1
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Hisey JA, Radchenko EA, Mandel NH, McGinty R, Matos-Rodrigues G, Rastokina A, Masnovo C, Ceschi S, Hernandez A, Nussenzweig A, Mirkin S. Pathogenic CANVAS (AAGGG)n repeats stall DNA replication due to the formation of alternative DNA structures. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4361-4374. [PMID: 38381906 PMCID: PMC11077069 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
CANVAS is a recently characterized repeat expansion disease, most commonly caused by homozygous expansions of an intronic (A2G3)n repeat in the RFC1 gene. There are a multitude of repeat motifs found in the human population at this locus, some of which are pathogenic and others benign. In this study, we conducted structure-functional analyses of the pathogenic (A2G3)n and nonpathogenic (A4G)n repeats. We found that the pathogenic, but not the nonpathogenic, repeat presents a potent, orientation-dependent impediment to DNA polymerization in vitro. The pattern of the polymerization blockage is consistent with triplex or quadruplex formation in the presence of magnesium or potassium ions, respectively. Chemical probing of both repeats in vitro reveals triplex H-DNA formation by only the pathogenic repeat. Consistently, bioinformatic analysis of S1-END-seq data from human cell lines shows preferential H-DNA formation genome-wide by (A2G3)n motifs over (A4G)n motifs. Finally, the pathogenic, but not the nonpathogenic, repeat stalls replication fork progression in yeast and human cells. We hypothesize that the CANVAS-causing (A2G3)n repeat represents a challenge to genome stability by folding into alternative DNA structures that stall DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Hisey
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | | | | | - Ryan J McGinty
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115, USA
| | | | | | - Chiara Masnovo
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Silvia Ceschi
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | | | - André Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute NIH, Bethesda, MD20892, USA
| | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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2
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Duardo RC, Guerra F, Pepe S, Capranico G. Non-B DNA structures as a booster of genome instability. Biochimie 2023; 214:176-192. [PMID: 37429410 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Non-canonical secondary structures (NCSs) are alternative nucleic acid structures that differ from the canonical B-DNA conformation. NCSs often occur in repetitive DNA sequences and can adopt different conformations depending on the sequence. The majority of these structures form in the context of physiological processes, such as transcription-associated R-loops, G4s, as well as hairpins and slipped-strand DNA, whose formation can be dependent on DNA replication. It is therefore not surprising that NCSs play important roles in the regulation of key biological processes. In the last years, increasing published data have supported their biological role thanks to genome-wide studies and the development of bioinformatic prediction tools. Data have also highlighted the pathological role of these secondary structures. Indeed, the alteration or stabilization of NCSs can cause the impairment of transcription and DNA replication, modification in chromatin structure and DNA damage. These events lead to a wide range of recombination events, deletions, mutations and chromosomal aberrations, well-known hallmarks of genome instability which are strongly associated with human diseases. In this review, we summarize molecular processes through which NCSs trigger genome instability, with a focus on G-quadruplex, i-motif, R-loop, Z-DNA, hairpin, cruciform and multi-stranded structures known as triplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C Duardo
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico Guerra
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simona Pepe
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Capranico
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Selmi 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
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3
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Matos-Rodrigues G, Hisey JA, Nussenzweig A, Mirkin SM. Detection of alternative DNA structures and its implications for human disease. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3622-3641. [PMID: 37863029 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Around 3% of the genome consists of simple DNA repeats that are prone to forming alternative (non-B) DNA structures, such as hairpins, cruciforms, triplexes (H-DNA), four-stranded guanine quadruplexes (G4-DNA), and others, as well as composite RNA:DNA structures (e.g., R-loops, G-loops, and H-loops). These DNA structures are dynamic and favored by the unwinding of duplex DNA. For many years, the association of alternative DNA structures with genome function was limited by the lack of methods to detect them in vivo. Here, we review the recent advancements in the field and present state-of-the-art technologies and methods to study alternative DNA structures. We discuss the limitations of these methods as well as how they are beginning to provide insights into causal relationships between alternative DNA structures, genome function and stability, and human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia A Hisey
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - André Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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4
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Rastokina A, Cebrián J, Mozafari N, Mandel NH, Smith CI, Lopes M, Zain R, Mirkin S. Large-scale expansions of Friedreich's ataxia GAA•TTC repeats in an experimental human system: role of DNA replication and prevention by LNA-DNA oligonucleotides and PNA oligomers. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8532-8549. [PMID: 37216608 PMCID: PMC10484681 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is caused by expansions of GAA•TTC repeats in the first intron of the human FXN gene that occur during both intergenerational transmissions and in somatic cells. Here we describe an experimental system to analyze large-scale repeat expansions in cultured human cells. It employs a shuttle plasmid that can replicate from the SV40 origin in human cells or be stably maintained in S. cerevisiae utilizing ARS4-CEN6. It also contains a selectable cassette allowing us to detect repeat expansions that accumulated in human cells upon plasmid transformation into yeast. We indeed observed massive expansions of GAA•TTC repeats, making it the first genetically tractable experimental system to study large-scale repeat expansions in human cells. Further, GAA•TTC repeats stall replication fork progression, while the frequency of repeat expansions appears to depend on proteins implicated in replication fork stalling, reversal, and restart. Locked nucleic acid (LNA)-DNA mixmer oligonucleotides and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers, which interfere with triplex formation at GAA•TTC repeats in vitro, prevented the expansion of these repeats in human cells. We hypothesize, therefore, that triplex formation by GAA•TTC repeats stall replication fork progression, ultimately leading to repeat expansions during replication fork restart.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Cebrián
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Negin Mozafari
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Massimo Lopes
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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5
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Hisey JA, Radchenko EA, Ceschi S, Rastokina A, Mandel NH, McGinty RJ, Matos-Rodrigues G, Hernandez A, Nussenzweig A, Mirkin SM. Pathogenic CANVAS (AAGGG) n repeats stall DNA replication due to the formation of alternative DNA structures. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.25.550509. [PMID: 37546920 PMCID: PMC10402041 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.25.550509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
CANVAS is a recently characterized repeat expansion disease, most commonly caused by homozygous expansions of an intronic (A2G3)n repeat in the RFC1 gene. There are a multitude of repeat motifs found in the human population at this locus, some of which are pathogenic and others benign. In this study, we conducted structure-functional analyses of the main pathogenic (A2G3)n and the main nonpathogenic (A4G)n repeats. We found that the pathogenic, but not the nonpathogenic, repeat presents a potent, orientation-dependent impediment to DNA polymerization in vitro. The pattern of the polymerization blockage is consistent with triplex or quadruplex formation in the presence of magnesium or potassium ions, respectively. Chemical probing of both repeats in supercoiled DNA reveals triplex H-DNA formation by the pathogenic repeat. Consistently, bioinformatic analysis of the S1-END-seq data from human cell lines shows preferential H-DNA formation genome-wide by (A2G3)n motifs over (A4G)n motifs in vivo. Finally, the pathogenic, but not the non-pathogenic, repeat stalls replication fork progression in yeast and human cells. We hypothesize that CANVAS-causing (A2G3)n repeat represents a challenge to genome stability by folding into alternative DNA structures that stall DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A. Hisey
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | | | - Silvia Ceschi
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | | | | | - Ryan J. McGinty
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - André Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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6
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Masnovo C, Lobo AF, Mirkin SM. Replication dependent and independent mechanisms of GAA repeat instability. DNA Repair (Amst) 2022; 118:103385. [PMID: 35952488 PMCID: PMC9675320 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2022.103385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Trinucleotide repeat instability is a driver of human disease. Large expansions of (GAA)n repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene are the cause Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), a progressive degenerative disorder which cannot yet be prevented or treated. (GAA)n repeat instability arises during both replication-dependent processes, such as cell division and intergenerational transmission, as well as in terminally differentiated somatic tissues. Here, we provide a brief historical overview on the discovery of (GAA)n repeat expansions and their association to FRDA, followed by recent advances in the identification of triplex H-DNA formation and replication fork stalling. The main body of this review focuses on the last decade of progress in understanding the mechanism of (GAA)n repeat instability during DNA replication and/or DNA repair. We propose that the discovery of additional mechanisms of (GAA)n repeat instability can be achieved via both comparative approaches to other repeat expansion diseases and genome-wide association studies. Finally, we discuss the advances towards FRDA prevention or amelioration that specifically target (GAA)n repeat expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Masnovo
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Ayesha F Lobo
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
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7
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Casas-Delucchi CS, Daza-Martin M, Williams SL, Coster G. The mechanism of replication stalling and recovery within repetitive DNA. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3953. [PMID: 35853874 PMCID: PMC9296464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31657-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate chromosomal DNA replication is essential to maintain genomic stability. Genetic evidence suggests that certain repetitive sequences impair replication, yet the underlying mechanism is poorly defined. Replication could be directly inhibited by the DNA template or indirectly, for example by DNA-bound proteins. Here, we reconstitute replication of mono-, di- and trinucleotide repeats in vitro using eukaryotic replisomes assembled from purified proteins. We find that structure-prone repeats are sufficient to impair replication. Whilst template unwinding is unaffected, leading strand synthesis is inhibited, leading to fork uncoupling. Synthesis through hairpin-forming repeats is rescued by replisome-intrinsic mechanisms, whereas synthesis of quadruplex-forming repeats requires an extrinsic accessory helicase. DNA-induced fork stalling is mechanistically similar to that induced by leading strand DNA lesions, highlighting structure-prone repeats as an important potential source of replication stress. Thus, we propose that our understanding of the cellular response to replication stress may also be applied to DNA-induced replication stalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corella S Casas-Delucchi
- Genome Replication lab, Division of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Manuel Daza-Martin
- Genome Replication lab, Division of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Sophie L Williams
- Genome Replication lab, Division of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Gideon Coster
- Genome Replication lab, Division of Cancer Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK.
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8
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Cruz-Ortiz AF, Jara-Toro RA, Aranguren JP, Scuderi D, Pino GA. Inter- and Intramolecular Proton Transfer in an Isolated (Cytosine-Guanine)H + Pair: Direct Evidence from IRMPD Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:1403-1411. [PMID: 35175052 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c10651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The collision-induced dissociation of the protonated cytosine-guanine pair was studied using tandem mass spectrometry (MS3) coupled to infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy with the free electron laser at Orsay (CLIO) to determine the structure of the CH+ and GH+ ionic fragments. The results were rationalized with the help of electronic structure calculations at the density functional theory level with the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2p) method. Several tautomers of each fragment were identified for the first time, some of which were previously predicted by other authors. In addition, two unexpected and minor tautomers were also found: cytosine keto-imino [CKI(1,2,3,4)H+] and guanine keto-amino [GKA(1,3,7)H+]. These results highlight the importance of the DNA base tautomerization assisted by inter- and intramolecular proton or hydrogen transfer within the protonated pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés F Cruz-Ortiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET─UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Rafael A Jara-Toro
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET─UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan P Aranguren
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET─UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Debora Scuderi
- Institut de Chimie Physique, CNRS-Université Paris Saclay, UMR8000, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Gustavo A Pino
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET─UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.,Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
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9
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Ruchert JM, Brady MM, McMahan S, Lacey KJ, Latta LC, Sekelsky J, Stoffregen EP. Blm helicase facilitates rapid replication of repetitive DNA sequences in early Drosophila development. Genetics 2021; 220:6407149. [PMID: 34849849 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The absence of functional BLM DNA helicase, a member of the RecQ family of helicases, is responsible for the rare human disorder Bloom Syndrome, which results in developmental abnormalities, DNA repair defects, genomic instability, and a predisposition to cancer. In Drosophila melanogaster, the orthologous Blm protein is essential during early development when the embryo is under the control of maternal gene products. We show that lack of functional maternal Blm during the syncytial cell cycles of Drosophila embryonic development results in severe nuclear defects and lethality. Amongst the small fraction of embryos from Blm mutant mothers that survive to adulthood, a prominent sex-bias favors the class that inherits less repetitive DNA content, which serves as an endogenous source of replication stress. This selection against repetitive DNA content reflects a role for Blm in facilitating replication through repetitive sequences during the rapid S-phases of syncytial cell cycles. During these syncytial cycles, Blm is not required for complex DNA double-strand break repair; however, the progeny sex-bias resulting from the absence of maternal Blm is exacerbated by repetitive DNA sequences and by the slowing of replication fork progression, suggesting that the essential role for Blm during this stage is to manage replication fork stress brought about by impediments to fork progression. Additionally, our data suggest that Blm is only required to manage this replication stress during embryonic development, and likely only during the early, rapid syncytial cell cycles, and not at later developmental stages. These results provide novel insights into Blm function throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolee M Ruchert
- Physical, Life, Movement & Sport Sciences, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID 83501, USA
| | - Morgan M Brady
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Susan McMahan
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karly J Lacey
- Physical, Life, Movement & Sport Sciences, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID 83501, USA
| | - Leigh C Latta
- Physical, Life, Movement & Sport Sciences, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID 83501, USA
| | - Jeff Sekelsky
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Eric P Stoffregen
- Physical, Life, Movement & Sport Sciences, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID 83501, USA.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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10
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Spivakovsky-Gonzalez E, Polleys EJ, Masnovo C, Cebrian J, Molina-Vargas AM, Freudenreich CH, Mirkin SM. Rad9-mediated checkpoint activation is responsible for elevated expansions of GAA repeats in CST-deficient yeast. Genetics 2021; 219:6343461. [PMID: 34849883 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-scale expansion of (GAA)n repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene is responsible for the severe neurodegenerative disease, Friedreich's ataxia in humans. We have previously conducted an unbiased genetic screen for GAA repeat instability in a yeast experimental system. The majority of genes that came from this screen encoded the components of DNA replication machinery, strongly implying that replication irregularities are at the heart of GAA repeat expansions. This screen, however, also produced two unexpected hits: members of the CST complex, CDC13 and TEN1 genes, which are required for telomere maintenance. To understand how the CST complex could affect intra-chromosomal GAA repeats, we studied the well-characterized temperature-sensitive cdc13-1 mutation and its effects on GAA repeat instability in yeast. We found that in-line with the screen results, this mutation leads to ∼10-fold increase in the rate of large-scale expansions of the (GAA)100 repeat at semi-permissive temperature. Unexpectedly, the hyper-expansion phenotype of the cdc13-1 mutant largely depends on activation of the G2/M checkpoint, as deletions of individual genes RAD9, MEC1, RAD53, and EXO1 belonging to this pathway rescued the increased GAA expansions. Furthermore, the hyper-expansion phenotype of the cdc13-1 mutant depended on the subunit of DNA polymerase δ, Pol32. We hypothesize, therefore, that increased repeat expansions in the cdc13-1 mutant happen during post-replicative repair of nicks or small gaps within repetitive tracts during the G2 phase of the cell cycle upon activation of the G2/M checkpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erica J Polleys
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Chiara Masnovo
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Jorge Cebrian
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, CIBERCV, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Adrian M Molina-Vargas
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.,Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | | | - Sergei M Mirkin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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11
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Neil AJ, Hisey JA, Quasem I, McGinty RJ, Hitczenko M, Khristich AN, Mirkin SM. Replication-independent instability of Friedreich's ataxia GAA repeats during chronological aging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2013080118. [PMID: 33495349 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013080118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The inheritance of long (GAA)n repeats in the frataxin gene causes the debilitating neurodegenerative disease Friedreich’s ataxia. Subsequent expansions of these repeats throughout a patient’s lifetime in the affected tissues, like the nervous system, may contribute to disease onset. We developed an experimental model to characterize the mechanisms of repeat instability in nondividing cells to better understand how mutations can occur as cells age chronologically. We show that repeats can expand in nondividing cells. Notably, however, large deletions are the major type of repeat-mediated genome instability in nondividing cells, implicating the loss of important genetic material with aging in the progression of Friedreich’s ataxia. Nearly 50 hereditary diseases result from the inheritance of abnormally long repetitive DNA microsatellites. While it was originally believed that the size of inherited repeats is the key factor in disease development, it has become clear that somatic instability of these repeats throughout an individual’s lifetime strongly contributes to disease onset and progression. Importantly, somatic instability is commonly observed in terminally differentiated, postmitotic cells, such as neurons. To unravel the mechanisms of repeat instability in nondividing cells, we created an experimental system to analyze the mutability of Friedreich’s ataxia (GAA)n repeats during chronological aging of quiescent Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Unexpectedly, we found that the predominant repeat-mediated mutation in nondividing cells is large-scale deletions encompassing parts, or the entirety, of the repeat and adjacent regions. These deletions are caused by breakage at the repeat mediated by mismatch repair (MMR) complexes MutSβ and MutLα and DNA endonuclease Rad1, followed by end-resection by Exo1 and repair of the resulting double-strand breaks (DSBs) via nonhomologous end joining. We also observed repeat-mediated gene conversions as a result of DSB repair via ectopic homologous recombination during chronological aging. Repeat expansions accrue during chronological aging as well—particularly in the absence of MMR-induced DSBs. These expansions depend on the processivity of DNA polymerase δ while being counteracted by Exo1 and MutSβ, implicating nick repair. Altogether, these findings show that the mechanisms and types of (GAA)n repeat instability differ dramatically between dividing and nondividing cells, suggesting that distinct repeat-mediated mutations in terminally differentiated somatic cells might influence Friedreich’s ataxia pathogenesis.
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12
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Tran Q, Sudasinghe A, Jones B, Xiong K, Cohen RE, Sharlin DS, Hartert KT, Goellner GM. FAM171B is a novel polyglutamine protein widely expressed in the mammalian brain. Brain Res 2021; 1766:147540. [PMID: 34052262 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Mutation in proteins containing polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts has been shown to underlie a number of severe human neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's Disease and Spinocerebellar Ataxia. In this study, we identify and describe FAM171B as a novel polyQ protein containing fourteen consecutive glutamine residues in its National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) referenced sequence. Utilizing western blotting, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that FAM171B is widely expressed in mouse brain with pronounced localization in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex. Furthermore, immunofluorescence experiments reveal that FAM171B predominantly localizes to vesicle-like structures in the cytoplasm of neurons. Finally, bioinformatic analysis suggests that FAM171B is robustly expressed in human brain, and (similar to other polyQ disease genes) its polyQ tract is polymorphic within the general human population. Thus, as a polyQ protein that is expressed in brain, FAM171B should be considered a candidate gene for an as yet molecularly uncharacterized neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Tran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - Ashani Sudasinghe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - Brooke Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - Ka Xiong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - Rachel E Cohen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - David S Sharlin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - Keenan T Hartert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States
| | - Geoffrey M Goellner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Trafton South 242, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, United States.
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13
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Abstract
Duplex DNA naturally folds into a right-handed double helix in physiological conditions. Some sequences of unusual base composition may nevertheless form alternative structures, as was shown for many repeated sequences in vitro However, evidence for the formation of noncanonical structures in living cells is difficult to gather. It mainly relies on genetic assays demonstrating their function in vivo or through genetic instability reflecting particular properties of such structures. Efforts were made to reveal their existence directly in a living cell, mainly by generating antibodies specific to secondary structures or using chemical ligands selected for their affinity to these structures. Among secondary structure-forming DNAs are G-quadruplexes, human fragile sites containing minisatellites, AT-rich regions, inverted repeats able to form cruciform structures, hairpin-forming CAG/CTG triplet repeats, and triple helices formed by homopurine-homopyrimidine GAA/TTC trinucleotide repeats. Many of these alternative structures are involved in human pathologies, such as neurological or developmental disorders, as in the case of trinucleotide repeats, or cancers triggered by translocations linked to fragile sites. This review will discuss and highlight evidence supporting the formation of alternative DNA structures in vivo and will emphasize the role of the mismatch repair machinery in binding mispaired DNA duplexes, triggering genetic instability.
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14
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Zhang J, Fakharzadeh A, Pan F, Roland C, Sagui C. Atypical structures of GAA/TTC trinucleotide repeats underlying Friedreich's ataxia: DNA triplexes and RNA/DNA hybrids. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:9899-9917. [PMID: 32821947 PMCID: PMC7515735 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the GAA/TTC repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene causes Friedreich's ataxia. Non-canonical structures are linked to this expansion. DNA triplexes and R-loops are believed to arrest transcription, which results in frataxin deficiency and eventual neurodegeneration. We present a systematic in silico characterization of the possible DNA triplexes that could be assembled with GAA and TTC strands; the two hybrid duplexes [r(GAA):d(TTC) and d(GAA):r(UUC)] in an R-loop; and three hybrid triplexes that could form during bidirectional transcription when the non-template DNA strand bonds with the hybrid duplex (collapsed R-loops, where the two DNA strands remain antiparallel). For both Y·R:Y and R·R:Y DNA triplexes, the parallel third strand orientation is more stable; both parallel and antiparallel protonated d(GA+A)·d(GAA):d(TTC) triplexes are stable. Apparent contradictions in the literature about the R·R:Y triplex stability is probably due to lack of molecular resolution, since shifting the third strand by a single nucleotide alters the stability ranking. In the collapsed R-loops, antiparallel d(TTC+)·d(GAA):r(UUC) is unstable, while parallel d(GAA)·r(GAA):d(TTC) and d(GA+A)·r(GAA):d(TTC) are stable. In addition to providing new structural perspectives for specific therapeutic aims, our results contribute to a systematic structural basis for the emerging field of quantitative R-loop biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
| | - Ashkan Fakharzadeh
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
| | - Feng Pan
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA.,Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Christopher Roland
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
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15
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Khristich AN, Armenia JF, Matera RM, Kolchinski AA, Mirkin SM. Large-scale contractions of Friedreich's ataxia GAA repeats in yeast occur during DNA replication due to their triplex-forming ability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:1628-37. [PMID: 31911468 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913416117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansions of GAA repeats cause a severe hereditary neurodegenerative disease, Friedreich’s ataxia. In this study, we characterized the mechanisms of GAA repeat contractions in a yeast experimental system. These mechanisms might, in the long run, aid development of a therapy for this currently incurable disease. We show that GAA repeats contract during DNA replication, which can explain the high level of somatic instability of this repeat in patient tissues. We also provided evidence that a triple-stranded DNA structure is at the heart of GAA repeat instability. This discovery highlights the role of triplex DNA in genome instability and human disease. Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is a human hereditary disease caused by the presence of expanded (GAA)n repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene [V. Campuzano et al., Science 271, 1423–1427 (1996)]. In somatic tissues of FRDA patients, (GAA)n repeat tracts are highly unstable, with contractions more common than expansions [R. Sharma et al., Hum. Mol. Genet. 11, 2175–2187 (2002)]. Here we describe an experimental system to characterize GAA repeat contractions in yeast and to conduct a genetic analysis of this process. We found that large-scale contraction is a one-step process, resulting in a median loss of ∼60 triplet repeats. Our genetic analysis revealed that contractions occur during DNA replication, rather than by various DNA repair pathways. Repeats contract in the course of lagging-strand synthesis: The processivity subunit of DNA polymerase δ, Pol32, and the catalytic domain of Rev1, a translesion polymerase, act together in the same pathway to counteract contractions. Accumulation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the lagging-strand template greatly increases the probability that (GAA)n repeats contract, which in turn promotes repeat instability in rfa1, rad27, and dna2 mutants. Finally, by comparing contraction rates for homopurine-homopyrimidine repeats differing in their mirror symmetry, we found that contractions depend on a repeat’s triplex-forming ability. We propose that accumulation of ssDNA in the lagging-strand template fosters the formation of a triplex between the nascent and fold-back template strands of the repeat. Occasional jumps of DNA polymerase through this triplex hurdle, result in repeat contractions in the nascent lagging strand.
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16
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Qamar AZ, Asefifeyzabadi N, Taki M, Naphade S, Ellerby LM, Shamsi MH. Characterization and application of fluidic properties of trinucleotide repeat sequences by wax-on-plastic microfluidics. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:743-751. [PMID: 31894829 DOI: 10.1039/c9tb02208b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) sequences introduce sequence-directed flexibility in the genomic makeup of all living species leading to unique non-canonical structure formation. In humans, the expansions of TNR sequences are responsible for almost 24 neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases because their unique structures disrupt cell functions. The biophysical studies of these sequences affect their electrophoretic mobility and spectroscopic signatures. Here, we demonstrate a novel strategy to characterize and discriminate the TNR sequences by monitoring their capillary flow in the absence of an external driving force using wax-on-plastic microchannels. The wax-on-plastic microfluidic system translates the sequence-directed flexibility of TNR into differential flow dynamics. Several variables were used to characterize sequences including concentration, single- vs. double-stranded samples, type of repeat sequence, length of the repeat sequence, presence of mismatches in duplex, and presence of metal ion. All these variables were found to influence the flow velocities of TNR sequences as these factors directly affect the structural flexibility of TNR at the molecular level. An overall trend was observed as the higher flexibility in the TNR structure leads to lower capillary flow. After testing samples derived from relevant cells harboring expanded TNR sequences, it is concluded that this approach may transform into a reagent-free and pump-free biosensing platform to detect microsatellite expansion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Zaman Qamar
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1245 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Narges Asefifeyzabadi
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1245 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Motahareh Taki
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1245 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Swati Naphade
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Lisa M Ellerby
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, USA
| | - Mohtashim Hassan Shamsi
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1245 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
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17
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Jedrychowska M, Denkiewicz-Kruk M, Alabrudzinska M, Skoneczna A, Jonczyk P, Dmowski M, Fijalkowska IJ. Defects in the GINS complex increase the instability of repetitive sequences via a recombination-dependent mechanism. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008494. [PMID: 31815930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Faithful replication and repair of DNA lesions ensure genome maintenance. During replication in eukaryotic cells, DNA is unwound by the CMG helicase complex, which is composed of three major components: the Cdc45 protein, Mcm2-7, and the GINS complex. The CMG in complex with DNA polymerase epsilon (CMG-E) participates in the establishment and progression of the replisome. Impaired functioning of the CMG-E was shown to induce genomic instability and promote the development of various diseases. Therefore, CMG-E components play important roles as caretakers of the genome. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the GINS complex is composed of the Psf1, Psf2, Psf3, and Sld5 essential subunits. The Psf1-1 mutant form fails to interact with Psf3, resulting in impaired replisome assembly and chromosome replication. Here, we show increased instability of repeat tracts (mononucleotide, dinucleotide, trinucleotide and longer) in yeast psf1-1 mutants. To identify the mechanisms underlying this effect, we analyzed repeated sequence instability using derivatives of psf1-1 strains lacking genes involved in translesion synthesis, recombination, or mismatch repair. Among these derivatives, deletion of RAD52, RAD51, MMS2, POL32, or PIF1 significantly decreased DNA repeat instability. These results, together with the observed increased amounts of single-stranded DNA regions and Rfa1 foci suggest that recombinational mechanisms make important contributions to repeat tract instability in psf1-1 cells. We propose that defective functioning of the CMG-E complex in psf1-1 cells impairs the progression of DNA replication what increases the contribution of repair mechanisms such as template switch and break-induced replication. These processes require sequence homology search which in case of a repeated DNA tract may result in misalignment leading to its expansion or contraction. Processes that ensure genome stability are crucial for all organisms to avoid mutations and decrease the risk of diseases. The coordinated activity of mechanisms underlying the maintenance of high-fidelity DNA duplication and repair is critical to deal with the malfunction of replication forks or DNA damage. Repeated sequences in DNA are particularly prone to instability; these sequences undergo expansions or contractions, leading in humans to various neurological, neurodegenerative, and neuromuscular disorders. A mutant form of one of the noncatalytic subunits of active DNA helicase complex impairs DNA replication. Here, we show that this form also significantly increases the instability of mononucleotide, dinucleotide, trinucleotide and longer repeat tracts. Our results suggest that in cells that harbor a mutated variant of the helicase complex, continuation of DNA replication is facilitated by recombination processes, and this mechanism can be highly mutagenic during repair synthesis through repetitive regions, especially regions that form secondary structures. Our results indicate that proper functioning of the DNA helicase complex is crucial for maintenance of the stability of repeated DNA sequences, especially in the context of recently described disorders in which mutations or deregulation of the human homologs of genes encoding DNA helicase subunits were observed.
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18
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Chiara M, Zambelli F, Picardi E, Horner DS, Pesole G. Critical assessment of bioinformatics methods for the characterization of pathological repeat expansions with single-molecule sequencing data. Brief Bioinform 2019; 21:1971-1986. [DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbz099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
A number of studies have reported the successful application of single-molecule sequencing technologies to the determination of the size and sequence of pathological expanded microsatellite repeats over the last 5 years. However, different custom bioinformatics pipelines were employed in each study, preventing meaningful comparisons and somewhat limiting the reproducibility of the results. In this review, we provide a brief summary of state-of-the-art methods for the characterization of expanded repeats alleles, along with a detailed comparison of bioinformatics tools for the determination of repeat length and sequence, using both real and simulated data. Our reanalysis of publicly available human genome sequencing data suggests a modest, but statistically significant, increase of the error rate of single-molecule sequencing technologies at genomic regions containing short tandem repeats. However, we observe that all the methods herein tested, irrespective of the strategy used for the analysis of the data (either based on the alignment or assembly of the reads), show high levels of sensitivity in both the detection of expanded tandem repeats and the estimation of the expansion size, suggesting that approaches based on single-molecule sequencing technologies are highly effective for the detection and quantification of tandem repeat expansions and contractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Chiara
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Amendola e, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Federico Zambelli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Amendola e, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Ernesto Picardi
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Amendola e, 70126 Bari, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari “A. Moro”, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - David S Horner
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Amendola e, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Graziano Pesole
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Amendola e, 70126 Bari, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari “A. Moro”, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
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19
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Zhao J, Wang G, Del Mundo IM, McKinney JA, Lu X, Bacolla A, Boulware SB, Zhang C, Zhang H, Ren P, Freudenreich CH, Vasquez KM. Distinct Mechanisms of Nuclease-Directed DNA-Structure-Induced Genetic Instability in Cancer Genomes. Cell Rep 2019; 22:1200-1210. [PMID: 29386108 PMCID: PMC6011834 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequences with the capacity to adopt alternative DNA structures have been implicated in cancer etiology; however, the mechanisms are unclear. For example, H-DNA-forming sequences within oncogenes have been shown to stimulate genetic instability in mammals. Here, we report that H-DNA-forming sequences are enriched at translocation breakpoints in human cancer genomes, further implicating them in cancer etiology. H-DNA-induced mutations were suppressed in human cells deficient in the nucleotide excision repair nucleases, ERCC1-XPF and XPG, but were stimulated in cells deficient in FEN1, a replication-related endonuclease. Further, we found that these nucleases cleaved H-DNA conformations, and the interactions of modeled H-DNA with ERCC1-XPF, XPG, and FEN1 proteins were explored at the sub-molecular level. The results suggest mechanisms of genetic instability triggered by H-DNA through distinct structure-specific, cleavage-based replication-independent and replication-dependent pathways, providing critical evidence for a role of the DNA structure itself in the etiology of cancer and other human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Zhao
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Guliang Wang
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Imee M Del Mundo
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Jennifer A McKinney
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Xiuli Lu
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Albino Bacolla
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Stephen B Boulware
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Changsheng Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Haihua Zhang
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4700, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Pengyu Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | | | - Karen M Vasquez
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, TX 78723, USA.
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20
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Park JJ, Han SY. Alternated Branching Ratios by Anomaly in Collision-Induced Dissociation of Proton-Bound Hoogsteen Base Pairs of 1-Methylcytosine with 1-Methylguanine and 9-Methylguanine. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2019; 30:846-854. [PMID: 30911905 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-019-02161-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A comparative study on the proton-bound complexes of 1-methylcytosine (1-mC) with 1-methylguanine (1-mG) and 9-methylguanine (9-mG), [1-mC:1-mG:H]+ and [1-mC:9-mG:H]+, respectively, was carried out using energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (ER-CID) experiments in combination with quantum chemical calculations. In ER-CID experiments, the measured survival yields indicated an essentially identical stability for the two proton-bound complexes. In comparison with the lowest-energy structures and base-pairing energetics predicted at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) theory level, both complexes produced in this study were suggested to be proton-bound Hoogsteen base pairs. Curiously, despite the similarity in structures, binding energetics, and potential energy surfaces predicted by the B3LYP theory, the fragment branching ratios exhibited an intriguing alternation between the two proton-bound Hoogsteen base pairs. The CID of [1-mC:1-mG:H]+ produced protonated cytosines, [1-mC:H]+, more abundantly than [1-mG:H]+, whereas that of [1-mC:9-mG:H]+ gave rise to a more pronounced production of protonated guanines, [9-mG:H]+. However, using the proton affinities of moieties predicted by the high-accuracy methods, including CBS-QB3 and the Guassian-4 theory, the anomaly known for [Cytosine:Guanine:H]+ (J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 29, 2368-2379 (2018)) successfully accounted for the alternated branching ratios. Thereby, the anomaly, more specifically, the production of proton-transferred fragments of O-protonated cytosines in the CID of proton-bound Hoogsteen base pairs, is indeed real, which is disclosed as the alternated branching ratios in the CID spectra of [1-mC:1-mG:H]+ and [1-mC:9-mG:H]+ in this study. Graphical Abstract .
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Ju Park
- Department of Nanochemistry, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yun Han
- Department of Nanochemistry, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13120, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Kaushal S, Freudenreich CH. The role of fork stalling and DNA structures in causing chromosome fragility. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2019; 58:270-283. [PMID: 30536896 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.22721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative non-B form DNA structures, also called secondary structures, can form in certain DNA sequences under conditions that produce single-stranded DNA, such as during replication, transcription, and repair. Direct links between secondary structure formation, replication fork stalling, and genomic instability have been found for many repeated DNA sequences that cause disease when they expand. Common fragile sites (CFSs) are known to be AT-rich and break under replication stress, yet the molecular basis for their fragility is still being investigated. Over the past several years, new evidence has linked both the formation of secondary structures and transcription to fork stalling and fragility of CFSs. How these two events may synergize to cause fragility and the role of nuclease cleavage at secondary structures in rare and CFSs are discussed here. We also highlight evidence for a new hypothesis that secondary structures at CFSs not only initiate fragility but also inhibit healing, resulting in their characteristic appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Kaushal
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
| | - Catherine H Freudenreich
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts.,Program in Genetics, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
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22
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Tutuncu S, Guloglu S, Kucukakdag A, Cetinkol OP. Selective High Binding Affinity of Azacyanines to polyd(A) polyd(T)⋅polyd(T) Triplex: The Effect of Chain Length and Branching on Stabilization, Selectivity and Affinity. ChemistrySelect 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201802802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Serra Tutuncu
- Biomedical Engineering ProgramMiddle East Technical University 06800, Çankaya Ankara Turkey
| | - Sercan Guloglu
- Biochemistry ProgramMiddle East Technical University 06800, Çankaya Ankara Turkey
| | - Ayca Kucukakdag
- Department of ChemistryMiddle East Technical University 06800 Çankaya Ankara Turkey
| | - Ozgul Persil Cetinkol
- Biomedical Engineering ProgramMiddle East Technical University 06800, Çankaya Ankara Turkey
- Biochemistry ProgramMiddle East Technical University 06800, Çankaya Ankara Turkey
- Department of ChemistryMiddle East Technical University 06800 Çankaya Ankara Turkey
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23
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Park JJ, Lee CS, Han SY. Proton Transfer Accounting for Anomalous Collision-Induced Dissociation of Proton-Bound Hoogsteen Base Pair of Cytosine and Guanine. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2018; 29:2368-2379. [PMID: 30215166 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-018-2060-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
To understand the anomalous collision-induced dissociation (CID) behavior of the proton-bound Hoogsteen base pair of cytosine (C) and guanine (G), C:H+∙∙∙G, we investigated CID of a homologue series of proton-bound heterodimers of C, 1-methylcytosine, and 5-methylcytosine with G as a common base partner. The CID experiments were performed in an energy-resolved way (ER-CID) under both multiple and near-single collision conditions. The relative stabilities of the protonated complexes examined by ER-CID suggested that the proton-bound complexes produced by electrospray ionization in this study are proton-bound Hoogsteen base pairs. On the other hand, in contrast to the other base pairs, CID of C:H+∙∙∙G exhibited more abundant productions of C:H+, the fragment protonated on the moiety with a smaller proton affinity, than that of G:H+. This appeared to contradict general prediction based on the kinetic method. However, further theoretical exploration of potential energy surfaces found that there can be facile proton transfers in the proton-bound Hoogsteen base pairs during the CID process, which makes the process accessible to an additional product state of O-protonated C for C:H+ fragments. The presence of an additional dissociation channel, which in other words corresponds to twofold degeneracy in the transition state leading to C:H+ fragments, effectively doubles the apparent reaction rate for production of C:H+. In this way, the process gives rise to the anomaly, the observed pronounced formation of C:H+ in the CID of the proton-bound Hoogsteen base pair, C:H+∙∙∙G. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Ju Park
- Department of Nanochemistry, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Choong Sik Lee
- Scientific Investigation Laboratory, Ministry of National Defense, 22 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04383, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yun Han
- Department of Nanochemistry, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13120, Republic of Korea.
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24
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Murmann AE, Yu J, Opal P, Peter ME. Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion Diseases, RNAi, and Cancer. Trends Cancer 2018; 4:684-700. [PMID: 30292352 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases are caused by unstable trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansions located in disease-associated genes. siRNAs based on CAG repeat expansions effectively kill cancer cell lines in vitro through RNAi. They also cause significant reduction in tumor growth in a human ovarian cancer mouse model with no toxicity to the treated mice. This suggests that cancer cells are particularly sensitive to CAG TNR-derived siRNAs, and explains a reported inverse correlation between the length of CAG TNRs and reduced global cancer incidences in some CAG TNR diseases. This review discusses both mutant proteins and mutant RNAs as a cause of TNR diseases, with a focus on RNAi and its role in contributing to disease pathology and in suppressing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea E Murmann
- Department of Medicine, Division Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jindan Yu
- Department of Medicine, Division Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Puneet Opal
- Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Marcus E Peter
- Department of Medicine, Division Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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25
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Cruz-Ortiz AF, Rossa M, Berthias F, Berdakin M, Maitre P, Pino GA. Fingerprints of Both Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen Isomers of the Isolated (Cytosine-Guanine)H + Pair. J Phys Chem Lett 2017; 8:5501-5506. [PMID: 29064704 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b02140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Gas phase protonated guanine-cytosine (CGH+) pair was generated using an electrospray ionization source from solutions at two different pH (5.8 and 3.2). Consistent evidence from MS/MS fragmentation patterns and differential ion mobility spectra (DIMS) point toward the presence of two isomers of the CGH+ pair, whose relative populations depend strongly on the pH of the solution. Gas phase infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy in the 900-1900 cm-1 spectral range further confirms that the Watson-Crick isomer is preferentially produced (91%) at pH = 5.8, while the Hoogsteen isomer predominates (66%) at pH = 3.2). These fingerprint signatures are expected to be useful for the development of new analytical methodologies and to trigger isomer selective photochemical studies of protonated DNA base pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés F Cruz-Ortiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
- Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano Rossa
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
- Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Francis Berthias
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Matías Berdakin
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
- Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Philippe Maitre
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Gustavo A Pino
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), CONICET - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
- Dpto. de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Centro Láser de Ciencias Moleculares, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria , X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
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26
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Abstract
Expansion of simple triplet repeats (TNR) underlies more than 30 severe degenerative diseases. There is a good understanding of the major pathways generating an expansion, and the associated polymerases that operate during gap filling synthesis at these "difficult to copy" sequences. However, the mechanism by which a TNR is repaired depends on the type of lesion, the structural features imposed by the lesion, the assembled replication/repair complex, and the polymerase that encounters it. The relationships among these parameters are exceptionally complex and how they direct pathway choice is poorly understood. In this review, we consider the properties of polymerases, and how encounters with GC-rich or abnormal structures might influence polymerase choice and the success of replication and repair. Insights over the last three years have highlighted new mechanisms that provide interesting choices to consider in protecting genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aris A Polyzos
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd., Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Cynthia T McMurray
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd., Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Pei Guo
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Sik Lok Lam
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
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28
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Abstract
Human cells contain various repetitive DNA sequences, which can be a challenge for the DNA replication machinery to travel through and replicate correctly. Repetitive DNA sequence can adopt non-B DNA structures, which could block the DNA replication. Prolonged stalling of the replication fork at the endogenous repeats in human cells can have severe consequences such as genome instability that includes repeat expansions, contractions, and chromosome fragility. Several neurological and muscular diseases are caused by a repeat expansion. Furthermore genome instability is the major cause of cancer. This chapter describes some of the important classes of repetitive DNA sequences in the mammalian genome, their ability to form secondary DNA structures, their contribution to replication fork stalling, and models for repeat expansion as well as chromosomal fragility. Included in this chapter are also some of the strategies currently employed to detect changes in DNA replication and proteins that could prevent the repeat-mediated disruption of DNA replication in human cells. Additionally summarized are the consequences of repeat-associated perturbation of the DNA replication, which could lead to specific human diseases.
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29
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Guo P, Lam SL. Unusual structures of CCTG repeats and their participation in repeat expansion. Biomol Concepts 2016; 7:331-340. [DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2016-0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractCCTG repeat expansion in intron 1 of the cellular nucleic acid-binding protein (CNBP) gene has been identified to be the genetic cause of myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2). Yet the underlying reasons for the genetic instability in CCTG repeats remain elusive. In recent years, CCTG repeats have been found to form various types of unusual secondary structures including mini-dumbbell (MDB), hairpin and dumbbell, revealing that there is a high structural diversity in CCTG repeats intrinsically. Upon strand slippage, the formation of unusual structures in the nascent strand during DNA replication has been proposed to be the culprit of CCTG repeat expansions. On the one hand, the thermodynamic stability, size, and conformational dynamics of these unusual structures affect the propensity of strand slippage. On the other hand, these structural properties determine whether the unusual structure can successfully escape from DNA repair. In this short overview, we first summarize the recent advances in elucidating the solution structures of CCTG repeats. We then discuss the potential pathways by which these unusual structures bring about variable sizes of repeat expansion, high strand slippage propensity and efficient repair escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Guo
- 1Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Sik Lok Lam
- 1Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
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30
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Bergquist H, Rocha CSJ, Álvarez-Asencio R, Nguyen CH, Rutland MW, Smith CIE, Good L, Nielsen PE, Zain R. Disruption of Higher Order DNA Structures in Friedreich's Ataxia (GAA)n Repeats by PNA or LNA Targeting. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165788. [PMID: 27846236 PMCID: PMC5112992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of (GAA)n repeats in the first intron of the Frataxin gene is associated with reduced mRNA and protein levels and the development of Friedreich’s ataxia. (GAA)n expansions form non-canonical structures, including intramolecular triplex (H-DNA), and R-loops and are associated with epigenetic modifications. With the aim of interfering with higher order H-DNA (like) DNA structures within pathological (GAA)n expansions, we examined sequence-specific interaction of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) with (GAA)n repeats of different lengths (short: n=9, medium: n=75 or long: n=115) by chemical probing of triple helical and single stranded regions. We found that a triplex structure (H-DNA) forms at GAA repeats of different lengths; however, single stranded regions were not detected within the medium size pathological repeat, suggesting the presence of a more complex structure. Furthermore, (GAA)4-PNA binding of the repeat abolished all detectable triplex DNA structures, whereas (CTT)5-PNA did not. We present evidence that (GAA)4-PNA can invade the DNA at the repeat region by binding the DNA CTT strand, thereby preventing non-canonical-DNA formation, and that triplex invasion complexes by (CTT)5-PNA form at the GAA repeats. Locked nucleic acid (LNA) oligonucleotides also inhibited triplex formation at GAA repeat expansions, and atomic force microscopy analysis showed significant relaxation of plasmid morphology in the presence of GAA-LNA. Thus, by inhibiting disease related higher order DNA structures in the Frataxin gene, such PNA and LNA oligomers may have potential for discovery of drugs aiming at recovering Frataxin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Bergquist
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Microbiology-Immunology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Cristina S. J. Rocha
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Rubén Álvarez-Asencio
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Chi-Hung Nguyen
- Laboratoire de Pharmacochimie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, UMR 9187 – U 1196 CNRS-Institut Curie, INSERM, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France
| | - Mark. W. Rutland
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C. I. Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Liam Good
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter E. Nielsen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, The Panum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Centre for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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31
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Abstract
The non-B DNA structures formed by short tandem repeats on the nascent strand during DNA replication have been proposed to be the structural intermediates that lead to repeat expansion mutations. Tetranucleotide TTTA and CCTG repeat expansions have been known to cause reduction in biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus and myotonic dystrophy type 2 in human, respectively. In this study, we report the first three-dimensional minidumbbell (MDB) structure formed by natural DNA sequences containing two TTTA or CCTG repeats. The formation of MDB provides possible pathways for strand slippage to occur, which ultimately leads to repair escape and thus expansion mutations. Our result here shows that MDB is a highly compact structure composed of two type II loops. In addition to the typical stabilizing interactions in type II loops, MDB shows extensive stabilizing forces between the two loops, including two distinctive modes of interactions between the minor groove residues. The formation of MDB enriches the structural diversity of natural DNA sequences, reveals the importance of loop-loop interactions in unusual DNA structures, and provides insights into novel mechanistic pathways of DNA repeat expansion mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Guo
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Sik Lok Lam
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
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32
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a GAA·TTC triplet in the first intron of the FXN gene, encoding the essential mitochondrial protein frataxin. Repeat expansion results in transcriptional silencing through an epigenetic mechanism, resulting in significant decreases in frataxin protein in affected individuals. Since the FXN protein coding sequence is unchanged in FRDA, an attractive therapeutic approach for this disease would be to increase transcription of pathogenic alleles with small molecules that target the silencing mechanism. AREAS COVERED We review the evidence that histone postsynthetic modifications and heterochromatin formation are responsible for FXN gene silencing in FRDA, along with efforts to reverse silencing with drugs that target histone modifying enzymes. Chemical and pharmacological properties of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, which reverse silencing, together with enzyme target profiles and kinetics of inhibition, are discussed. Two HDAC inhibitors have been studied in human clinical trials and the properties of these compounds are compared and contrasted. Efforts to improve on bioavailability, metabolic stability, and target activity are reviewed. EXPERT OPINION 2-aminobenzamide class I HDAC inhibitors are attractive therapeutic small molecules for FRDA. These molecules increase FXN gene expression in human neuronal cells derived from patient induced pluripotent stem cells, and in two mouse models for the disease, as well as in circulating lymphocytes in patients treated in a phase Ib clinical trial. Medicinal chemistry efforts have identified compounds with improved brain penetration, metabolic stability and efficacy in the human neuronal cell model. A clinical candidate will soon be identified for further human testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Soragni
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037 USA
| | - Joel M Gottesfeld
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037 USA
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33
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Zhao XN, Kumari D, Gupta S, Wu D, Evanitsky M, Yang W, Usdin K. Mutsβ generates both expansions and contractions in a mouse model of the Fragile X-associated disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:7087-96. [PMID: 26420841 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X-associated disorders are Repeat Expansion Diseases that result from expansion of a CGG/CCG-repeat in the FMR1 gene. Contractions of the repeat tract also occur, albeit at lower frequency. However, these contractions can potentially modulate disease symptoms or generate an allele with repeat numbers in the normal range. Little is known about the expansion mechanism and even less about contractions. We have previously demonstrated that the mismatch repair (MMR) protein MSH2 is required for expansions in a mouse model of these disorders. Here, we show that MSH3, the MSH2-binding partner in the MutSβ complex, is required for 98% of germ line expansions and all somatic expansions in this model. In addition, we provide evidence for two different contraction mechanisms that operate in the mouse model, a MutSβ-independent one that generates small contractions and a MutSβ-dependent one that generates larger ones. We also show that MutSβ complexes formed with the repeats have altered kinetics of ATP hydrolysis relative to complexes with bona fide MMR substrates and that MutSβ increases the stability of the CCG-hairpins at physiological temperatures. These data may have important implications for our understanding of the mechanism(s) of repeat instability and for the role of MMR proteins in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Nan Zhao
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology
| | - Daman Kumari
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology
| | - Shikha Gupta
- Section on Structure and Mechanisms of DNA repair, replication and recombination, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and
| | - Di Wu
- Section on Physical Biochemistry, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830, USA
| | - Maya Evanitsky
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology
| | - Wei Yang
- Section on Structure and Mechanisms of DNA repair, replication and recombination, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and
| | - Karen Usdin
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology,
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34
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Abstract
Tetranucleotide CCTG repeat expansion is associated with myotonic dystrophy type 2, which is an inherited and progressive muscle degeneration disease. Yet, no cure is available and the molecular mechanism of repeat expansion remains elusive. In this study, we used high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to reveal a mini-dumbbell structure formed by two CCTG repeats. Upon slippage in the nascent strand during DNA replication, the formation of the mini-dumbbell provides a possible pathway for a two-repeat expansion. In addition, fast exchange between two competing mini-dumbbells among three repeats results in a mini-loop structure that accounts for one-repeat expansion. These mini-dumbbell and mini-loop intermediates can also co-exist at multiple sites in CCTG repeats, leading to three or larger size repeat expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Guo
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Sik Lok Lam
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
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35
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Guo P, Lam SL. Unusual structures of TTTA repeats in icaC gene of Staphylococcus aureus. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:1296-300. [PMID: 25935415 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
One and two TTTA repeat expansions have been found in the coding region of icaC gene of Staphylococcus aureus variants which influence the expression of IcaC protein and alter the phenotype. Yet, the mechanism of these small-size TTTA repeat expansions remains unclear. In this study, we performed high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies on TTTA repeats. Our results show that a DNA sequence containing three TTTA repeats can fold into dumbbell structures with a 3' or 5'-overhang. Exchange of these dumbbells makes the sequence behave like a 2-nt TT mini-loop at 25°C. The occurrence of these mini-loop and dumbbell structures in the nascent strand during DNA replication provides possible mechanistic pathways which account for one and two repeat expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Guo
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Sik Lok Lam
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
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36
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Lee YS, Gao Y, Yang W. How a homolog of high-fidelity replicases conducts mutagenic DNA synthesis. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2015; 22:298-303. [PMID: 25775266 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
All DNA replicases achieve high fidelity by a conserved mechanism, but each translesion polymerase carries out mutagenic DNA synthesis in its own way. Here we report crystal structures of human DNA polymerase ν (Pol ν), which is homologous to high-fidelity replicases and yet error-prone. Instead of a simple open-to-closed movement of the O helix upon binding of a correct incoming nucleotide, Pol ν has a different open state and requires the finger domain to swing sideways and undergo both opening and closing motions to accommodate the nascent base pair. A single amino acid substitution in the O-helix of the finger domain improves the fidelity of Pol ν nearly ten-fold. A unique cavity and the flexibility of the thumb domain allow Pol ν to generate and accommodate a looped-out primer strand. Primer loopout may be a mechanism for DNA trinucloetide-repeat expansion.
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37
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Yadav P, Harcy V, Argueso JL, Dominska M, Jinks-Robertson S, Kim N. Topoisomerase I plays a critical role in suppressing genome instability at a highly transcribed G-quadruplex-forming sequence. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004839. [PMID: 25473964 PMCID: PMC4256205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex or G4 DNA is a non-B secondary DNA structure that comprises a stacked array of guanine-quartets. Cellular processes such as transcription and replication can be hindered by unresolved DNA secondary structures potentially endangering genome maintenance. As G4-forming sequences are highly frequent throughout eukaryotic genomes, it is important to define what factors contribute to a G4 motif becoming a hotspot of genome instability. Using a genetic assay in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we previously demonstrated that a potential G4-forming sequence derived from a guanine-run containing immunoglobulin switch Mu (Sμ) region becomes highly unstable when actively transcribed. Here we describe assays designed to survey spontaneous genome rearrangements initiated at the Sμ sequence in the context of large genomic areas. We demonstrate that, in the absence of Top1, a G4 DNA-forming sequence becomes a strong hotspot of gross chromosomal rearrangements and loss of heterozygosity associated with mitotic recombination within the ∼20 kb or ∼100 kb regions of yeast chromosome V or III, respectively. Transcription confers a critical strand bias since genome rearrangements at the G4-forming Sμ are elevated only when the guanine-runs are located on the non-transcribed strand. The direction of replication and transcription, when in a head-on orientation, further contribute to the elevated genome instability at a potential G4 DNA-forming sequence. The implications of our identification of Top1 as a critical factor in suppression of instability associated with potential G4 DNA-forming sequences are discussed. Genome instability is not evenly distributed, but rather is highly elevated at certain genomic loci containing DNA sequences that can fold into non-canonical secondary structures. The four-stranded G-quadruplex or G4 DNA is one such DNA structure capable of instigating transcription and/or replication obstruction and subsequent genome instability. In this study, we used a reporter system to quantitatively measure the level of genome instability occurring at a G4 DNA motif integrated into the yeast genome. We showed that the disruption of Topoisomerase I function significantly elevated various types of genome instability at the highly transcribed G4 motif generating loss of heterozygosity and copy number alterations (deletions and duplications), both of which are frequently observed in cancer genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puja Yadav
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Victoria Harcy
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Juan Lucas Argueso
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Margaret Dominska
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sue Jinks-Robertson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Nayun Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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38
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Abstract
We have recently shown that GAA repeats severely impede replication elongation during the first replication cycle of transfected DNA wherein the chromatin is still at the formation stage.1 Here we extend this study by showing that two GAA repeats located within the same plasmid in the direct orientation can form complexes upon transient transfection of mammalian Cos-1 cells. However, these complexes do not form in DNA that went through several replication rounds in mammalian cells. We suggest that formation of such complexes in mammalian genomes can contribute to genomic instability.
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39
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Gerhardt J, Tomishima MJ, Zaninovic N, Colak D, Yan Z, Zhan Q, Rosenwaks Z, Jaffrey SR, Schildkraut CL. The DNA replication program is altered at the FMR1 locus in fragile X embryonic stem cells. Mol Cell 2013; 53:19-31. [PMID: 24289922 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by a CGG repeat expansion in the FMR1 gene that appears to occur during oogenesis and during early embryogenesis. One model proposes that repeat instability depends on the replication fork direction through the repeats such that (CNG)n hairpin-like structures form, causing DNA polymerase to stall and slip. Examining DNA replication fork progression on single DNA molecules at the endogenous FMR1 locus revealed that replication forks stall at CGG repeats in human cells. Furthermore, replication profiles of FXS human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) compared to nonaffected hESCs showed that fork direction through the repeats is altered at the FMR1 locus in FXS hESCs, such that predominantly the CCG strand serves as the lagging-strand template. This is due to the absence of replication initiation that would typically occur upstream of FMR1, suggesting that altered replication origin usage combined with fork stalling promotes repeat instability during early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannine Gerhardt
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Mark J Tomishima
- SKI Stem Cell Research Facility, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nikica Zaninovic
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dilek Colak
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zi Yan
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Qiansheng Zhan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zev Rosenwaks
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Samie R Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Carl L Schildkraut
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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Yandim C, Natisvili T, Festenstein R. Gene regulation and epigenetics in Friedreich's ataxia. J Neurochem 2013; 126 Suppl 1:21-42. [PMID: 23859339 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This is an exciting time in the study of Friedreich's ataxia. Over the last 10 years much progress has been made in uncovering the mechanisms, whereby the Frataxin gene is silenced by (GAA)n repeat expansions and several of the findings are now ripe for testing in the clinic. The discovery that the Frataxin gene is heterochromatinised and that this can be antagonised in vivo has led to the tantalizing possibility that the disease might be amenable to a more radical therapeutic approach involving epigenetic modifiers. Here, we set out to review progress in the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms whereby genes are regulated at this level and how these findings have been applied to achieve a deeper understanding of the dysregulation that occurs as the primary genetic lesion in Friedreich's ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cihangir Yandim
- Gene Control Mechanisms and Disease, Department of Medicine and MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London, UK
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41
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Abstract
Expansions of microsatellite DNA repeats contribute to the inheritance of nearly 30 developmental and neurological disorders. Significant progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of repeat expansions using various model organisms and mammalian cell culture, and models implicating nearly all DNA transactions such as replication, repair, recombination, and transcription have been proposed. It is likely that different models of repeat expansions are not mutually exclusive and may explain repeat instability for different developmental stages and tissues. This review focuses on the contributions from studies in budding yeast toward unraveling the mechanisms and genetic control of repeat expansions, highlighting similarities and differences of replication models and describing a balancing act hypothesis to account for apparent discrepancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane C Kim
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
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Das A, Saha T, Ahmad F, Roy KB, Rishi V. Dodecamer d-AGATCTAGATCT and a homologous hairpin form triplex in the presence of peptide REWER. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65010. [PMID: 23705027 PMCID: PMC3660596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We have designed a dodecamer d-AGATCTAGATCT (RY12) with alternate oligopurines and oligopyrimidines tracts and its homologous 28 bp hairpin oligomer (RY28) that forms a triple helix only in the presence of a pentapeptide REWER. An intermolecular triplex is formed by the single strand invasion of the RY28 duplex by RY12 in the presence of REWER. 5'- oligopurine end of RY12 binds to oligopurine sequence of RY28 in a parallel orientation and its oligopyrimidine stretch then changes strand and adopts an antiparallel orientation with the other strand of the duplex. Evidence for the formation of the triplex come from our studies of the UV melting curves, UV mixing curves, gel retardation assay, and chemical sequencing of 1∶1 mixture of dodecamer and hairpin oligonucleotides in the presence and absence of the peptide REWER. RY12 exists as a duplex that melts at 35°C. The hairpin (RY28) melts at 68°C. 1∶1 mixture of RY12 and RY28 in the absence of REWER gives a biphasic transition curve with thermodynamic properties corresponding to those of the melting of the duplex of RY12 and the hairpin RY28. However, the melting curve of this mixture is triphasic in the presence of the REWER; the thermodynamic parameters associated with the first phase (melting of the duplex of RY12), second phase (melting of the triplex) and the third phase (melting of the hairpin) show dependence on the molar ratio of peptide to oligonucleotides. Under appropriate conditions, gel retardation assay showed a shifted band that corresponds to a possible triplex. Chemical sequencing of KMnO4 and DEPC treated mixture of RY12, RY28 and REWER revealed the footprint of triplex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Das
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kolkata, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Tapas Saha
- Georgetown University, Washington D.C., United States of America
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, India
- Center for Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Faizan Ahmad
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Kunal B. Roy
- Center for Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Vikas Rishi
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, India
- * E-mail:
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Follonier C, Oehler J, Herrador R, Lopes M. Friedreich's ataxia–associated GAA repeats induce replication-fork reversal and unusual molecular junctions. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2013; 20:486-94. [DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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44
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Kuzminov A. Inhibition of DNA synthesis facilitates expansion of low-complexity repeats: is strand slippage stimulated by transient local depletion of specific dNTPs? Bioessays 2013; 35:306-13. [PMID: 23319444 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201200128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Simple DNA repeats (trinucleotide repeats, micro- and minisatellites) are prone to expansion/contraction via formation of secondary structures during DNA synthesis. Such structures both inhibit replication forks and create opportunities for template-primer slippage, making these repeats unstable. Certain aspects of simple repeat instability, however, suggest additional mechanisms of replication inhibition dependent on the primary DNA sequence, rather than on secondary structure formation. I argue that expanded simple repeats, due to their lower DNA complexity, should transiently inhibit DNA synthesis by locally depleting specific DNA precursors. Such transient inhibition would promote formation of secondary structures and would stabilize these structures, facilitating strand slippage. Thus, replication problems at simple repeats could be explained by potentiated toxicity, where the secondary structure-driven repeat instability is enhanced by DNA polymerase stalling at the low complexity template DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Kuzminov
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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45
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Abstract
Instability of repetitive DNA sequences within the genome is associated with a number of human diseases. The expansion of trinucleotide repeats is recognized as a major cause of neurological and neuromuscular diseases, and progress in understanding the mutations over the last 20 years has been substantial. Here we provide a brief summary of progress with an emphasis on technical advances at different stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Budworth
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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46
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Abstract
It is now established that a small fraction of genomic DNA does adopt the non-canonical B-DNA structure or 'unusual' DNA structure. The unusual DNA structures like DNA-hairpin, cruciform, Z-DNA, triplex and tetraplex are represented as hotspots of chromosomal breaks, homologous recombination and gross chromosomal rearrangements since they are prone to the structural alterations. Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), the autosomal recessive degenerative disorder of nervous and muscles tissue, is caused by the massive expansion of (GAA) repeats that occur in the first intron of Frataxin gene X25 on chromosome 9q13-q21.1. The purine strand of the DNA in the expanded (GAA) repeat region folds back to form the (R.R*Y) type of triplex, which further inhibits the frataxin gene expression, and this clearly suggests that the shape of DNA is the determining factor in the cellular function. FRDA is the only disease known so far to be associated with DNA triplex. Structural characterization of GAA-containing DNA triplexes using some simple biophysical methods like UV melting, UV absorption, circular dichroic spectroscopy and electrophoretic mobility shift assay are discussed. Further, the clinical aspects and genetic analysis of FRDA patients who carry (GAA) repeat expansions are presented. The potential of some small molecules that do not favour the DNA triplex formation as therapeutics for FRDA are also briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moganty R Rajeswari
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110 029, India.
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Chandok GS, Patel MP, Mirkin SM, Krasilnikova MM. Effects of Friedreich's ataxia GAA repeats on DNA replication in mammalian cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 40:3964-74. [PMID: 22262734 PMCID: PMC3351192 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a common hereditary degenerative neuro-muscular disorder caused by expansions of the (GAA)n repeat in the first intron of the frataxin gene. The expanded repeats from parents frequently undergo further significant length changes as they are passed on to progeny. Expanded repeats also show an age-dependent instability in somatic cells, albeit on a smaller scale than during intergenerational transmissions. Here we studied the effects of (GAA)n repeats of varying lengths and orientations on the episomal DNA replication in mammalian cells. We have recently shown that the very first round of the transfected DNA replication occurs in the lack of the mature chromatin, does not depend on the episomal replication origin and initiates at multiple single-stranded regions of plasmid DNA. We now found that expanded GAA repeats severely block this first replication round post plasmid transfection, while the subsequent replication cycles are only mildly affected. The fact that GAA repeats affect various replication modes in a different way might shed light on their differential expansions characteristic for FRDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurangad S. Chandok
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Mayank P. Patel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Sergei M. Mirkin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Maria M. Krasilnikova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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48
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Vyas PM, Tomamichel WJ, Pride PM, Babbey CM, Wang Q, Mercier J, Martin EM, Payne RM. A TAT-frataxin fusion protein increases lifespan and cardiac function in a conditional Friedreich's ataxia mouse model. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:1230-47. [PMID: 22113996 PMCID: PMC3284115 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the most common inherited human ataxia and results from a deficiency of the mitochondrial protein, frataxin (FXN), which is encoded in the nucleus. This deficiency is associated with an iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster enzyme deficit leading to progressive ataxia and a frequently fatal cardiomyopathy. There is no cure. To determine whether exogenous replacement of the missing FXN protein in mitochondria would repair the defect, we used the transactivator of transcription (TAT) protein transduction domain to deliver human FXN protein to mitochondria in both cultured patient cells and a severe mouse model of FRDA. A TAT-FXN fusion protein bound iron in vitro, transduced into mitochondria of FRDA deficient fibroblasts and reduced caspase-3 activation in response to an exogenous iron-oxidant stress. Injection of TAT-FXN protein into mice with a conditional loss of FXN increased their growth velocity and mean lifespan by 53% increased their mean heart rate and cardiac output, increased activity of aconitase and reversed abnormal mitochondrial proliferation and ultrastructure in heart. These results show that a cell-penetrant peptide is capable of delivering a functional mitochondrial protein in vivo to rescue a very severe disease phenotype, and present the possibility of TAT-FXN as a protein replacement therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyush M. Vyas
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Wendy J. Tomamichel
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - P. Melanie Pride
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Clifford M. Babbey
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Qiujuan Wang
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Jennifer Mercier
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Martin
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - R. Mark Payne
- Riley Heart Research Center, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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Kumari D, Lokanga R, Yudkin D, Zhao XN, Usdin K. Chromatin changes in the development and pathology of the Fragile X-associated disorders and Friedreich ataxia. Biochim Biophys Acta 2012; 1819:802-10. [PMID: 22245581 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2011.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The Fragile X-associated disorders (FXDs) and Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) are genetic conditions resulting from expansion of a trinucleotide repeat in a region of the affected gene that is transcribed but not translated. In the case of the FXDs, pathology results from expansion of CGG•CCG-repeat tract in the 5' UTR of the FMR1 gene, while pathology in FRDA results from expansion of a GAA•TTC-repeat in intron 1 of the FXN gene. Expansion occurs during gametogenesis or early embryogenesis by a mechanism that is not well understood. Associated Expansion then produces disease pathology in various ways that are not completely understood either. In the case of the FXDs, alleles with 55-200 repeats express higher than normal levels of a transcript that is thought to be toxic, while alleles with >200 repeats are silenced. In addition, alleles with >200 repeats are associated with a cytogenetic abnormality known as a fragile site, which is apparent as a constriction or gap in the chromatin that is seen when cells are grown in presence of inhibitors of thymidylate synthase. FRDA alleles show a deficit of the FXN transcript. This review will address the role of repeat-mediated chromatin changes in these aspects of FXD and FRDA disease pathology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Chromatin in time and space.
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50
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Abstract
In addition to the canonical B-form structure first described by Watson and Crick, DNA can adopt a number of alternative structures. These non-B-form DNA secondary structures form spontaneously on tracts of repeat sequences that are abundant in genomes. In addition, structured forms of DNA with intrastrand pairing may arise on single-stranded DNA produced transiently during various cellular processes. Such secondary structures have a range of biological functions but also induce genetic instability. Increasing evidence suggests that genomic instabilities induced by non-B DNA secondary structures result in predisposition to diseases. Secondary DNA structures also represent a new class of molecular targets for DNA-interactive compounds that might be useful for targeting telomeres and transcriptional control. The equilibrium between the duplex DNA and formation of multistranded non-B-form structures is partly dependent upon the helicases that unwind (resolve) these alternate DNA structures. With special focus on tetraplex, triplex, and cruciform, this paper summarizes the incidence of non-B DNA structures and their association with genomic instability and emphasizes the roles of RecQ-like DNA helicases in genome maintenance by resolution of DNA secondary structures. In future, RecQ helicases are anticipated to be additional molecular targets for cancer chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudha Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Howard University, 520 W Street, NW, Suite 3424A, Washington, DC 20059, USA
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