Phosphorylation Of KAP1 Research Articles

Nitric Oxide Suppresses β-Cell Apoptosis by Inhibiting the DNA Damage Response.

Nitric oxide, produced in pancreatic β cells in response to proinflammatory cytokines, plays a dual role in the regulation of β-cell fate. While nitric oxide induces cellular damage and impairs β-cell function, it also promotes β-cell survival through activation of protective pathways that promote β-cell recovery. In this study, we identify a novel mechanism in which nitric oxide prevents β-cell apoptosis by attenuating the DNA damage response (DDR). Nitric oxide suppresses activation of the DDR (as measured by γH2AX formation and the phosphorylation of KAP1 and p53) in response to multiple genotoxic agents, including camptothecin, H2O2, and nitric oxide itself, despite the presence of DNA damage. While camptothecin and H2O2 both induce DDR activation, nitric oxide suppresses only camptothecin-induced apoptosis and not H2O2-induced necrosis. The ability of nitric oxide to suppress the DDR appears to be selective for pancreatic β cells, as nitric oxide fails to inhibit DDR signaling in macrophages, hepatocytes, and fibroblasts, three additional cell types examined. While originally described as the damaging agent responsible for cytokine-induced β-cell death, these studies identify a novel role for nitric oxide as a protective molecule that promotes β-cell survival by suppressing DDR signaling and attenuating DNA damage-induced apoptosis.

V-Src Causes Chromosome Bridges in a Caffeine-Sensitive Manner by Generating DNA Damage.

An increase in Src activity is commonly observed in epithelial cancers. Aberrant activation of the kinase activity is associated with malignant progression. However, the mechanisms that underlie the Src-induced malignant progression of cancer are not completely understood. We show here that v-Src, an oncogene that was first identified from a Rous sarcoma virus and a mutant variant of c-Src, leads to an increase in the number of anaphase and telophase cells having chromosome bridges. v-Src increases the number of γH2AX foci, and this increase is inhibited by treatment with PP2, a Src kinase inhibitor. v-Src induces the phosphorylation of KAP1 at Ser824, Chk2 at Thr68, and Chk1 at Ser345, suggesting the activation of the ATM/ATR pathway. Caffeine decreases the number of cells having chromosome bridges at a concentration incapable of inhibiting Chk1 phosphorylation at Ser345. These results suggest that v-Src induces chromosome bridges via generation of DNA damage and the subsequent DNA damage response, possibly by homologous recombination. A chromosome bridge gives rise to the accumulation of DNA damage directly through chromosome breakage and indirectly through cytokinesis failure-induced multinucleation. We propose that v-Src-induced chromosome bridge formation is one of the causes of the v-Src-induced malignant progression of cancer cells.

ATM-dependent phosphorylation of MRE11 controls extent of resection during homology directed repair by signalling through Exonuclease 1.

The MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN) complex plays a central role as a sensor of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) and is responsible for the efficient activation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase. Once activated ATM in turn phosphorylates RAD50 and NBS1, important for cell cycle control, DNA repair and cell survival. We report here that MRE11 is also phosphorylated by ATM at S676 and S678 in response to agents that induce DNA DSB, is dependent on the presence of NBS1, and does not affect the association of members of the complex or ATM activation. A phosphosite mutant (MRE11S676AS678A) cell line showed decreased cell survival and increased chromosomal aberrations after radiation exposure indicating a defect in DNA repair. Use of GFP-based DNA repair reporter substrates in MRE11S676AS678A cells revealed a defect in homology directed repair (HDR) but single strand annealing was not affected. More detailed investigation revealed that MRE11S676AS678A cells resected DNA ends to a greater extent at sites undergoing HDR. Furthermore, while ATM-dependent phosphorylation of Kap1 and SMC1 was normal in MRE11S676AS678A cells, there was no phosphorylation of Exonuclease 1 consistent with the defect in HDR. These results describe a novel role for ATM-dependent phosphorylation of MRE11 in limiting the extent of resection mediated through Exonuclease 1.

CCAR2/DBC1 is required for Chk2-dependent KAP1 phosphorylation and repair of DNA damage.

Cell cycle and apoptosis regulator 2 (CCAR2, formerly known as DBC1) is a nuclear protein largely involved in DNA damage response, apoptosis, metabolism, chromatin structure and transcription regulation. Upon DNA lesions, CCAR2 is phosphorylated by the apical kinases ATM/ATR and this phosphorylation enhances CCAR2 binding to SIRT1, leading to SIRT1 inhibition, p53 acetylation and p53-dependent apoptosis. Recently, we found that also the checkpoint kinase Chk2 and the proteasome activator REGγ are required for efficient CCAR2-mediated inhibition of SIRT1 and induction of p53-dependent apoptosis.Here, we report that CCAR2 is required for the repair of heterochromatic DNA lesions, as cells knock-out for CCAR2 retain, at late time-points after genotoxic treatment, abnormal levels of DNA damage-associated nuclear foci, whose timely resolution is reinstated by HP1β depletion. Conversely, repair of DNA damages in euchromatin are not affected by CCAR2 absence.We also report that the impairment in heterochromatic DNA repair is caused by defective Chk2 activation, detectable in CCAR2 ablated cells, which finally impacts on the phosphorylation of the Chk2 substrate KAP1 that is required for the induction of heterochromatin relaxation and DNA repair.These studies further extend and confirm the role of CCAR2 in the DNA damage response and DNA repair and illustrate a new mechanism of Chk2 activity regulation. Moreover, the involvement of CCAR2 in the repair of heterochromatic DNA breaks suggests a new role for this protein in the maintenance of chromosomal stability, which is necessary to prevent cancer formation.

Release of human cytomegalovirus from latency by a KAP1/TRIM28 phosphorylation switch.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a highly prevalent pathogen that induces life-long infections notably through the establishment of latency in hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Bouts of reactivation are normally controlled by the immune system, but can be fatal in immuno-compromised individuals such as organ transplant recipients. Here, we reveal that HCMV latency in human CD34(+) HSC reflects the recruitment on the viral genome of KAP1, a master co-repressor, together with HP1 and the SETDB1 histone methyltransferase, which results in transcriptional silencing. During lytic infection, KAP1 is still associated with the viral genome, but its heterochromatin-inducing activity is suppressed by mTOR-mediated phosphorylation. Correspondingly, HCMV can be forced out of latency by KAP1 knockdown or pharmacological induction of KAP1 phosphorylation, and this process can be potentiated by activating NFkB with TNF-α. These results suggest new approaches both to curtail CMV infection and to purge the virus from organ transplants.

A KAP1 phosphorylation switch controls MyoD function during skeletal muscle differentiation.

The transcriptional activator MyoD serves as a master controller of myogenesis. Often in partnership with Mef2 (myocyte enhancer factor 2), MyoD binds to the promoters of hundreds of muscle genes in proliferating myoblasts yet activates these targets only upon receiving cues that launch differentiation. What regulates this off/on switch of MyoD function has been incompletely understood, although it is known to reflect the action of chromatin modifiers. Here, we identify KAP1 (KRAB [Krüppel-like associated box]-associated protein 1)/TRIM28 (tripartite motif protein 28) as a key regulator of MyoD function. In myoblasts, KAP1 is present with MyoD and Mef2 at many muscle genes, where it acts as a scaffold to recruit not only coactivators such as p300 and LSD1 but also corepressors such as G9a and HDAC1 (histone deacetylase 1), with promoter silencing as the net outcome. Upon differentiation, MSK1-mediated phosphorylation of KAP1 releases the corepressors from the scaffold, unleashing transcriptional activation by MyoD/Mef2 and their positive cofactors. Thus, our results reveal KAP1 as a previously unappreciated interpreter of cell signaling, which modulates the ability of MyoD to drive myogenesis.

MESC-based in vitro differentiation models to study vascular response and functionality following genotoxic insults.

Because of high exposure to systemic noxae, vascular endothelial cells (EC) have to ensure distinct damage defense and regenerative mechanisms to guarantee vascular health. For meaningful toxicological drug assessments employing embryonic stem cell (ESC)-based in vitro models, functional competence of differentiated progeny and detailed knowledge regarding damage defense mechanisms are essential. Here, mouse ESCs (mESC) were differentiated into functionally competent vascular cells (EC and smooth muscle cells [SMC]). mESC, EC, and SMC were comparatively analyzed regarding DNA repair and DNA damage response (DDR). Differentiation was accompanied by both congruent and unique alterations in repair and DDR characteristics. EC and SMC shared the downregulation of genes involved cell cycle regulation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and mismatches, whereas genes associated with nucleotide excision repair (NER), apoptosis, and autophagy were upregulated when compared with mESC. Expression of genes involved in base excision repair (BER) was particularly low in SMC. IR-induced formation of DSBs, as detected by nuclear γH2AX foci formation, was most efficient in SMC, the repair of DSBs was fastest in EC. Together with substantial differences in IR-induced phosphorylation of p53, Chk1, and Kap1, the data demonstrate complex alterations in DDR capacity going along with the loss of pluripotency and gain of EC- and SMC-specific functions. Notably, IR exposure of early vascular progenitors did not impair differentiation into functionally competent EC and SMC. Summarizing, mESC-based vascular differentiation models are informative to study the impact of environmental stressors on differentiation and function of vascular cells.

RM-04 * RETINOBLASTOMA BINDING PROTEIN 4 (RBBP4) MODULATES TEMOZOLOMIDE RESPONSE THROUGH REGULATION OF MGMT EXPRESSION IN GLIOBLASTOMA

Through shRNA library screen we identified RBBP4 as a modulator of TMZ response in glioblastoma (GBM). Consequently, we investigated the mechanisms whereby RBBP4 modulates TMZ response using shRNA to silence this gene in MGMT-expressing T98G and U138 GBM cells. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using fluorescence-based CYQUANT proliferation assay. A total of 4 shRNA constructs significantly suppressed RBBP4 in both T98G and U138. Cells expressing non-specific targeting shRNA (NT-shRNA) were used as control. RBBP4 knockdown significantly sensitized TMZ both in T98G and U138 cells; the relative fluorescence for the TMZ-treated (100 µM) control T98NT-shRNA cells was 1.17 ± 0.15, whereas for T98RBBP4-shRNA clones were 0.54 ± 0.02, 0.29 ± 0.03, 0.36 ± 0.05, and 0.34 ± 0.03, respectively (p < 0.001). Similar sensitization was observed in U138 cells; relative fluorescence for the TMZ-treated (300 µM) control U138NT-shRNA cells was 0.70 ± 0.05 and for U138RBBP4-shRNA clones were 0.42 ± 0.06, 0.27 ± 0.01, 0.28 ± 0.02, and 0.30 ± 0.01, respectively (p < 0.001). Interestingly, knockdown of RBBP4 in T98G was accompanied with a synthetic lethality to PARP inhibition and increased response to TMZ-induced DNA damage, as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of KAP1, CHK1 and CHK2. Moreover, phosphorylation of H2AX in response to TMZ treatment was significantly higher in T98RBBP4-shRNA clones. Consistent with deficient homologous recombination (HR), T98RBBP4-shRNA clones significantly expressed less RAD51 compared with the control T98NT-shRNA cells. Even more interesting, RBBP4 knockdown silenced MGMT expression in both T98G and U138, which was accompanied by decreased recruitment of acetylated H3K9 coupled with increased recruitment of tri-methylated H3K9. Moreover, RBBP4 knockdown was coupled with loss of p300 recruitment to bind MGMT promoter region. Collectively, these findings suggest that RBBP4 modulates TMZ response in GBM cells through epigenetic regulation of MGMT, and perhaps through RAD51-mediated HR repair of DNA damage in selected GBM cells.

Lyn tyrosine kinase promotes silencing of ATM-dependent checkpoint signaling during recovery from DNA double-strand breaks

DNA damage activates the DNA damage checkpoint and the DNA repair machinery. After initial activation of DNA damage responses, cells recover to their original states through completion of DNA repair and termination of checkpoint signaling. Currently, little is known about the process by which cells recover from the DNA damage checkpoint, a process called checkpoint recovery. Here, we show that Src family kinases promote inactivation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent checkpoint signaling during recovery from DNA double-strand breaks. Inhibition of Src activity increased ATM-dependent phosphorylation of Chk2 and Kap1. Src inhibition increased ATM signaling both in G2 phase and during asynchronous growth. shRNA knockdown of Lyn increased ATM signaling. Src-dependent nuclear tyrosine phosphorylation suppressed ATM-mediated Kap1 phosphorylation. These results suggest that Src family kinases are involved in upstream signaling that leads to inactivation of the ATM-dependent DNA damage checkpoint.

Inefficient Double-Strand Break Repair in Murine Rod Photoreceptors with Inverted Heterochromatin Organization

DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair is crucial for the maintenance of genomic stability, and chromatin organization represents one important factor influencing repair efficiency. Mouse rod photoreceptors with their inverted heterochromatin organization containing a single large chromocenter in the middle of the nucleus provide a unique model system to study DSB repair in heterochromatin of living animals. We observed that adult rod photoreceptors repair only half of the induced DSBs within 1day after damage induction, a defect that is neither observed in any other cell type of the adult retina nor in rod photoreceptor precursor cells of postnatal day 4 mice. We show that adult wild-type rods are deficient in a repair pathway involving ATM, a protein that promotes heterochromatic DSB repair by phosphorylating KAP1 and facilitating heterochromatin relaxation. Of note, we observed that rods fail to robustly accumulate active ATM at DSBs, exhibit low KAP1 levels, and display high levels of SPOC1, a factor suppressing KAP1 phosphorylation. Collectively, this results in dramatically reduced KAP1 phosphorylation and the inability to repair heterochromatic DSBs. Because the distinct heterochromatic structure of rods focuses transmitting light to enable vision at low photon levels, the inability to phosphorylate KAP1 and the failure to relax heterochromatin could serve to maintain this structure and the functionality of rods in the presence of DSBs. Collectively, our findings show that the unique chromatin organization of adult rods renders them incapable to efficiently repair heterochromatic DSBs, providing evidence that heterochromatin affects mammalian DSB repair invivo.

Transcriptional Repressor ZBTB1 Promotes Chromatin Remodeling and Translesion DNA Synthesis

Timely DNA replication across damaged DNA is critical for maintaining genomic integrity. Translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) allows bypass of DNA lesions using error-prone TLS polymerases. The E3 ligase RAD18 is necessary for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) monoubiquitination and TLS polymerase recruitment; however, the regulatory steps upstream of RAD18 activation are less understood. Here, we show that the UBZ4 domain-containing transcriptional repressor ZBTB1 is a critical upstream regulator of TLS. The UBZ4 motif is required for PCNA monoubiquitination and survival after UV damage. ZBTB1 associates with KAP-1, a transcriptional repressor whose phosphorylation relaxes chromatin after DNA damage. ZBTB1 depletion impairs formation of phospho-KAP-1 at UV damage sites and reduces RAD18 recruitment. Furthermore, phosphorylation of KAP-1 is necessary for efficient PCNA modification. We propose that ZBTB1 is required for localizing phospho-KAP-1 to chromatin and enhancing RAD18 accessibility. Collectively, our study implicates a ubiquitin-binding protein in orchestrating chromatin remodeling during DNA repair.

Synergistic cytotoxicity of gemcitabine, clofarabine and edelfosine in lymphoma cell lines

Treatments for lymphomas include gemcitabine (Gem) and clofarabine (Clo) which inhibit DNA synthesis. To improve their cytotoxicity, we studied their synergism with the alkyl phospholipid edelfosine (Ed). Exposure of the J45.01 and SUP-T1 (T-cell) and the OCI-LY10 (B-cell) lymphoma cell lines to IC10–IC20 levels of the drugs resulted in strong synergistic cytotoxicity for the 3-drug combination based on various assays of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Cell death correlated with increased phosphorylation of histone 2AX and KAP1, decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increased production of reactive oxygen species and release of pro-apoptotic factors. Caspase 8-negative I9.2 cells were considerably more resistant to [Gem+Clo+Ed] than caspase 8-positive cells. In all three cell lines [Gem+Clo+Ed] decreased the level of phosphorylation of the pro-survival protein AKT and activated the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) stress signaling pathway, which in J45.01 cells resulted in the phosphorylation and heterodimerization of the transcription factors ATF2 and c-Jun. The observed rational mechanism-based efficacy of [Gem+Clo+Ed] based on the synergistic convergence of several pro-death and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways in three very different cell backgrounds provides a powerful foundation for undertaking clinical trials of this drug combination for the treatment of lymphomas.

Abstract 3528: Quantitation of ATM function in primary CLL cells.

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal B-cell development in which mechanisms for cell death have been altered. As the second most common type of leukemia in adults, it progresses at a very slow rate compared to other leukemias and is considered incurable. Approximately 10% of previously untreated patients with CLL exhibit a substantial deletion in the q arm of chromosome 11 (11q22.3), the site of the ATM gene (ataxia telangiectasia mutated). Deletion of this region is associated with rapid disease progression and shorter overall survival. This lesion occurs at increased incidence, 40-50%, in patients who relapse on fludarabine-cyclophosphamide-rituximab chemoimmunotherapy. The residual ATM allele is often mutated, suggesting that the region containing ATM is important for response to chemotherapy. Also, because ATM is critical for repairing double strand breaks that arise after exposure to PARP1 inhibitors and drugs that cause replication fork collapse, identification of tumors that lack ATM function may be a biomarker for specific therapies. In order to distinguish CLL disease with ATM non-functional and functional among del(11q22.3) patients characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we have established an assay of ATM activity in primary CLL cells. It is known that ATM is activated in response to ionizing radiation and will further phosphorylate its downstream targets. We have demonstrated that phosphorylation of KAP1 and Smc1 (both ATM downstream substrates) are primarily dependent on the activity of ATM using cell lines established from a patient with ataxia telangiectasia that are either deficient in ATM function or complemented with the full length gene. In this assay, CLL samples from eight patients with normal FISH karyotype were collected, mock treated or irradiated with a 10 Gy dose, and protein lysates were prepared. The lysates were then combined as a positive pool comparator for the del(11q22-23) CLL samples, and both total and phosphorylated KAP1 and Smc1 proteins were quantitated by immunoblotting. The averaged phosphorylation levels of the KAP1 and Smc1 proteins among the irradiated samples from patients with del(11q22.3) by FISH was calculated and compared with those of the ATM-positive pool. An averaged phosphorylation ratio ≤30% of the positive pool sample was taken as indicative of a deficiency in ATM function. Using this cutoff, we identified five ATM non-functional individuals among ten del(11q22.3) CLL samples isolated from archived stocks. The mutation status of DNA extracted from CLL cells is being analyzed by deep sequencing in reference to the subjects’ T-cell genomic DNA . This assay could be applied to CLL and other tumors at risk for loss of ATM activity, to identify those deficient in ATM function. These individuals may be considered for tumor-specific and personalized therapy targeting ATM deficiency. Citation Format: Yingjun Jiang, Xiaojun Liu, Sijin Wen, Kim-Anh Do, Xiaoping Su, Michael J. Keating, William Wierda, William Plunkett. Quantitation of ATM function in primary CLL cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3528. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3528

Abstract 2067: BMN 673 potentiates efficacy of temozolomide in sensitive and resistant glioblastoma models.

Abstract Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays an important role in several DNA repair processes, and previous studies with various PARP inhibitors have demonstrated robust enhancement of sensitivity to temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy in pre-clinical models of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The focus of this study was to evaluate the antitumor effects of a novel PARP inhibitor, BMN 673, as a single agent and in combination with TMZ in the established U251 glioma cell line, neurosphere cultures from the primary Mayo GBM xenograft line GBM12, and TMZ-resistant cells derived from either line (U251TMZ, GBM12TMZ(MGMT high) and GBM12TMZ(MGMT low)). In a biochemical assay of PARP inhibition, BMN 673 potently suppressed poly-ADP-ribosylation of cellular proteins at concentrations of 3 nM following hydrogen peroxide treatment of U251 cells. Single agent treatment had modest anti-tumor activity with 30 nM BMN 673 reducing absorbance in a CyQUANT cell proliferation assay relative to control treatment in both U251 and U251TMZ cells (Table 1). BMN 673 co-treatment also enhanced the efficacy of TMZ in both U251-derivative lines at a clinically relevant concentration of TMZ. Similarly, treatment with BMN673 alone or in combination with TMZ inhibited primary neurosphere formation in all three GBM12 models. Notably, the addition BMN 673 clearly re-sensitized both resistant GBM12 sub-lines to relatively low concentrations of TMZ. Consistent with a mechanism involving disruption of DNA repair, combined treatment with BMN 673 and TMZ resulted in robust activation of ATM-mediated KAP1 phosphorylation (Ser824) and ATR-mediated Chk1 phosphorylation (Ser345) as compared to TMZ or BMN 673 alone 24 hours after treatment. In conclusion, BMN673 is a promising PARP inhibitor with high potency and cytotoxicity in vitro against both TMZ sensitive and TMZ resistant GBM cells. Table 1 - In vitro antitumor effects of TMZ combined with BMN673 TMZ, microM 0 nM BMN673 30 nM BMN673 CyQUANT U251 Relative absorbance Relative absorbance 0 1.00 0.58 30 0.80 0.30 U251TMZ 0 1.00 0.69 30 1.02 0.21 Primary Neurosphere Assay GBM12 Relative Count Relative Count 0 1.00 0.66 5 0.32 0 10 0.01 0 GBM12TMZ (MGMT high) 0 1.00 0.32 5 1.11 0.02 10 1.04 0.01 GBM12TMZ (MGMT low) 0 1.00 0.25 5 0.86 0.03 10 0.75 0 Citation Format: Sani H. Kizilbash, Ryo Kawashima, Shiv Gupta, Ann C. Mladek, Yuqiao Shen, Jann N. Sarkaria. BMN 673 potentiates efficacy of temozolomide in sensitive and resistant glioblastoma models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2067. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2067

MAGE-C2 Promotes Growth and Tumorigenicity of Melanoma Cells, Phosphorylation of KAP1, and DNA Damage Repair

Melanoma-associated antigen-encoding (MAGE) genes are expressed in melanoma and other cancers but not in normal somatic cells. MAGE expression is associated with aggressive tumor growth, poor clinical outcome, and resistance to chemotherapy, but the mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. In this study, we show that downregulation of MAGE-C2 in A375 melanoma cells and low-passage cultures from human metastatic melanomas (MRA cells) results in increased apoptosis and decreased growth of tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice. Previously, we showed that MAGE-C2 binds KAP1, a scaffolding protein that regulates DNA repair. Phosphorylation of KAP1-Serine 824 (Ser824) by ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase is necessary for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs); now we show that MAGE-C2 knockdown reduces, whereas MAGE-C2 overexpression increases, ATM kinase-dependent phosphorylation of KAP1-Ser824. We demonstrate that MAGE-C2 increases co-precipitation of KAP1 with ATM and that binding of MAGE-C2 to KAP1 is necessary for increased KAP1-Ser824 phosphorylation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of MAGE-C2 enhances repair of I-SceI endonuclease-induced DSBs in U-2OS cells. As phosphorylation of KAP1-Ser824 facilitates relaxation of heterochromatin, which is necessary for DNA repair and cellular proliferation, our results suggest that MAGE-C2 can promote tumor growth by phosphorylation of KAP1-Ser824 and by enhancement of DNA damage repair.

PIG3 Functions in DNA Damage Response through Regulating DNA-PKcs Homeostasis

The p53-inducible gene 3 (PIG3) recently has been reported to be a new player in DNA damage signaling and response, but the crucial mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, the potential mechanism of PIG3 participation in the DNA damage response induced by ionizing radiation (IR) was investigated in multiple cell lines with depleted expression of PIG3 transiently or stably by the small interference RNA and lentivirus-mediated shRNA expression strategies. PIG3 knockdown led to an abnormal DNA damage response, including decreased IR-induced phosphorylation of H2AX, Chk1, Chk2 and Kap-1 as well as a prolonged G2-M arrest and aberrant mitotic progression. Notably, PIG3 knockdown resulted in a striking depression of cellular DNA-PKcs protein level, and was accompanied by a downregulation of ATM. Re-expression of PIG3 effectively rescued the depression of DNA-PKcs in PIG3-depleted cells. This negative regulation of DNA-PKcs by depleting PIG3 seemed to take place at the translational level but not at the levels of transcription or protein degradation. However, a compensatory feedback of increased mRNA expression of DNA-PKcs was formed in PIG3-depleted cells after a few passages or cell cycles of subculture, which led the recovery of the DNA-PKcs protein level and the consequent recovered efficiency of the DNA damage response. These results provide a new insight into the mechanism of PIG3's functioning in DNA damage signaling and the regulation network of cellular DNA-PKcs expression homeostasis.

Defective ATM‐Kap‐1‐mediated chromatin remodeling impairs DNA repair and accelerates senescence in progeria mouse model

ATM-mediated phosphorylation of KAP-1 triggers chromatin remodeling and facilitates the loading and retention of repair proteins at DNA lesions. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Zmpste24(-/-) mice undergo early senescence, attributable to delayed recruitment of DNA repair proteins. Here, we show that ATM-Kap-1 signaling is compromised in Zmpste24(-/-) MEFs, leading to defective DNA damage-induced chromatin remodeling. Knocking down Kap-1 rescues impaired chromatin remodeling, defective DNA repair and early senescence in Zmpste24(-/-) MEFs. Thus, ATM-Kap-1-mediated chromatin remodeling plays a critical role in premature aging, carrying significant implications for progeria therapy.

Competition between NBS1 and ATMIN Controls ATM Signaling Pathway Choice

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase activation by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) requires the Mre11-Rad50-NBS1 (MRN) complex, whereas ATM interactor (ATMIN) protein is required for ATM signaling induced by changes in chromatin structure. We show here that NBS1 and ATMIN proteins compete for ATM binding and that this mechanism controls ATM function. DSB-induced ATM substrate phosphorylation was increased in atmin mutant cells. Conversely, NBS1 deficiency resulted in increased ATMIN-dependent ATM signaling. Thus, the absence of one cofactor increased flux through the alternative pathway. Notably, ATMIN deficiency rescued the cellular lethality of NBS1-deficient cells, and NBS1/ATMIN double deficiency resulted in complete abrogation of ATM signaling and profound radiosensitivity. Hence, ATMIN and NBS1 mediate all ATM signaling by DSBs, and increased ATMIN-dependent ATM signaling explains the different phenotypes of nbs1- and atm-mutant cells. Thus, the antagonism and redundancy of ATMIN and NBS1 constitute a crucial regulatory mechanism for ATM signaling and function.

SPOC1 modulates DNA repair by regulating key determinants of chromatin compaction and DNA damage response

Survival time-associated plant homeodomain (PHD) finger protein in Ovarian Cancer 1 (SPOC1, also known as PHF13) is known to modulate chromatin structure and is essential for testicular stem-cell differentiation. Here we show that SPOC1 is recruited to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in an ATM-dependent manner. Moreover, SPOC1 localizes at endogenous repair foci, including OPT domains and accumulates at large DSB repair foci characteristic for delayed repair at heterochromatic sites. SPOC1 depletion enhances the kinetics of ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF) formation after γ-irradiation (γ-IR), non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair activity, and cellular radioresistance, but impairs homologous recombination (HR) repair. Conversely, SPOC1 overexpression delays IRIF formation and γH2AX expansion, reduces NHEJ repair activity and enhances cellular radiosensitivity. SPOC1 mediates dose-dependent changes in chromatin association of DNA compaction factors KAP-1, HP1-α and H3K9 methyltransferases (KMT) GLP, G9A and SETDB1. In addition, SPOC1 interacts with KAP-1 and H3K9 KMTs, inhibits KAP-1 phosphorylation and enhances H3K9 trimethylation. These findings provide the first evidence for a function of SPOC1 in DNA damage response (DDR) and repair. SPOC1 acts as a modulator of repair kinetics and choice of pathways. This involves its dose-dependent effects on DNA damage sensors, repair mediators and key regulators of chromatin structure.

Krüppel-associated Box (KRAB)-associated Co-repressor (KAP-1) Ser-473 Phosphorylation Regulates Heterochromatin Protein 1β (HP1-β) Mobilization and DNA Repair in Heterochromatin

The DNA damage response encompasses a complex series of signaling pathways that function to regulate and facilitate the repair of damaged DNA. Recent studies have shown that the repair of transcriptionally inactive chromatin, named heterochromatin, is dependent upon the phosphorylation of the co-repressor, Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) domain-associated protein (KAP-1), by the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase. Co-repressors, such as KAP-1, function to regulate the rigid structure of heterochromatin by recruiting histone-modifying enzymes, such HDAC1/2, SETDB1, and nucleosome-remodeling complexes such as CHD3. Here, we have characterized a phosphorylation site in the HP1-binding domain of KAP-1, Ser-473, which is phosphorylated by the cell cycle checkpoint kinase Chk2. Expression of a nonphosphorylatable S473A mutant conferred cellular sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents and led to defective repair of DNA double-strand breaks in heterochromatin. In addition, cells expressing S473A also displayed defective mobilization of the HP1-β chromodomain protein. The DNA repair defect observed in cells expressing S473A was alleviated by depletion of HP1-β, suggesting that phosphorylation of KAP-1 on Ser-473 promotes the mobilization of HP1-β from heterochromatin and subsequent DNA repair. These results suggest a novel mechanism of KAP-1-mediated chromatin restructuring via Chk2-regulated HP1-β exchange from heterochromatin, promoting DNA repair.