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, 91400 Orsay, France; Equipes Labélisées Ligue Nationale Contre Le Cancer, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Stéphan Vagner
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, 91400 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, 91400 Orsay, France; Equipes Labélisées Ligue Nationale Contre Le Cancer, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Sarah Lambert
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, 91400 Orsay, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR3348, INSERM U1278, 91400 Orsay, France; Equipes Labélisées Ligue Nationale Contre Le Cancer, 91400 Orsay, France.
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34
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Tomasini PP, Guecheva TN, Leguisamo NM, Péricart S, Brunac AC, Hoffmann JS, Saffi J. Analyzing the Opportunities to Target DNA Double-Strand Breaks Repair and Replicative Stress Responses to Improve Therapeutic Index of Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3130. [PMID: 34201502 PMCID: PMC8268241 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the ample improvements of CRC molecular landscape, the therapeutic options still rely on conventional chemotherapy-based regimens for early disease, and few targeted agents are recommended for clinical use in the metastatic setting. Moreover, the impact of cytotoxic, targeted agents, and immunotherapy combinations in the metastatic scenario is not fully satisfactory, especially the outcomes for patients who develop resistance to these treatments need to be improved. Here, we examine the opportunity to consider therapeutic agents targeting DNA repair and DNA replication stress response as strategies to exploit genetic or functional defects in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathways through synthetic lethal mechanisms, still not explored in CRC. These include the multiple actors involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) through homologous recombination (HR), classical non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), and microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ), inhibitors of the base excision repair (BER) protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), as well as inhibitors of the DNA damage kinases ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR), CHK1, WEE1, and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM). We also review the biomarkers that guide the use of these agents, and current clinical trials with targeted DDR therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Pellenz Tomasini
- Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Avenida Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Brazil; (P.P.T.); (N.M.L.)
- Post-Graduation Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Temenouga Nikolova Guecheva
- Cardiology Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, University Foundation of Cardiology (IC-FUC), Porto Alegre 90620-000, Brazil;
| | - Natalia Motta Leguisamo
- Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Avenida Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Brazil; (P.P.T.); (N.M.L.)
| | - Sarah Péricart
- Laboratoire D’Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, 1 Avenue Irène-Joliot-Curie, 31059 Toulouse, France; (S.P.); (A.-C.B.); (J.S.H.)
| | - Anne-Cécile Brunac
- Laboratoire D’Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, 1 Avenue Irène-Joliot-Curie, 31059 Toulouse, France; (S.P.); (A.-C.B.); (J.S.H.)
| | - Jean Sébastien Hoffmann
- Laboratoire D’Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, 1 Avenue Irène-Joliot-Curie, 31059 Toulouse, France; (S.P.); (A.-C.B.); (J.S.H.)
| | - Jenifer Saffi
- Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Avenida Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Brazil; (P.P.T.); (N.M.L.)
- Post-Graduation Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
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Nisa M, Bergis C, Pedroza-Garcia JA, Drouin-Wahbi J, Mazubert C, Bergounioux C, Benhamed M, Raynaud C. The plant DNA polymerase theta is essential for the repair of replication-associated DNA damage. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:1197-1207. [PMID: 33989439 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Safeguarding of genome integrity is a key process in all living organisms. Due to their sessile lifestyle, plants are particularly exposed to all kinds of stress conditions that could induce DNA damage. However, very few genes involved in the maintenance of genome integrity are indispensable to plants' viability. One remarkable exception is the POLQ gene, which encodes DNA polymerase theta (Pol θ), a non-replicative polymerase involved in trans-lesion synthesis during DNA replication and double-strand break (DSB) repair. The Arabidopsis tebichi (teb) mutants, deficient in Pol θ, have been reported to display severe developmental defects, leading to the conclusion that Pol θ is required for normal plant development. However, this essential role of Pol θ in plants is challenged by contradictory reports regarding the phenotypic defects of teb mutants and the recent finding that rice (Oryza sativa) null mutants develop normally. Here we show that the phenotype of teb mutants is highly variable. Taking advantage of hypomorphic mutants for the replicative DNA polymerase epsilon, which display constitutive replicative stress, we show that Pol θ allows maintenance of meristem activity when DNA replication is partially compromised. Furthermore, we found that the phenotype of Pol θ mutants can be aggravated by modifying their growth conditions, suggesting that environmental conditions impact the basal level of replicative stress and providing evidence for a link between plants' responses to adverse conditions and mechanisms involved in the maintenance of genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maherun Nisa
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
| | - Clara Bergis
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
| | - Jose-Antonio Pedroza-Garcia
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
| | - Jeannine Drouin-Wahbi
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
| | - Christelle Mazubert
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
| | - Catherine Bergounioux
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
| | - Moussa Benhamed
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France
| | - Cécile Raynaud
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ Evry, Orsay, 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Orsay, (IPS2) 91405, France
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36
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Stok C, Kok Y, van den Tempel N, van Vugt MATM. Shaping the BRCAness mutational landscape by alternative double-strand break repair, replication stress and mitotic aberrancies. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:4239-4257. [PMID: 33744950 PMCID: PMC8096281 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumours with mutations in the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes have impaired double-stranded DNA break repair, compromised replication fork protection and increased sensitivity to replication blocking agents, a phenotype collectively known as 'BRCAness'. Tumours with a BRCAness phenotype become dependent on alternative repair pathways that are error-prone and introduce specific patterns of somatic mutations across the genome. The increasing availability of next-generation sequencing data of tumour samples has enabled identification of distinct mutational signatures associated with BRCAness. These signatures reveal that alternative repair pathways, including Polymerase θ-mediated alternative end-joining and RAD52-mediated single strand annealing are active in BRCA1/2-deficient tumours, pointing towards potential therapeutic targets in these tumours. Additionally, insight into the mutations and consequences of unrepaired DNA lesions may also aid in the identification of BRCA-like tumours lacking BRCA1/BRCA2 gene inactivation. This is clinically relevant, as these tumours respond favourably to treatment with DNA-damaging agents, including PARP inhibitors or cisplatin, which have been successfully used to treat patients with BRCA1/2-defective tumours. In this review, we aim to provide insight in the origins of the mutational landscape associated with BRCAness by exploring the molecular biology of alternative DNA repair pathways, which may represent actionable therapeutic targets in in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Stok
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yannick P Kok
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nathalie van den Tempel
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel A T M van Vugt
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands
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van Schendel R, Romeijn R, Buijs H, Tijsterman M. Preservation of lagging strand integrity at sites of stalled replication by Pol α-primase and 9-1-1 complex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf2278. [PMID: 34138739 PMCID: PMC8133754 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf2278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
During genome duplication, the replication fork encounters a plethora of obstacles in the form of damaged bases, DNA-cross-linked proteins, and secondary structures. How cells protect DNA integrity at sites of stalled replication is currently unknown. Here, by engineering "primase deserts" into the Caenorhabditis elegans genome close to replication-impeding G-quadruplexes, we show that de novo DNA synthesis downstream of the blocked fork suppresses DNA loss. We next identify the pol α-primase complex to limit deletion mutagenesis, a conclusion substantiated by whole-genome analysis of animals carrying mutated POLA2/DIV-1. We subsequently identify a new role for the 9-1-1 checkpoint clamp in protecting Okazaki fragments from resection by EXO1. Together, our results provide a mechanistic model for controlling the fate of replication intermediates at sites of stalled replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin van Schendel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ron Romeijn
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Helena Buijs
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marcel Tijsterman
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, Netherlands.
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, Netherlands
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38
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Maiorano D, El Etri J, Franchet C, Hoffmann JS. Translesion Synthesis or Repair by Specialized DNA Polymerases Limits Excessive Genomic Instability upon Replication Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3924. [PMID: 33920223 PMCID: PMC8069355 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA can experience "replication stress", an important source of genome instability, induced by various external or endogenous impediments that slow down or stall DNA synthesis. While genome instability is largely documented to favor both tumor formation and heterogeneity, as well as drug resistance, conversely, excessive instability appears to suppress tumorigenesis and is associated with improved prognosis. These findings support the view that karyotypic diversity, necessary to adapt to selective pressures, may be limited in tumors so as to reduce the risk of excessive instability. This review aims to highlight the contribution of specialized DNA polymerases in limiting extreme genetic instability by allowing DNA replication to occur even in the presence of DNA damage, to either avoid broken forks or favor their repair after collapse. These mechanisms and their key regulators Rad18 and Polθ not only offer diversity and evolutionary advantage by increasing mutagenic events, but also provide cancer cells with a way to escape anti-cancer therapies that target replication forks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Maiorano
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR9002, CNRS-University of Montpellier, 34396 Montpellier, France; (D.M.); (J.E.E.)
| | - Jana El Etri
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR9002, CNRS-University of Montpellier, 34396 Montpellier, France; (D.M.); (J.E.E.)
| | - Camille Franchet
- Laboratoire D’Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, 1 Avenue Irène-Joliot-Curie, 31059 Toulouse, France;
| | - Jean-Sébastien Hoffmann
- Laboratoire D’Excellence Toulouse Cancer (TOUCAN), Laboratoire de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, 1 Avenue Irène-Joliot-Curie, 31059 Toulouse, France;
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39
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Kockler ZW, Osia B, Lee R, Musmaker K, Malkova A. Repair of DNA Breaks by Break-Induced Replication. Annu Rev Biochem 2021; 90:165-191. [PMID: 33792375 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-081420-095551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) are the most lethal type of DNA damage, making DSB repair critical for cell survival. However, some DSB repair pathways are mutagenic and promote genome rearrangements, leading to genome destabilization. One such pathway is break-induced replication (BIR), which repairs primarily one-ended DSBs, similar to those formed by collapsed replication forks or telomere erosion. BIR is initiated by the invasion of a broken DNA end into a homologous template, synthesizes new DNA within the context of a migrating bubble, and is associated with conservative inheritance of new genetic material. This mode of synthesis is responsible for a high level of genetic instability associated with BIR. Eukaryotic BIR was initially investigated in yeast, but now it is also actively studied in mammalian systems. Additionally, a significant breakthrough has been made regarding the role of microhomology-mediated BIR in the formation of complex genomic rearrangements that underly various human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z W Kockler
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA;
| | - B Osia
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA;
| | - R Lee
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA;
| | - K Musmaker
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA;
| | - A Malkova
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA;
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40
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Mosquera Orgueira A, Cid López M, Peleteiro Raíndo A, Díaz Arias JÁ, Antelo Rodríguez B, Bao Pérez L, Alonso Vence N, Bendaña López Á, Abuin Blanco A, Melero Valentín P, Ferreiro Ferro R, Aliste Santos C, Fraga Rodríguez MF, González Pérez MS, Pérez Encinas MM, Bello López JL. Detection of Rare Germline Variants in the Genomes of Patients with B-Cell Neoplasms. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061340. [PMID: 33809641 PMCID: PMC8001490 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The global importance of rare variants in tumorigenesis has been addressed by some pan-cancer analysis, revealing significant enrichments in protein-truncating variants affecting genes such as ATM, BRCA1/2, BRIP1, and MSH6. Germline variants can influence treatment response and contribute to the development of treatment-related second neoplasms, especially in childhood leukemia. We aimed to analyze the genomes of patients with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders for the discovery of genes enriched in rare pathogenic variants. We discovered a significant enrichment for two genes in germline rare and dysfunctional variants. Additionally, we detected rare and likely pathogenic variants associated with disease prognosis and potential druggability, indicating a relevant role of these events in the variability of cancer phenotypes. Abstract There is growing evidence indicating the implication of germline variation in cancer predisposition and prognostication. Here, we describe an analysis of likely disruptive rare variants across the genomes of 726 patients with B-cell lymphoid neoplasms. We discovered a significant enrichment for two genes in rare dysfunctional variants, both of which participate in the regulation of oxidative stress pathways (CHMP6 and GSTA4). Additionally, we detected 1675 likely disrupting variants in genes associated with cancer, of which 44.75% were novel events and 7.88% were protein-truncating variants. Among these, the most frequently affected genes were ATM, BIRC6, CLTCL1A, and TSC2. Homozygous or germline double-hit variants were detected in 28 cases, and coexisting somatic events were observed in 17 patients, some of which affected key lymphoma drivers such as ATM, KMT2D, and MYC. Finally, we observed that variants in six different genes were independently associated with shorter survival in CLL. Our study results support an important role for rare germline variation in the pathogenesis and prognosis of B-cell lymphoid neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Mosquera Orgueira
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-981-950-191
| | - Miguel Cid López
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Andrés Peleteiro Raíndo
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - José Ángel Díaz Arias
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Beatriz Antelo Rodríguez
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Laura Bao Pérez
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Natalia Alonso Vence
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Ángeles Bendaña López
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Aitor Abuin Blanco
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Paula Melero Valentín
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Roi Ferreiro Ferro
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Carlos Aliste Santos
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Máximo Francisco Fraga Rodríguez
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- Department of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marta Sonia González Pérez
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
| | - Manuel Mateo Pérez Encinas
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Pathology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - José Luis Bello López
- Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.L.); (A.P.R.); (J.Á.D.A.); (B.A.R.); (N.A.V.); (Á.B.L.); (M.F.F.R.); (M.S.G.P.); (M.M.P.E.); (J.L.B.L.)
- Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Department of Hematology, SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (L.B.P.); (A.A.B.); (P.M.V.); (R.F.F.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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41
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Chandramouly G, Liao S, Rusanov T, Borisonnik N, Calbert ML, Kent T, Sullivan-Reed K, Vekariya U, Kashkina E, Skorski T, Yan H, Pomerantz RT. Polθ promotes the repair of 5'-DNA-protein crosslinks by microhomology-mediated end-joining. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108820. [PMID: 33691100 PMCID: PMC8565190 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerase θ (Polθ) confers resistance to chemotherapy agents that cause DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) at double-strand breaks (DSBs), such as topoisomerase inhibitors. This suggests Polθ might facilitate DPC repair by microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ). Here, we investigate Polθ repair of DSBs carrying DPCs by monitoring MMEJ in Xenopus egg extracts. MMEJ in extracts is dependent on Polθ, exhibits the MMEJ repair signature, and efficiently repairs 5' terminal DPCs independently of non-homologous end-joining and the replisome. We demonstrate that Polθ promotes the repair of 5' terminal DPCs in mammalian cells by using an MMEJ reporter and find that Polθ confers resistance to formaldehyde in addition to topoisomerase inhibitors. Dual deficiency in Polθ and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2) causes severe cellular sensitivity to etoposide, which demonstrates MMEJ as an independent DPC repair pathway. These studies recapitulate MMEJ in vitro and elucidate how Polθ confers resistance to etoposide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurushankar Chandramouly
- Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Shuren Liao
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Timur Rusanov
- Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology & Immunology, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nikita Borisonnik
- Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Marissa L Calbert
- Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Tatiana Kent
- Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Katherine Sullivan-Reed
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Umeshkumar Vekariya
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Ekaterina Kashkina
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Tomasz Skorski
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Hong Yan
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Richard T Pomerantz
- Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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42
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Schrempf A, Slyskova J, Loizou JI. Targeting the DNA Repair Enzyme Polymerase θ in Cancer Therapy. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:98-111. [PMID: 33109489 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Targeted cancer therapies represent a milestone towards personalized treatment as they function via inhibition of cancer-specific alterations. Polymerase θ (POLQ), an error-prone translesion polymerase, also involved in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, is often upregulated in cancer. POLQ is synthetic lethal with various DNA repair genes, including known cancer drivers such as BRCA1/2, making it essential in homologous recombination-deficient cancers. Thus, POLQ represents a promising target in cancer therapy and efforts for the development of POLQ inhibitors are actively underway with first clinical trials due to start in 2021. This review summarizes the journey of POLQ from a backup DNA repair enzyme to a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schrempf
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jana Slyskova
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Joanna I Loizou
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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43
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Jiang Y, Dong Y, Luo Y, Jiang S, Meng FL, Tan M, Li J, Zang Y. AMPK-mediated phosphorylation on 53BP1 promotes c-NHEJ. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108713. [PMID: 33596428 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that plays roles in multiple biological processes beyond metabolism. Several studies have suggested that AMPK is involved in the DNA damage response (DDR), but the mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that AMPK promotes classic non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ) in double-strand break (DSB) repair through recruiting a key chromatin-based mediator named p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1), which facilitates the end joining of distal DNA ends during DDR. We find that the interaction of AMPK and 53BP1 spatially occurs under DSB stress. In the context of DSBs, AMPK directly phosphorylates 53BP1 at Ser1317 and promotes 53BP1 recruitment during DDR for an efficient c-NHEJ, thus maintaining genomic stability and diversity of the immune repertoire. Taken together, our study demonstrates that AMPK is a regulator of 53BP1 and controls c-NHEJ choice by phospho-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuejing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ying Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yifeng Luo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shangwen Jiang
- Chemical Proteomics Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Fei-Long Meng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Minjia Tan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; Chemical Proteomics Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; Open Studio for Druggability Research of Marine Natural Products, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei, Jimo, Qingdao 266237, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Yi Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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44
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Morris BB, Wages NA, Grant PA, Stukenberg PT, Gentzler RD, Hall RD, Akerley WL, Varghese TK, Arnold SM, Williams TM, Coppola V, Jones DR, Auble DT, Mayo MW. MYBL2-Driven Transcriptional Programs Link Replication Stress and Error-prone DNA Repair With Genomic Instability in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 10:585551. [PMID: 33489883 PMCID: PMC7821388 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.585551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been recognized that defects in cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair pathways give rise to genomic instability, tumor heterogeneity, and metastasis. Despite this knowledge, the transcription factor-mediated gene expression programs that enable survival and proliferation in the face of enormous replication stress and DNA damage have remained elusive. Using robust omics data from two independent studies, we provide evidence that a large cohort of lung adenocarcinomas exhibit significant genome instability and overexpress the DNA damage responsive transcription factor MYB proto-oncogene like 2 (MYBL2). Across two studies, elevated MYBL2 expression was a robust marker of poor overall survival and disease-free survival outcomes, regardless of disease stage. Clinically, elevated MYBL2 expression identified patients with aggressive early onset disease, increased lymph node involvement, and increased incidence of distant metastases. Analysis of genomic sequencing data demonstrated that MYBL2 High lung adenocarcinomas had elevated somatic mutation burden, widespread chromosomal alterations, and alterations in single-strand DNA break repair pathways. In this study, we provide evidence that impaired single-strand break repair, combined with a loss of cell cycle regulators TP53 and RB1, give rise to MYBL2-mediated transcriptional programs. Omics data supports a model wherein tumors with significant genomic instability upregulate MYBL2 to drive genes that control replication stress responses, promote error-prone DNA repair, and antagonize faithful homologous recombination repair. Our study supports the use of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) pharmacological inhibitors, in targeted MYBL2 High patient cohorts, as a future therapy to improve lung adenocarcinoma patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B. Morris
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Nolan A. Wages
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Patrick A. Grant
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - P. Todd Stukenberg
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Ryan D. Gentzler
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Richard D. Hall
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Wallace L. Akerley
- Department of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Thomas K. Varghese
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Susanne M. Arnold
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Terence M. Williams
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Vincenzo Coppola
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - David R. Jones
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - David T. Auble
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Marty W. Mayo
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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45
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Kumar RJ, Chao HX, Simpson DA, Feng W, Cho MG, Roberts VR, Sullivan AR, Shah SJ, Wozny AS, Fagan-Solis K, Kumar S, Luthman A, Ramsden DA, Purvis JE, Gupta GP. Dual inhibition of DNA-PK and DNA polymerase theta overcomes radiation resistance induced by p53 deficiency. NAR Cancer 2020; 2:zcaa038. [PMID: 33385162 PMCID: PMC7751686 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcaa038] [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: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
TP53 deficiency in cancer is associated with poor patient outcomes and resistance to DNA damaging therapies. However, the mechanisms underlying treatment resistance in p53-deficient cells remain poorly characterized. Using live cell imaging of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and cell cycle state transitions, we show that p53-deficient cells exhibit accelerated repair of radiomimetic-induced DSBs arising in S phase. Low-dose DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibition increases the S-phase DSB burden in p53-deficient cells, resulting in elevated rates of mitotic catastrophe. However, a subset of p53-deficient cells exhibits intrinsic resistance to radiomimetic-induced DSBs despite DNA-PK inhibition. We show that p53-deficient cells under DNA-PK inhibition utilize DNA polymerase theta (Pol θ)-mediated end joining repair to promote their viability in response to therapy-induced DSBs. Pol θ inhibition selectively increases S-phase DSB burden after radiomimetic therapy and promotes prolonged G2 arrest. Dual inhibition of DNA-PK and Pol θ restores radiation sensitivity in p53-deficient cells as well as in p53-mutant breast cancer cell lines. Thus, combination targeting of DNA-PK- and Pol θ-dependent end joining repair represents a promising strategy for overcoming resistance to DNA damaging therapies in p53-deficient cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi J Kumar
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hui Xiao Chao
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dennis A Simpson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Wanjuan Feng
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Min-Guk Cho
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Victoria R Roberts
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Aurora R Sullivan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sonam J Shah
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Anne-Sophie Wozny
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Katerina Fagan-Solis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sunil Kumar
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Adam Luthman
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dale A Ramsden
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jeremy E Purvis
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gaorav P Gupta
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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46
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Myers S, Ortega JA, Cavalli A. Synthetic Lethality through the Lens of Medicinal Chemistry. J Med Chem 2020; 63:14151-14183. [PMID: 33135887 PMCID: PMC8015234 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Personalized medicine and therapies represent the goal of modern medicine, as drug discovery strives to move away from one-cure-for-all and makes use of the various targets and biomarkers within differing disease areas. This approach, especially in oncology, is often undermined when the cells make use of alternative survival pathways. As such, acquired resistance is unfortunately common. In order to combat this phenomenon, synthetic lethality is being investigated, making use of existing genetic fragilities within the cancer cell. This Perspective highlights exciting targets within synthetic lethality, (PARP, ATR, ATM, DNA-PKcs, WEE1, CDK12, RAD51, RAD52, and PD-1) and discusses the medicinal chemistry programs being used to interrogate them, the challenges these programs face, and what the future holds for this promising field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel
H. Myers
- Computational
& Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Jose Antonio Ortega
- Computational
& Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Computational
& Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano
di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University
of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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47
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Kuei CH, Lin HY, Lin MH, Lee HH, Lin CH, Lee WJ, Chen YL, Lu LS, Zheng JQ, Hung RC, Chiu HW, Chen KC, Lin YF. DNA polymerase theta repression enhances the docetaxel responsiveness in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2020; 1866:165954. [PMID: 32877750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Docetaxel remains a main treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC); however, the development of docetaxel resistance has been found in some mCRPC patients. The aim of this work is to identify an effective biomarker for predicting therapeutic effectiveness of docetaxel in mCRPC patients. METHODS We examined DNA polymerase theta (POLQ) expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Tissue microarray. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to estimate the prognostic significance of POLQ. A series of functional analyses were conducted in cell lines and xenograft models. Regulated pathways were predicted by Geneset Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) software and further investigated by luciferase reporter and RT-PCR assays. RESULTS We found that POLQ mRNA levels in CRPC tissues was significantly higher than that of other DNA polymerases in non-CRPC prostate tissues. POLQ upregulation was extensively detected in mCRPC and strongly predicted a poor prognosis. POLQ knockdown enhanced docetaxel sensitivity in a cell-based cytotoxicity assay and promoted the therapeutic effect on the tumor growth of metastatic PC-3M cells in xenograft models. The computational simulation by GSEA software significantly predicted the association between POLQ upregulation and the activation of E2F/G2M checkpoint-related pathways. Moreover, luciferase reporter and RT-PCR assays demonstrated that POLQ knockdown downregulated the transcriptional regulatory activity of E2F and repressed E2F/G2M checkpoint-regulated CDK1 in mCRPC cells. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that POLQ serves as a predictive factor for poor docetaxel response and provide a novel strategy to enhance the anticancer effects of docetaxel therapy by targeting POLQ in mCRPC patients.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/genetics
- DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/metabolism
- Docetaxel/pharmacology
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy
- Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism
- Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
- PC-3 Cells
- Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/drug therapy
- Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/metabolism
- Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/pathology
- RNA, Messenger/drug effects
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- DNA Polymerase theta
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hao Kuei
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Division of Surgery, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Xindian District, New Taipei City 23148, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Yu Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Breast Surgery and General Surgery, Division of Surgery, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Xindian district, New Taipei City 23148, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsuan Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Hsun-Hua Lee
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23148, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, Vertigo and Balance Impairment Center, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan
| | - Che-Hsuan Lin
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Jiunn Lee
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Medical Education and Research, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Lin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Cardinal Tien Hospital, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 23148, Taiwan
| | - Long-Sheng Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Quan Zheng
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Chest Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Chen Hung
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Chiu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan; TMU Research Center of Urology and Kidney, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Chou Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Feng Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan.
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48
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Prodhomme MK, Pommier RM, Franchet C, Fauvet F, Bergoglio V, Brousset P, Morel AP, Brunac AC, Devouassoux-Shisheboran M, Petrilli V, Moyret-Lalle C, Hoffmann JS, Puisieux A, Tissier A. EMT Transcription Factor ZEB1 Represses the Mutagenic POLθ-Mediated End-Joining Pathway in Breast Cancers. Cancer Res 2020; 81:1595-1606. [PMID: 33239429 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-2626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A characteristic of cancer development is the acquisition of genomic instability, which results from the inaccurate repair of DNA damage. Among double-strand break repair mechanisms induced by oncogenic stress, the highly mutagenic theta-mediated end-joining (TMEJ) pathway, which requires DNA polymerase theta (POLθ) encoded by the POLQ gene, has been shown to be overexpressed in several human cancers. However, little is known regarding the regulatory mechanisms of TMEJ and the consequence of its dysregulation. In this study, we combined a bioinformatics approach exploring both Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated depletion of the zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) in claudin-low tumor cells or forced expression of ZEB1 in basal-like tumor cells, two triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes, to demonstrate that ZEB1 represses POLQ expression. ZEB1, a master epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factor, interacted directly with the POLQ promoter. Moreover, downregulation of POLQ by ZEB1 fostered micronuclei formation in TNBC tumor cell lines. Consequently, ZEB1 expression prevented TMEJ activity, with a major impact on genome integrity. In conclusion, we showed that ZEB1 directly inhibits the expression of POLQ and, therefore, TMEJ activity, controlling both stability and integrity of breast cancer cell genomes. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings uncover an original mechanism of TMEJ regulation, highlighting ZEB1 as a key player in genome stability during cancer progression via its repression of POLQ.See related commentary by Carvajal-Maldonado and Wood, p. 1441.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie K Prodhomme
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Roxane M Pommier
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Platform, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Camille Franchet
- Laboratoire de Pathologie, Laboratoire d'excellence Toulouse Cancer, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Frédérique Fauvet
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Valérie Bergoglio
- Cancer Research Centre of Toulouse, INSERM UMR 1037, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Brousset
- Laboratoire de Pathologie, Laboratoire d'excellence Toulouse Cancer, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Anne-Pierre Morel
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Anne-Cécile Brunac
- Laboratoire de Pathologie, Laboratoire d'excellence Toulouse Cancer, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Mojgan Devouassoux-Shisheboran
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Virginie Petrilli
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Caroline Moyret-Lalle
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France.,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Hoffmann
- Laboratoire de Pathologie, Laboratoire d'excellence Toulouse Cancer, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Toulouse, Oncopole, Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Alain Puisieux
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France. .,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.,Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Agnès Tissier
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Équipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Lyon, France. .,LabEx DEVweCAN, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
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49
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Principe DR, Narbutis M, Koch R, Rana A. Frequency and prognostic value of mutations associated with the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway in a large pan cancer cohort. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20223. [PMID: 33214570 PMCID: PMC7677533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76975-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PARP inhibitors have shown remarkable efficacy in the clinical management of several BRCA-mutated tumors. This approach is based on the long-standing hypothesis that PARP inhibition will impair the repair of single stranded breaks, causing synthetic lethality in tumors with loss of high-fidelity double-strand break homologous recombination. While this is now well accepted and has been the basis of several successful clinical trials, emerging evidence strongly suggests that mutation to several additional genes involved in homologous recombination may also have predictive value for PARP inhibitors. While this notion is supported by early clinical evidence, the mutation frequencies of these and other functionally related genes are largely unknown, particularly in cancers not classically associated with homologous recombination deficiency. We therefore evaluated the mutation status of 22 genes associated with the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway or PARP inhibitor sensitivity, first in a pan-cancer cohort of 55,586 patients, followed by a more focused analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort of 12,153 patients. In both groups we observed high rates of mutations in a variety of HR-associated genes largely unexplored in the setting of PARP inhibition, many of which were associated also with poor clinical outcomes. We then extended our study to determine which mutations have a known oncogenic role, as well as similar to known oncogenic mutations that may have a similar phenotype. Finally, we explored the individual cancer histologies in which these genomic alterations are most frequent. We concluded that the rates of deleterious mutations affecting genes associated with the homologous recombination pathway may be underrepresented in a wide range of human cancers, and several of these genes warrant further and more focused investigation, particularly in the setting of PARP inhibition and HR deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Principe
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S. Wood Street, Suite 601 Clinical Sciences Building, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Narbutis
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S. Wood Street, Suite 601 Clinical Sciences Building, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Regina Koch
- University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ajay Rana
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S. Wood Street, Suite 601 Clinical Sciences Building, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
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50
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Pan YR, Wu CE, Yeh CN. ATM Inhibitor Suppresses Gemcitabine-Resistant BTC Growth in a Polymerase θ Deficiency-Dependent Manner. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1529. [PMID: 33182492 PMCID: PMC7697425 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) inevitably experience progression after first-line, gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, due to chemo-resistance. The genetic alterations of DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are usually determined in BTC tumors. In this study, we found that the POLQ mRNA levels are downregulated and the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) inhibitor AZD0156 was more sensitive in gemcitabine-resistant BTC sublines than in the parental cell lines. The knockdown of DNA polymerase θ does not affect cell proliferation, but its combination with the ATM inhibitor facilitated cell death in gemcitabine-resistant and gemcitabine-intensive BTC cells. Moreover, in the DNA damage caused by photon, hydrogen peroxide, or chemotherapy drugs, synthetic lethal interactions were found in combination with ATM inhibition by AZD0156 and DNA polymerase θ depletion, resulting in increased DNA damage accumulation and micronucleus formation, as well as reduced cell survival and colony formation. Collectively, our results reveal that ATM acts as a potential target in gemcitabine-resistant and DNA polymerase θ-deficient BTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ru Pan
- Department of General Surgery and Liver Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan;
| | - Chiao-En Wu
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan;
| | - Chun-Nan Yeh
- Department of General Surgery and Liver Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan;
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