Telomeric Overhang Research Articles

Tomentosin Induces Telomere Shortening and Caspase-Dependant Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer Cells.

Tomentosin, a natural sesquiterpene lactone purified from of Inula viscosa L., was investigated for its anti-proliferative, telomere shortening, and apoptotic effects on human cervical cancer HeLa and SiHa cell lines. Tomentosin was found to inhibit the growth of SiHa and HeLa cell lines in dose and time-dependent manner (IC50 values of 7.10 ± 0.78 μM and 5.87 ± 0.36 μM, respectively after 96 h of treatment). As evidenced by TTAGGG telomere length assay, tomentosin target specifically the telomeric overhang lengthening. This was confirmed by the evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of tomentosin in the foetal fibroblast Wi38 and JW10 cells which were derived from Wi38 and express hTERT, the telomerase catalytic subunit. We found that JW10 cells are 4.7-fold more sensitive to tomentosin which argues for telomere as its specific target. Furthermore, we found that tomentosin mediate this cytotoxic effect by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Morphological features of treated cells, as evidenced by Hoechst 33324 staining, revealed that the cytotoxic effect was due to induction of apoptosis. This was accompanied by pro-caspase-3 cleavage, an increase in caspase-3 activity and a cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, tomentosin induced a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), accompanied by a decrease in Bcl-2 expression. This indicates that tomentosin-induced apoptosis may involve a mitochondria-mediated signaling pathway. This study provides the first evidence that tomentosin targets telomere machinery and induces apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. The molecular mechanism underlying tomentosin-induced apoptosis may involve a mitochondria-mediated signaling pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1689-1698, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heterozygous RTEL1 variants in Patients with Bone Marrow Failure Associate with Telomere Dysfunction in the Absence of Telomere Shortening

The pathophysiology of bone marrow failure (BMF) can be immune, as in acquired aplastic anemia (AA), or constitutional, due to germline mutations in genes critical for DNA repair and telomere maintenance. Variability in penetrance and phenotype can complicate diagnosis, as patients with underlying genetic defects may present in adulthood and without characteristic physical anomalies. RTEL1 encodes a helicase crucial for telomere maintenance and DNA repair. The gene has two main transcripts in human cells: the 1300 amino acid isoform 3 and the 1219 amino acid isoform 1. RTEL1 isoform 3 contains a conserved C4C4-RING domain responsible for resolving the t-loop required for telomere replication. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), RTEL1 germline variants with unknown clinical significance have been found in AA patients. Functional tests may elucidate RTEL1 variants' pathogenic role in telomere biology. Here, we describe RTEL1 heterozygous germline mutations in patients with BMF and investigate their impact in telomere maintenance.We screened 63 patients with a suggestive familial phenotype for germline mutations in peripheral blood cells using a targeted, 49 gene NGS panel. To investigate variants' impact in telomere functions, telomere length (TL) was measured by Southern blot (SB), t-circles were quantified by telomere circle assay, and single-stranded overhang was measured by non-denaturing SB.Eight patients carried novel heterozygous non-synonymous RTEL1 variants: four nucleotide changes were located in the RAD3 domain, six in the harmonin-like domain, and one in the RING domain. Clinical features and TL were heterogeneous (Table 1). The only RTEL1 variant predicted as pathogenic in silico was F1262L (c.3786 C>G) in patient 2; this mutation affects a highly conserved amino acid residue located in the RING domain, which is responsible for RTEL1 interaction with TRF2 at telomeres and t-loop unwinding. Patient 2 had very short telomeres, abnormal accumulation of t-circles, and eroded single-stranded telomeric overhangs in leukocytes, indicating a disrupted RTEL1 RING domain. To confirm observations made in clinical samples, 293T cells transfected with a plasmid carrying wild-type RTEL1-FLAG isoform 3 or its F1262L mutated version were assessed for TRF2 and FLAG co-localization in the nucleus. By confocal microscopy, wild-type RTEL1, but not mutant RTEL1 co-localized with TRF2. These findings strongly implicate RTEL1-F1262L as pathogenic, and thus the first autosomal dominant mutation in the RING domain in an AA patient. In patient 1, D743N variant in silico prediction was indeterminate, but telomeres were very short and there was a family history of typical telomeropathy (AA, liver cirrhosis, and pulmonary fibrosis) without any other suspicious germline mutations. The D743N variant is located close to the V745M variant that has been reported in a patient with dyskeratosis congenita. Increased amounts of t-circles and telomeric overhang attrition were observed in three other patients (#4, 5, and 7). While not specific for RTEL1 function, these results suggest telomere dysfunction, despite TLs in the normal range for patient 4 and 5. The RTEL1 P82L variant also appeared related to clonal evolution and leukemic progression observed in patient 5. For patients 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, several mutations were observed in other genes concomitant to RTEL1, and a more complex genomic architecture may be the cause of patients’ phenotype. A previously reported TERC variant, and a TERT variant of undetermined in silico prediction, could be pathogenic in patients 7 and 6, respectively. In these cases, RTEL1 variants may modulate disease, or represent only coincidental abnormalities.To our knowledge, this is the first report of heterozygous RTEL1 mutations in AA. We also describe a TL-independent association between RTEL1 haploinsufficiency and telomere dysfunction in humans. Haploinsufficiency of RTEL1 may disrupt DNA repair, destabilize the genome, and promote leukemogenesis by a mechanism different than typical accelerated telomere attrition associated with very short telomeres. T-circle quantification and overhang measurement may be better measures of telomere dysfunction in patients with RTEL1 variants than simple TL assessment. The combination of different functional tests was useful to the assessment of novel variants impact in telomere maintenance and DNA repair. [Display omitted] DisclosuresFernandez Ibanez:GSK/Novartis: Research Funding. Desierto:GSK/Novartis: Research Funding. Townsley:GSK/Novartis: Research Funding. Young:GSK/Novartis: Research Funding.

Functional characterisation of long intergenic non-coding RNAs through genetic interaction profiling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

BackgroundTranscriptome studies have revealed that many eukaryotic genomes are pervasively transcribed producing numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, only a few lncRNAs have been ascribed a cellular role thus far, with most regulating the expression of adjacent genes. Even less lncRNAs have been annotated as essential hence implying that the majority may be functionally redundant. Therefore, the function of lncRNAs could be illuminated through systematic analysis of their synthetic genetic interactions (GIs).ResultsHere, we employ synthetic genetic array (SGA) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify GIs between long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) and protein-coding genes. We first validate this approach by demonstrating that the telomerase RNA TLC1 displays a GI network that corresponds to its well-described function in telomere length maintenance. We subsequently performed SGA screens on a set of uncharacterised lincRNAs and uncover their connection to diverse cellular processes. One of these lincRNAs, SUT457, exhibits a GI profile associating it to telomere organisation and we consistently demonstrate that SUT457 is required for telomeric overhang homeostasis through an Exo1-dependent pathway. Furthermore, the GI profile of SUT457 is distinct from that of its neighbouring genes suggesting a function independent to its genomic location. Accordingly, we show that ectopic expression of this lincRNA suppresses telomeric overhang accumulation in sut457Δ cells assigning a trans-acting role for SUT457 in telomere biology.ConclusionsOverall, our work proposes that systematic application of this genetic approach could determine the functional significance of individual lncRNAs in yeast and other complex organisms.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0325-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

MTV, an ssDNA Protecting Complex Essential for Transposon-Based Telomere Maintenance in Drosophila.

Multiple complexes protect telomeres. In telomerase-maintained organisms, Shelterin related complexes occupy the duplex region while the CST and Tpp1-Pot1 complexes bind the single stranded overhang of telomeres. Drosophila uses a transposon-based mechanism for end protection. We showed that the HOAP-HipHop complex occupies the duplex region. Whether an ssDNA-binding complex exists is not known. Here we discover a novel protein, Tea, that is specifically enriched at telomeres to prevent telomere fusion. We also identify a complex consisting of Tea and two known capping proteins, Ver and Moi. The Moi-Tea-Ver (MTV) complex purified in vitro binds and protects ssDNA in a sequence-independent manner. Tea recruits Ver and Moi to telomeres, and point mutations disrupting MTV interaction in vitro result in telomere uncapping, consistent with these proteins functioning as a complex in vivo. MTV thus shares functional similarities with CST or TPP1-POT1 in protecting ssDNA, highlighting a conserved feature in end protecting mechanisms.

Germ line mutations in shelterin complex genes are associated with familial chronic lymphocytic leukemia

AbstractChronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can be familial; however, thus far no rare germ line disruptive alleles for CLL have been identified. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 66 CLL families, identifying 4 families where loss-of-function mutations in protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) co-segregated with CLL. The p.Tyr36Cys mutation is predicted to disrupt the interaction between POT1 and the telomeric overhang. The c.1164-1G>A splice-site, p.Gln358SerfsTer13 frameshift, and p.Gln376Arg missense mutations are likely to impact the interaction between POT1 and adrenocortical dysplasia homolog (ACD), which is a part of the telomere-capping shelterin complex. We also identified mutations in ACD (c.752-2A>C) and another shelterin component, telomeric repeat binding factor 2, interacting protein (p.Ala104Pro and p.Arg133Gln), in 3 CLL families. In a complementary analysis of 1083 cases and 5854 controls, the POT1 p.Gln376Arg variant, which has a global minor allele frequency of 0.0005, conferred a 3.61-fold increased risk of CLL (P = .009). This study further highlights telomere dysregulation as a key process in CLL development.

Role of the ESCRT Complexes in Telomere Biology.

ABSTRACTEukaryotic chromosomal ends are protected by telomeres from fusion, degradation, and unwanted double-strand break repair events. Therefore, telomeres preserve genome stability and integrity. Telomere length can be maintained by telomerase, which is expressed in most human primary tumors but is not expressed in the majority of somatic cells. Thus, telomerase may be a highly relevant anticancer drug target. Genome-wide studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified a set of genes associated with telomere length maintenance (TLM genes). Among the tlm mutants with short telomeres, we found a strong enrichment for those affecting vacuolar and endosomal traffic (particularly the endosomal sorting complex required for transport [ESCRT] pathway). Here, we present our results from investigating the surprising link between telomere shortening and the ESCRT machinery. Our data show that the whole ESCRT system is required to safeguard proper telomere length maintenance. We propose a model of impaired end resection resulting in too little telomeric overhang, such that Cdc13 binding is prevented, precluding either telomerase recruitment or telomeric overhang protection.

Tying up the Ends: Plasticity in the Recognition of Single-Stranded DNA at Telomeres.

Telomeres terminate nearly exclusively in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) overhangs comprised of the G-rich 3' end. This overhang varies widely in length from species to species, ranging from just a few bases to several hundred nucleotides. These overhangs are not merely a remnant of DNA replication but rather are the result of complex further processing. Proper management of the telomeric overhang is required both to deter the action of the DNA damage machinery and to present the ends properly to the replicative enzyme telomerase. This Current Topic addresses the biochemical and structural features used by the proteins that manage these variable telomeric overhangs. The Pot1 protein tightly binds the single-stranded overhang, preventing DNA damage sensors from binding. Pot1 also orchestrates the access of telomerase to that same substrate. The remarkable plasticity of the binding interface exhibited by the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Pot1 provides mechanistic insight into how these roles may be accomplished, and disease-associated mutations clustered around the DNA-binding interface in the hPOT1 highlight the importance of this function. The budding yeast Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1, a telomeric RPA complex closely associated with telomere function, also interacts with ssDNA in a fashion that allows degenerate sequences to be recognized. A related human complex composed of hCTC1, hSTN1, and hTEN1 has recently emerged with links to both telomere maintenance and general DNA replication and also exhibits mutations associated with telomere pathologies. Overall, these sequence-specific ssDNA binders exhibit a range of recognition properties that allow them to perform their unique biological functions.

Abstract LB-048: Investigating mechanism of action of oligonucleotides homologous to the telomere overhang in melanoma

Abstract Telomeres have become a popular target for novel cancer therapeutics because activation of telomerase is associated with development of immortality in nearly 90% of all cancers. It has been shown that administration of an oligonucleotide homologous to the telomere overhang called T-oligo (5’-GTTAGGGTTAG-3’) induces potent DNA damage responses (DDRs) in several cancers, including melanoma, and causes minimal toxicity to normal cells. Our study focuses on T-oligo which has the guanine rich character of the telomere 3’ overhang. The folding and stabilization of G-quadruplexes (G4) which are G-rich structures at the end of telomeres may be involved in regulation of telomere length and cell cycle regulation. To date, T-oligo has not been shown to form G4, although evidence suggests it has a G4-mediated mechanism of action. In this study, we investigate T-oligo's ability to form G4 structures in vitro. We hypothesize the additional secondary structure of G4 configured T oligo may confer increased stability, resistance to nucleases in serum and, initiate DDRs. G4 formation is a potential target since G4 presence can cause telomere uncapping leading to DDRs. In our studies, G4 T-oligo was formed by heating various concentrations of T-oligo in KCl solutions to 90°C and incubating at 60°C for 24-36 hours. G4 T-oligo formation was verified using native PAGE and NMR spectroscopy before subjecting it to DNase1 degradation and analyzing with native PAGE. We also analyzed the uptake and anti-proliferative ability of G4 T-oligo using FACS analysis and MTT assay respectively. The change in expression of TRF2 and JNK activity was performed using western blot analysis since T-oligo may induce activation of SAPK/JNK pathway. We further investigated the interaction between T-oligo and TRF2 using immunofluorescence (IF) with FITC labeled T-oligo in MM-AN melanoma cells. Densitometric analysis after nuclease digestion demonstrated a 52.6% decrease in T-oligo and a 20% decrease in G4 T-oligo as well as a 96% increase of single stranded T-oligo within the G4 T-oligo sample after 90 minutes, indicating nuclease resistance of G4-T-oligo. FACS analysis revealed G4 T-oligo and T-oligo had similar cellular uptake but G4 T-oligo was shown to be less effective in inhibiting cell proliferation suggesting the reduced anti-proliferative activity of G4 T-oligo is not likely attributed to cellular uptake. Western blot results showed upregulation of both p-JNK and total JNK by 4.0- and 2.0-fold respectively after 24 hour treatment. JNK has previously been demonstrated to be activated by G4 stabilizing ligands, providing more evidence that T-oligo may induce telomere dysfunction and upregulation of JNK activity. IF showed 80% co-localization of T-oligo and TRF2 in the nucleus suggesting T oligo may induce dissociation of TRF2 from the telomere shelterin complex causing DDRs. In conclusion, formation of G4 species by T-oligo may induce DDRs and future studies may provide insights into its mechanism of action and suggests new avenues for research. Citation Format: Mark Frakes, Luke Wojdyla, Marko Ivancich, Perlina Fortinberry, Pooja Vinay, Priyanka Pandey, Gagan Chhabra, Neelu Puri. Investigating mechanism of action of oligonucleotides homologous to the telomere overhang in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-048.

Single Molecule Studies of Oxidative Damage on Human Telomere

Oxidative stress has been connected to aging, cancer and the development of many other diseases. Oxidative damage occurs while cellular oxidizing species concentration increases or antioxidant defenses decrease. One of the most common products of oxidative damage in DNA is 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG). The frequent presence of 8-oxoguanine is due to the lowest oxidation potential of guanine amongst the four DNA bases. In particular, the guanine rich nature telomeric 3’-overhang sequence makes telomere more prone to the 8-oxoG damage. Therefore it provides an interesting region for studying the consequence of oxidative damage in DNA. We studied the effect of 8-oxoG lesion in human telomeric overhang which consist of repeats TTAGGG that can self-fold into G-quadruplex (GQ). The central guanine of triple-G was replaced by 8-oxoG in two repeat positions that are critical for GQ folding stability. We employed single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to measure the changes in GQ folding stability and the resulting accessibility to telomeric proteins. Our study demonstrates that 8-oxoG replacement 1) destabilizes the structure of telomeric GQ, 2)increases the accessibility to POT1, the core component of shelterin which protects telomeric overhang and regulates telomerase activity and 3) increases the telomerase binding affinity to telomere. Overall, our results suggest that the structural instability induced by 8-oxoG lesion likely enhances telomere elongation, which may contribute to cancer development under oxidative stress.

The structure and DNA-binding properties of Mgm101 from a yeast with a linear mitochondrial genome.

To study the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of a linear mitochondrial genome we investigated the biochemical properties of the recombination protein Mgm101 from Candida parapsilosis. We show that CpMgm101 complements defects associated with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mgm101–1ts mutation and that it is present in both the nucleus and mitochondrial nucleoids of C. parapsilosis. Unlike its S. cerevisiae counterpart, CpMgm101 is associated with the entire nucleoid population and is able to bind to a broad range of DNA substrates in a non-sequence specific manner. CpMgm101 is also able to catalyze strand annealing and D-loop formation. CpMgm101 forms a roughly C-shaped trimer in solution according to SAXS. Electron microscopy of a complex of CpMgm101 with a model mitochondrial telomere revealed homogeneous, ring-shaped structures at the telomeric single-stranded overhangs. The DNA-binding properties of CpMgm101, together with its DNA recombination properties, suggest that it can play a number of possible roles in the replication of the mitochondrial genome and the maintenance of its telomeres.

The structures of the SNM1A and SNM1B/Apollo nuclease domains reveal a potential basis for their distinct DNA processing activities.

The human SNM1A and SNM1B/Apollo proteins are members of an extended family of eukaryotic nuclease containing a motif related to the prokaryotic metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) fold. SNM1A is a key exonuclease during replication-dependent and transcription-coupled interstrand crosslink repair, while SNM1B/Apollo is required for maintaining telomeric overhangs. Here, we report the crystal structures of SNM1A and SNM1B at 2.16 Å. While both proteins contain a typical MBL-β-CASP domain, a region of positive charge surrounds the active site of SNM1A, which is absent in SNM1B and explains the greater apparent processivity of SNM1A. The structures of both proteins also reveal a putative, wide DNA-binding groove. Extensive mutagenesis of this groove, coupled with detailed biochemical analysis, identified residues that did not impact on SNM1A catalytic activity, but drastically reduced its processivity. Moreover, we identified a key role for this groove for efficient digestion past DNA interstrand crosslinks, facilitating the key DNA repair reaction catalysed by SNM1A. Together, the architecture and dimensions of this groove, coupled to the surrounding region of high positive charge, explain the remarkable ability of SNM1A to accommodate and efficiently digest highly distorted DNA substrates, such as those containing DNA lesions.

Highly efficient radiosensitization of human glioblastoma and lung cancer cells by a G-quadruplex DNA binding compound.

Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures at the end of chromosomes which stabilize and protect them from nucleotidic degradation and end-to-end fusions. The G-rich telomeric single-stranded DNA overhang can adopt a four-stranded G-quadruplex DNA structure (G4). Stabilization of the G4 structure by binding of small molecule ligands enhances radiosensitivity of tumor cells, and this combined treatment represents a novel anticancer approach. We studied the effect of the platinum-derived G4-ligand, Pt-ctpy, in association with radiation on human glioblastoma (SF763 and SF767) and non-small cell lung cancer (A549 and H1299) cells in vitro and in vivo. Treatments with submicromolar concentrations of Pt-ctpy inhibited tumor proliferation in vitro with cell cycle alterations and induction of apoptosis. Non-toxic concentrations of the ligand were then combined with ionizing radiation. Pt-ctpy radiosensitized all cell lines with dose-enhancement factors between 1.32 and 1.77. The combined treatment led to increased DNA breaks. Furthermore, a significant radiosensitizing effect of Pt-ctpy in mice xenografted with glioblastoma SF763 cells was shown by delayed tumor growth and improved survival. Pt-ctpy can act in synergy with radiation for efficient killing of cancer cells at concentrations at which it has no obvious toxicity per se, opening perspectives for future therapeutic applications.

Unique C. elegans telomeric overhang structures reveal the evolutionarily conserved properties of telomeric DNA.

There are two basic mechanisms that are associated with the maintenance of the telomere length, which endows cancer cells with unlimited proliferative potential. One mechanism, referred to as alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), accounts for approximately 10–15% of all human cancers. Tumours engaged in the ALT pathway are characterised by the presence of the single stranded 5′-C-rich telomeric overhang (C-overhang). This recently identified hallmark of ALT cancers distinguishes them from healthy tissues and renders the C-overhang as a clear target for anticancer therapy. We analysed structures of the 5′-C-rich and 3′-G-rich telomeric overhangs from human and Caenorhabditis elegans, the recently established multicellular in vivo model of ALT tumours. We show that the telomeric DNA from C. elegans and humans forms fundamentally different secondary structures. The unique structural characteristics of C. elegans telomeric DNA that are distinct not only from those of humans but also from those of other multicellular eukaryotes allowed us to identify evolutionarily conserved properties of telomeric DNA. Differences in structural organisation of the telomeric DNA between the C. elegans and human impose limitations on the use of the C. elegans as an ALT tumour model.

MAD2L2 controls DNA repair at telomeres and DNA breaks by inhibiting 5' end resection.

Appropriate repair of DNA lesions and the inhibition of DNA repair activities at telomeres are critical to prevent genomic instability. By fuelling the generation of genetic alterations and by compromising cell viability, genomic instability is a driving force in cancer and aging1, 2. Here we identify MAD2L2 (also known as MAD2B or REV7) through functional genetic screening as a novel factor controlling DNA repair activities at mammalian telomeres. We show that MAD2L2 accumulates at uncapped telomeres and promotes non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)-mediated fusion of deprotected chromosome ends and genomic instability. MAD2L2 depletion causes elongated 3′ telomeric overhangs, implying that MAD2L2 inhibits 5′ end-resection. End-resection blocks NHEJ while committing to homology-directed repair (HDR) and is under control of 53BP1, RIF1 and PTIP3. Consistent with MAD2L2 promoting NHEJ-mediated telomere fusion by inhibiting 5′ end-resection, knockdown of the nucleases CTIP or EXO1 partially restores telomere-driven genomic instability in MAD2L2-depleted cells. Control of DNA repair by MAD2L2 is not limited to telomeres. MAD2L2 also accumulates and inhibits end-resection at irradiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and promotes end-joining of DSBs in multiple settings, including during immunoglobulin class switch recombination (CSR). These activities of MAD2L2 depend on ATM kinase activity, RNF8, RNF168, 53BP1 and RIF1, but not on PTIP, REV1 and REV3, the latter two acting with MAD2L2 in translesion synthesis (TLS)4. Together our data establish MAD2L2 as a critical contributor to the control of DNA repair activity by 53BP1 that promotes NHEJ by inhibiting 5′ end-resection downstream of RIF1.

DNA-Directed Polymerase Subunits Play a Vital Role in Human Telomeric Overhang Processing.

Telomeres consist of TTAGGG repeats bound by the shelterin complex and end with a 3' overhang. In humans, telomeres shorten at each cell division, unless telomerase (TERT) is expressed and able to add telomeric repeats. For effective telomere maintenance, the DNA strand complementary to that made by telomerase must be synthesized. Recent studies have discovered a link between different activities necessary to process telomeres in the S phase of the cell cycle to reform a proper overhang. Notably, the human CST complex (CTC1/STN1/TEN1), known to interact functionally with the polymerase complex (POLA/primase), was shown to be important for telomere processing. Here, focus was paid to the catalytic (POLA1/p180) and accessory (POLA2/p68) subunits of the polymerase, and their mechanistic roles at telomeres. We were able to detect p68 and p180 at telomeres in S-phase using chromatin immunoprecipitation. We could also show that the CST, shelterin, and polymerase complexes interact, revealing contacts occurring at telomeres. We found that the polymerase complex could associate with telomerase activity. Finally, depletion of p180 by siRNA led to increased overhang amounts at telomeres. These data support a model in which the polymerase complex is important for proper telomeric overhang processing through fill-in synthesis, during S phase. These results shed light on important events necessary for efficient telomere maintenance and protection. This study describes the interplay between DNA replication components with proteins that associate with chromosome ends, and telomerase. These interactions are proposed to be important for the processing and protection of chromosome ends.

BRCA 1 and Ct IP promote alternative non‐homologous end‐joining at uncapped telomeres

Loss of telomere protection occurs during physiological cell senescence and ageing, due to attrition of telomeric repeats and insufficient retention of the telomere-binding factor TRF2. Subsequently formed telomere fusions trigger rampant genomic instability leading to cell death or tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, telomere fusions require either the classical non-homologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) pathway dependent on Ku70/80 and LIG4, or the alternative non-homologous end-joining (A-NHEJ), which relies on PARP1 and LIG3. Here, we show that the tumour suppressor BRCA1, together with its interacting partner CtIP, both acting in end resection, also promotes end-joining of uncapped telomeres. BRCA1 and CtIP do not function in the ATM-dependent telomere damage signalling, nor in telomere overhang removal, which are critical for telomere fusions by C-NHEJ. Instead, BRCA1 and CtIP act in the same pathway as LIG3 to promote joining of de-protected telomeres by A-NHEJ. Our work therefore ascribes novel roles for BRCA1 and CtIP in end-processing and fusion reactions at uncapped telomeres, underlining the complexity of DNA repair pathways that act at chromosome ends lacking protective structures. Moreover, A-NHEJ provides a mechanism of previously unanticipated significance in telomere dysfunction-induced genome instability.

73: Activation of p38MAPK and senescence in fetal membranes induced by telomere overhang sequence: a novel mechanism for preterm birth

Oxidative stress (OS)-induced telomere reduction in fetal tissues has been associated with preterm birth. Telomere sequences are vulnerable to OS and short fragments can be released into tissue environment. We tested if telomere mimetic overhang sequence (T-oligo) activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in fetal tissues, leading to cellular senescence and inflammation.

TRNA-derived G-quadruplex protects motor neurons.

Although not generally appreciated, the first 3D visualization of a nucleic acid was provided by the crystal structures of yeast phenylalanine transfer RNA (tRNA) (1, 2). [The DNA structure determined in the 1950s was a low-resolution fiber-diffraction–based model (3).] It was interesting to see that the L-shaped tRNA molecule is maintained by both Watson–Crick and non-Watson–Crick types of base interactions. These types include Hoogsteen base pairs that use the N7-C6 face of a purine to make hydrogen-bonding interactions. The scheme of the Hoogsteen base pairing also allows the formation of a planar interaction with four guanine residues, known as G-tetrad or G-quartet (Fig. 1A). Despite the fact that the G-tetrad interaction was first proposed over 50 y ago (4), demonstration of its biological significance was much later and not until it was found in the structure of telomeres (5⇓–7). The 3′-end overhang of vertebrate telomeres are rich in guanines and consist of many TTAGGG repeats that can spontaneously fold into four-stranded DNA structures with two or more G-tetrads stacking on top of each other. Functionally, formation of this unique structure—named G-quadruplex—plays a major regulatory role in telomere maintenance (8). Since then, G-quadruplex structures became widely noted to be present throughout the genome and …

Interaction of G-quadruplexes in the full-length 3' human telomeric overhang.

The 3' human telomeric overhang provides ample opportunities for the formation and interaction of G-quadruplexes, which have shown impacts on many biological functions including telomerase activities in the telomere region. However, in the few investigations on DNA constructs that approach to the full length of the human telomeric overhang, the presence of higher-order quadruplex-quadruplex interactions is still a subject of debate. Herein, we employed dynamic splint ligation (DSL) to prepare a DNA construct, 5'-(TTAGGG)24 or 24G, which has the length comparable to the full stretch of 3' human telomeric overhang. Using mechanical unfolding assays in laser tweezers, we observed a minor population (∼5%) of higher-order interactions between G-quadruplexes, while the majority of the quadruplexes follow the bead-on-a-string model. Analyses on the noninteracting G-quadruplexes in the 24G construct showed features similar to those of the stand-alone G-quadruplexes in the 5'-(TTAGGG)4 (4G) construct. As each 24G construct contains as many as six G-quadruplexes, this method offers increased throughput for the time-consuming mechanical unfolding experiments of non-B DNA structures.

TALEN Gene Knockouts Reveal No Requirement for the Conserved Human Shelterin Protein Rap1 in Telomere Protection and Length Regulation

The conserved protein Rap1 functions at telomeres in fungi, protozoa, and vertebrates. Like yeast Rap1, human Rap1 has been implicated in telomere length regulation and repression of nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) at telomeres. However, mouse telomeres lacking Rap1 do not succumb to NHEJ. To determine the functions of human Rap1, we generated several transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated human cell lines lacking Rap1. Loss of Rap1 did not affect the other components of shelterin, the modification of telomeric histones, the subnuclear position of telomeres, or the 3' telomeric overhang. Telomeres lacking Rap1 did not show a DNA damage response, NHEJ, or consistent changes in their length, indicating that Rap1 does not have an important function in protection or length regulation of human telomeres. As human Rap1, like its mouse and unicellular orthologs, affects gene expression, we propose that the conservation of Rap1 reflects its role in transcriptional regulation rather than a function at telomeres.