Structure-specific DNA endonuclease T7 endonuclease I cleaves DNA containing UV-induced DNA lesions.

The T7 gene 3 product, T7 endonuclease I, acts on various substrates with DNA structures, including Holliday junctions, heteroduplex DNAs and single-mismatch DNAs. Genetic analyses have suggested the occurrence of DNA recombination, replication and repair in Escherichia coli. In this study, T7 endonuclease I digested UV-irradiated covalently closed circular plasmid DNA into linear and nicked plasmid DNA, suggesting that the enzyme generates single- and double-strand breaks (SSB and DSB). To further investigate the biochemical functions of T7 endonuclease I, we have analysed endonuclease activity in UV-induced DNA substrates containing a single lesion, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) and 6-4 photoproducts (6-4PP). Interestingly, the leading cleavage site for CPD by T7 endonuclease I is at the second and fifth phosphodiester bonds that are 5' to the lesion of CPD on the lesion strand. However, in the case of 6-4PP, the cleavage pattern on the lesion strand resembled that of CPD, and T7 endonuclease I could also cleave the second phosphodiester bond that is 5' to the adenine-adenine residues opposite the lesion, indicating that the enzyme produces DSB in DNA containing 6-4PP. These findings suggest that T7endonuclease I accomplished successful UV damage repair by SSB in CPD and DSB in 6-4PP.

Compartmentalization of the SUMO/RNF4 pathway by SLX4 drives DNA repair.

SLX4, disabled in the Fanconi anemia group P, is a scaffolding protein that coordinates the action of structure-specific endonucleases and other proteins involved in the replication-coupled repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. Here, we show that SLX4 dimerization and SUMO-SIM interactions drive the assembly of SLX4 membraneless compartments in the nucleus called condensates. Super-resolution microscopy reveals that SLX4 forms chromatin-bound clusters of nanocondensates. We report that SLX4 compartmentalizes the SUMO-RNF4 signaling pathway. SENP6 and RNF4 regulate the assembly and disassembly of SLX4 condensates, respectively. SLX4 condensation per se triggers the selective modification of proteins by SUMO and ubiquitin. Specifically, SLX4 condensation induces ubiquitylation and chromatin extraction of topoisomerase 1 DNA-protein cross-links. SLX4 condensation also induces the nucleolytic degradation of newly replicated DNA. We propose that the compartmentalization of proteins by SLX4 through site-specific interactions ensures the spatiotemporal control of protein modifications and nucleolytic reactions during DNA repair.

Novel plasmids for the fluorescence-based evaluation of DNA mismatch repair in human cells.

Mismatch repair (MMR) is a highly conserved DNA repair pathway that corrects mismatched bases during DNA replication. The biological significance of MMR in human cells is underscored by the fact that dysfunction of the MMR pathway results in Lynch syndrome, which is associated with a genetic predisposition to different cancer types. We have previously established a reporter mismatch plasmid to evaluate MMR using fluorescent proteins in living cells. However, the preparation of these plasmids requires significant amounts of time and money, which reduces their broad applicability. To overcome the abovementioned limitations, we produced in this study a novel reporter plasmid, pBSII NLS-MC-EGFP-tdTomato (pBET2), that can be used in the oligo swapping method. In this method, a nicking endonuclease produces a single-stranded DNA gap on a double-stranded DNA plasmid that can be replaced by ligation with synthetic oligonucleotides. It is significantly easier and more user-friendly than previous assays, which require in vitro DNA synthesis with single-stranded plasmid DNA and purification using ultracentrifugation in cesium chloride-ethidium bromide gradients. The plasmid also contains a nicking site that allows the MMR repair machinery to efficiently distinguish the newly synthesized strand as a target for repair. In addition, a nuclear localization signal facilitates green fluorescent protein expression in the nucleus, which helps to verify the effectiveness of MMR using fluorescence microscopy. Similar to the previous reporter plasmid, this construct facilitates the assessment of MMR proficiency in human living cells via the expression of fluorescent proteins while overcoming many of the negative aspects of the previous protocol.

Regulation of Transcription Elongation by the XPG-TFIIH Complex Is Implicated in Cockayne Syndrome.

XPG is a causative gene underlying the photosensitive disorder xeroderma pigmentosum group G (XP-G) and is involved in nucleotide excision repair. Here, we show that XPG knockdown represses epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced FOS transcription at the level of transcription elongation with little effect on EGF signal transduction. XPG interacted with transcription elongation factors in concert with TFIIH, suggesting that the XPG-TFIIH complex serves as a transcription elongation factor. The XPG-TFIIH complex was recruited to promoter and coding regions of both EGF-induced (FOS) and housekeeping (EEF1A1) genes. Further, EGF-induced recruitment of RNA polymerase II and TFIIH to FOS was reduced by XPG knockdown. Importantly, EGF-induced FOS transcription was markedly lower in XP-G/Cockayne syndrome (CS) cells expressing truncated XPG than in control cells expressing wild-type (WT) XPG, with less significant decreases in XP-G cells with XPG nuclease domain mutations. In corroboration of this finding, both WT XPG and a missense XPG mutant from an XP-G patient were recruited to FOS upon EGF stimulation, but an XPG mutant mimicking a C-terminal truncation from an XP-G/CS patient was not. These results suggest that the XPG-TFIIH complex is involved in transcription elongation and that defects in this association may partly account for Cockayne syndrome in XP-G/CS patients.

Repair synthesis step involving ERCC1-XPF participates in DNA repair of the Top1-DNA damage complex.

Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) is the intercellular target of camptothecins (CPTs). CPT blocks DNA religation in the Top1-DNA complex and induces Top1-attached nick DNA lesions. In this study, we demonstrate that excision repair cross complementing 1 protein-xeroderma pigmentosum group F (ERCC1-XPF) endonuclease and replication protein A (RPA) participate in the repair of Top1-attached nick DNA lesions together with other nucleotide excision repair (NER) factors. ERCC1-XPF shows nuclease activity in the presence of RPA on a 3'-phosphotyrosyl bond nick-containing DNA (Tyr-nick DNA) substrate, which mimics a Top1-attached nick DNA lesion. In addition, ERCC1-XPF and RPA form a DNA/protein complex on the nick DNA substrate in vitro, and co-localize in CPT-treated cells in vivo. Moreover, the DNA repair synthesis of Tyr-nick DNA lesions occurred in the presence of NER factors, including ERCC1-XPF, RPA, DNA polymerase delta, flap endonuclease 1 and DNA ligase 1. Therefore, some of the NER repair machinery might be an alternative repair pathway for Top1-attached nick DNA lesions. Clinically, these data provide insights into the potential of ERCC1 as a biomarker during CPT regimens.

The SLX4 complex is a SUMO E3 ligase that impacts on replication stress outcome and genome stability.

The SLX4 Fanconi anemia protein is a tumor suppressor that may act as a key regulator that engages the cell into specific genome maintenance pathways. Here, we show that the SLX4 complex is a SUMO E3 ligase that SUMOylates SLX4 itself and the XPF subunit of the DNA repair/recombination XPF-ERCC1 endonuclease. This SLX4-dependent activity is mediated by a remarkably specific interaction between SLX4 and the SUMO-charged E2 conjugating enzyme UBC9 and relies not only on newly identified SUMO-interacting motifs (SIMs) in SLX4 but also on its BTB domain. In contrast to its ubiquitin-binding UBZ4 motifs, SLX4 SIMs are dispensable for its DNA interstrand crosslink repair functions. Instead, while detrimental in response to global replication stress, the SUMO E3 ligase activity of the SLX4 complex is critical to prevent mitotic catastrophe following common fragile site expression.

Regulation of Mus81-Eme1 Holliday junction resolvase in response to DNA damage.

Structure-specific DNA endonucleases have critical roles during DNA replication, repair and recombination, yet they also have the potential for causing genome instability. Controlling these enzymes may be essential to ensure efficient processing of ad hoc substrates and to prevent random, unscheduled processing of other DNA structures, but it is unknown whether structure-specific endonucleases are regulated in response to DNA damage. Here, we uncover DNA damage-induced activation of Mus81-Eme1 Holliday junction resolvase in fission yeast. This new regulation requires both Cdc2(CDK1)- and Rad3(ATR)-dependent phosphorylation of Eme1. Mus81-Eme1 activation prevents gross chromosomal rearrangements in cells lacking the BLM-related DNA helicase Rqh1. We propose that linking Mus81-Eme1 DNA damage-induced activation to cell-cycle progression ensures efficient resolution of Holliday junctions that escape dissolution by Rqh1-TopIII while preventing unnecessary DNA cleavages.

Nucleotide excision repair by mutant xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA) proteins with deficiency in interaction with RPA.

The xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein (XPA) is a core component of nucleotide excision repair (NER). To coordinate early stage NER, XPA interacts with various proteins, including replication protein A (RPA), ERCC1, DDB2, and TFIIH, in addition to UV-damaged or chemical carcinogen-damaged DNA. In this study, we investigated the effects of mutations in the RPA binding regions of XPA on XPA function in NER. XPA binds through an N-terminal region to the middle subunit (RPA32) of the RPA heterotrimer and through a central region that overlaps with its damaged DNA binding region to the RPA70 subunit. In cell-free NER assays, an N-terminal deletion mutant of XPA showed loss of binding to RPA32 and reduced DNA repair activity, but it could still bind to UV-damaged DNA and RPA. In contrast, amino acid substitutions in the central region reduced incisions at the damaged site in the cell-free NER assay, and four of these mutants (K141A, T142A, K167A, and K179A) showed reduced binding to RPA70 but normal binding to damaged DNA. Furthermore, mutants that had one of the four aforementioned substitutions and an N-terminal deletion exhibited lower DNA incision activity and binding to RPA than XPA with only one of these substitutions or the deletion. Taken together, these results indicate that XPA interaction with both RPA32 and RPA70 is indispensable for NER reactions.

DDB2 complex-mediated ubiquitylation around DNA damage is oppositely regulated by XPC and Ku and contributes to the recruitment of XPA.

UV-damaged-DNA-binding protein (UV-DDB) is a heterodimer comprised of DDB1 and DDB2 and integrated in a complex that includes a ubiquitin ligase component, cullin 4A, and Roc1. Here we show that the ubiquitin ligase activity of the DDB2 complex is required for efficient global genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER) in chromatin. Mutant DDB2 proteins derived from xeroderma pigmentosum group E patients are not able to mediate ubiquitylation around damaged sites in chromatin. We also found that CSN, a negative regulator of cullin-based ubiquitin ligases, dissociates from the DDB2 complex when the complex binds to damaged DNA and that XPC and Ku oppositely regulate the ubiquitin ligase activity, especially around damaged sites. Furthermore, the DDB2 complex-mediated ubiquitylation plays a role in recruiting XPA to damaged sites. These findings shed some light on the early stages of GG-NER.

XPG stabilizes TFIIH, allowing transactivation of nuclear receptors: implications for Cockayne syndrome in XP-G/CS patients.

Mutations in the human XPG gene give rise to an inherited photosensitive disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) associated with Cockayne syndrome (XP-G/CS). The clinical features of CS in XP-G/CS patients are difficult to explain on the basis of a defect in nucleotide excision repair (NER). We found that XPG forms a stable complex with TFIIH, which is active in transcription and NER. Mutations in XPG found in XP-G/CS patient cells that prevent the association with TFIIH also resulted in the dissociation of CAK and XPD from the core TFIIH. As a consequence, the phosphorylation and transactivation of nuclear receptors were disturbed in XP-G/CS as well as xpg(-/-) MEF cells and could be restored by expression of wild-type XPG. These results provide an insight into the role of XPG in the stabilization of TFIIH and the regulation of gene expression and provide an explanation of some of the clinical features of XP-G/CS.