Meta-Biol

• Pathways

Homology directed repair (HDR) through microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) is an error prone process also known as alternative nonhomologous end joining (alt-NHEJ), although it does not involve proteins that participate in the classical NHEJ. Contrary to the classical NHEJ and other HDR pathways, homologous recombination repair (HRR) and single strand annealing (SSA), MMEJ does not require ATM activation. In fact, ATM activation inhibits MMEJ. Therefore, MMEJ may be triggered when the amount of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) overwhelms DNA repair machinery of higher fidelity or when cells are deficient in components of high fidelity DNA repair.

MMEJ is initiated by a limited resection of DNA DSB ends by the MRN complex (MRE11A:RAD50:NBN) and RBBP8 (CtIP), in the absence of CDK2-mediated RBBP8 phosphorylation and related BRCA1:BARD1 recruitment (Yun and Hiom 2009). Single strand DNA (ssDNA) at resected DNA DSB ends recruits PARP1 or PARP2 homo- or heterodimers, together with DNA polymerase theta (POLQ) and FEN1 5'-flap endonuclease. In a poorly studied sequence of events, POLQ promotes the annealing of two 3'-ssDNA overhangs through microhomologous regions that are optimally 10-19 nucleotides long. Using analogy with POLB-mediated long patch base excision repair (BER), it is plausible that PARP1 (or PARP2) dimers coordinate the extension of annealed 3'-ssDNA overhangs via POLQ-mediated strand displacement synthesis with FEN1-mediated cleavage of the resulting 5'-flaps (Liang et al. 2005, Mansour et al. 2011, Sharma et al. 2015, Kent et al. 2015, Ciccaldi et al. 2015, Mateos-Gomez et al. 2015). The MRN complex subsequently recruits DNA ligase 3 (LIG3) bound to XRCC1 (LIG3:XRCC1) to ligate the remaining single strand nicks (SSBs) at MMEJ sites (Della-Maria et al. 2011).

Similar to single strand annealing (SSA), MMEJ leads to deletion of one of the microhomology regions used for annealing and the DNA sequence in between two annealed microhomology regions. MMEJ, just like classical NHEJ, can result in genomic translocations (Ghezraoui et al. 2014). In addition, since POLQ is an error-prone DNA polymerase, MMEJ introduces frequent base substitutions (Ceccaldi et al. 2015).

Double-strand breaks (DSBs), one of the most deleterious types of DNA damage along with interstrand crosslinks, are caused by ionizing radiation or certain chemicals such as bleomycin. DSBs also occur physiologically, during the processes of DNA replication, meiotic exchange, and V(D)J recombination.

DSBs are sensed (detected) by the MRN complex. Binding of the MRN complex to the DSBs usually triggers ATM kinase activation, thus initiating the DNA double strand break response. ATM phosphorylates a number of proteins involved in DNA damage checkpoint signaling, as well as proteins directly involved in the repair of DNA DSBs. DSBs are repaired via homology directed repair (HDR) or via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ).

HDR requires resection of DNA DSB ends. Resection creates 3'-ssDNA overhangs which then anneal with a homologous DNA sequence. This homologous sequence can then be used as a template for DNA repair synthesis that bridges the DSB. HDR preferably occurs through the error-free homologous recombination repair (HRR), but can also occur through the error-prone single strand annealing (SSA), or the least accurate microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ). MMEJ takes place when DSB response cannot be initiated.

While HRR is limited to actively dividing cells with replicated DNA, error-prone NHEJ pathway functions at all stages of the cell cycle, playing the predominant role in both the G1 phase and in S-phase regions of DNA that have not yet replicated. During NHEJ, the Ku70:Ku80 heterodimer (also known as the Ku complex or XRCC5:XRCC6) binds DNA DSB ends, competing away the MRN complex and preventing MRN-mediated resection of DNA DSB ends. The catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs, PRKDC) is then recruited to DNA-bound Ku to form the DNA-PK holoenzyme. Two DNA-PK complexes, one at each side of the break, bring DNA DSB ends together, joining them in a synaptic complex. DNA-PK complex recruits DCLRE1C (ARTEMIS) to DNA DSB ends, leading to trimming of 3'- and 5'-overhangs at the break site, followed by ligation.

For review of this topic, please refer to Ciccia and Elledge 2010.

DNA repair is a phenomenal multi-enzyme, multi-pathway system required to ensure the integrity of the cellular genome. Living organisms are constantly exposed to harmful metabolic by-products, environmental chemicals and radiation that damage their DNA, thus corrupting genetic information. In addition, normal cellular pH and temperature create conditions that are hostile to the integrity of DNA and its nucleotide components. DNA damage can also arise as a consequence of spontaneous errors during DNA replication. The DNA repair machinery continuously scans the genome and maintains genome integrity by removing or mending any detected damage.

Depending on the type of DNA damage and the cell cycle status, the DNA repair machinery utilizes several different pathways to restore the genome to its original state. When the damage and circumstances are such that the DNA cannot be repaired with absolute fidelity, the DNA repair machinery attempts to minimize the harm and patch the insulted genome well enough to ensure cell viability.

Accumulation of DNA alterations that are the result of cumulative DNA damage and utilization of "last resort" low fidelity DNA repair mechanisms is associated with cellular senescence, aging, and cancer. In addition, germline mutations in DNA repair genes are the underlying cause of many familial cancer syndromes, such as Fanconi anemia, xeroderma pigmentosum, Nijmegen breakage syndrome and Lynch syndrome, to name a few.

When the level of DNA damage exceeds the capacity of the DNA repair machinery, apoptotic cell death ensues. Actively dividing cells have a very limited time available for DNA repair and are therefore particularly sensitive to DNA damaging agents. This is the main rationale for using DNA damaging chemotherapeutic drugs to kill rapidly replicating cancer cells.

There are seven main pathways employed in human DNA repair: DNA damage bypass, DNA damage reversal, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, repair of double strand breaks and repair of interstrand crosslinks (Fanconi anemia pathway). DNA repair pathways are intimately associated with other cellular processes such as DNA replication, DNA recombination, cell cycle checkpoint arrest and apoptosis.

The DNA damage bypass pathway does not remove the damage, but instead allows translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) using a damaged template strand. Translesion synthesis allows cells to complete DNA replication, postponing the repair until cell division is finished. DNA polymerases that participate in translesion synthesis are error-prone, frequently introducing base substitutions and/or small insertions and deletions.

The DNA damage reversal pathway acts on a very narrow spectrum of damaging base modifications to remove modifying groups and restore DNA bases to their original state.

The base excision repair (BER) pathway involves a number of DNA glycosylases that cleave a vast array of damaged bases from the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone. DNA glycosylases produce a DNA strand with an abasic site. The abasic site is processed by DNA endonucleases, DNA polymerases and DNA ligases, the choice of which depends on the cell cycle stage, the identity of the participating DNA glycosylase and the presence of any additional damage. Base excision repair yields error-free DNA molecules.

Mismatch repair (MMR) proteins recognize mismatched base pairs or small insertion or deletion loops during DNA replication and correct erroneous base pairing by excising mismatched nucleotides exclusively from the nascent DNA strand, leaving the template strand intact.

Nucleotide excision repair pathway is involved in removal of bulky lesions that cause distortion of the DNA double helix. NER proteins excise the oligonucleotide that contains the lesion from the affected DNA strand, which is followed by gap-filling DNA synthesis and ligation of the repaired DNA molecule.

Double strand breaks (DSBs) in the DNA can be repaired via a highly accurate homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway, or through error-prone nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), single strand annealing (SSA) and microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) pathways. DSBs can be directly generated by some DNA damaging agents, such as X-rays and reactive oxygen species (ROS). DSBs can also be intermediates of the Fanconi anemia pathway.

Interstrand crosslinking (ICL) agents damage the DNA by introducing covalent bonds between two DNA strands, which disables progression of the replication fork. The Fanconi anemia proteins repair the ICLs by unhooking them from one DNA strand. TLS enables the replication fork to bypass the unhooked ICL, resulting in two replicated DNA molecules, one of which contains a DSB and triggers double strand break repair, while the sister DNA molecule contains a bulky unhooked ICL, which is removed through NER.

Single strand breaks (SSBs) in the DNA, generated either by DNA damaging agents or as intermediates of DNA repair pathways such as BER, are converted into DSBs if the repair is not complete prior to DNA replication. Simultaneous inhibition of DSB repair and BER through cancer mutations and anti-cancer drugs, respectively, is synthetic lethal in at least some cancer settings, and is a promising new therapeutic strategy.

For reviews of DNA repair pathways, please refer to Lindahl and Wood 1999 and Curtin 2012.