RTF2 controls replication repriming and ribonucleotide excision at the replisome.

DNA replication through a challenging genomic landscape is coordinated by the replisome, which must adjust to local conditions to provide appropriate replication speed and respond to lesions that hinder its progression. We have previously shown that proteasome shuttle proteins, DNA Damage Inducible 1 and 2 (DDI1/2), regulate Replication Termination Factor 2 (RTF2) levels at stalled replisomes, allowing fork stabilization and restart. Here, we show that during unperturbed replication, RTF2 regulates replisome localization of RNase H2, a heterotrimeric enzyme that removes RNA from RNA-DNA heteroduplexes.

RTF2 controls replication repriming and ribonucleotide excision at the replisome.

Genetic information is duplicated via the highly regulated process of DNA replication. The machinery coordinating this process, the replisome, encounters many challenges, including replication fork-stalling lesions that threaten the accurate and timely transmission of genetic information. Cells have multiple mechanisms to repair or bypass lesions that would otherwise compromise DNA replication.

Chemical Biology Screening Identifies a Vulnerability to Checkpoint Kinase Inhibitors in TSC2-Deficient Renal Angiomyolipomas.

The tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic syndrome and multisystem disease resulting in tumor formation in major organs. A molecular hallmark of TSC is a dysregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) through loss-of-function mutations in either tumor suppressor or . Here, we sought to identify drug vulnerabilities conferred by TSC2 tumor-suppressor loss through cell-based chemical biology screening.

53BP1-shieldin-dependent DSB processing in BRCA1-deficient cells requires CST-Polα-primase fill-in synthesis.

The efficacy of poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase 1 inhibition (PARPi) in BRCA1-deficient cells depends on 53BP1 and shieldin, which have been proposed to limit single-stranded DNA at double-strand breaks (DSBs) by blocking resection and/or through CST-Polα-primase-mediated fill-in. We show that primase (like 53BP1-shieldin and CST-Polα) promotes radial chromosome formation in PARPi-treated BRCA1-deficient cells and demonstrate shieldin-CST-Polα-primase-dependent incorporation of BrdU at DSBs. In the absence of 53BP1 or shieldin, radial formation in BRCA1-deficient cells was restored by the tethering of CST near DSBs, arguing that in this context, shieldin acts primarily by recruiting CST.

The evolution of metazoan shelterin.

The mammalian telomeric shelterin complex-comprised of TRF1, TRF2, Rap1, TIN2, TPP1, and POT1-blocks the DNA damage response at chromosome ends and interacts with telomerase and the CST complex to regulate telomere length. The evolutionary origins of shelterin are unclear, partly because unicellular organisms have distinct telomeric proteins. Here, we describe the evolution of metazoan shelterin, showing that TRF1 emerged in vertebrates upon duplication of a TRF2-like ancestor.

DDK Has a Primary Role in Processing Stalled Replication Forks to Initiate Downstream Checkpoint Signaling.

CDC7-DBF4 kinase (DDK) initiates DNA replication in eukaryotes by activating the replicative MCM helicase. DDK has diverse and apparently conflicting roles in the replication checkpoint response in various organisms, but the underlying mechanisms are far from settled. We show that human DDK promotes limited resection of newly synthesized DNA at stalled replication forks or sites of DNA damage to initiate replication checkpoint signaling.

DDK Promotes Tumor Chemoresistance and Survival via Multiple Pathways.

DBF4-dependent kinase (DDK) is a two-subunit kinase required for initiating DNA replication at individual origins and is composed of CDC7 kinase and its regulatory subunit DBF4. Both subunits are highly expressed in many diverse tumor cell lines and primary tumors, and this is correlated with poor prognosis. Inhibiting DDK causes apoptosis of tumor cells, but not normal cells, through a largely unknown mechanism.

The potent Cdc7-Dbf4 (DDK) kinase inhibitor XL413 has limited activity in many cancer cell lines and discovery of potential new DDK inhibitor scaffolds.

Cdc7-Dbf4 kinase or DDK (Dbf4-dependent kinase) is required to initiate DNA replication by phosphorylating and activating the replicative Mcm2-7 DNA helicase. DDK is overexpressed in many tumor cells and is an emerging chemotherapeutic target since DDK inhibition causes apoptosis of diverse cancer cell types but not of normal cells. PHA-767491 and XL413 are among a number of potent DDK inhibitors with low nanomolar IC50 values against the purified kinase.