Spontaneous and double-strand break repair-associated quasipalindrome and frameshift mutagenesis in budding yeast: role of mismatch repair.

Although gene conversion (GC) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most error-free way to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs), the mutation rate during homologous recombination is 1000 times greater than during replication. Many mutations involve dissociating a partially- copied strand from its repair template and re-aligning with the same or another template, leading to -1 frameshifts in homonucleotide runs, quasipalindrome (QP)-associated mutations and microhomology-mediated interchromosomal template switches. We studied GC induced by HO endonuclease cleavage at MATα, repaired by an HMR::KI-URA3 donor. We inserted into HMR::KI-URA3 an 18-bp inverted repeat where one arm had a 4-bp insertion. Most GCs yield MAT::KI-ura3::QP + 4 (Ura-) outcomes, but template-switching produces Ura+ colonies, losing the 4-bp insertion. If the QP arm without the insertion is first encountered by repair DNA polymerase and is then (mis)used as a template, the palindrome is perfected. When the QP + 4 arm is encountered first, Ura+ derivatives only occur after second-end capture and second-strand synthesis. QP + 4 mutations are suppressed by mismatch repair (MMR) proteins Msh2, Msh3, and Mlh1, but not Msh6. Deleting Rdh54 significantly reduces QP mutations only when events creating Ura+ occur in the context of a D-loop but not during second-strand synthesis. A similar bias is found with a proofreading-defective DNA polymerase mutation (poI3-01). DSB-induced mutations differed in several genetic requirements from spontaneous events. We also created a + 1 frameshift in the donor, expanding a run of 4 Cs to 5 Cs. Again, Ura+ recombinants markedly increased by disabling MMR, suggesting that MMR acts during GC but favors the unbroken, template strand.

Nonhomologous tails direct heteroduplex rejection and mismatch correction during single-strand annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Single-strand annealing (SSA) is initiated when a double strand break (DSB) occurs between two flanking repeated sequences, resulting in a deletion that leaves a single copy of the repeat. We studied budding yeast strains carrying two 200-bp URA3 sequences separated by 2.6 kb of spacer DNA (phage lambda) in which a site-specific DSB can be created by HO or Cas9 endonucleases. Repeat-mediated deletion requires removal of long 3'-ended single-stranded tails (flaps) by Rad1-Rad10 with the assistance of Msh2-Msh3, Saw1 and Slx4. A natural 3% divergence of unequally spaced heterologies between these repeats (designated F and A) causes a significant reduction in the frequency of SSA repair. This decrease is caused by heteroduplex rejection in which mismatches (MMs) in the annealed intermediate are recognized by the MutS (Msh2 and Msh6) components of the MM repair (MMR) pathway coupled to unwinding of the duplex by the Sgs1-Rmi1-Top3 helicase. MutL homologs, Mlh1-Pms1 (MutL), are not required for rejection but play their expected role in mismatch correction. Remarkably, heteroduplex rejection is very low in strains where the divergent repeats were immediately adjacent (Tailless strains) and the DSB was induced by Cas9. These results suggest that the presence of nonhomologous tails strongly stimulates heteroduplex rejection in SSA. DNA sequencing analysis of SSA products from the FA Tailed strain showed a gradient of correction favoring the sequence opposite each 3' end of the annealed strand. Mismatches located in the center of the repair intermediate were corrected by Msh2-Msh6 mediated mismatch correction, while correction of MMs at the extremity of the SSA intermediate often appears to use a different mechanism, possibly by 3' nonhomologous tail removal that includes part of the homologous sequence. In contrast, in FA Tailless strains there was a uniform repair of the MMs across the repeat. A distinctive pattern of correction was found in the absence of MSH2, in both Tailed and Tailless strains, different from the spectrum seen in a msh3Δ msh6Δ double mutant. Previous work has shown that SSA is Rad51-independent but dependent on the strand annealing activity of Rad52. However Rad52 becomes dispensable in a Tailless construct where the DSB is induced by Cas9 or in transformation of a plasmid where SSA occurs in the absence of nonhomologous tails.

Double-strand break repair-associated intragenic deletions and tandem duplications suggest the architecture of the repair replication fork.

Double-strand break (DSB) repair is associated with a 1000-fold increase in mutations compared to normal replication of the same sequences. In budding yeast, repair of an HO endonuclease-induced DSB at the MATα locus can be repaired by using a homologous, heterochromatic HMR::Kl-URA3 donor harboring a transcriptionally silenced URA3 gene, resulting in a MAT::URA3 (Ura+) repair product where URA3 is expressed. Repair-associated ura3- mutations can be selected by resistance to 5-fluoroorotic acid (FOA). Using this system, we find that a major class of mutations are -1 deletions, almost always in homonucleotide runs, but there are few +1 insertions. In contrast, +1 and -1 insertions in homonucleotide runs are nearly equal among spontaneous mutations. Approximately 10% of repair-associated mutations are interchromosomal template switches (ICTS), even though the K. lactis URA3 sequence embedded in HMR is only 72% identical with S. cerevisiae ura3-52 sequences on a different chromosome. ICTS events begin and end in regions of short microhomology, averaging 7 bp. Long microhomologies are favored, but some ICTS junctions are as short as 2 bp. Both repair-associated intragenic deletions (IDs) and tandem duplications (TDs) are recovered, with junctions sharing short stretches of, on average, 6 bp of microhomology. Intragenic deletions are more than 5 times more frequent than TDs. IDs have a mean length of 60 bp, but, surprisingly there are almost no deletions shorter than 25 bp. In contrast, TDs average only 12 bp. The usage of microhomologies among intragenic deletions is not strongly influenced by the degree of adjacent homeology. Together, these data provide a picture of the structure of the repair replication fork. We suggest that IDs and TDs occur within the migrating D-loop in which DNA polymerase δ copies the template, where the 3' end of a partly copied new DNA strand can dissociate and anneal with a single-stranded region of microhomology that lies either in front or behind the 3' end, within the open structure of a migrating D-loop. Our data suggest that ~100 bp ahead of the polymerase is "open," but that part of the repair replication apparatus remains bound in the 25 bp ahead of the newly copied DNA, preventing annealing. In contrast, the template region behind the polymerase appears to be rapidly reannealed, limiting template switching to a very short region.

Determining the kinetics of break-induced replication (BIR) by the assay for monitoring BIR elongation rate (AMBER).

A detailed understanding of how homologous recombination proceeds at the molecular level in vivo requires the ability to detect in real time the appearance of specific intermediates of DNA repair. The most detailed analysis of double-strand break (DSB) repair in eukaryotes has come from the study of budding yeast, using an inducible site-specific HO endonuclease to initiate recombination synchronously in nearly all cells of the population. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) methods have been used to visualize the timing of the DSB, its resection by 5' to 3' exonucleases, the binding of the Rad51 recombinase and the pairing of the Rad51 filament with a homologous donor sequence. PCR has also been used to identify the next key step: the initiation of new DNA synthesis to extend the invading stand and copy the donor template. In break-induced replication (BIR), there appears to be a very long delay between strand invasion and this primer extension step. Here we describe an alternative method, an assay for monitoring BIR elongation rate (AMBER) based on digital droplet PCR that yields a much earlier time of initial DNA synthesis. We suggest that previous methods have failed to recover the initial long, single-stranded primer extension product that is readily detected by AMBER.

Sgs1 and Mph1 Helicases Enforce the Recombination Execution Checkpoint During DNA Double-Strand Break Repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have previously shown that a recombination execution checkpoint (REC) regulates the choice of the homologous recombination pathway used to repair a given DNA double-strand break (DSB) based on the homology status of the DSB ends. If the two DSB ends are synapsed with closely-positioned and correctly-oriented homologous donors, repair proceeds rapidly by the gene conversion (GC) pathway. If, however, homology to only one of the ends is present, or if homologies to the two ends are situated far away from each other or in the wrong orientation, REC blocks the rapid initiation of new DNA synthesis from the synapsed end(s) and repair is carried out by the break-induced replication (BIR) machinery after a long pause. Here we report that the simultaneous deletion of two 3'→5' helicases, Sgs1 and Mph1, largely abolishes the REC-mediated lag normally observed during the repair of large gaps and BIR substrates, which now get repaired nearly as rapidly and efficiently as GC substrates. Deletion of SGS1 and MPH1 also produces a nearly additive increase in the efficiency of both BIR and long gap repair; this increase is epistatic to that seen upon Rad51 overexpression. However, Rad51 overexpression fails to mimic the acceleration in repair kinetics that is produced by sgs1Δ mph1Δ double deletion.

Role of Double-Strand Break End-Tethering during Gene Conversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Correct repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is critical for maintaining genome stability. Whereas gene conversion (GC)-mediated repair is mostly error-free, repair by break-induced replication (BIR) is associated with non-reciprocal translocations and loss of heterozygosity. We have previously shown that a Recombination Execution Checkpoint (REC) mediates this competition by preventing the BIR pathway from acting on DSBs that can be repaired by GC. Here, we asked if the REC can also determine whether the ends that are engaged in a GC-compatible configuration belong to the same break, since repair involving ends from different breaks will produce potentially deleterious translocations. We report that the kinetics of repair are markedly delayed when the two DSB ends that participate in GC belong to different DSBs (termed Trans) compared to the case when both DSB ends come from the same break (Cis). However, repair in Trans still occurs by GC rather than BIR, and the overall efficiency of repair is comparable. Hence, the REC is not sensitive to the "origin" of the DSB ends. When the homologous ends for GC are in Trans, the delay in repair appears to reflect their tethering to sequences on the other side of the DSB that themselves recombine with other genomic locations with which they share sequence homology. These data support previous observations that the two ends of a DSB are usually tethered to each other and that this tethering facilitates both ends encountering the same donor sequence. We also found that the presence of homeologous/repetitive sequences in the vicinity of a DSB can distract the DSB end from finding its bona fide homologous donor, and that inhibition of GC by such homeologous sequences is markedly increased upon deleting Sgs1 but not Msh6.

Monitoring DNA recombination initiated by HO endonuclease.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) have proven to be very potent initiators of recombination in yeast and other organisms. A single, site-specific DSB initiates homologous DNA repair events such as gene conversion, break-induced replication, and single-strand annealing, as well as nonhomologous end joining, microhomology-mediated end joining, and new telomere addition. When repair is either delayed or prevented, a single DSB can trigger checkpoint-mediated cell cycle arrest. In budding yeast, expressing the HO endonuclease under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter has been instrumental in the study of these processes by providing us a way to synchronously induce a DSB at a unique site in vivo. We describe how the HO endonuclease has been used to study the recombination events in mating-type (MAT) switching. Southern blots provide an overview of the process by allowing one to examine the formation of the DSB, DNA degradation at the break, and formation of the product. Denaturing gels and slot blots as well as PCR have provided important tools to follow the progression of resection in wild-type and mutant cells. PCR has also been important in allowing us to follow the kinetics of certain recombination intermediates such as the initiation of repair DNA synthesis or the removal of nonhomologous Y sequences during MAT switching. Finally chromatin immunoprecipitation has been used to follow the recruitment of key proteins to the DSB and in subsequent steps in DSB repair.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromatin remodeler Fun30 regulates DNA end resection and checkpoint deactivation.

Fun30 is a Swi2/Snf2 homolog in budding yeast that has been shown to remodel chromatin both in vitro and in vivo. We report that Fun30 plays a key role in homologous recombination, by facilitating 5'-to-3' resection of double-strand break (DSB) ends, apparently by facilitating exonuclease digestion of nucleosome-bound DNA adjacent to the DSB. Fun30 is recruited to an HO endonuclease-induced DSB and acts in both the Exo1-dependent and Sgs1-dependent resection pathways. Deletion of FUN30 slows the rate of 5'-to-3' resection from 4 kb/h to about 1.2 kb/h. We also found that the resection rate is reduced by DNA damage-induced phosphorylation of histone H2A-S129 (γ-H2AX) and that Fun30 interacts preferentially with nucleosomes in which H2A-S129 is not phosphorylated. Fun30 is not required for later steps in homologous recombination. Like its homolog Rdh54/Tid1, Fun30 is required to allow the adaptation of DNA damage checkpoint-arrested cells with an unrepaired DSB to resume cell cycle progression.

Mec1/Tel1-dependent phosphorylation of Slx4 stimulates Rad1-Rad10-dependent cleavage of non-homologous DNA tails.

Budding yeast Slx4 interacts with the Rad1-Rad10 endonuclease that is involved in nucleotide excision repair (NER), homologous recombination (HR) and single-strand annealing (SSA). We previously showed that Slx4 is dispensable for NER but is essential for SSA. Slx4 is phosphorylated by the Mec1 and Tel1 kinases after DNA damage on at least six Ser/Thr residues, and mutation of all six residues to Ala reduces the efficiency of SSA. In this study, we further investigated the role of Slx4 phosphorylation in SSA, specifically in regulating cleavage of 3' non-homologous (NH) DNA tails by Rad1-Rad10 during SSA and HR. Slx4 became phosphorylated after induction of a single double-strand break (DSB) during SSA and dephosphorylation coincided approximately with completion of repair. Slx4 is recruited to 3' NH tails during DSB repair, but this does not require phosphorylation of Slx4. However, we identified a specific damage-dependent Mec1/Tel1 site of Slx4 phosphorylation, Thr 113, that is required for efficient cleavage of NH tails by Rad1-Rad10. Consistent with these data, deletion of both Mec1 and Tel1 severely reduces the efficiency of NH DNA tail cleavage during HR. These data show that phosphorylation of Slx4 by Mec1 and Tel1 plays an important role in facilitating NH DNA tail cleavage during HR.

Mad2 prolongs DNA damage checkpoint arrest caused by a double-strand break via a centromere-dependent mechanism.

Eukaryotic cells employ a suite of replication and mitotic checkpoints to ensure the accurate transmission of their DNA. In budding yeast, both the DNA damage checkpoint and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) block cells prior to anaphase. The presence of a single unrepaired double-strand break (DSB) activates ATR and ATM protein kinase homologs Mec1 and Tel1, which then activate downstream effectors to trigger G2/M arrest and also phosphorylate histone H2A (creating gamma-H2AX) in chromatin surrounding the DSB. The SAC monitors proper attachment of spindle microtubules to the kinetochore formed at each centromere and the biorientation of sister centromeres toward opposite spindle pole bodies. Although these two checkpoints sense quite different perturbations, recent evidence has demonstrated both synergistic interactions and cross-talk between them. Here we report that Mad2 and other SAC proteins play an unexpected role in prolonging G2/M arrest after induction of a single DSB. This function of the SAC depends not only on Mec1 and other components of the DNA damage checkpoint but also on the presence of the centromere located > or = 90 kb from the DNA damage. DNA damage induces epigenetic changes at the centromere, including the gamma-H2AX modification, that appear to alter kinetochore function, thus triggering the canonical SAC. Thus, a single DSB triggers a response by both checkpoints to prevent the segregation of a damaged chromosome.

A recombination execution checkpoint regulates the choice of homologous recombination pathway during DNA double-strand break repair.

A DNA double-strand break (DSB) is repaired by gene conversion (GC) if both ends of the DSB share homology with an intact DNA sequence. However, if homology is limited to only one of the DSB ends, repair occurs by break-induced replication (BIR). It is not known how the homology status of the DSB ends is first assessed and what other parameters govern the choice between these repair pathways. Our data suggest that a "recombination execution checkpoint" (REC) regulates the choice of the homologous recombination pathway employed to repair a given DSB. This choice is made prior to the initiation of DNA synthesis, and is dependent on the relative position and orientation of the homologous sequences used for repair. The RecQ family helicase Sgs1 plays a key role in regulating the choice of the recombination pathway. Surprisingly, break repair and gap repair are fundamentally different processes, both kinetically and genetically, as Pol32 is required only for gap repair. We propose that the REC may have evolved to preserve genome integrity by promoting conservative repair, especially when a DSB occurs within a repeated sequence.

Phosphorylation of Slx4 by Mec1 and Tel1 regulates the single-strand annealing mode of DNA repair in budding yeast.

Budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Slx4 is essential for cell viability in the absence of the Sgs1 helicase and for recovery from DNA damage. Here we report that cells lacking Slx4 have difficulties in completing DNA synthesis during recovery from replisome stalling induced by the DNA alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Although DNA synthesis restarts during recovery, cells are left with unreplicated gaps in the genome despite an increase in translesion synthesis. In this light, epistasis experiments show that SLX4 interacts with genes involved in error-free bypass of DNA lesions. Slx4 associates physically, in a mutually exclusive manner, with two structure-specific endonucleases, Rad1 and Slx1, but neither of these enzymes is required for Slx4 to promote resistance to MMS. However, Rad1-dependent DNA repair by single-strand annealing (SSA) requires Slx4. Strikingly, phosphorylation of Slx4 by the Mec1 and Tel1 kinases appears to be essential for SSA but not for cell viability in the absence of Sgs1 or for cellular resistance to MMS. These results indicate that Slx4 has multiple functions in responding to DNA damage and that a subset of these are regulated by Mec1/Tel1-dependent phosphorylation.

Repair of DNA double strand breaks: in vivo biochemistry.

Double strand breaks (DSBs) can cause damage to the genomic integrity of a cell as well as initiate genetic recombination processes. The HO and I-SceI endonucleases from budding yeast have provided a way to study these events by inducing a unique DSB in vivo under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter. The GAL::HO construct has been used extensively to study processes such as nonhomologous end joining, intra- and interchromosomal gene conversion, single strand annealing and break-induced recombination. Synchronously induced DSBs have also been important in the study of the DNA damage checkpoint, adaptation, and recovery pathways of yeast. This chapter describes methods of using GAL::HO to physically monitor the progression of events following a DSB, specifically the events leading to the switching of mating type by gene conversion of MAT using the silent donors at HML and HMR. Southern blot analysis can be used to follow the overall events in this process such as the formation of the DSB and product. Denaturing alkaline gels and slot blot techniques can be employed to follow the 5' to 3' resection of DNA starting at the DSB. After resection, the 3' tail initiates a homology search and then strand invades its homologous sequence at the donor cassette. Polymerase chain reaction is an important means to assay strand invasion and the priming of new DNA synthesis as well as the completion of gene conversion. Methods such as chromatin immunoprecipitation have provided a means to study many proteins that associate with a DSB, including not only recombination proteins, but also proteins involved in nonhomologous end joining, cell cycle arrest, chromatin remodeling, cohesin function, and mismatch repair.

Heteroduplex rejection during single-strand annealing requires Sgs1 helicase and mismatch repair proteins Msh2 and Msh6 but not Pms1.

Recombination between moderately divergent DNA sequences is impaired compared with identical sequences. In yeast, an HO endonuclease-induced double-strand break can be repaired by single-strand annealing (SSA) between flanking homologous sequences. A 3% sequence divergence between 205-bp sequences flanking the double-strand break caused a 6-fold reduction in repair compared with identical sequences. This reduction in heteroduplex rejection was suppressed in a mismatch repair-defective msh6 Delta strain and partially suppressed in an msh2 separation-of-function mutant. In mlh1 Delta strains, heteroduplex rejection was greater than in msh6 Delta strains but less than in wild type. Deleting PMS1, MLH2,or MLH3 had no effect on heteroduplex rejection, but a pms1 Delta mlh2 Delta mlh3 Delta triple mutant resembled mlh1 Delta. However, correction of the mismatches within heteroduplex SSA intermediates required PMS1 and MLH1 to the same extent as MSH2 and MSH6. An SSA competition assay in which either diverged or identical repeats can be used for repair showed that heteroduplex DNA is likely to be unwound rather than degraded. This conclusion is supported by the finding that deleting the SGS1 helicase also suppressed heteroduplex rejection.

Repairing a double-strand chromosome break by homologous recombination: revisiting Robin Holliday's model.

Since the pioneering model for homologous recombination proposed by Robin Holliday in 1964, there has been great progress in understanding how recombination occurs at a molecular level. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one can follow recombination by physically monitoring DNA after the synchronous induction of a double-strand break (DSB) in both wild-type and mutant cells. A particularly well-studied system has been the switching of yeast mating-type (MAT) genes, where a DSB can be induced synchronously by expression of the site-specific HO endonuclease. Similar studies can be performed in meiotic cells, where DSBs are created by the Spo11 nuclease. There appear to be at least two competing mechanisms of homologous recombination: a synthesis-dependent strand annealing pathway leading to noncrossovers and a two-end strand invasion mechanism leading to formation and resolution of Holliday junctions (HJs), leading to crossovers. The establishment of a modified replication fork during DSB repair links gene conversion to another important repair process, break-induced replication. Despite recent revelations, almost 40 years after Holliday's model was published, the essential ideas he proposed of strand invasion and heteroduplex DNA formation, the formation and resolution of HJs, and mismatch repair, remain the basis of our thinking.

Yeast Rad52 and Rad51 recombination proteins define a second pathway of DNA damage assessment in response to a single double-strand break.

Saccharomyces cells with a single unrepaired double-strand break adapt after checkpoint-mediated G(2)/M arrest. We have found that both Rad51 and Rad52 recombination proteins play key roles in adaptation. Cells lacking Rad51p fail to adapt, but deleting RAD52 suppresses rad51Delta. rad52Delta also suppresses adaptation defects of srs2Delta mutants but not those of yku70Delta or tid1Delta mutants. Neither rad54Delta nor rad55Delta affects adaptation. A Rad51 mutant that fails to interact with Rad52p is adaptation defective; conversely, a C-terminal truncation mutant of Rad52p, impaired in interaction with Rad51p, is also adaptation defective. In contrast, rad51-K191A, a mutation that abolishes recombination and results in a protein that does not bind to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), supports adaptation, as do Rad51 mutants impaired in interaction with Rad54p or Rad55p. An rfa1-t11 mutation in the ssDNA binding complex RPA partially restores adaptation in rad51Delta mutants and fully restores adaptation in yku70Delta and tid1Delta mutants. Surprisingly, although neither rfa1-t11 nor rad52Delta mutants are adaptation defective, the rad52Delta rfa1-t11 double mutant fails to adapt and exhibits the persistent hyperphosphorylation of the DNA damage checkpoint protein Rad53 after HO induction. We suggest that monitoring of the extent of DNA damage depends on independent binding of RPA and Rad52p to ssDNA, with Rad52p's activity modulated by Rad51p whereas RPA's action depends on Tid1p.

In vivo roles of Rad52, Rad54, and Rad55 proteins in Rad51-mediated recombination.

Repairing a double-strand break by homologous recombination requires binding of the strand exchange protein Rad51p to ssDNA, followed by synapsis with a homologous donor. Here we used chromatin immunoprecipitation to monitor the in vivo association of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51p with both the cleaved MATa locus and the HML alpha donor. Localization of Rad51p to MAT precedes its association with HML, providing evidence of the time needed for the Rad51 filament to search the genome for a homologous sequence. Rad51p binding to ssDNA requires Rad52p. The absence of Rad55p delays Rad51p binding to ssDNA and prevents strand invasion and localization of Rad51p to HML alpha. Lack of Rad54p does not significantly impair Rad51p recruitment to MAT or its initial association with HML alpha; however, Rad54p is required at or before the initiation of DNA synthesis after synapsis has occurred at the 3' end of the invading strand.