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Transcriptionally active loci are particularly prone to breakage and mounting evidence suggests that DNA Double-Strand Breaks arising in active genes are handled by a dedicated repair pathway, Transcription-Coupled DSB Repair (TC-DSBR), that entails R-loop accumulation and dissolution. Here, we uncover a function for the Bloom RecQ DNA helicase (BLM) in TC-DSBR in human cells. BLM is recruited in a transcription dependent-manner at DSBs where it fosters resection, RAD51 binding and accurate Homologous Recombination repair. However, in an R-loop dissolution-deficient background, we find that BLM promotes cell death. We report that upon excessive RNA:DNA hybrid accumulation, DNA synthesis is enhanced at DSBs, in a manner that depends on BLM and POLD3. Altogether our work unveils a role for BLM at DSBs in active chromatin, and highlights the toxic potential of RNA:DNA hybrids that accumulate at transcription-associated DSBs.

The DNA damage response is essential to safeguard genome integrity. Although the contribution of chromatin in DNA repair has been investigated 1,2 , the contribution of chromosome folding to these processes remains unclear 3 . Here we report that, after the production of double-stranded breaks (DSBs) in mammalian cells, ATM drives the formation of a new chromatin compartment (D compartment) through the clustering of damaged topologically associating domains, decorated with γH2AX and 53BP1. This compartment forms by a mechanism that is consistent with polymer-polymer phase separation rather than liquid-liquid phase separation. The D compartment arises mostly in G1 phase, is independent of cohesin and is enhanced after pharmacological inhibition of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) or R-loop accumulation. Importantly, R-loop-enriched DNA-damage-responsive genes physically localize to the D compartment, and this contributes to their optimal activation, providing a function for DSB clustering in the DNA damage response. However, DSB-induced chromosome reorganization comes at the expense of an increased rate of translocations, also observed in cancer genomes. Overall, we characterize how DSB-induced compartmentalization orchestrates the DNA damage response and highlight the critical impact of chromosome architecture in genomic instability., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Dysregulations of lipid metabolism in the liver may trigger steatosis progression, leading to potentially severe clinical consequences such as nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLDs). Molecular mechanisms underlying liver lipogenesis are very complex and fine-tuned by chromatin dynamics and multiple key transcription factors. Here, we demonstrate that the nuclear factor HMGB1 acts as a strong repressor of liver lipogenesis. Mice with liver-specific Hmgb1 deficiency display exacerbated liver steatosis, while Hmgb1 -overexpressing mice exhibited a protection from fatty liver progression when subjected to nutritional stress. Global transcriptome and functional analysis revealed that the deletion of Hmgb1 gene enhances LXRα and PPARγ activity. HMGB1 repression is not mediated through nucleosome landscape reorganization but rather via a preferential DNA occupation in a region carrying genes regulated by LXRα and PPARγ. Together, these findings suggest that hepatocellular HMGB1 protects from liver steatosis development. HMGB1 may constitute a new attractive option to therapeutically target the LXRα-PPARγ axis during NAFLD.

The repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is essential for safeguarding genome integrity. When a DSB forms, the PI3K-related ATM kinase rapidly triggers the establishment of megabase-sized, chromatin domains decorated with phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX), which act as seeds for the formation of DNA-damage response foci 1 . It is unclear how these foci are rapidly assembled to establish a 'repair-prone' environment within the nucleus. Topologically associating domains are a key feature of 3D genome organization that compartmentalize transcription and replication, but little is known about their contribution to DNA repair processes 2,3 . Here we show that topologically associating domains are functional units of the DNA damage response, and are instrumental for the correct establishment of γH2AX-53BP1 chromatin domains in a manner that involves one-sided cohesin-mediated loop extrusion on both sides of the DSB. We propose a model in which H2AX-containing nucleosomes are rapidly phosphorylated as they actively pass by DSB-anchored cohesin. Our work highlights the importance of chromosome conformation in the maintenance of genome integrity and demonstrates the establishment of a chromatin modification by loop extrusion.

In eukaryotes, detection and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) operate within chromatin, an incredibly complex structure that tightly packages and regulates DNA metabolism. Chromatin participates in the repair of these lesions at multiple steps, from detection to genomic sequence recovery and chromatin is itself extensively modified during the repair process. In recent years, new methodologies and dedicated techniques have expanded the experimental toolbox, opening up a new era granting the high-resolution analysis of chromatin modifications at annotated DSBs in a genome-wide manner. A complex picture is starting to emerge whereby chromatin is altered at various scales around DSBs, in a manner that relates to the repair pathway used, hence defining a 'repair histone code'. Here, we review the recent advances regarding our knowledge of the chromatin landscape induced in cis around DSBs, with an emphasis on histone post-translational modifications and histone variants., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are extremely detrimental DNA lesions that can lead to cancer-driving mutations and translocations. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) represent the two main repair pathways operating in the context of chromatin to ensure genome stability. Despite extensive efforts, our knowledge of DSB-induced chromatin still remains fragmented. Here, we describe the distribution of 20 chromatin features at multiple DSBs spread throughout the human genome using ChIP-seq. We provide the most comprehensive picture of the chromatin landscape set up at DSBs and identify NHEJ- and HR-specific chromatin events. This study revealed the existence of a DSB-induced monoubiquitination-to-acetylation switch on histone H2B lysine 120, likely mediated by the SAGA complex, as well as higher-order signaling at HR-repaired DSBs whereby histone H1 is evicted while ubiquitin and 53BP1 accumulate over the entire γH2AX domains., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia 2 (AOA-2) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS4) are neurological disorders caused by mutations in the gene encoding for senataxin (SETX), a putative RNA:DNA helicase involved in transcription and in the maintenance of genome integrity. Here, using ChIP followed by high throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), we report that senataxin is recruited at DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) when they occur in transcriptionally active loci. Genome-wide mapping unveiled that RNA:DNA hybrids accumulate on DSB-flanking chromatin but display a narrow, DSB-induced, depletion near DNA ends coinciding with senataxin binding. Although neither required for resection nor for timely repair of DSBs, senataxin was found to promote Rad51 recruitment, to minimize illegitimate rejoining of distant DNA ends and to sustain cell viability following DSB production in active genes. Our data suggest that senataxin functions at DSBs in order to limit translocations and ensure cell viability, providing new insights on AOA2/ALS4 neuropathies.

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) has been known for decades as the main kinase mediating the DNA Double-Strand Break Response (DDR). Extensive studies have revealed its dual role in locally promoting detection and repair of DSBs as well as in activating global DNA damage checkpoints. However, recent studies pinpoint additional unanticipated functions for ATM in modifying both the local chromatin landscape and the global chromosome organization, more particularly at persistent breaks. Given the emergence of a novel and unexpected class of DSBs prevalently arising in transcriptionally active genes and intrinsically difficult to repair, a specific role of ATM at refractory DSBs could be an important and so far overlooked feature of Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) a severe disorder associated with ATM mutations., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Upon DNA damage, histone modifications are dynamically reshaped to accommodate DNA damage signaling and repair within chromatin. In this study, we report the identification of the histone demethylase KDM5A as a key regulator of the bromodomain protein ZMYND8 and NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation) complex in the DNA damage response. We observe KDM5A-dependent H3K4me3 demethylation within chromatin near DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites. Mechanistically, demethylation of H3K4me3 is required for ZMYND8-NuRD binding to chromatin and recruitment to DNA damage. Functionally, KDM5A deficiency results in impaired transcriptional silencing and repair of DSBs by homologous recombination. Thus, this study identifies a crucial function for KDM5A in demethylating H3K4 to allow ZMYND8-NuRD to operate within damaged chromatin to repair DSBs., (© 2017 Gong et al.)

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) elicit the so-called DNA damage response (DDR), largely relying on ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), two members of the PI3K-like kinase family, whose respective functions during the sequential steps of the DDR remains controversial. Using the DIvA system (DSB inducible via AsiSI) combined with high-resolution mapping and advanced microscopy, we uncovered that both ATM and DNA-PKcs spread in cis on a confined region surrounding DSBs, independently of the pathway used for repair. However, once recruited, these kinases exhibit non-overlapping functions on end joining and γH2AX domain establishment. More specifically, we found that ATM is required to ensure the association of multiple DSBs within "repair foci." Our results suggest that ATM acts not only on chromatin marks but also on higher-order chromatin organization to ensure repair accuracy and survival., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dendritic cells (DCs) direct CD4(+) T-cell differentiation into diverse helper (Th) subsets that are required for protection against varied infections. However, the mechanisms used by DCs to promote Th2 responses, which are important both for immunity to helminth infection and in allergic disease, are currently poorly understood. We demonstrate a key role for the protein methyl-CpG-binding domain-2 (Mbd2), which links DNA methylation to repressive chromatin structure, in regulating expression of a range of genes that are associated with optimal DC activation and function. In the absence of Mbd2, DCs display reduced phenotypic activation and a markedly impaired capacity to initiate Th2 immunity against helminths or allergens. These data identify an epigenetic mechanism that is central to the activation of CD4(+) T-cell responses by DCs, particularly in Th2 settings, and reveal methyl-CpG-binding proteins and the genes under their control as possible therapeutic targets for type-2 inflammation.

How chromatin shapes pathways that promote genome-epigenome integrity in response to DNA damage is an issue of crucial importance. We report that human bromodomain (BRD)-containing proteins, the primary "readers" of acetylated chromatin, are vital for the DNA damage response (DDR). We discovered that more than one-third of all human BRD proteins change localization in response to DNA damage. We identified ZMYND8 (zinc finger and MYND [myeloid, Nervy, and DEAF-1] domain containing 8) as a novel DDR factor that recruits the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation (NuRD) complex to damaged chromatin. Our data define a transcription-associated DDR pathway mediated by ZMYND8 and the NuRD complex that targets DNA damage, including when it occurs within transcriptionally active chromatin, to repress transcription and promote repair by homologous recombination. Thus, our data identify human BRD proteins as key chromatin modulators of the DDR and provide novel insights into how DNA damage within actively transcribed regions requires chromatin-binding proteins to orchestrate the appropriate response in concordance with the damage-associated chromatin context., (© 2015 Gong et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

Background: Trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) accumulates at promoters in a gene activity-dependent manner. The Set1 complex is responsible for most H3K4me3 in somatic cells and contains the conserved subunit Cfp1, which is implicated in targeting the Set1 complex to CpG islands in mammals. In mouse embryonic stem cells, Cfp1 is necessary for H3K4me3 accumulation at constitutively active gene promoters, but is not required to maintain steady-state transcription of the associated gene., Results: Here we show that Cfp1 is instrumental for targeting H3K4me3 to promoters upon rapid transcriptional induction in response to external stimuli. Surprisingly, H3K4me3 accumulation is not required to ensure appropriate transcriptional output but rather plays gene-specific roles. We also show that Cfp1-dependent H3K4me3 deposition contributes to H3K9 acetylation genome-wide, suggesting that Cfp1-dependent H3K4me3 regulates overall H3K9 acetylation dynamics and is necessary for histone acetyl transferase recruitment. Finally, we observe increased antisense transcription at the start and end of genes that require Cfp1 for accurate deposition of H3K4me3 and H3K9ac., Conclusions: Our results assign a key role for Cfp1 in establishing a complex active promoter chromatin state and shed light on how chromatin signaling pathways provide context-dependent transcriptional outcomes.

Tumourigenic transformation of normal cells into cancer typically involves several steps resulting in acquisition of unlimited growth potential, evasion of apoptosis and non-responsiveness to growth inhibitory signals. Both genetic and epigenetic changes can contribute to cancer development and progression. Given the vast genetic heterogeneity of human cancers and difficulty to monitor cancer-initiating events in vivo, the precise relationship between acquisition of genetic mutations and the temporal progression of epigenetic alterations in transformed cells is largely unclear. Here, we use an in vitro model system to investigate the contribution of cellular immortality and oncogenic transformation of primary human cells to epigenetic reprogramming of DNA methylation and gene expression. Our data demonstrate that extension of replicative life span of the cells is sufficient to induce accumulation of DNA methylation at gene promoters and large-scale changes in gene expression in a time-dependent manner. In contrast, continuous expression of cooperating oncogenes in immortalized cells, although essential for anchorage-independent growth and evasion of apoptosis, does not affect de novo DNA methylation at promoters and induces subtle expression changes. Taken together, these observations imply that cellular immortality promotes epigenetic adaptation to highly proliferative state, whereas transforming oncogenes confer additional properties to transformed human cells.

Background: Cell-specific gene expression is controlled by epigenetic modifications and transcription factor binding. While genome-wide maps for these protein-DNA interactions have become widely available, quantitative comparison of the resulting ChIP-Seq data sets remains challenging. Current approaches to detect differentially bound or modified regions are mainly borrowed from RNA-Seq data analysis, thus focusing on total counts of fragments mapped to a region, ignoring any information encoded in the shape of the peaks., Results: Here, we present MMDiff, a robust, broadly applicable method for detecting differences between sequence count data sets. Based on quantifying shape changes in signal profiles, it overcomes challenges imposed by the highly structured nature of the data and the paucity of replicates.We first use a simulated data set to compare the performance of MMDiff with results obtained by four alternative methods. We demonstrate that MMDiff excels when peak profiles change between samples. We next use MMDiff to re-analyse a recent data set of the histone modification H3K4me3 elucidating the establishment of this prominent epigenomic marker. Our empirical analysis shows that the method yields reproducible results across experiments, and is able to detect functional important changes in histone modifications. To further explore the broader applicability of MMDiff, we apply it to two ENCODE data sets: one investigating the histone modification H3K27ac and one measuring the genome-wide binding of the transcription factor CTCF. In both cases, MMDiff proves to be complementary to count-based methods. In addition, we can show that MMDiff is capable of directly detecting changes of homotypic binding events at neighbouring binding sites. MMDiff is readily available as a Bioconductor package., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that higher order features of ChIP-Seq peaks carry relevant and often complementary information to total counts, and hence are important in assessing differential histone modifications and transcription factor binding. We have developed a new computational method, MMDiff, that is capable of exploring these features and therefore closes an existing gap in the analysis of ChIP-Seq data sets.

Trimethylation of histone H3 Lys 4 (H3K4me3) is a mark of active and poised promoters. The Set1 complex is responsible for most somatic H3K4me3 and contains the conserved subunit CxxC finger protein 1 (Cfp1), which binds to unmethylated CpGs and links H3K4me3 with CpG islands (CGIs). Here we report that Cfp1 plays unanticipated roles in organizing genome-wide H3K4me3 in embryonic stem cells. Cfp1 deficiency caused two contrasting phenotypes: drastic loss of H3K4me3 at expressed CGI-associated genes, with minimal consequences for transcription, and creation of "ectopic" H3K4me3 peaks at numerous regulatory regions. DNA binding by Cfp1 was dispensable for targeting H3K4me3 to active genes but was required to prevent ectopic H3K4me3 peaks. The presence of ectopic peaks at enhancers often coincided with increased expression of nearby genes. This suggests that CpG targeting prevents "leakage" of H3K4me3 to inappropriate chromatin compartments. Our results demonstrate that Cfp1 is a specificity factor that integrates multiple signals, including promoter CpG content and gene activity, to regulate genome-wide patterns of H3K4me3.

MBD1, a member of the methyl-CpG-binding domain family of proteins, has been reported to repress transcription of methylated and unmethylated promoters. As some MBD1 isoforms contain two DNA-binding domains-an MBD, which recognizes methylated DNA; and a CXXC3 zinc finger, which binds unmethylated CpG-it is unclear whether these two domains function independently of each other or if they cooperate in facilitating recruitment of MBD1 to particular genomic loci. In this report we investigate DNA-binding specificity of MBD and CXXC3 domains in vitro and in vivo. We find that the methyl-CpG-binding domain of MBD1 binds more efficiently to methylated DNA within a specific sequence context. We identify genes that are targeted by MBD1 in human cells and demonstrate that a functional MBD domain is necessary and sufficient for recruitment of MBD1 to specific sites at these loci, while DNA binding by the CXXC3 motif is largely dispensable. In summary, the binding preferences of MBD1, although dependent upon the presence of methylated DNA, are clearly distinct from those of other methyl-CpG-binding proteins, MBD2 and MeCP2.

CpG islands (CGIs) are prominent in the mammalian genome owing to their GC-rich base composition and high density of CpG dinucleotides. Most human gene promoters are embedded within CGIs that lack DNA methylation and coincide with sites of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3), irrespective of transcriptional activity. In spite of these intriguing correlations, the functional significance of non-methylated CGI sequences with respect to chromatin structure and transcription is unknown. By performing a search for proteins that are common to all CGIs, here we show high enrichment for Cfp1, which selectively binds to non-methylated CpGs in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of a mono-allelically methylated CGI confirmed that Cfp1 specifically associates with non-methylated CpG sites in vivo. High throughput sequencing of Cfp1-bound chromatin identified a notable concordance with non-methylated CGIs and sites of H3K4me3 in the mouse brain. Levels of H3K4me3 at CGIs were markedly reduced in Cfp1-depleted cells, consistent with the finding that Cfp1 associates with the H3K4 methyltransferase Setd1 (refs 7, 8). To test whether non-methylated CpG-dense sequences are sufficient to establish domains of H3K4me3, we analysed artificial CpG clusters that were integrated into the mouse genome. Despite the absence of promoters, the insertions recruited Cfp1 and created new peaks of H3K4me3. The data indicate that a primary function of non-methylated CGIs is to genetically influence the local chromatin modification state by interaction with Cfp1 and perhaps other CpG-binding proteins.

We have recently described an evolutionarily conserved protein motif, designated the THAP domain, which defines a previously uncharacterized family of cellular factors (THAP proteins). The THAP domain exhibits similarities to the site-specific DNA-binding domain of Drosophila P element transposase, including a putative metal-coordinating C2CH signature (CX(2-4)CX(35-53)CX(2)H). In this article, we report a comprehensive list of approximately 100 distinct THAP proteins in model animal organisms, including human nuclear proapoptotic factors THAP1 and DAP4/THAP0, transcriptional repressor THAP7, zebrafish orthologue of cell cycle regulator E2F6, and Caenorhabditis elegans chromatin-associated protein HIM-17 and cell-cycle regulators LIN-36 and LIN-15B. In addition, we demonstrate the biochemical function of the THAP domain as a zinc-dependent sequence-specific DNA-binding domain belonging to the zinc-finger superfamily. In vitro binding-site selection allowed us to identify an 11-nucleotide consensus DNA-binding sequence specifically recognized by the THAP domain of human THAP1. Mutations of single nucleotide positions in this sequence abrogated THAP-domain binding. Experiments with the zinc chelator 1,10-o-phenanthroline revealed that the THAP domain is a zinc-dependent DNA-binding domain. Site-directed mutagenesis of single cysteine or histidine residues supported a role for the C2CH motif in zinc coordination and DNA-binding activity. The four other conserved residues (P, W, F, and P), which define the THAP consensus sequence, were also found to be required for DNA binding. Together with previous genetic data obtained in C. elegans, our results suggest that cellular THAP proteins may function as zinc-dependent sequence-specific DNA-binding factors with roles in proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, chromosome segregation, chromatin modification, and transcriptional regulation.

Promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies (PML NBs) are discrete subnuclear domains organized by the promyelocytic leukemia protein PML, a tumor suppressor essential for multiple apoptotic pathways. We have recently described a novel family of cellular factors, the THAP proteins, characterized by the presence at their amino-terminus of an evolutionary conserved putative DNA-binding motif, designated THAP domain. Here, we report that THAP1 is a novel nuclear proapoptotic factor associated with PML NBs, which potentiates both serum withdrawal- and TNF alpha-induced apoptosis, and interacts with prostate-apoptosis-response-4 (Par-4), a well characterized proapoptotic factor, previously linked to prostate cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. We show that endogenous Par-4 colocalizes with ectopic THAP1 within PML NBs in primary endothelial cells and fibroblasts. In addition, we found that Par-4 is a component of PML NBs in blood vessels, a major site of PML expression in vivo. Finally, we investigated the role of the THAP domain in THAP1 activities and found that this putative DNA-binding domain is not required for Par-4 binding and localization within PML NBs, but is essential for THAP1 proapoptotic activity. Together, our results provide an unexpected link between a nuclear factor of the THAP family, the proapoptotic protein Par-4 and PML nuclear bodies.

We have identified a novel evolutionarily conserved protein motif - designated the THAP domain - that defines a new family of cellular factors. We have found that the THAP domain presents striking similarities with the site-specific DNA-binding domain (DBD) of Drosophila P element transposase, including a similar size, N-terminal location, and conservation of the residues that define the THAP motif, such as the C2CH signature (Cys-Xaa(2-4)-Cys-Xaa(35-50)-Cys-Xaa(2)-His). Our results suggest that the THAP domain is a novel example of a DBD that is shared between cellular proteins and transposases from mobile genomic parasites.