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Title: Classical non-homologous end-joining pathway utilizes nascent RNA for error-free double-strand break repair of transcribed genes

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13049· OSTI ID:1623855
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [1]
  1. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (United States). Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine
  2. The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas (United States). Department of Radiation Oncology, The Houston Methodist Research Institute
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Division of Life Sciences, Department of Cancer and DNA Damage Responses
  4. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (United States). Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) leading to loss of nucleotides in the transcribed region can be lethal. Classical non-homologous end-joining (C-NHEJ) is the dominant pathway for DSB repair (DSBR) in adult mammalian cells. Here we report that during such DSBR, mammalian C-NHEJ proteins form a multiprotein complex with RNA polymerase II and preferentially associate with the transcribed genes after DSB induction. Depletion of C-NHEJ factors significantly abrogates DSBR in transcribed but not in non-transcribed genes. We hypothesized that nascent RNA can serve as a template for restoring the missing sequences, thus allowing error-free DSBR. We indeed found pre-mRNA in the C-NHEJ complex. Finally, when a DSB-containing plasmid with several nucleotides deleted within the E. coli lacZ gene was allowed time to repair in lacZ expressing mammalian cells, a functional lacZ plasmid could be recovered from control but not C-NHEJ factor-depleted cells, providing important mechanistic insights into C-NHEJ-mediated error-free DSBR of the transcribed genome.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1623855
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 7, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Maintenance of genome stability: the unifying role of interconnections between the DNA damage response and RNA-processing pathways journal March 2018
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BRCA2 controls DNA:RNA hybrid level at DSBs by mediating RNase H2 recruitment text January 2018
BRCA2 controls DNA:RNA hybrid level at DSBs by mediating RNase H2 recruitment. text January 2018
A Process of Resection-Dependent Nonhomologous End Joining Involving the Goddess Artemis journal September 2017
Public antibodies to malaria antigens generated by two LAIR1 insertion modalities journal August 2017
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L facilitates recruitment of 53BP1 and BRCA1 at the DNA break sites induced by oxaliplatin in colorectal cancer journal July 2019
TLP-mediated global transcriptional repression after double-strand DNA breaks slows down DNA repair and induces apoptosis journal March 2019
Nuclear poly(A)-binding protein 1 is an ATM target and essential for DNA double-strand break repair journal December 2017
Beyond the Trinity of ATM, ATR, and DNA-PK: Multiple Kinases Shape the DNA Damage Response in Concert With RNA Metabolism journal August 2019