The DNA damage repair complex MoMMS21-MoSMC5 is required for infection-related development and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae

The conserved DNA damage repair complex,MMS21-SMC5/6(Methyl methane sulfonate 21-Structural maintenance of chromosomes 5/6),has been extensively studied in yeast,animals,and plants.However,its role in phytopathogenic fungi,particularly in the highly destructive rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae,remains unknown.In this study,we functionally characterized the homologues of this complex,MoMMS21 and MoSMC5,in M.oryzae.We first demonstrated the importance of DNA damage repair in M.oryzae by showing that the DNA damage inducer phleomycin inhibited vegetative growth,infection-related development and pathogenicity in this fungus.Additionally,we discovered that MoMMS21 and MoSMC5 interacted in the nuclei,suggesting that they also function as a complex in M.oryzae.Gene deletion experiments revealed that both MoMMS21 and MoSMC5 are required for infection-related development and pathogenicity in M.oryzae,while only MoMMS21 deletion affected growth and sensitivity to phleomycin,indicating its specific involvement in DNA damage repair.Overall,our results provide insights into the roles of MoMMS21 and MoSMC5 in M.oryzae,highlighting their functions beyond DNA damage repair.

Association Between Polymorphisms of DNA Repair Gene XRCC1 and DNA Damage in Asbestos-Exposed Workers

Objective To compare the asbestos-induced DNA damage and repair capacities of DNA damage between 104 asbestosexposed workers and 101 control workers in Qingdao City of China and to investigate the possible association between polymorphisms in codon 399 of XRCC1 and susceptibility to asbestosis. Methods DNA damage levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes were determined by comet assay, and XRCC1 genetic polymorphisms of DNA samples from 51 asbestosis cases and 53 non-asbestosis workers with a similar asbestos exposure history were analyzed by PCR/RFLP. Results The basal comet scores （3.95±2.95） were significantly higher in asbestos-exposed workers than in control workers （0.10±0.28）. After 1 h H2O2 stimulation, DNA damage of lymphocytes exhibited different increases. After a 4 h repair period, the comet scores were 50.98±19.53 in asbestos-exposed workers and 18.32±12.04 in controls. The residual DNA damage （RD） was significantly greater （P〈0.01） in asbestos-exposed workers （35.62%） than in controls （27.75%）. XRCC1 genetic polymorphism in 104 asbestos-exposed workers was not associated with increased risk of asbestosis. But compared with polymorphisms in the DNA repair gene XRCC1 （polymorphisms in codon 399） and the DNA damage induced by asbestos, the comet scores in asbestosis cases with Gin/Gin, Gln/Arg, and Arg/Arg were 40.26±18.94, 38.03±28.22, and 32.01±11.65, respectively, which were higher than those in non-asbestosis workers with the same genotypes （25.58±11.08, 37.08±14.74, and 29.38±10.15）. There were significant differences in the comet scores between asbestosis cases and non-asbestosis workers with Gin/Gin by Student＇s t-test （P〈0.05 or 0.01）. The comet scores were higher in asbestosis workers with Gin/Gin than in those with Arg/Arg and in non-asbestosis workers exposed to asbestos, but without statistically significant difference. Conclusions Exposure to asbestos may be related to DNA damage or the capacity of cells to repair H2O2-induced DNA damage. DNA repair gene XRCC 1 codon 399 may be responsible for the inter-individual susceptibility in DNA damage and repair capacities.

Dynamic Changes in DNA Damage and Repair Biomarkers with Employment Length among Nickel Smelting Workers

Our study explored the dynamic changes in andthe relationship between the DNA damage marker8-hydroxy-2＇-deoxyguanosine （8-OHdG） and theDNA repair marker 8-hydroxyguanine DNAglycosidase 1 （hOGG1） according to the length ofoccupational employment in nickel smeltingworkers. One hundred forty nickel-exposedsmelting workers and 140 age-matched unexposedoffice workers were selected from the Jinchangcohort. The 8-OHdG levels in smelting workers wassignificantly higher than in office workers （Z=-8.688,P〈0.05） and the 8-OHdG levels among nickelsmelting workers in the 10-14 y employment lengthcategory was significantly higher than among allpeers. The hOGG1 levels among smelting workerswere significantly lower than those of non-exposedworkers （Z=-8.948, P〈0.05）. There were significantdifferences between employment length andhOGG1 levels, with subjects employed in nickelsmelting for 10-14 y showing the highest levels ofhOGG1. Correlation analysis showed positivecorrelations between 8-OHdG and hOGG1 levels（r=0.413; P〈0.01）. DNA damage was increased withemployment length among nickel smelting workersand was related to the inhibition of hOGG1 repaircapacity.

The Role of DNA Mismatch Repair and Recombination in the Processing of DNA Alkylating Damage in Living Yeast Cells

It is proposed that mismatch repair (MMR) mediates the cytotoxic effects of DNA damaging agents by exerting a futile repair pathway which leads to double strand breaks (DSBs). Previous reports indicate that the sensitivity of cells defective in homologous recombination (HR) to DNA alkylation is reduced by defects in MMR genes. We have assessed the contribution of different MMR genes to the processing of alkylation damage in vivo. We have directly visualized recombination complexes formed upon DNA damage using fluorescent protein (FP) fusions. We find that msh6 mutants are more resistant than wild type cells to MNNG, and that an msh6 mutation rescues the sensitivity of rad52 strains more efficiently than an msh3 mutation. Analysis of RAD52-GFP tagged strains indicate that MNNG increases repair foci formation, and that the inactivation of the MHS2 and MSH6 genes but not the MSH3 gene result in a reduction of the number of foci formed. In addition, in the absence of HR, NHEJ could process the MNNG-induced DSBs as indicated by the formation of NHEJ-GFP tagged foci. These data suggest that processing of the alkylation damage by MMR, mainly by MSH2-MSH6, is required for recruitment of recombination proteins to the damage site for repair.

Development of a prognostic signature for esophageal cancer based on a novel 7-DNA damage repair genes signature

Esophageal cancer(EC)was an aggressive malignant neoplasm characterized by high morbidity and poor prognosis.Identifying the changes in DNA damage repair genes helps to better understand the mechanisms of carcinoma progression.In this study,by comparing EC samples and normal samples,we found a total of 132 DDR expression with a significant difference.Moreover,we revealed higher expression of POLN,PALB2,ATM,PER1,TOP3B and lower expression of HMGB1,UBE2B were correlated to longer OS in EC.In addition,a prognostic risk score based on 7 DDR gene expression(POLN,HMGB1,TOP3B,PER1,UBE2B,ATM,PALB2)was constructed for the prognosis of EC.Meanwhile,EC cancer samples were divided into 3 subtypes based on 132 DDR genes expressions.Clinical profile analysis showed cluster C1 and C2 showed a similar frequency of T2,which was remarked higher than that in cluster 3.Moreover,we found the immune cell inflation levels were significantly changed in different subtypes of EC.The infiltration levels of T cell CD8+,B cell and NK cells were greatly higher in cluster 2 than that in cluster 1 and cluster 3.The results showed T cell CD4+infiltration levels were dramatically higher in cluster 1 than that in cluster 2 and cluster 3.Finally,we perform bioinformatics analysis of DEGs among 3 subtypes of EC and found DDR genes may be related to multiple signaling,such as Base excision repair,Cell cycle,Hedgehog signaling pathway,and Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis.These results showed DDR genes may serve as new target for the prognosis of EC and prediction of the potential response of immune therapy in EC.

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.

DNA损伤修复相关通路的合成致死靶点研究及其在卵巢癌中的应用和前景

DNA损伤引发细胞启动一系列DNA损伤应答(DNA damage response,DDR),包括DNA损伤修复、细胞周期检查点激活、细胞周期阻滞、各种细胞内信号转导途径的活化和细胞凋亡等。DNA损伤修复(DNA damage repair)是细胞维持基因组稳定性的重要机制,于2015年获得诺贝尔化学奖。DNA损伤修复途径主要包括:碱基切除修复(base-excision repair,BER)、核苷酸切除修复(nucleotide excision repair,NER)、错配修复(mismatch repair,MMR)、同源重组(homologous recombination,HR)和非同源末端连接(non-homologous end joining,NHEJ)等,分别在DNA单链断裂(single-strand break,SSB)或双链断裂(double-strand break,DSB)等损伤修复中发挥重要作用。DNA损伤修复缺陷与肿瘤发生发展密切相关,同时也是肿瘤治疗的重要靶点。DNA损伤修复通路的多聚ADP核糖聚合酶(poly-ADP-ribose polymerase,PARP)与乳腺癌易感基因BRCA 1/2等存在合成致死(synthetic lethality)作用,使PARP抑制剂(PARP inhibitor,PARPi)成为第一个也是目前唯一上市的肿瘤治疗合成致死靶药。PARPi在卵巢癌及多种实体瘤治疗中疗效良好,使DNA损伤修复及相关DDR通路的合成致死靶药研发成为热点,其他在研靶点主要包括:共济失调毛细血管扩张突变蛋白(ataxia telangiectasia-mutated protein,ATM)、共济失调毛细血管扩张与RAD3相关蛋白(ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related protein,ATR)、DNA依赖性蛋白质激酶催化亚单位(DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit,DNA-PKcs)、细胞周期检测点激酶1(checkpoint kinase1,CHK1)、细胞周期检测点激酶2(checkpoint kinase 2,CHK2)、阻止有丝分裂的蛋白质激酶WEE1等。PARPi与其他DDR靶药、抗血管生成药物及免疫检查点抑制剂的联用,有可能成为克服PARPi耐药、提高疗效的有效手段和发展前景。本文针对DNA损伤修复及相关DDR通路的关键分子和潜在肿瘤治疗靶点进行综述,阐述了DNA损伤修复相关通路的合成致死靶点研究及在卵巢癌的应用和前景,为基础研究及临床应用提供指导。

DNA damage responses in cancer stem cells: Implications for cancer therapeutic strategies

The identification of cancer stem cells(CSCs) that are responsible for tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance might lead to a new thinking on cancer treatments. Similar to stem cells,CSCs also display high resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy with genotoxic agents. Thus, conventional therapy may shrink the tumor volume but cannot eliminate cancer. Eradiation of CSCs represents a novel therapeutic strategy. CSCs possess a highly efficient DNA damage response(DDR) system, which is considered as a contributor to the resistance of these cells from exposures to DNA damaging agents. Targeting of enhanced DDR in CSCs is thus proposed to facilitate the eradication of CSCs by conventional therapeutics. To achieve this aim, a better understanding of the cellular responses to DNA damage in CSCs is needed. In addition to the protein kinases and enzymes that are involved in DDR, other processes that affect the DDR including chromatin remodeling should also be explored.

RNF20对紫外线诱导的胃癌细胞DNA损伤修复的影响

目的探究在紫外线暴露下环指蛋白20(ring finger protein 20,RNF20)低表达对胃癌细胞DNA损伤修复的影响及其相关作用机制。方法实验采用慢病毒载体构建稳定低表达胃癌细胞系,分为对照组和RNF20敲低组,用CCK-8法检测两组细胞的增殖情况,用总共照射剂量为20 J/m^(2)紫外线照射胃癌MGC803细胞,采用Western blotting及免疫荧光技术检测两组细胞γ-H2AX、RAD51和p21的情况。结果荧光显微镜观察两组细胞均有绿色荧光蛋白表达;CCK-8显示RNF20表达降低会促进胃癌细胞增殖;敲低组细胞中RNF20蛋白较对照组表达降低。与对照组相比,经20 J/m^(2)紫外线照射细胞后,敲低组γ-H2AX消失更加迟缓,RAD51蛋白表达降低,p21蛋白表达下降趋势更慢。结论RNF20敲低会抑制紫外线诱导的胃癌细胞DNA损伤修复过程。

DNA plasticity and damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis （ALS） is particularly challenging due to the heteroge- neity of its clinical presentation and the diversity of cellular, molecular and genetic peculiarities involved. Molecular insights unveiled several novel genetic factors to be inherent in both familial and sporadic dis- ease entities, whose characterizations in terms of phenotype prediction, pathophysiological impact and putative prognostic value are a topic of current researches. However, apart from genetically well-defined high-confidence and other susceptibility loci, the role of DNA damage and repair strategies of the genome as a whole, either elicited as a direct consequence of the underlying genetic mutation or seen as an autono- mous parameter, in the initiation and progression of ALS, and the different cues involved in either process are still incompletely understood. This mini review summarizes current knowledge on DNA alterations and counteracting DNA repair strategies in ALS pathology and discusses the putative role of unconventional DNA entities including transposable elements and extrachromosomal circular DNA in the disease process. Focus is set on SODl-related pathophysiology, with extension to FUS, TDP-43 and C90RF72 mutations. Advancing our knowledge in the field will contribute to an improved understanding of this relentless dis- ease, for which therapeutic options others than symptomatic approaches are almost unavailable.

The role of exercise in brain DNA damage

Cells are constantly subjected to cytotoxic and genotoxic insults resulting in the accumulation of unrepaired damaged DNA,which leads to neuronal death.In this way,DNA damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders,cancer,and aging.Lifestyle factors,such as physical exercise,are neuroprotective and increase brain function by improving cognition,learning,and memory,in addition to regulating the cellular redox milieu.Several mechanisms are associated with the effects of exercise in the brain,such as reduced production of oxidants,up-regulation of antioxidant capacity,and a consequent decrease in nuclear DNA damage.Furthermore,physical exercise is a potential strategy for further DNA damage repair.However,the neuroplasticity molecules that respond to different aspects of physical exercise remain unknown.In this review,we discuss the influence of exercise on DNA damage and adjacent mechanisms in the brain.We discuss the results of several studies that focus on the effects of physical exercise on brain DNA damage.

UbcH5a调控DNA损伤修复蛋白表达对食管癌细胞放射敏感性的影响

目的:构建过表达人泛素交联酶UbcH5a基因的稳定转染食管鳞癌EC109细胞株,研究UbcH5a影响食管癌放射敏感性的机制。方法:将EC109细胞分为空白对照组(不处理)、阴性对照组(转染pEGFP-C1质粒)和过表达组(转染pEGFP-UbcH5a质粒)。分别采用实时荧光定量PCR(RT-qPCR)和western blotting法检测UbcH5a mRNA及蛋白表达以验证转染效率,克隆形成实验检测2 Gy X线照射后的细胞存活分数(SF2),免疫荧光检测DNA损伤灶点,western blotting法检测DNA损伤修复相关蛋白(ATM、ATR、p-ATM、p-ATR、Chk1、Chk2和BRCA1)表达。结果:与空白对照组相比,过表达组UbcH5a mRNA及蛋白表达水平升高,SF2降低,DNA损伤灶点增多(均P<0.05),而阴性对照组无明显变化(P>0.05)。与阴性对照组相比,过表达组经X线照射前、后ATM、ATR、p-ATM、p-ATR、Chk1、Chk2和BRCA1表达均显著下调(均P<0.05)。结论:UbcH5a通过抑制DNA损伤修复相关蛋白表达来增强食管癌细胞的放射敏感性。

范可尼贫血:从遗传疾病到癌症关联的DNA修复通路探索与治疗展望

范可尼贫血(FA)是一种遗传性疾病,其特征包括骨髓衰竭、发育异常和易患癌症。这种疾病是由基因突变引起的,导致修复DNA链间交联(ICLs)异常。DNA损伤反应失调会导致基因组不稳定,增加突变率和致癌风险。FA通路是DNA损伤应答的重要组成部分,在DNA链间交联修复和基因组稳定性方面发挥着关键作用。任何一个编码FA蛋白的基因胚系突变都会导致FA。随着体细胞癌中FA基因表达异常的普遍发生和不断开展的FA通路激活与化疗耐药相关性的研究,FA通路与癌症之间的联系得到了进一步确认,并且基于FA通路基因缺陷的靶向治疗也在逐步开发和应用。本文综述了FA蛋白在ICLs修复、FA信号网络调节以及其在癌症发病和预后中的重要作用,并探讨了靶向FA途径的小分子抑制剂的潜在应用。

基于DNA损伤修复基因的膀胱癌预后风险模型构建及其在免疫治疗效果预测中的应用

目的本研究旨在探索构建一个基于DNA损伤修复相关基因(DDRGs)的预测膀胱癌患者生存预后及免疫治疗效果的风险模型。方法首先,从TCGA⁃BLCA数据集下载的RNA序列及临床信息,通过单变量Cox、最小绝对收缩与选择算法(LASSO)及多变量Cox分析,筛选出与DNA损伤修复相关的基因(DDRGs),构建预后风险模型;利用Kaplan⁃Meier生存曲线评估生存差异,通过接收者操作特征(ROC)曲线验证模型性能,并结合临床特征构建列线图进行验证。最后,对临床特征进行了分层分析,并进一步通过基因集富集分析(GSEA)、评估免疫状态和免疫检查点抑制剂(ICIs)的治疗效果。结果通过构建11个DNA损伤修复相关基因的风险模型,显示高风险得分的膀胱癌患者生存率明显低于低风险得分患者。免疫状态的分析揭示了高风险与低风险组之间存在显著差异,且低风险组患者对免疫检查点抑制剂的治疗效果更佳。结论基于DNA损伤修复构建的预后风险模型能有效预测膀胱癌患者的生存预后及其对免疫检查点抑制剂治疗的响应性。

DNA聚合酶η小分子抑制剂筛选

DNA损伤修复以及基因组稳定性维持对于动植物正常生长和防御逆境至关重要。针对DNA聚合酶错误掺入导致的基因组不稳定性,本研究以DNA聚合酶η为研究对象,通过计算分子模拟对接的方式,对其可能的小分子抑制剂进行筛选,并对其酶动力学参数进行测定。结果显示:脱氧腺苷三磷酸(deoxyadenosine triphosphate,d ATP)对DNA聚合酶η的活性具有抑制效果,使其延伸的相对效率为36%~42%。分子模拟对接和体外实验结果表明,相较于dATP(亲和力为-26.7 kJ/mol),环鸟苷酸-腺苷酸(cyclic GMP-AMP,cGAMP)与DNA聚合酶η具有更低的结合能(亲和力为-35.1 kJ/mol)。酶动力学参数测定结果也表明,相较于dATP,cGAMP具有更强的抑制能力且在浓度为0.5 mmol/L时达到最强(相对延伸效率为13%)。因此,本研究筛选获得了针对DNA聚合酶η的一种潜在的小分子抑制剂。同时,鉴于该蛋白质高表达导致细胞对抗肿瘤药物(DNA损伤剂)的耐受性,这为新型药物的开发提供了依据。

RNA甲基化修饰调控DNA损伤修复过程及其在肿瘤耐药中的作用

DNA损伤修复是指纠正DNA两条单链间错配的碱基、清除DNA链上受损的碱基、恢复DNA正常结构的过程。细胞内存在多种机制来应对不同类型的DNA损伤,同源重组修复便是重要的修复机制之一。在同源重组修复过程中,RNA的合成发挥着重要作用,而RNA甲基化修饰作为一个普遍存在于真核细胞中的调控机制,也参与了这一复杂的修复过程。肿瘤发生过程中普遍存在RNA甲基化修饰失调导致的DNA损伤累积,从而引起肿瘤的恶性转化。此外,RNA甲基化修饰还可以影响放化疗后细胞对DNA损伤的修复能力,使肿瘤细胞的放化疗敏感性发生改变,进而影响治疗效果。本文综述了目前已知的不同类型RNA甲基化修饰在DNA损伤修复过程中的作用,并进一步分析RNA甲基化修饰介导的DNA损伤修复异常在肿瘤临床诊断、预后判断和作为治疗靶点等方面的应用前景。

靶向DNA损伤修复通路的胰腺癌治疗策略

随着新的免疫治疗和靶向治疗的发展,其他肿瘤的预后明显得到改善。但胰腺癌的5年生存率一直维持在10%以下,是极具挑战性的恶性肿瘤,亟待寻找新的治疗策略。DNA损伤修复通路形成复杂的调控网络,其功能缺陷将导致肿瘤的发生,但同时增加对基因毒性药物及放射治疗的敏感性。DNA损伤修复通路的异常与恶性肿瘤的发展和肿瘤的耐药密切相关,而PARP抑制剂在BRCA1/2缺陷肿瘤中的成功应用,极大地促进了针对DNA损伤修复缺陷肿瘤的分子靶向治疗研究。除PARP抑制剂外,针对ATR、CHK1、WEE1、DNA-PK等DNA损伤修复的抑制剂均已进入临床试验。在转移性胰腺导管癌中发现,15%~20%的患者存在DNA损伤修复基因的体细胞突变或种系突变,然而其中的部分突变并不影响基因的功能。DNA损伤修复基因在胰腺癌等肿瘤中频繁发生表观遗传异常改变,深入研究其对DNA修复调控网络的影响,有望获得新的“协同致死”治疗策略。

Strategies for targeting the DNA damage response for cancer therapeutics

The DNA damage response is critical for cells to maintain genome stability and survival. In this review, we discuss approaches to targeting critical elements of the DNA damage response for radiosensitization and chemosensitization. In addition, we also discuss strategies for targeting DNA damage response and DNA repair defects in cancer cells for synthetic lethality.

基于DNA损伤修复基因构建AML预后预测模型

目的构建基于DNA损伤修复(DNA Damage Response,DDR)基因的急性髓系白血病(Acute Myeloid Leukemia,AML)预后模型,为探索AML基因稳定性和精准治疗提供理论依据。方法利用TCGA和GEO数据库分别下载训练集和验证集;利用MSigDB数据库的DDR通路基因,根据训练集中DDR基因表达水平与总生存(Overall survival,OS)相关系数,构建Lasso回归模型并得出特征基因;多因素COX回归得出每个基因的相关系数,并计算DDR评分(risk score);在训练集和验证集中分别根据DDR评分截断值,将2组病例分为高危组(high risk)和低危组(low risk),并对2组临床特征和预后进行比较;绘制受试者工作特征曲线(receiver operating characteristic curve,ROC)评价该DDR基因集的DDR评分预测OS的灵敏度和特异度。结果以TCGA(n=157)AML数据集作为训练集,建立Lasso回归模型后得到10个特征基因,将这10个特征基因合集命名为“DDR基因集”;高危组和低危组比较发现,高危组含ELN2017不良组(Adverse)病例比例更高(P<0.05);高危组OS较低危组明显缩短(P<0.05);年龄≥60岁(HR:2.853;95%CI:1.909~4.263),ELN2017危险度分层为不良组(HR:1.63;95%CI:1.059~2.511)以及高DDR评分(HR:3.137;95%CI:2.075~4.744)是影响OS的独立危险因素;验证集中发现高危组OS较低危组明显缩短(P<0.05);绘制TCGA数据集的ROC曲线显示:1年AUC=0.709,3年AUC=0.755和5年AUC=0.759。结论DDR基因集灵敏和稳健,DDR评分可用于临床预测AML的预后。

LncRNA HOTAIR promotes DNA damage repair and radioresistance by targeting ATR in colorectal cancer

Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been implicated in cancer progression and drug resistance development.Moreover,there is evidence that lncRNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA(HOTAIR)is involved in colorectal cancer(CRC)progression.The present study aimed to examine the functional role of lncRNA HOTAIR in conferring radiotherapy resistance in CRC cells,as well as the underlying mechanism.The relative expression levels of HOTAIR were examined in 70 pairs of CRC tumor and para-cancerous tissues,as well as in radiosensitive and radioresistant samples.The correlations between HOTAIR expression levels and clinical features of patients with CRC were assessed using the Chi-square test.Functional assays such as cell proliferation,colony formation and apoptosis assays were conducted to determine the radiosensitivity in CRC cells with HOTAIR silencing after treatment with different doses of radiation.RNA pull-down assay andfluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)were used to determine the interaction between HOTAIR and DNA damage response mediator ataxia-telangiectasia mutated-and Rad3-related(ATR).HOTAIR was significantly upregulated in CRC tumor tissues,especially in radioresistant tumor samples.The elevated expression of HOTAIR was correlated with more advanced histological grades,distance metastasis and the poor prognosis in patients with CRC.Silencing HOTAIR suppressed the proliferation and promoted apoptosis and radiosensitivity in CRC cells.HOTAIR knockdown also inhibited the tumorigenesis of CRC cells and enhanced the sensitivity to radiotherapy in a mouse xenograft model.Moreover,the data showed that HOTAIR could interact with ATR to regulate the DNA damage repair signaling pathway.Silencing HOTAIR impaired the ATR-ATR interacting protein(ATRIP)complex and signaling in cell cycle progression.Collectively,the present results indicate that lncRNA HOTAIR facilitates the DNA damage response pathway and promotes radioresistance in CRC cells by targeting ATR.