DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can be repaired either via homologous recombination (HR) or nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ). Both pathways are operative in eukaryotes, but bacteria had been thought to rely on HR alone. Here we provide direct evidence that mycobacteria have a robust NHEJ pathway that requires Ku and a specialized polyfunctional ATP-dependent DNA ligase (LigD). NHEJ of blunt-end and complementary 5'-overhang DSBs is highly mutagenic ( approximately 50% error rate). Analysis of the recombination junctions ensuing from individual NHEJ events highlighted the participation of several DNA end-remodeling activities, including template-dependent fill-in of 5' overhangs, nontemplated addition of single nucleotides at blunt ends, and nucleolytic resection. LigD itself has the template-dependent and template-independent polymerase functions in vitro that compose the molecular signatures of NHEJ in vivo. Another ATP-dependent DNA ligase (LigC) provides a backup mechanism for LigD-independent error-prone repair of blunt-end DSBs. We speculate that NHEJ allows mycobacteria to evade genotoxic host defense.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nsmb915 | DOI Listing |
Mol Med
January 2025
Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 10408, Republic of Korea.
Background: Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are primarily repaired through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Given that DSBs are highly cytotoxic, PARP inhibitors (PARPi), a prominent class of anticancer drugs, are designed to target tumors with HR deficiency (HRD), such as those harboring BRCA mutations. However, many tumor cells acquire resistance to PARPi, often by restoring HR in HRD cells through the inactivation of NHEJ.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFColorectal carcinoma (CRC) progression is associated with an increase in PROX1+ tumor cells, which exhibit features of CRC stem cells and contribute to metastasis. Here, we aimed to provide a better understanding to the function of PROX1+ cells in CRC, investigating their progeny and their role in therapy resistance. PROX1+ cells in intestinal adenomas of ApcMin/+ mice expressed intestinal epithelial and CRC stem cell markers, and cells with high PROX1 expression could both self-renew tumor stem/progenitor cells and contribute to differentiated tumor cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrob Cell Fact
January 2025
National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
Background: Ogataea polymorpha, a non-conventional methylotrophic yeast, has demonstrated significant potential for heterologous protein expression and the production of high-value chemicals and biopharmaceuticals. However, the lack of precise and efficient genome editing tools severely hinders the construction of cell factories. Although the CARISP-Cas9 system has been established in Ogataea polymorpha, the gene editing efficiency, especially for multiple genes edition, needs to be further improved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomedica
December 2024
Servicio de Inmunología y Alergología, Fundación Universitaria Ciencias de la Salud - FUCS, Bogotá, D. C., Colombia.
Cernunnos/XLF deficiency is a rare, severe combined immunodeficiency, inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern (OMIM number: 611290), related to the NHEJ1 gene. This gene participates in the DNA non-homologous end-joining pathway, repairing double-strand breaks in the DNA of mammalian cells. The clinical features include growth retardation, microcephaly, triangle-shaped face, recurrent infections, fibroblast's excessive sensitivity to gamma-ionizing radiation, and hypogammaglobulinemia; also, low counts of subpopulations of B and T lymphocytes, with normal values of natural-killer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Department of Hematopoietic Biology & Malignancy, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Cells undergo tens of thousands of DNA-damaging events each day. Defects in repairing double-stranded breaks (DSBs) can lead to genomic instability, contributing to cancer, genetic disorders, immunological diseases, and developmental defects. Cohesin, a multi-subunit protein complex, plays a crucial role in both chromosome organization and DNA repair by creating architectural loops through chromatin extrusion.
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