Reconstitution of Human Excision Nuclease with Recombinant XPF-ERCC1 Complex

The human XPF-ERCC1 protein complex is one of several factors known to be required for general nucleotide excision repair. Genetic data indicate that both proteins of this complex are necessary for the repair of interstrand cross-links, perhaps via recombination. To determine whether XPF-ERCC1 completes a set of six proteins that are sufficient to carry out excision repair, the human XPF and ERCC1 cDNAs were coexpressed in Sf21 insect cells from a baculovirus vector. The purified complex contained the anticipated 5' junction-specific endonuclease activity that is stimulated through a direct interaction between XPF and replication protein A (RPA). The recombinant complex also complemented extracts of XP-F cells and Chinese hamster ovary mutants assigned to complementation groups 1, 4, and 11. Furthermore, reconstitution of the human excision nuclease was observed with a mixture of five repair factors (XPA, XPC, XPG, TFIIH, and RPA) and the recombinant XPF-ERCC1, thus verifying that no additional protein factors are needed for the specific dual incisions characteristic of human excision repair

Replication Protein A Confers Structure-specific Endonuclease Activities to the XPF-ERCC1 and XPG Subunits of Human DNA Repair Excision Nuclease

XPF-ERCC1 and XPG proteins are nucleases that are involved in human nucleotide excision repair. In this study, we characterized the structure-specific junction-cutting activities of both nucleases using DNA substrates containing a bubble or loop structure. We found that the junction-cutting activities of XPF-ERCC1 and XPG were greatly stimulated by human replication protein A (RPA), while heterologous single-stranded DNA-binding proteins could not substitute for human RPA. To test for specific interaction between RPA and XPF-ERCC1 as is known to occur between RPA and XPG, we employed a pull-down assay with immobilized "bubble" substrate. We found that the binding of XPF-ERCC1 complex to the bubble substrate was enhanced by RPA, suggesting a possible mechanism for RPA in the excision nuclease system, that is the targeting of the nuclease subunits to their specific sites of action. Furthermore, the RPA-promoted junction cutting by XPF-ERCC1 and XPG nucleases was observed with "loop" substrates as well, raising the possibility that XPF-ERCC1, XPG, and RPA may function in removing loop structures from DNA, independent of the other subunits of the human excinuclease

Elevated PAF1-RAD52 Axis Confers Chemoresistance to Human Cancers

Cisplatin- and gemcitabine-based chemotherapeutics represent a mainstay of cancer therapy for most solid tumors; however, resistance limits their curative potential. Here, we identify RNA polymerase II-associated factor 1 (PAF1) as a common driver of cisplatin and gemcitabine resistance in human cancers (ovarian, lung, and pancreas). Mechanistically, cisplatin- and gemcitabine-resistant cells show enhanced DNA repair, which is inhibited by PAF1 silencing. We demonstrate an increased interaction of PAF1 with RAD52 in resistant cells. Targeting the PAF1 and RAD52 axis combined with cisplatin or gemcitabine strongly diminishes the survival potential of resistant cells. Overall, this study shows clinical evidence that the expression of PAF1 contributes to chemotherapy resistance and worse clinical outcome for lethal cancers

Inaccurate DNA Synthesis in Cell Extracts of Yeast Producing Active Human DNA Polymerase Iota

Mammalian Pol ι has an unusual combination of properties: it is stimulated by Mn2+ ions, can bypass some DNA lesions and misincorporates “G” opposite template “T” more frequently than incorporates the correct “A.” We recently proposed a method of detection of Pol ι activity in animal cell extracts, based on primer extension opposite the template T with a high concentration of only two nucleotides, dGTP and dATP (incorporation of “G” versus “A” method of Gening, abbreviated as “misGvA”). We provide unambiguous proof of the “misGvA” approach concept and extend the applicability of the method for the studies of variants of Pol ι in the yeast model system with different cation cofactors. We produced human Pol ι in baker's yeast, which do not have a POLI ortholog. The “misGvA” activity is absent in cell extracts containing an empty vector, or producing catalytically dead Pol ι, or Pol ι lacking exon 2, but is robust in the strain producing wild-type Pol ι or its catalytic core, or protein with the active center L62I mutant. The signature pattern of primer extension products resulting from inaccurate DNA synthesis by extracts of cells producing either Pol ι or human Pol η is different. The DNA sequence of the template is critical for the detection of the infidelity of DNA synthesis attributed to DNA Pol ι. The primer/template and composition of the exogenous DNA precursor pool can be adapted to monitor replication fidelity in cell extracts expressing various error-prone Pols or mutator variants of accurate Pols. Finally, we demonstrate that the mutation rates in yeast strains producing human DNA Pols ι and η are not elevated over the control strain, despite highly inaccurate DNA synthesis by their extracts

In vitro repair of oxidative DNA damage by human nucleotide excision repair system: Possible explanation for neurodegeneration in Xeroderma pigmentosum patients

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients fail to remove pyrimidine dimers caused by sunlight and, as a consequence, develop multiple cancers in areas exposed to light. The second most common sign, present in 20–30% of XP patients, is a set of neurological abnormalities caused by neuronal death in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neural tissue is shielded from sunlight-induced DNA damage, so the cause of neurodegeneration in XP patients remains unexplained. In this study, we show that two major oxidative DNA lesions, 8-oxoguanine and thymine glycol, are excised from DNA in vitro by the same enzyme system responsible for removing pyrimidine dimers and other bulky DNA adducts. Our results suggest that XP neurological disease may be caused by defective repair of lesions that are produced in nerve cells by reactive oxygen species generated as by-products of an active oxidative metabolism

Selective killing of homologous recombination-deficient cancer cell lines by inhibitors of the RPA:RAD52 protein-protein interaction.

Synthetic lethality is a successful strategy employed to develop selective chemotherapeutics against cancer cells. Inactivation of RAD52 is synthetically lethal to homologous recombination (HR) deficient cancer cell lines. Replication protein A (RPA) recruits RAD52 to repair sites, and the formation of this protein-protein complex is critical for RAD52 activity. To discover small molecules that inhibit the RPA:RAD52 protein-protein interaction (PPI), we screened chemical libraries with our newly developed Fluorescence-based protein-protein Interaction Assay (FluorIA). Eleven compounds were identified, including FDA-approved drugs (quinacrine, mitoxantrone, and doxorubicin). The FluorIA was used to rank the compounds by their ability to inhibit the RPA:RAD52 PPI and showed mitoxantrone and doxorubicin to be the most effective. Initial studies using the three FDA-approved drugs showed selective killing of BRCA1-mutated breast cancer cells (HCC1937), BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer cells (PE01), and BRCA1-mutated ovarian cancer cells (UWB1.289). It was noteworthy that selective killing was seen in cells known to be resistant to PARP inhibitors (HCC1937 and UWB1 SYr13). A cell-based double-strand break (DSB) repair assay indicated that mitoxantrone significantly suppressed RAD52-dependent single-strand annealing (SSA) and mitoxantrone treatment disrupted the RPA:RAD52 PPI in cells. Furthermore, mitoxantrone reduced radiation-induced foci-formation of RAD52 with no significant activity against RAD51 foci formation. The results indicate that the RPA:RAD52 PPI could be a therapeutic target for HR-deficient cancers. These data also suggest that RAD52 is one of the targets of mitoxantrone and related compounds

DNA Interstrand Cross-Links Induce Futile Repair Synthesis in Mammalian Cell Extracts

DNA interstrand cross-links are induced by many carcinogens and anticancer drugs. It was previously shown that mammalian DNA excision repair nuclease makes dual incisions 5′ to the cross-linked base of a psoralen cross-link, generating a gap of 22 to 28 nucleotides adjacent to the cross-link. We wished to find the fates of the gap and the cross-link in this complex structure under conditions conducive to repair synthesis, using cell extracts from wild-type and cross-linker-sensitive mutant cell lines. We found that the extracts from both types of strains filled in the gap but were severely defective in ligating the resulting nick and incapable of removing the cross-link. The net result was a futile damage-induced DNA synthesis which converted a gap into a nick without removing the damage. In addition, in this study, we showed that the structure-specific endonuclease, the XPF-ERCC1 heterodimer, acted as a 3′-to-5′ exonuclease on cross-linked DNA in the presence of RPA. Collectively, these observations shed some light on the cellular processing of DNA cross-links and reveal that cross-links induce a futile DNA synthesis cycle that may constitute a signal for specific cellular responses to cross-linked DNA