DNA esec ion in euka yo es: deciding how o ix he b eak
Pablo Hue as
The Wellcome T us and Cance Resea ch UK Gu don Ins i u e, Uni e si y o Camb idge,
Camb idge, UK
Abs ac
DNA double-s and b eaks a e epai ed by di e en mechanisms, including homologous
ecombina ion and nonhomologous end-joining. DNA-end esec ion, he i s s ep in
ecombina ion, is a key s ep ha con ibu es o he choice o DSB epai . Resec ion, an
e olu iona ily conse ed p ocess ha gene a es single-s anded DNA, is linked o checkpoin
ac i a ion and is c i ical o su i al. Failu e o egula e and execu e his p ocess esul s in
de ec i e ecombina ion and can con ibu e o human disease. He e, I e iew ecen indings on
he mechanisms o esec ion in euka yo es, om yeas o e eb a es, p o ide insigh s in o he
egula o y s a egies ha con ol i , and highligh he consequences o bo h i s impai men and i s
de egula ion.
The epai o double-s and b eaks
DNA is cons an ly challenged bo h by exogenous agen s such as mu agenic chemicals and
adia ion and by endogenously a ising compounds such as eac i e oxygen species1. To
minimize he impac o hese h ea s, cells ha e e ol ed a ious DNA epai mechanisms.
DNA double-s and b eaks (DSBs) a e he mos cy o oxic o ms o DNA damage.
Inaccu a e DSB epai leads o mu a ions and/o g oss ch omosomal ea angemen s
(GCRs)1. Mo eo e , he con olled epai o p og ammed DSBs occu s du ing physiological
p ocesses such as meiosis o he di e si ica ion o immunoglobulins. The e o e, inhe i ed
de ec s in DSB epai genes cause emb yonic le hali y, s e ili y, de elopmen al diso de s,
immune de iciencies, and p edisposi ion o neu odegene a i e diseases and cance .
The e a e wo majo ways o epai ing DSBs1. Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) liga es
oge he he wo DNA ends wi h li le o no p ocessing2 (Fig. 1); i is highly e icien bu
p one o gene a ing mu a ions a he si es o joining. Fu he mo e, because he e is no
appa en mechanism o ensu e ha he wo ends being joined we e o iginally con iguous,
NHEJ can yield GCRs such as in e sions and ansloca ions. The second DSB epai
mechanism is a se o pa hways ha use an undamaged homologous DNA sequence as a
empla e o accu a e epai , collec i ely known as homologous ecombina ion (HR)3 (Fig.
1). Al hough HR has been p ima ily s udied as a esponse o DSBs, i s p ima y unc ion is
p obably o deal wi h s alled o collapsed eplica ion o ks1.
HR has been ex ensi ely e iewed3. B ie ly, all HR subpa hways a e ini ia ed by a 5′–3′
deg ada ion o one s and a bo h sides o he b eak, gene a ing s e ches o single-s anded
DNA (ssDNA) ha is hen coa ed by he ssDNA binding p o ein complex RPA— he so-
called DNA-end esec ion. Th ee o he HR subpa hways use he ssDNA molecule o in ade
Co espondence should be add essed o P.H. ([email p o ec ed])..
Published online a h p://www.na u e.com/nsmb/.
Rep in s and pe missions in o ma ion is a ailable online a h p://npg.na u e.com/ ep in sandpe missions/.
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Na S uc Mol Biol. Au ho manusc ip ; a ailable in PMC 2010 July 01.
Published in inal edi ed o m as:
Na S uc Mol Biol
. 2010 Janua y ; 17(1): 11–16. doi:10.1038/nsmb.1710.
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a homologous DNA egion si ua ed elsewhe e in he genome (dono sequence), which is
used as a empla e o DNA syn hesis. A e his he h ee mechanisms di e ge (Fig. 1)3. In
double-s and-b eak epai (DSBR), he second end is cap u ed and ex ended and hen he
newly syn hesized DNA is liga ed o he end o he esec ed s ands o o m wo c uci o m
s uc u es known as Holliday junc ions, which can be esol ed by di e en mechanisms3. In
b eak-induced eplica ion (BIR), a e one-end in asion, eplica ion simply p oceeds un il
he end o he ch omosome. Syn hesis-dependen s and annealing (SDSA) can ollow ei he
one-end o wo-end in asion e en s (one-ended in asion shown in Fig. 1); he pa ially
eplica ed s ands eanneal and a e liga ed. The ou h subpa hway (single-s and annealing;
SSA) is used only when wo homologous egions lank he DSB si e. In his case, he
homologous egions a e exposed, and a e annealing and clea age o he DNA o e hang,
he ends a e liga ed, esul ing in he dele ion o he in e ening egion. A mechanism ha
sha es some gene ic equi emen s wi h bo h NHEJ and SSA—mic ohomology-media ed
end-joining; MMEJ—has ecen ly been desc ibed as well (Fig. 1; o e iew see e . 4).
A key ea u e o HR-based epai , excep o SSA, is he p ese a ion o he gene ic
ma e ial, as he dono sequence is usually he sis e ch oma id. Howe e , when he dono
sequence used is no he sis e ch oma id bu ano he homologous egion, HR can yield
GCRs such as dele ions, in e sions o loss o he e ozygosi y1.
The choice be ween di e en DSBs epai pa hways is igh ly egula ed, and esec ion
ep esen s a p ima y egula o y s ep. Resec ion is needed o MMEJ and all HR
pa hways3,4, and esec ed DNA dec eases NHEJ e iciency, likely as a esul o poo
binding o he NHEJ ac o Ku70–Ku80 o ssDNA5. Indeed, he balance be ween HR,
MMEJ and NHEJ has been shown o be con olled by key DNA esec ion ac o s such as
Sae2 ( e s. 6,7) and C IP8,9. Fu he mo e, o ma ion o RPA-coa ed ssDNA a e DNA-end
esec ion is a c i ical in e media e o checkpoin ac i a ion10 and is key in he swi ch om
he ATM-d i en o he ATR-con olled checkpoin 11. Consequen ly, DNA esec ion is a
highly complex and egula ed p ocess.
Mechanism o esec ion
The co e esec ion machine y is conse ed in all kingdoms o li e (Table 1)3,9,12-21. An
impo an componen is he M e11 complex, composed o M e11, Rad50, and a hi d p o ein
known as X s2 in he budding yeas
Saccha omyces ce e isiae
and as Nbs1 in mos o he
euka yo es6,22-27. M e11 is a nuclease ela ed o bac e ial SbcD, whe eas Rad50 is
homologous o bac e ial SbcC. By con as , Nbs1/X s2 is less conse ed and is es ic ed o
euka yo es. The C e minus o Nbs1/X s2 possess an in e ac ion mo i o ATM (in budding
yeas , Tel1), a p o ein kinase ha con ols DNA damage–induced e en s28,29. The en i e
M e11 complex ac s as a single unc ional uni , because loss o any o he h ee subuni s
esul s in simila pheno ypes3: hype sensi i i y o DNA-damaging agen s, impai ed HR and
de ec i e meiosis.
In i o
, he M e11 complex shows bo h endonuclease and exonuclease
ac i i ies23. Howe e , budding yeas
m e11
nuclease mu an s ha e a much milde
pheno ype han cells lacking M e11, which ha e only pa ial de ec s in esec ion o
endonuclease-induced DSBs24. This e lec s addi ional oles o he M e11 complex in
checkpoin ac i a ion o main enance o ch omosome s uc u e3,22,25,26 bu also a gues
agains he idea ha M e11 is he main nuclease o esec ion. Mo eo e , M e11
exonuclease ac i i y
in i o
ope a es in he 3′–5′ di ec ion, opposi e o he di ec ion o
esec ion
in i o
. M e11 is a poo nuclease, bo h endo- and exo-, and hus is unlikely o be
esponsible o gene a ing he ex ensi e ssDNA obse ed
in i o
23,27.
The poo
in i o
ac i i y o M e11 may e lec he lack o accesso y ac o s. One likely
candida e is he budding yeas p o ein Sae2.
sae2
dele ion phenocopies he nuclease-
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de ec i e
m e11
mu an s and a speci ic amily o mu a ions in Rad50 called
ad50S
( e . 30):
ha is,
sae2
Δ s ains a e comple ely de ec i e in p ocessing meio ic DSBs31-33 bu a e
mildly sensi i e o DNA damaging agen s and impai DNA-end esec ion only pa ially34.
Sae2 is an endonuclease ha coope a es wi h he M e11 complex in he p ocessing o
a ious DNA s uc u es35. The cu en model p oposes ha he endonuclease ac i i ies o
M e11 and/o Sae2 ini ia e esec ion (Fig. 2). This endonucleoly ic p ocessing will,
heo e ically, elease small ssDNA oligonucleo ides. Such oligonucleo ides ha e been
obse ed in he p ocessing o meio ic DSBs in yeas 32 and ha e been de ec ed in
Xenopus
lae is
ex ac s36.
DNA-end esec ion and HR a e ba ely a ec ed in he absence o Sae2 and no a all in
m e11
nuclease–de ec i e mu an s24,34, sugges ing he exis ence o addi ional nucleases.
One candida e is he 5′–3′ exonuclease Exo1, which is conse ed om yeas o humans19
and is essen ial o DNA-end p ocessing a uncapped elome es37. Like dele ion o
sae2,
exo1
dele ion esul s in only mild DNA damage sensi i i y and pa ial impai men o DNA-
end esec ion38.
sae2 exo1
and
exo1 m e11
double mu an s show a syne gis ic dec ease in
DNA-end esec ion and g ea e DNA-damage sensi i i y han he single mu an s38.
O e exp ession o
EXO1
pa ially escues he DNA sensi i i y pheno ype o
m e11
mu an s39, sugges ing ha M e11 and Exo1 may unc ion in pa allel pa hways.
Su p isingly,
m e11 exo1
mu an s show esidual DNA-end esec ion, sugges ing ha a hi d
pa hway also exis s39. In bac e ia, he mul i unc ional enzyme RecBCD, which ha bo s
helicase and nuclease ac i i ies, does mos o he esec ion, bu in i s absence, he helicase
RecQ ac s oge he wi h he nuclease RecJ o esec DNA ends12. Mu a ions in
sgs1
, he
budding yeas homolog o RecQ, in combina ion wi h
exo1
dele ion comple ely abolish
long- ange DNA-end esec ion, and only some minimal p ocessing close o he b eak can be
de ec ed in such double mu an s1316,21. Residual p ocessing is dependen on Sae2 and
M e11 ( e s. 13,16,21). As is he case o bac e ial RecQ, budding yeas Sgs1 wo ks in
combina ion wi h a nuclease called Dna2 ( e . 21). Al hough Dna2 has bo h helicase and
lap-endonuclease ac i i y40, only he nuclease ac i i y is equi ed o DNA-end
esec ion21.
The ollowing model o DNA-end esec ion has been p oposed in
S. ce e isiae
13,16,21
(Fig. 2). Fi s , he M e11 complex and Sae2 a e esponsible o he ini ial p ocessing h ough
hei endonucleoly ic ac i i ies. The esul ing pa ially esec ed DNA is u he p ocessed by
he ac ion ei he o Exo1 o o Sgs1 and Dna2. In he absence o Sgs1 and Exo1, he
ac i i ies o M e11 and Sae2 a e esponsible o sho - ange p ocessing (Fig. 2). Al hough
Sae2 and M e11 a e comple ely essen ial o esec ion du ing meio ic ecombina ion, hei
unc ions can be bypassed du ing mi o ic ecombina ion24,34. This di e ence is p obably
due o he speci ic na u e o meio ic DSBs, which equi es M e11 and Sae2 o emo e he
co alen ly bound nuclease, Spo11, ha c ea es he b eaks32,41. The na u e o his bypass is
unknown, bu i p obably in ol es Exo1 and Sgs1, as
sae2 exo1 sgs1
mu an s a e unable o
esec DNA and o e exp ession o Exo1 pa ially escues
m e11
mu an s16,21,39 (Fig. 2).
Resec ion in e eb a es
Fo a long ime, he only componen o he DNA-end esec ion machine y known in highe
euka yo es was he M e11 complex11,22,26. Recen ly, unc ional coun e pa s o Sae2 ha e
been ound in se e al o ganisms9,15,17,18,20 (Table 1). Human C IP, as well as ission
yeas
Schizosaccha omyces pombe
C p1, physically in e ac wi h he M e11 complex and
ha e a majo ole in ssDNA o ma ion a he si e o DSBs9,15,18, bu i is s ill unknown
whe he hey unc ion as endonucleases like Sae2.
In i o
, human C IP oge he wi h M e11
showed an inc eased nuclease ac i i y compa ed wi h M e11 alone18, bu whe he his
ac i i y elies on M e11, C IP o bo h emains o be es ablished. C IP down egula ion
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comple ely abolishes ssDNA o ma ion, as measu ed om RPA ocus o ma ion8,9,13,18,
in con as wi h
S. ce e isiae sae2
( e s. 6,34,38) o
S. pombe c p1
( e . 15). Whe he his is
due o di e ences in he echniques used o e lec s a ue impossibili y o esec ion in he
absence o C IP is s ill an open ques ion. Al hough
in i o
M e11, Rad50 and C IP a e
su icien o ca alyze he nuclease ac i i y18, hey equi e addi ional ac o s
in i o
. Apa
om Nbs1, which is necessa y o ec ui men o he M e11 complex o si es o b eaks41,
p ope DNA esec ion in e eb a es equi es he ac ion o speci ic ac o s such as he umo
supp esso BRCA1 ( e s. 9,42). BRCA1 is an ubiqui in ligase ha physically in e ac s wi h
and polyubiqui ina es C IP43. In e ac ion o C IP and BRCA1 is con olled by
phospho yla ion and is essen ial o C IP ec ui men o si es o DNA damage43 and p ope
DNA esec ion9,42. Howe e , he ole o BRCA1-media ed ubiqui ina ion in DNA-end
esec ion emains o be de e mined.
Despi e he s ong e ec o C IP down egula ion, bo h he Exo1 and Sgs1 esec ion
pa hways a e unc ional in highe euka yo es13. Al hough in humans he e is only one
o holog o Exo1, he e a e i e homologs o RecQ and Sgs1 (Table 1), and a leas one o
hese (BLM) is in ol ed in DNA esec ion13. As in yeas , he BLM pa hway appea s o be
pa allel and independen o Exo1, as he simul aneous down egula ion o Exo1 and BLM
se e ely impai ed ssDNA o ma ion13. Howe e ,
in i o
BLM in e ac s wi h Exo1 and
s imula es i s ac i i y44, a guing ha BLM and Exo1 migh unc ion in he same pa hway.
Fu u e wo k will be equi ed o cla i y hese disc epancies be ween he
in i o
and
in i o
da a. The ole o e eb a e Dna2 is also unclea . Human Dna2 is an endonuclease45 (Table
1), and al hough i is p ima ily loca ed in he mi ochond ia46, i is also p esen in he
nucleus46.
Xenopus
Dna2 possesses he majo ac i i y esponsible o 5′–3′ DNA
p ocessing in ex ac s47.
The helicase-nuclease andem o DNA esec ion seems is a gene al heme o DNA-end
p ocessing machine y6. In addi ion o Sgs1 and Dna2, RecBCD and RecQJ, in he a chean
Py ococcus u iosus
SbcCD-media ed esec ion is s imula ed by he ac ion o he He A-
Nu A helicase-nuclease pai 48. The e o e, i is possible ha in u u e o he helicases will be
ound o be in ol ed in esec ion. S ong candida es a e he addi ional membe s o he
RECQ amily (Table 1). In ac , human RECQ5 has been shown o be ec ui ed o si es o
DNA damage by he M e11 complex and has been epo ed o inhibi he 3′–5′ nuclease
ac i i y o M e11 ( e . 49).
Regula ion o esec ion
DNA-end esec ion has a majo ole in egula ing he balance be ween HR and NHEJ4,6,8,9
and is a key modula o o checkpoin ac i a ion10. The e o e, i is highly egula ed and
esponds o many di e en cellula signals. An o e iew o he mul iple laye s o egula ion
o DNA-end esec ion is shown in Figu e 3 and explained in mo e de ail below.
DNA-end esec ion du ing he cell cycle
HR is a highly accu a e epai p ocess when he sis e ch oma id is eadily a ailable and
held in close p oximi y a e DNA eplica ion ei he in S o G2. The e o e, DNA-end
esec ion and HR a e almos comple ely con ined o S and G2 ( e s. 11,50,51). Al hough
om now on we will dis inguish me ely_be ween he G1 (li le o no esec ion) and S/G2
(high esec ion) phases, esec ion occu s as e in S han in G2 ( e . 52). The mechanism
unde lying his di e ence emains unclea . One emp ing idea is ha he DNA eplica ion
machine y i sel can ec ui he esec ion machine y. Acco dingly, C IP has been shown o
be ec ui ed o ac i e eplica ion si es ia an in e ac ion wi h he eplica ion ac o PCNA53.
As a esul o his di e ence be ween G2- and S-phase esec ion, i is also di icul o
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compa e esul s ob ained wi h cycling e sus G2-a es ed cells, and om his poin on we
no e when a es ed cells we e used.
DNA esec ion akes place only when cyclin-dependen kinases (CDKs), mas e egula o s
o cell cycle p og ession, a e ac i e (S/G2)6,11,50,51. So a Rad9 and Sae2 ha e been
implica ed in he CDK-dependen egula ion o DNA esec ion in
S. ce e isiae
. Dele ion o
he checkpoin p o ein Rad9 inc eases DNA-end esec ion e en when CDKs a e no ac i e
(G1)54. Rad9, a la ge ch oma in-binding p o ein, could pose a physical obs acle o
p ocessi e DNA esec ion. Indeed,
ad9
Δ mu an s esec as e and u he han wild ype,
sugges ing ha CDK-media ed phospho yla ion o ei he Rad9 i sel o an unknown
subs a e can diminish his physical block54. Rad9, and i s o hologs (Table 1) 53BP1
(highe euka yo es) and C b2 ( ission yeas ), unde go mul iple CDK-dependen
phospho yla ions55,56, bu i is unknown whe he hese modi ica ions a ec on esec ion.
Sae2 is di ec ly phospho yla ed by CDK a Se 267 ( e . 6). Impai men o his
phospho yla ion leads o a educ ion in DNA-end esec ion, a delay o HR, an inc ease in
NHEJ and an inc ease in DNA-damage sensi i i y6. Mo e in e es ingly,
sae2-S267E
mu an s, which mimic cons i u i e phospho yla ion, esec in he absence o CDK ac i i y
and, as a consequence, ha e as e HR and dec eased NHEJ6. The
sae2-S267E
s ain is no
sensi i e o DSBs ha a ise du ing DNA eplica ion, bu i shows enhanced hype sensi i i y
when DSBs appea in G1 ( e . 6). Al hough
sae2-S267E
mu an s esec in he absence o
CDK, such esec ion is limi ed o a ew kilobases lanking he b eak6, sugges ing a lack o
ac i a ion o he Exo1 and/o Sgs1 pa hways14,17,22.
Sae2 and C IP sha e only a small s e ch o sequence homology, bu his sho egion
includes Sae2 Se 267 and i s equi alen C IP Th 847 ( e s. 6,8,9,17,18,20). Mo eo e , C IP
Th 847 phospho yla ion con ols DNA-end esec ion in human cells much as Sae2 Se 267
phospho yla ion does in budding yeas . Impai men o his phospho yla ion, as well as
cons i u i e phospho yla ion, leads o he appea ance o GCRs due o an imbalance be ween
NHEJ and HR8. Phospho yla ion o chicken C IP a he equi alen esidue has simila
unc ions9. As all he homologs o Sae2 and C IP excep
S. pombe
C p1 sha e his small
egion o homology6,8,9,15,17,18,20, i is emp ing o specula e ha a simila mechanism
egula es DNA esec ion in mos euka yo es. In ac ,
S. pombe
C p1, al hough lacking a
esidue homologous o Se 267, is con olled du ing he cell cycle bo h ansc ip ionally and
by CDK phospho yla ion15,57.
Addi ional laye s o egula ion by CDKs con ol C IP unc ion. C IP p o ein le els a e
minimal in G1 and inc ease in S/G2 ( e . 42). Mo eo e , CDK-dependen phospho yla ion
o C IP a Se 327 p omo es i s in e ac ion wi h BRCA1 in S/G2 ( e . 58), which is essen ial
o C IP ec ui men o si es o DSBs and C IP-media ed DNA-end esec ion9,42,58. How
CDK-dependen phospho yla ions o Se 327 and Th 847 collabo a e o egula e DNA
esec ion and HR is no clea , bu bo h seem o be essen ial. Se 327 phospho yla ion, C IP-
BRCA1 in e ac ion and C IP ec ui men o si es o damage a e no a ec ed by Th 847
phospho yla ion8, and mu an s ha mimic cons i u i e Th 847 phospho yla ion canno
supp ess he lack o BRCA1 ( e . 9). On he con a y, a
CTIP-T847E
phosphomime ic
mu an is able o esec DSB in G1 o a ce ain ex en , e en in he absence o an in e ac ion
wi h BRCA1. One possible model is ha CDK-dependen phospho yla ion a C IP Th 847 is
equi ed o ac i a e he DNA- esec ion machine y, bu BRCA1 is equi ed o e icien ly
a ge C IP o si es o DSB in G2. Al hough phospho yla ion o Sae2 Se 267 o C IP Th 847
e lec s a conse ed mechanism o ac i a ion o DNA-end esec ion, he a ge ing o Sae2,
C p1 o C IP o si es o DNA damage has di e ged h oughou e olu ion; ec ui men o
C IP equi es BRCA1 ( e . 42), C p1 equi es Nbs1 ( e . 57) and Sae2 is ec ui ed by i sel
o si es o DSBs59. Despi e he conse a ion be ween Sae2 Se 267 and C IP Th 847 in he
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licensing o DNA esec ion, li le is known abou he molecula mechanism unde lying his
ac i a ion. One emp ing idea is ha phospho yla ion a hese esidues s imula es he
nuclease ac i i y o Sae2 ( e . 35), bu such ac i i y has ye o be p o en o C IP. Ano he
possibili y is ha such modi ica ions a ec DNA-end esec ion by ei he helping he
ec ui men o posi i e ac o s o blocking he ac ion o nega i e modula o s.
In addi ion o he CDK-dependen phospho yla ions o Sae2, C IP and Rad9, i is clea ha
o he cell cycle– egula ed phospho yla ions o pos - ansla ional modi ica ions o he
esec ion machine y a e equi ed o ully ac i a e long- ange DNA esec ion.
DNA-end esec ion and he checkpoin
The na u e o he b eaks also egula es DNA-end esec ion. Low numbe s o endonuclease-
gene a ed DSBs a e no esec ed in G1 ( e s. 6,50-52,60). Howe e , simila numbe s o
DSBs p oduced by γ-i adia ion esul in limi ed DNA esec ion, su icien o p omo e RPA
ocus o ma ion in yeas 59,61. γ-i adia ion–induced esec ion, simila o ha in
sae2-S267E
mu an s, co e s only a ew kilobases and is p obably due o he ac ion o M e11 and Sae2
a he han o Exo1 o o Sgs1 and Dna2. I has been p oposed ha cells dis inguish hese
adia ion-induced b eaks as ‘ agged’ ends, as opposed o he ‘clean’ endonuclease-induced
b eaks, and ac i a e p ocessing ac i i ies o ‘clean’ hem61. In addi ion o he ype, he
numbe o b eaks also plays a ole in he ac i a ion o DNA esec ion52. In S/G2, he mo e
DNA b eaks gene a ed, he as e he esec ion akes place52. In G1, induc ion o up o h ee
endonuclease-induced b eaks esul s in no esec ion, bu ou b eaks a e su icien o ac i a e
DNA-end esec ion52. Simila o wha occu s wi h ei he “ agged” b eaks o in
sae2-S267E
mu an s, esec ion ac i a ed in G1 by mul iple b eaks is limi ed o he p oximi y o he
end52. How he numbe o ype o b eaks modula e he esponse is no unde s ood, bu i is
p obably ela ed o checkpoin ac i a ion, a p ocess in ima ely connec ed o DNA esec ion.
The M e11 complex is equi ed, independen ly o i s esec ion ac i i y, o he
ec ui men 28 and ac i a ion25 o he apical checkpoin kinase ATM (Tel1 in budding
yeas ). The esec ion machine y is also a downs eam subs a e o his checkpoin kinase.
Tel1 phospho yla es Sae2 and ATM phsopho ya es C IP in esponse o DNA damage, and
hese phospho yla ions a e essen ial o esec ion18,62. As discussed p e iously, he
checkpoin p o ein Rad9 blocks DNA esec ion54. Thus, i is possible ha ac i a ion o
Rad9 by checkpoin kinases also acili a es esec ion54. Once esec ion is ac i a ed, i
c ea es a posi i e eedback loop ha ampli ies he signal. The p oduc ion o sho , M e11-
gene a ed oligonucleo ides con ibu es o u he ac i a ion o ATM in
Xenopus36
. In
addi ion, DNA-end esec ion gene a es ssDNA, which ac i a es ano he checkpoin kinase,
ATR10,18,38 (Mec1 in budding yeas ), p o iding a po en ial mechanism o ATM-media ed
ATR ac i a ion11,38. Mec1 phospho yla es Sae2 a he same si es as Tel1 ( e . 62), hus
u he hype ac i a ing Sae2. Addi ionally, C IP also con ols he ec ui men o he human
PCNA-like DNA-damage senso , he 9-1-1 complex o si es o ionizing adia ion-induced
DSBs63.
In budding yeas he hype phospho yla ion o he majo downs eam checkpoin kinase
Rad53 canno be de ec ed on agged IR-induced b eaks in G1. Howe e , low le els o
checkpoin ac i a ion, as measu ed by deg ada ion o Sml1, can be obse ed61. This limi ed
checkpoin ac i a ion can igge limi ed esec ion, o example ia Mec1 o Tel1-dependen
hype phospho yla ion o Sae2. In con as , Rad53 hype phospho yla ion is eadily obse ed
when ou endonuclease-induced b eaks a e p oduced in G1, in which case DNA-end
esec ion is also obse ed52. The eason o his di e ence emains a mys e y. One
possibili y is ha a h eshold o ssDNA mus be su passed in o de o ully ac i a e Mec1
and cause Rad53 hype phospho yla ion. The limi ed esec ion o ou HO-induced b eaks,
when combined oge he , may ully s imula e Rad53 in a way ha one o wo agged ends
canno . A simila h eshold mechanism has been p oposed o checkpoin ac i a ion by
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s alled eplica ion o ks, in which mul iple uncoupled o ks oge he p o ide enough ssDNA
o ac i a e he checkpoin 64. Despi e all ha , ully p ocessi e esec ion is only ob ained in
S/G2 when CDKs a e ac i e6,8,52,61.
To add an addi ional laye o complexi y, i has been shown ha he checkpoin machine y
can nega i ely egula e esec ion o uncapped elome es. This is achie ed by he
phospho yla ion, and consequen inhibi ion, o Exo1 ( e . 65). Howe e , i is unknown
whe he his nega i e eedback loop ac s on DSBs o whe he i is speci ic o elome es.
DNA esec ion and NHEJ
NHEJ and DNA-end esec ion machine ies compe e
in i o
o he same subs a es. NHEJ
is gene ally ini ia ed by he binding o he b eak o he he e odime Ku70–Ku80 ( e . 2),
which se es as a sca old o o he p o eins ha con ibu e o he end-joining eac ion. Ku
dime s ha e a high a ini y o DSBs, bu hey bind poo ly o ssDNA5 such as ha gene a ed
by DNA-end esec ion. The e o e, esec ion educes he abili y o Ku o bind, and
consequen ly, lack o M e11, Rad50, X s2 o Sae2 lead o inc eased amoun s o Ku bound
o DSBs66. By con as , in he absence o NHEJ p o eins such as Ku o ligase IV, an
inc ease in DNA esec ion and in he amoun o M e11 bound o he b eak is
obse ed52,60,66. Cells lacking Ku a e able o esec in G1 close o he b eak, in ag eemen
wi h an M e11- and Sae2-media ed esec ion52,60. This limi ed esec ion o a single b eak is
enough o g an ull checkpoin ac i a ion as measu ed by Rad53 phospho yla ion60. Also,
in S/G2 cells, esec ion is as e in he absence o Ku, and o e exp ession o Ku70–Ku80
educes DNA-end esec ion in G2 cells52,60.
Biological ele ance o esec ion
He e, I ha e discussed how DNA-end esec ion plays a key ole in he epai o DSBs and
con ols he balance be ween HR and NHEJ. This is especially ele an because ailu e o
epai DSB is associa ed wi h human diseases, including cance . No only he lack o epai ,
bu also he use o an inapp op ia e DSB epai pa hway, can be a sou ce o GCRs and he
appea ance o po en ially dele e ious mu a ions1. Acco dingly, comple e loss o any o he
majo playe s in DNA-end esec ion, such as M e11, Rad50, Nbs1 o C IP, leads o
emb yonic le hali y in mice67-69 and inc eased DNA-damage hype sensi i i y in yeas and
mammalian cells6,8,9,18,24,67,68. In addi ion, poin mu a ions in
MRE11, NBS1
and
RAD50
esul in inhe i ed synd omes ha a e associa ed wi h inc eased genomic ins abili y
and cance p edisposi ion68,70.
CTIP
mu a ions ha e also been de ec ed in se e al
cance s71,72. Mo eo e , haploid insu iciency o
C ip
in mice also p edisposes o cance 69.
Addi ionally, hype ac i e
sae2-S267E
and
CTIP-T847E
esul in inc eased sensi i i y o
ionizing adia ion due o a dec ease in NHEJ e iciency and an inc ease in GCRs esul ing
om abe an HR6,8,9. Along hese lines, o e exp ession o C IP can be de ec ed in se e al
b eas cance s72. Bloom synd ome, caused by mu a ions in
BLM
, is associa ed wi h
genomic ins abili y and cance p edisposi ion73. Al hough i is di icul o co ela e hese
gene ic synd omes wi h esec ion de ec s, i is emp ing o specula e ha abe an esec ion
is a leas pa ially esponsible o he inc eased genomic ins abili y and cance
p edisposi ion obse ed in indi iduals wi h such condi ions. The e o e, he unde s anding o
DNA esec ion egula ion bea s g ea impo ance o he unde s anding o cance
de elopmen .
In addi ion, many cance he apies a e based on he idea ha DSBs a e ex emely po en
p omo e s o cell dea h, especially in cance cells ha di ide apidly and a e usually
de ec i e in some DSB epai pa hway. In ac , a ge ing DNA epai mechanisms o
inc ease he le hali y o endogenous damage has p o en a success ul way o selec i ely kill
cance cells74. The de elopmen o new he apeu ic s a egies ha a ge he esec ion
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machine y, h ough ei he inhibi ion o spu ious ac i a ion, could inc ease he e ec i eness
o con en ional cance ea men s.
Acknowledgmen s
I would like o apologize o all au ho s whose wo k could no be ci ed due o space limi a ions. I am g a e ul o all
he membe s o S. Jackson’s labo a o y in Camb idge, UK, o help ul discussions and especially o S. Jackson, A.
Kaidi, J. Ha igan, K. Mille and R. Belo se ko skaya o hei help ul sugges ions and commen s on he
manusc ip . I would also like o hank BBSRC and Cance Resea ch UK o unding my wo k.
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