1
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Cai SW, Takai H, Zaug AJ, Dilgen TC, Cech TR, Walz T, de Lange T. POT1 recruits and regulates CST-Polα/primase at human telomeres. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00493-8. [PMID: 38838667 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.002] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Telomere maintenance requires the extension of the G-rich telomeric repeat strand by telomerase and the fill-in synthesis of the C-rich strand by Polα/primase. At telomeres, Polα/primase is bound to Ctc1/Stn1/Ten1 (CST), a single-stranded DNA-binding complex. Like mutations in telomerase, mutations affecting CST-Polα/primase result in pathological telomere shortening and cause a telomere biology disorder, Coats plus (CP). We determined cryogenic electron microscopy structures of human CST bound to the shelterin heterodimer POT1/TPP1 that reveal how CST is recruited to telomeres by POT1. Our findings suggest that POT1 hinge phosphorylation is required for CST recruitment, and the complex is formed through conserved interactions involving several residues mutated in CP. Our structural and biochemical data suggest that phosphorylated POT1 holds CST-Polα/primase in an inactive, autoinhibited state until telomerase has extended the telomere ends. We propose that dephosphorylation of POT1 releases CST-Polα/primase into an active state that completes telomere replication through fill-in synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Cai
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Laboratory of Molecular Electron Microscopy, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Takai
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Arthur J Zaug
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Teague C Dilgen
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Thomas R Cech
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Thomas Walz
- Laboratory of Molecular Electron Microscopy, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Titia de Lange
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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2
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Lee J, Lee J, Sohn EJ, Taglialatela A, O’Sullivan RJ, Ciccia A, Min J. Extrachromosomal telomere DNA derived from excessive strand displacements. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318438121. [PMID: 38696464 PMCID: PMC11087782 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318438121] [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: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) is a telomere maintenance mechanism mediated by break-induced replication, evident in approximately 15% of human cancers. A characteristic feature of ALT cancers is the presence of C-circles, circular single-stranded telomeric DNAs composed of C-rich sequences. Despite the fact that extrachromosomal C-rich single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs), including C-circles, are unique to ALT cells, their generation process remains undefined. Here, we introduce a method to detect single-stranded telomeric DNA, called 4SET (Strand-Specific Southern-blot for Single-stranded Extrachromosomal Telomeres) assay. Utilizing 4SET, we are able to capture C-rich single-stranded DNAs that are near 200 to 1500 nucleotides in size. Both linear C-rich ssDNAs and C-circles are abundant in the fractions of cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, which supports the idea that linear and circular C-rich ssDNAs are generated concurrently. We also found that C-rich ssDNAs originate during Okazaki fragment processing during lagging strand DNA synthesis. The generation of C-rich ssDNA requires CST-PP (CTC1/STN1/TEN1-PRIMASE-Polymerase alpha) complex-mediated priming of the C-strand DNA synthesis and subsequent excessive strand displacement of the C-rich strand mediated by the DNA Polymerase delta and the BLM helicase. Our work proposes a model for the generation of C-rich ssDNAs and C-circles during ALT-mediated telomere elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyeop Lee
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
| | - Jina Lee
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
| | - Eric J. Sohn
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
| | - Angelo Taglialatela
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
| | - Roderick J. O’Sullivan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
| | - Jaewon Min
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY10032
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3
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Wondisford AR, Lee J, Lu R, Schuller M, Groslambert J, Bhargava R, Schamus-Haynes S, Cespedes LC, Opresko PL, Pickett HA, Min J, Ahel I, O'Sullivan RJ. Deregulated DNA ADP-ribosylation impairs telomere replication. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:791-800. [PMID: 38714889 PMCID: PMC11102865 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01279-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The recognition that DNA can be ADP ribosylated provides an unexpected regulatory level of how ADP-ribosylation contributes to genome stability, epigenetics and immunity. Yet, it remains unknown whether DNA ADP-ribosylation (DNA-ADPr) promotes genome stability and how it is regulated. Here, we show that telomeres are subject to DNA-ADPr catalyzed by PARP1 and removed by TARG1. Mechanistically, we show that DNA-ADPr is coupled to lagging telomere DNA strand synthesis, forming at single-stranded DNA present at unligated Okazaki fragments and on the 3' single-stranded telomere overhang. Persistent DNA-linked ADPr, due to TARG1 deficiency, eventually leads to telomere shortening. Furthermore, using the bacterial DNA ADP-ribosyl-transferase toxin to modify DNA at telomeres directly, we demonstrate that unhydrolyzed DNA-linked ADP-ribose compromises telomere replication and telomere integrity. Thus, by identifying telomeres as chromosomal targets of PARP1 and TARG1-regulated DNA-ADPr, whose deregulation compromises telomere replication and integrity, our study highlights and establishes the critical importance of controlling DNA-ADPr turnover for sustained genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne R Wondisford
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Junyeop Lee
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Lu
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marion Schuller
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Ragini Bhargava
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sandra Schamus-Haynes
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Leyneir C Cespedes
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patricia L Opresko
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hilda A Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jaewon Min
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ivan Ahel
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roderick J O'Sullivan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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4
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Estrem B, Davis RE, Wang J. End resection and telomere healing of DNA double-strand breaks during nematode programmed DNA elimination. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.15.585292. [PMID: 38559121 PMCID: PMC10980081 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.15.585292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Most DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are harmful to genome integrity. However, some forms of DSBs are essential to biological processes, such as meiotic recombination and V(D)J recombination. DSBs are also required for programmed DNA elimination (PDE) in ciliates and nematodes. In nematodes, the DSBs are healed with telomere addition. While telomere addition sites have been well-characterized, little is known regarding the DSBs that fragment nematode chromosomes. Here, we used embryos from the nematode Ascaris to study the timing of PDE breaks and examine the DSBs and their end processing. Using END-seq, we characterize the DSB ends and demonstrate that DNA breaks are introduced before mitosis, followed by extensive end resection. The resection profile is unique for each break site, and the resection generates 3' overhangs before the addition of telomeres. Interestingly, telomere healing occurs much more frequently on retained DSB ends than on eliminated ends. This biased repair of the DSB ends in Ascaris may be due to the sequestration of the eliminated DNA into micronuclei, preventing their ends from telomere healing. Additional DNA breaks occur within the eliminated DNA in both Ascaris and Parascaris, ensuring chromosomal breakage and providing a fail-safe mechanism for nematode PDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Estrem
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Richard E. Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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5
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Takai H, Aria V, Borges P, Yeeles JTP, de Lange T. CST-polymerase α-primase solves a second telomere end-replication problem. Nature 2024; 627:664-670. [PMID: 38418884 PMCID: PMC11160940 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07137-1] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Telomerase adds G-rich telomeric repeats to the 3' ends of telomeres1, counteracting telomere shortening caused by loss of telomeric 3' overhangs during leading-strand DNA synthesis ('the end-replication problem'2). Here we report a second end-replication problem that originates from the incomplete duplication of the C-rich telomeric repeat strand (C-strand) by lagging-strand DNA synthesis. This problem is resolved by fill-in synthesis mediated by polymerase α-primase bound to Ctc1-Stn1-Ten1 (CST-Polα-primase). In vitro, priming for lagging-strand DNA replication does not occur on the 3' overhang and lagging-strand synthesis stops in a zone of approximately 150 nucleotides (nt) more than 26 nt from the end of the template. Consistent with the in vitro data, lagging-end telomeres of cells lacking CST-Polα-primase lost 50-60 nt of telomeric CCCTAA repeats per population doubling. The C-strands of leading-end telomeres shortened by around 100 nt per population doubling, reflecting the generation of 3' overhangs through resection. The measured overall C-strand shortening in the absence of CST-Polα-primase fill-in is consistent with the combined effects of incomplete lagging-strand synthesis and 5' resection at the leading ends. We conclude that canonical DNA replication creates two telomere end-replication problems that require telomerase to maintain the G-rich strand and CST-Polα-primase to maintain the C-strand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Takai
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valentina Aria
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pamela Borges
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph T P Yeeles
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Titia de Lange
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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6
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Olson CL, Wuttke DS. Guardians of the Genome: How the Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Proteins RPA and CST Facilitate Telomere Replication. Biomolecules 2024; 14:263. [PMID: 38540683 PMCID: PMC10968030 DOI: 10.3390/biom14030263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomeres act as the protective caps of eukaryotic linear chromosomes; thus, proper telomere maintenance is crucial for genome stability. Successful telomere replication is a cornerstone of telomere length regulation, but this process can be fraught due to the many intrinsic challenges telomeres pose to the replication machinery. In addition to the famous "end replication" problem due to the discontinuous nature of lagging strand synthesis, telomeres require various telomere-specific steps for maintaining the proper 3' overhang length. Bulk telomere replication also encounters its own difficulties as telomeres are prone to various forms of replication roadblocks. These roadblocks can result in an increase in replication stress that can cause replication forks to slow, stall, or become reversed. Ultimately, this leads to excess single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that needs to be managed and protected for replication to continue and to prevent DNA damage and genome instability. RPA and CST are single-stranded DNA-binding protein complexes that play key roles in performing this task and help stabilize stalled forks for continued replication. The interplay between RPA and CST, their functions at telomeres during replication, and their specialized features for helping overcome replication stress at telomeres are the focus of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner L. Olson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Deborah S. Wuttke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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7
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King A, Reichl P, Metson JS, Parker R, Munro D, Oliveira C, Becker JR, Biggs D, Preece C, Davies B, Chapman JR. Shieldin and CST co-orchestrate DNA polymerase-dependent tailed-end joining reactions independently of 53BP1-governed repair pathway choice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572534. [PMID: 38187711 PMCID: PMC10769304 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
53BP1 regulates DNA end-joining in lymphocytes, diversifying immune antigen receptors. This involves nucleosome-bound 53BP1 at DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) recruiting RIF1 and shieldin, a poorly understood DNA-binding complex. The 53BP1-RIF1-shieldin axis is pathological in BRCA1-mutated cancers, blocking homologous recombination (HR) and driving illegitimate non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). However, how this axis regulates DNA end-joining and HR suppression remains unresolved. We investigated shieldin and its interplay with CST, a complex recently implicated in 53BP1-dependent activities. Immunophenotypically, mice lacking shieldin or CST are equivalent, with class-switch recombination co-reliant on both complexes. ATM-dependent DNA damage signalling underpins this cooperation, inducing physical interactions between these complexes that reveal shieldin as a DSB-responsive CST adaptor. Furthermore, DNA polymerase ζ functions downstream of shieldin, establishing DNA fill-in synthesis as the physiological function of shieldin-CST. Lastly, 53BP1 suppresses HR and promotes NHEJ in BRCA1-deficient mice and cells independently of shieldin. These findings showcase the resilience of the 53BP1 pathway, achieved through the collaboration of chromatin-bound 53BP1 complexes and DNA end-processing effector proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh King
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pia Reichl
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jean S. Metson
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robert Parker
- Centre for ImmunoOncology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniella Munro
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Catarina Oliveira
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jordan R. Becker
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel Biggs
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris Preece
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, UK
| | - J. Ross Chapman
- Genome Integrity laboratory, Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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8
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Li B. Telomere maintenance in African trypanosomes. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1302557. [PMID: 38074093 PMCID: PMC10704157 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1302557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomere maintenance is essential for genome integrity and chromosome stability in eukaryotic cells harboring linear chromosomes, as telomere forms a specialized structure to mask the natural chromosome ends from DNA damage repair machineries and to prevent nucleolytic degradation of the telomeric DNA. In Trypanosoma brucei and several other microbial pathogens, virulence genes involved in antigenic variation, a key pathogenesis mechanism essential for host immune evasion and long-term infections, are located at subtelomeres, and expression and switching of these major surface antigens are regulated by telomere proteins and the telomere structure. Therefore, understanding telomere maintenance mechanisms and how these pathogens achieve a balance between stability and plasticity at telomere/subtelomere will help develop better means to eradicate human diseases caused by these pathogens. Telomere replication faces several challenges, and the "end replication problem" is a key obstacle that can cause progressive telomere shortening in proliferating cells. To overcome this challenge, most eukaryotes use telomerase to extend the G-rich telomere strand. In addition, a number of telomere proteins use sophisticated mechanisms to coordinate the telomerase-mediated de novo telomere G-strand synthesis and the telomere C-strand fill-in, which has been extensively studied in mammalian cells. However, we recently discovered that trypanosomes lack many telomere proteins identified in its mammalian host that are critical for telomere end processing. Rather, T. brucei uses a unique DNA polymerase, PolIE that belongs to the DNA polymerase A family (E. coli DNA PolI family), to coordinate the telomere G- and C-strand syntheses. In this review, I will first briefly summarize current understanding of telomere end processing in mammals. Subsequently, I will describe PolIE-mediated coordination of telomere G- and C-strand synthesis in T. brucei and implication of this recent discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibo Li
- Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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9
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Lee J, Lee J, Sohn EJ, Taglialatela A, O’Sullivan RJ, Ciccia A, Min J. Extrachromosomal Telomeres Derived from Excessive Strand Displacements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.31.551186. [PMID: 37577643 PMCID: PMC10418088 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.31.551186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) is a telomere maintenance mechanism mediated by break-induced replication (BIR), evident in approximately 15% of human cancers. A characteristic feature of ALT cancers is the presence of C-circles, circular single-stranded telomeric DNAs composed of C-rich sequences. Despite the fact that extrachromosomal C-rich single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs), unique to ALT cells, are considered potential precursors of C-circles, their generation process remains undefined. Here, we introduce a highly sensitive method to detect single stranded telomeric DNA, called 4SET (Strand-Specific Southern-blot for Single-stranded Extrachromosomal Telomeres) assay. Utilizing 4SET, we are able to capture C-rich single stranded DNAs that are near 200 to 1500 nucleotides in size. Both linear C-rich ssDNAs and C-circles are abundant in the fractions of cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, which supports the idea that linear C-rich ssDNA accumulation may indeed precede C-circle formation. We also found that C-rich ssDNAs originate during Okazaki fragment processing during lagging strand DNA synthesis. The generation of C-rich ssDNA requires CST-PP (CTC1/STN1/TEN1-PRIMASE-Polymerase alpha) complex-mediated priming of the C-strand DNA synthesis and subsequent excessive strand displacement of the C-rich strand mediated by the DNA Polymerase delta and the BLM helicase. Our work proposes a new model for the generation of C-rich ssDNAs and C-circles during ALT-mediated telomere elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyeop Lee
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jina Lee
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J. Sohn
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angelo Taglialatela
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roderick J. O’Sullivan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jaewon Min
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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