There are two types of chromosome instability, structural and numerical, and these are important in cancer. Many structural abnormalities are likely to involve double-strand DNA (dsDNA) breaks. Nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination are the major pathways for repairing dsDNA breaks. NHEJ is the primary pathway for repairing dsDNA breaks throughout the G0, G1 and early S phases of the cell cycle [1]. Ku86 and DNA ligase IV are two major proteins in the NHEJ pathway. We examined primary dermal fibroblasts from mice (wild type, Ku86(+/-), Ku86(-/-), and DNA ligase IV(+/-)) for chromosome breaks. Fibroblasts from Ku86(+/-) or DNA ligase IV(+/-) mice have elevated frequencies of chromosome breaks compared with those from wild-type mice. Fibroblasts from Ku86(-/-) mice have even higher levels of chromosome breaks. Primary pre-B cells from the same animals did not show significant accumulation of chromosome breaks. Rather the pre-B cells showed increased cell death. These studies demonstrate that chromosome breaks arise frequently and that NHEJ is required to repair this constant spontaneous damage.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0960-9822(00)80123-2 | DOI Listing |
Nucleic Acids Res
December 2024
Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Road, Bengaluru 560012, India.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae meiosis-specific Hop1, a structural constituent of the synaptonemal complex, also facilitates the formation of programmed DNA double-strand breaks and the pairing of homologous chromosomes. Here, we reveal a serendipitous discovery that Hop1 possesses robust DNA-independent ATPase activity, although it lacks recognizable sequence motifs required for ATP binding and hydrolysis. By leveraging molecular docking combined with molecular dynamics simulations and biochemical assays, we identified an ensemble of five amino acid residues in Hop1 that could potentially participate in ATP-binding and hydrolysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii
November 2024
Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
We present a series of articles proving the existence of a previously unknown mechanism of interaction between hematopoietic stem cells and extracellular double-stranded DNA (and, in particular, double-stranded DNA of the peripheral bloodstream), which explains the possibility of emergence and fixation of genetic information contained in double-stranded DNA of extracellular origin in hematopoietic stem cells. The concept of the possibility of stochastic or targeted changes in the genome of hematopoietic stem cells is formulated based on the discovery of new, previously unknown biological properties of poorly differentiated hematopoietic precursors. The main provisions of the concept are as follows.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Physiol
December 2024
Arameiosis Lab, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China.
Heat interferes with multiple meiotic processes, leading to genome instability and sterility in flowering plants, including many crops. Despite its importance for food security, the mechanisms underlying heat tolerance of meiosis are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed different meiotic processes in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions Columbia (Col) and Landsberg erecta (Ler), their F1 hybrids, and the F2 offspring under heat stress (37°C).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
December 2024
Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. Electronic address:
Lung cancer is an important human health concern because of its high mortality rate, with many cases caused by environmental chemicals other than tobacco. Particulate hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a well-established human lung carcinogen, but how Cr(VI) induces lung cancer is poorly understood. Chromosome instability, a hallmark of lung cancer, is considered a major driving factor in Cr(VI)-induced lung cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCold Spring Harb Perspect Biol
December 2024
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Telomere maintenance is crucial for preventing the linear eukaryotic chromosome ends from being mistaken for DNA double-strand breaks, thereby avoiding chromosome fusions and the loss of genetic material. Unlike most eukaryotes that use telomerase for telomere maintenance, relies on retrotransposable elements-specifically , , and (collectively referred to as HTT)-which are regulated and precisely targeted to chromosome ends. telomere protection is mediated by a set of fast-evolving proteins, termed terminin, which bind to chromosome termini without sequence specificity, balancing DNA damage response factors to avoid erroneous repair mechanisms.
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