TOPK Inhibition Enhances the Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer Cells to Radiotherapy by Reducing the DNA Damage Response

Objective Abnormal expression of T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase(TOPK)was reported to be closely related to the resistance of prostate cancer to radiotherapy and to targeted drug resistance in lung cancer.However,the role of TOPK inhibition in enhancing radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer(CRC)cells is unclear.This study aimed to evaluate the radiosensitization of TOPK knockdown in CRC cells.Methods The expression of TOPK was detected in CRC tissues by immunohistochemistry,and the effect of TOPK knockdown was detected in CRC cells by Western blotting.CCK-8 and clonogenic assays were used to detect the growth and clonogenic ability of CRC cells after TOPK knockdown combined with radiotherapy in CRC cells.Furthermore,proteomic analysis showed that the phosphorylation of TOPK downstream proteins changed after radiotherapy.DNA damage was detected by the comet assay.Changes in the DNA damage response signaling pathway were analyzed by Western blotting,and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Results The expression of TOPK was significantly greater in CRC tissues at grades 2–4 than in those at grade 1.After irradiation,CRC cells with genetically silenced TOPK had shorter comet tails and reduced expression levels of DNA damage response-associated proteins,including phospho-cyclin-dependent kinase 1(p-CDK1),phospho-ataxia telangiectasia-mutated(p-ATM),poly ADP-ribose polymerase(PARP),and meiotic recombination 11 homolog 1(MRE11).Conclusions TOPK was overexpressed in patients with moderately to poorly differentiated CRC.Moreover,TOPK knockdown significantly enhanced the radiosensitivity of CRC cells by reducing the DNA damage response.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of Apoptosis Antagonizing Transcription Factor Involved in Hydroquinone-Induced DNA Damage Response

The molecular mechanism of DNA damage induced by hydroquinone （HQ） remains unclear. Poly（ADP-ribose） polymerase-1 （PARP-1） usually works as a DNA damage sensor, and hence, it is possible that PARP-1 is involved in the DNA damage response induced by HQ. In TK6 cells treated with HQ, PARP activity as well as the expression of apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor （AATF）, PARP-1, and phosphorylated H2AX （v-H2AX） were maximum at 0.5 h, 6 h, 3 h, and 3 h, respectively. To explore the detailed mechanisms underlying the prompt DNA repair reaction, the above indicators were investigated in PARP-l-silenced cells. PARP activity and expression of AATF and PARP-1 decreased to 36%, 32%, and 33%, respectively, in the cells; however, y-H2AX expression increased to 265%. Co-immunoprecipitation （co-IP） assays were employed to determine whether PARP-1 and AATF formed protein complexes. The interaction between these proteins together with the results from IP assays and confocal microscopy indicated that poly（ADP-ribosyl）ation {PARylation） regulated AATF expression, in conclusion, PARP-1 was involved in the DNA damage repair induced by HQ via increasing the accumulation of AATF through PARylation.

Decoupling of DNA damage response signaling from DNA damages underlies temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma multiforme （GBM） is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults.Current therapy includes surgery,radiation and chemotherapy with temozolomide （TMZ）.Major determinants of clinical response to TMZ include methylation status of the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase （MGMT） promoter and mismatch repair （MMR） status.Though the MGMT promoter is methylated in 45% of cases,for the first nine months of follow-up,TMZ does not change survival outcome.Furthermore,MMR deficiency makes little contribution to clinical resistance,suggesting that there exist unrecognized mechanisms of resistance.We generated paired GBM cell lines whose resistance was attributed to neither MGMT nor MMR.We show that,responding to TMZ,these cells exhibit a decoupling of DNA damage response （DDR） from ongoing DNA damages.They display methylation-resistant synthesis in which ongoing DNA synthesis is not inhibited.They are also defective in the activation of the S and G2 phase checkpoint.DDR proteins ATM,Chk2,MDC1,NBS1 and gammaH2AX also fail to form discrete foci.These results demonstrate that failure of DDR may play an active role in chemoresistance to TMZ.DNA damages by TMZ are repaired by MMR proteins in a futile,reiterative process,which activates DDR signaling network that ultimately leads to the onset of cell death.GBM cells may survive genetic insults in the absence of DDR.We anticipate that our findings will lead to more studies that seek to further define the role of DDR in ultimately determining the fate of a tumor cell in response to TMZ and other DNA methylators.

RECQL4 regulates DNA damage response and redox homeostasis in esophageal cancer

Objective:RECQL4(a member of the RECQ helicase family)upregulation has been reported to be associated with tumor progression in several malignancies.However,whether RECQL4 sustains esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)has not been elucidated.In this study,we determined the functional role for RECQL4 in ESCC progression.Methods:RECQL4 expression in clinical samples of ESCC was examined by immunohistochemistry.Cell proliferation,cellular senescence,the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),DNA damage,and reactive oxygen species in ESCC cell lines with RECQL4 depletion or overexpression were analyzed.The levels of proteins involved in the DNA damage response(DDR),cell cycle progression,survival,and the EMT were determined by Western blot analyses.Results:RECQL4 was highly expressed in tumor tissues when compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues in ESCC(P<0.001)and positively correlated with poor differentiation(P=0.011),enhanced invasion(P=0.033),and metastasis(P=0.048).RECQL4 was positively associated with proliferation and migration in ESCC cells.Depletion of RECQL4 also inhibited growth of tumor xenografts in vivo.RECQL4 depletion induced G0/G1 phase arrest and cellular senescence.Importantly,the levels of DNA damage and reactive oxygen species were increased when RECQL4 was depleted.DDR,as measured by the activation of ATM,ATR,CHK1,and CHK2,was impaired.RECQL4 was also shown to promote the activation of AKT,ERK,and NF-k B in ESCC cells.Conclusions:The results indicated that RECQL4 was highly expressed in ESCC and played critical roles in the regulation of DDR,redox homeostasis,and cell survival.

DNA Damage Response in Resting and Proliferating Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes Treated by Camptothecin or X-ray

DNA damage response （DDR） in different cell cycle status of human peripheral blood lymphocytes （PBLs） and the role of H2AX in DDR were investigated. The PBLs were stimulated into cell cycle with phytohemagglutinin （PHA）. The apoptotic ratio and the phosphorylation H2AX （S139） were flow cytometrically measured in resting and proliferating PBLs after treatment with camptothecin （CPT） or X-ray. The expressions of γH2AX, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were detected by Western blotting. DDR in 293T cells was detected after H2AX was silenced by RNAi method. Our results showed that DNA double strand breaks （DSBs） were both induced in quiescent and proliferating PBLs after CPT or X-ray treatment. The phosphorylation of H2AX and apoptosis were more sensitive in proliferating PBLs compared with quiescent lymphocytes （P0.05）. The expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 were reduced and cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased. No significant changes were observed in CPT-induced apoptosis in 293T cells between H2AX knocking down group and controls. It was concluded that proliferating PBLs were more vulnerable to DNA damage compared to non-stimulated lymphocytes and had higher apoptosis rates. γH2AX may only serve as a marker of DNA damage but exert no effect on apoptosis regulation.

Evaluation of 30 DNA damage response and 6 mismatch repair gene mutations as biomarkers for immunotherapy outcomes across multiple solid tumor types

Objective:DNA damage response(DDR)genes have low mutation rates,which may restrict their clinical applications in predicting the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor(ICI)treatment.Thus,a systemic analysis of multiple DDR genes is needed to identify potential biomarkers of ICI efficacy.Methods:A total of 39,631 patients with mutation data were selected from the cBioPortal database.A total of 155 patients with mutation data were obtained from the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center(FUSCC).A total of 1,660 patients from the MSK-IMPACT cohort who underwent ICI treatment were selected for survival analysis.A total of 249 patients who underwent ICI treatment from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute(DFCI)cohort were obtained from a published dataset.The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)level 3 RNA-Seq version 2 RSEM data for gastric cancer were downloaded from cBioPortal.Results:Six MMR and 30 DDR genes were included in this study.Six MMR and 20 DDR gene mutations were found to predict the therapeutic efficacy of ICI,and most of them predicted the therapeutic efficacy of ICI,in a manner dependent on TMB,except for 4 combined DDR gene mutations,which were associated with the therapeutic efficacy of ICI independently of the TMB.Single MMR/DDR genes showed low mutation rates;however,the mutation rate of all the MMR/DDR genes associated with the therapeutic efficacy of ICI was relatively high,reaching 10%–30%in several cancer types.Conclusions:Coanalysis of multiple MMR/DDR mutations aids in selecting patients who are potential candidates for immunotherapy.

Kinetochore protein MAD1 participates in the DNA damage response through ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase-mediated phosphorylation and enhanced interaction with KU80

Objective:Mitotic arrest-deficient protein 1(MAD1)is a kinetochore protein essential for the mitotic spindle checkpoint.Proteomic studies have indicated that MAD1 is a component of the DNA damage response(DDR)pathway.However,whether and how MAD1 might be directly involved in the DDR is largely unknown.Methods:We ectopically expressed the wild type,or a phosphorylation-site--mutated form of MAD1 in MAD1 knockdown cells to look for complementation effects.We used the comet assay,colony formation assay,immunofluorescence staining,and flow cytometry to assess the DDR,radiosensitivity,and the G2/M checkpoint.We employed co-immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry to identify MAD1 interacting proteins.Data were analyzed using the unpaired Student'st-test.Results:We showed that MAD1 was required for an optimal DDR,as knocking down MAD1 resulted in impaired DNA repair and hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation(IR).We found that IR-induced serine 214 phosphorylation was ataxia-telangiectasia mutated(ATM)kinase-dependent.Mutation of serine 214 to alanine failed to rescue the phenotypes of MAD1 knockdown cells in response to IR.Using mass spectrometry,we identified a protein complex mediated by MAD1 serine 214 phosphorylation in response to IR.Among them,we showed that KU80 was a key protein that displayed enhanced interaction with MAD1 after DNA damage.Finally,we showed that MAD1 interaction with KU80 required serine 214 phosphorylation,and it was essential for activation of DNA protein kinases catalytic subunit(DNA-PKcs).Conclusions:MAD1 serine 214 phosphorylation mediated by ATM kinase in response to IR was required for the interaction with KU80 and activation of DNA-PKCs.

cGAS regulates the DNA damage response to maintain proliferative signaling in gastric cancer cells

The activation of some oncogenes promote cancer cell proliferation and growth,facilitate cancer progression and metastasis by induce DNA replication stress,even genome instability.Activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase(cGAS)mediates classical DNA sensing,is involved in genome instability,and is linked to various tumor development or therapy.However,the function of cGAS in gastric cancer remains elusive.In this study,the TCGA database and retrospective immunohistochemical analyses revealed substantially high cGAS expression in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines.By employing cGAS high-expression gastric cancer cell lines,including AGS and MKN45,ectopic silencing of cGAS caused a significant reduction in the proliferation of the cells,tumor growth,and mass in xenograft mice.Mechanistically,database analysis predicted a possible involvement of cGAS in the DNA damage response(DDR),further data through cells revealed protein interactions of the cGAS and MRE11-RAD50-NBN(MRN)complex,which activated cell cycle checkpoints,even increased genome instability in gastric cancer cells,thereby contributing to gastric cancer progression and sensitivity to treatment with DNA damaging agents.Furthermore,the upregulation of cGAS significantly exacerbated the prognosis of gastric cancer patients while improving radiotherapeutic outcomes.Therefore,we concluded that cGAS is involved in gastric cancer progression by fueling genome instability,implying that intervening in the cGAS pathway could be a practicable therapeutic approach for gastric cancer.

New insights into ATR inhibition in muscle invasive bladder cancer:The role of apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic subunit 3B

Background:Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide(APOBEC),an endogenous mutator,induces DNA damage and activates the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related(ATR)-checkpoint kinase 1(Chk1)pathway.Although cisplatin-based therapy is the mainstay for muscle-invasive bladder cancer(MIBC),it has a poor survival rate.Therefore,this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ATR inhibitor combined with cisplatin in the treatment of APOBEC catalytic subunit 3B(APOBEC3B)expressing MIBC.Methods:Immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze an association between APOBEC3B and ATR in patients with MIBC.The APOBEC3B expression in MIBC cell lines was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis.Western blot analysis was performed to confirm differences in phosphorylated Chk1(pChk1)expression according to the APOBEC3B expression.Cell viability and apoptosis analyses were performed to examine the anti-tumor activity of ATR inhibitors combined with cisplatin.Results:There was a significant association between APOBEC3B and ATR expression in the tumor tissues obtained from patients with MIBC.Cells with higher APOBEC3B expression showed higher pChk1 expression than cells expressing low APOBEC3B levels.Combination treatment of ATR inhibitor and cisplatin inhibited cell growth in MIBC cells with a higher APOBEC3B expression.Compared to cisplatin single treatment,combination treatment induced more apoptotic cell death in the cells with higher APOBEC3B expression.Conclusion:Our study shows that APOBEC3B’s higher expression status can enhance the sensitivity of MIBC to cisplatin upon ATR inhibition.This result provides new insight into appropriate patient selection for the effective application of ATR inhibitors in MIBC.

Histone post-translational modification and the DNA damage response

DNA is highly vulnerable to spontaneous and environmental timely damage in living cells.DNA damage may cause genetic instability and increase cancer risk if the damages are not repaired timely and efficiently.Human cells possess several DNA damage response(DDR)mechanisms to protect the integrity of their genome.Clarification of the mechanisms under-lying the DNA damage response following lethal damage will facilitate the identification of therapeutic targets for cancers.Histone post-translational modifications(PTMs)have been indicated to play different roles in the repair of DNA damage.In this context,histone PTMs regulate recruitment of downstream effectors,and facilitate appropriate repair response.This review outlines the current understanding of different histone PTMs in response to DNA dam-age repair,besides,enumerates the role of new type PTMs such as histone succinylation and crotonylation in regulating DNA damage repair processes.

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated plays an important role in cerebellar integrity and functionality

Accumulating evidence indicates that ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis and that it has both nuclear and cytoplasmic functions.However,the functions of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated that when lost lead to cerebellar degeneration are still unknown.In this review,we first describe the role of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated in cerebellar pathology.In addition to its canonical nuclear functions in DNA damage response circuits,ataxia-telangiectasia mutated functions in various cytoplasmic and mitochondrial processes that are critically important for cellular homeostasis.We discuss these functions with a focus on the role of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated in maintaining the homeostatic redox state.Finally,we describe the unique functions of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated in various types of neuronal and glial cells including cerebellar granule neurons,astrocytes,and microglial cells.

TBC1D15 deficiency protects against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity via inhibiting DNAPKcs cytosolic retention and DNA damage

Clinical application of doxorubicin(DOX)is heavily hindered by DOX cardiotoxicity.Several theories were postulated for DOX cardiotoxicity including DNA damage and DNA damage response(DDR),although the mechanism(s)involved remains to be elucidated.This study evaluated the potential role of TBC domain family member 15(TBC1D15)in DOX cardiotoxicity.Tamoxifen-induced cardiac-specific Tbcldi5 knockout(Tbcldi5^(CKO))or Tbcldi5 knockin(Tbcldi5^(CKI))male mice were challenged with a single dose of DOx prior to cardiac assessment 1 week or 4 weeks following DOX challenge.Adenoviruses encoding TBC1D15 or containing shRNA targeting Tbcld15 were used for Tbcld15 overexpression or knockdown in isolated primary mouse cardiomyocytes.Our results re-vealed that DOX evoked upregulation of TBC1D15 with compromised myocardial function and overt mortality,the effects of which were ameliorated and accentuated by Tbcldi5 deletion and Tbcld15 overexpression,respectively.DOX overtly evoked apoptotic cell death,the effect of which was alleviated and exacerbated by Tbcld15 knockout and overexpression,respectively.Meanwhile,DOX provoked mitochondrial membrane potential collapse,oxidative stress and DNA damage,the effects of which were mitigated and exacerbated by Tbcld15 knockdown and overexpression,respectively.Further scrutiny revealed that TBC1D15 fostered cytosolic accumulation of the cardinal DDR element DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit(DNA-PKcs).Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and coimmunoprecipitation denoted an interaction between TBCID15 and DNA-PKcs at the segment 594-624 of TBC1D15.Moreover,overexpression of TBC1D15 mutant(A594-624,deletion of segment 594-624)failed to elicit accentuation of DOX-induced cytosolic retention of DNA-PKcs,DNA damage and cardiomyocyte apoptosis by TBC1D15 wild type.However,Tbcld15 deletion ameliorated DOXinduced cardiomyocyte contractile anomalies,apoptosis,mitochondrial anomalies,DNA damage and cytosolic DNA-PKcs accumulation,which were canceled off by DNA-PKcs inhibition or ATM activation.Taken together,our findings denoted a pivotal role for TBCID15 in DOX-induced DNA damage,mitochondrial injury,and apoptosis possibly through binding with DNA-PKcs and thus gate-keeping its cytosolic retention,a route to accentuation of cardiac contractile dysfunction in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Alterations of DNA damage response pathway:Biomarker and therapeutic strategy for cancer immunotherapy

Genomic instability remains an enabling feature of cancer and promotes malignant transformation.Alterations of DNA damage response(DDR)pathways allow genomic instability,generate neoantigens,upregulate the expression of programmed death ligand 1(PD-L1)and interact with signaling such as cyclic GMPe AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes(cGASe STING)signaling.Here,we review the basic knowledge of DDR pathways,mechanisms of genomic instability induced by DDR alterations,impacts of DDR alterations on immune system,and the potential applications of DDR alterations as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer immunotherapy.

The role of BRCA1 in DNA damage response

BRCA1 is a well-established tumor suppressor gene,which is frequently mutated in familial breast and ovarian cancers.The gene product of BRCA1 functions in a number of cellular pathways that maintain genomic stability,including DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoint activation,DNA damage repair,protein ubiquitination,chromatin remodeling,as well as transcriptional regulation and apoptosis.In this review,we discuss recent advances regarding our understanding of the role of BRCA1 in tumor suppression and DNA damage response,including DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoint activation and DNA damage repair.

Upregulation of the APE1 and H2AX genes and miRNAs involved in DNA damage response and repair in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide,and most of the cases are associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.This bacterium promotes the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS),which cause DNA damage in gastric epithelial cells.In this study,we evaluated the expression of important genes involved in the recognition of DNA damage(ATM,ATR,and H2AX)and ROS-induced damage repair(APE1)and the expression of some miRNAs(miR-15a,miR-21,miR-24,miR-421 and miR-605)that target genes involved in the DNA damage response(DDR)in 31 fresh tissues of gastric cancer.Cytoscape v3.1.1 was used to construct the postulated miRNA:mRNA interaction network.Analysis performed by real-time quantitative PCR exhibited significantly increased levels of the APE1(RQ=2.55,p<0.0001)and H2AX(RQ=2.88,p=0.0002)genes beyond the miR-421 and miR-605 in the gastric cancer samples.In addition,significantly elevated levels of miR-21,miR-24 and miR-421 were observed in diffuse-type gastric cancer.Correlation analysis reinforced some of the gene:gene(ATM/ATR/H2AX)and miRNA:mRNA relationships obtained also with the interaction network.Thus,our findings show that tumor cells from gastric cancer presents deregulation of genes and miRNAs that participate in the recognition and repair of DNA damage,which could confer an advantage to cell survival and proliferation in the tumor microenvironment.

MicroRNAs:new players in the DNA damage response

The DNA damage response(DDR)is a signal transduction pathway that decides the cell’s fate either to repair DNA damage or to undergo apoptosis if there is too much damage.Post-translational modifications modulate the assembly and activity of protein complexes during the DDR pathways.MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are emerging as a class of endogenous gene modulators that control protein levels,thereby adding a new layer of regulation to the DDR.In this review,we describe a new role for miRNAs in regulating the cellular response to DNA damage with a focus on DNA double-strand break damage.We also discuss the implications of miRNA’s role in the DDR to stem cells,including embryonic stem cells and cancer stem cells,stressing the potential applications for miRNAs to be used as sensitizers for cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

OGT Mediated Histone H2B S112 Glc NAcylation Regulates DNA Damage Response

O-GlcNAcylation is an important post-translational modification and has been implicated in many fundamental cellular processes. Recent studies showed that O-linked N-acetylglucosamine （GlcNAc） transferase （OGT） mediated O-GlcNAcylation of histone H2B Ser 112 （H2B S 112 GlcNAcylation） plays an important role in gene transcription. However, the role of this histone modification in DNA damage response has not been studied yet. In this study, we found that OGT and OGT mediated H2B S112 GlcNAcylation are involved in DNA damage response for maintaining genomic stability and are required for resistance to many DNA-damaging and replication stress- inducing agents. OGT mediated H2B Sl12 GlcNAcylation increased locally upon the induction of double-strand breaks （DSBs）, and depletion of OGT or overexpression of H2B S 112A mutant impaired homologous recombination （HR） and nonhomologous end-joining （NHEJ）. Mechanistically, H2B Sl12 GlcNAcylation could bind Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 （NBS1） and regulate NBS1 foci for- mation. Taken together, our results demonstrate a new function of histone O-GlcNAcylation in DNA damage response （DDR）.

NEDDylation antagonizes ubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and regulates the recruitment of polymerase rl in response to oxidative DNA damage

NEDDylation has been shown to participate in the DNA damage pathway, but the substrates of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 8 （NEDD8） and the roles of NEDDylation involved in the DNA damage response （DDR） are largely unknown. Translesion synthesis （TLS） is a damage-tolerance mechanism, in which RAD181RAD6-mediated monoubiq- uitinated proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA） pro- motes recruitment of polymerase q （polq） to bypass lesions. Here we identify PCNA as a substrate of NEDD8, and show that E3 ligase RAD18-catalyzed PCNA NEDDylation antagonizes its ubiquitination. In addition, NEDP1 acts as the deNEDDylase of PCNA, and NEDP1 deletion enhances PCNA NEDDylation but reduces its ubiquitination. In response to H202 stimulation, NEDP1 disassociates from PCNA and RAD18-dependent PCNA NEDDylation increases markedly after its ubiquitination. impairment of NEDDylation by Ubc12 knockout enhances PCNA ubiquitination and promotes PCNA-polη interaction, while up-regulation of NEDDylation by NEDD8 overexpression or NEDP1 deletion reduces the excessive accumulation of ubiquitinated PCNA, thus inhibits PCNA-polη interaction and blocks polη foci formation. Moreover, Ubc12 knockout decreases cell sensitivity to H2O2-induced oxidative stress, but NEDP1 deletion aggravates this sensitivity. Collectively, our study elucidates the important role of NEDDylation in the DDR as a modulator of PCNA monoubiquitination and polη recruitment.

DNA Damage-Induced Transcription of Transposable Elements and Long Non-coding RNAs in Arabidopsis Is Rare and ATM-Dependent

Induction and mobilization of transposable elements （TEs） following DNA damage or other stresses has been reported in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recently it was discovered that eukaryotic TEs are frequently associated with long non-coding RNAs （IncRNAs）, many of which are also upregulated by stress. Yet, it is unknown whether DNA damage-induced transcriptional activation of TEs and IncRNAs occurs sporadically or is a synchronized, genome-wide response. Here we investigated the transcriptome of Arabidopsis wild- type （WT） and ataxia telangiectasia mutated （atm） mutant plants 3 h after induction of DNA damage. In WT, expression of 5.2% of the protein-coding genes is 〉 2-fold changed, whereas in atm plants, only 2.6% of these genes are regulated, and the response of genes associated with DNA repair, replication, and cell cy- cle is largely lost. In contrast, only less than 0.6% of TEs and IncRNAs respond to DNA damage in WT plants, and the regulation of 〉95% of them is ATM-dependent. The ATM-downstream factors BRCA1, DRM1, JMJ30, AGO2, and the ATM-independent AGO4 participate in the regulation of individual TEs and IncRNAs. Remarkably, protein-coding genes located adjacent to DNA damage-responsive TEs and IncRNAs are frequently coexpressed, which is consistent with the hypothesis that TEs and IncRNAs located close to genes commonly function as controlling elements.

The genomics of desmoplastic small round cell tumor reveals the deregulation of genes related to DNA damage response, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and immune response

Background:Desmoplastic small round cell tumor(DSRCT)is a rare,aggressive,and poorly investigated simple sarcoma with a low frequency of genetic deregulation other than an Ewing sarcoma RNA binding protein 1(EWSR1)-Wilm’s tumor suppressor(WT1)translocation.We used whole-exome sequencing to interrogate six consecutive pretreated DSRCTs whose gene expression was previously investigated.Methods:DNA libraries were prepared from formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded archival tissue specimens following the Agilent SureSelectXT2 target enrichment protocol and sequenced on Illumina NextSeq 500.Raw sequence data were aligned to the reference genome with Burrows-Wheeler Aligner algorithm.Somatic mutations and copy number alterations(CNAs)were identified using MuTect2 and EXCAVATOR2,respectively.Biological functions associated with altered genes were investigated through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA)software.Results:A total of 137 unique somatic mutations were identified:133 mutated genes were case-specific,and 2 were mutated in two cases but in different positions.Among the 135 mutated genes,27%were related to two biological categories:DNA damage-response(DDR)network that was also identified through IPA and mesenchymal-epithelial reverse transition(MErT)/epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)already demonstrated to be relevant in DSRCT.The mutated genes in the DDR network were involved in various steps of transcription and particularly affected pre-mRNA.Half of these genes encoded RNA-binding proteins or DNA/RNA-binding proteins,which were recently rec-ognized as a new class of DDR players.CNAs in genes/gene families,involved in MErT/EMT and DDR,were recurrent across patients and mostly segregated in the MErT/EMT category.In addition,recurrent gains of regions in chromosome 1 involving many MErT/EMT gene families and loss of one arm or the entire chromosome 6 affecting relevant immune-regulatory genes were recorded.Conclusions:The emerging picture is an extreme inter-tumor heterogeneity,characterized by the concurrent deregulation of the DDR and MErT/EMT dynamic and plastic programs that could favour genomic instability and explain the refractory DSRCT profile.