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Background: Charged-particle radiotherapy is an emerging treatment modality for radioresistant tumors. The enhanced effectiveness of high-energy particles (such as heavy ions) has been related to the spatial clustering of DNA lesions due to highly localized energy deposition. Here, DNA damage patterns induced by single and multiple carbon ions were analyzed in the nuclear chromatin environment by different high-resolution microscopy approaches., Material and Methods: Using the heavy-ion microbeam SNAKE, fibroblast monolayers were irradiated with defined numbers of carbon ions (1/10/100 ions per pulse, ipp) focused to micrometer-sized stripes or spots. Radiation-induced lesions were visualized as DNA damage foci (γH2AX, 53BP1) by conventional fluorescence and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. At micro- and nanoscale level, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were visualized within their chromatin context by labeling the Ku heterodimer. Single and clustered pKu70-labeled DSBs were quantified in euchromatic and heterochromatic regions at 0.1 h, 5 h and 24 h post-IR by transmission electron microscopy (TEM)., Results: Increasing numbers of carbon ions per beam spot enhanced spatial clustering of DNA lesions and increased damage complexity with two or more DSBs in close proximity. This effect was detectable in euchromatin, but was much more pronounced in heterochromatin. Analyzing the dynamics of damage processing, our findings indicate that euchromatic DSBs were processed efficiently and repaired in a timely manner. In heterochromatin, by contrast, the number of clustered DSBs continuously increased further over the first hours following IR exposure, indicating the challenging task for the cell to process highly clustered DSBs appropriately., Conclusion: Increasing numbers of carbon ions applied to sub-nuclear chromatin regions enhanced the spatial clustering of DSBs and increased damage complexity, this being more pronounced in heterochromatic regions. Inefficient processing of clustered DSBs may explain the enhanced therapeutic efficacy of particle-based radiotherapy in cancer treatment.

Exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight creates DNA lesions, which if left unrepaired can induce mutations and contribute to skin cancer. The two most common UV-induced DNA lesions are the cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PPs), both of which can initiate mutations. Interestingly, mutation frequency across the genomes of many cancers is heterogenous with significant increases in heterochromatin. Corresponding increases in UV lesion susceptibility and decreases in repair are observed in heterochromatin versus euchromatin. However, the individual contributions of CPDs and 6-4PPs to mutagenesis have not been systematically examined in specific genomic and epigenomic contexts. In this study, we compared genome-wide maps of 6-4PP and CPD lesion abundances in primary cells and conducted comprehensive analyses to determine the genetic and epigenetic features associated with susceptibility. Overall, we found a high degree of similarity between 6-4PP and CPD formation, with an enrichment of both in heterochromatin regions. However, when examining the relative levels of the two UV lesions, we found that bivalent and Polycomb-repressed chromatin states were uniquely more susceptible to 6-4PPs. Interestingly, when comparing UV susceptibility and repair with melanoma mutation frequency in these regions, disparate patterns were observed in that susceptibility was not always inversely associated with repair and mutation frequency. Functional enrichment analysis hint at mechanisms of negative selection for these regions that are essential for cell viability, immune function and induce cell death when mutated. Ultimately, these results reveal both the similarities and differences between UV-induced lesions that contribute to melanoma., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

One of the most sensitive, time-consuming, and variable steps of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is chromatin sonication. Traditionally, this process can take hours to properly sonicate enough chromatin for multiple ChIP assays. Further, the length of sheared DNA is often inconsistent. In order to faithfully measure chemical and structural changes at the chromatin level, sonication needs to be reliable. Thus, chromatin fragmentation by sonication represents a significant bottleneck to downstream quantitative analysis. To improve the consistency and efficiency of chromatin sonication, we developed and tested a cavitation enhancing reagent based on sonically active nanodroplets. Here, we show that nanodroplets increase sonication efficiency by 16-fold and provide more consistent levels of chromatin fragmentation. Using the previously characterized chromatin in vivo assay (CiA) platform, we generated two distinct chromatin states in order to test nanodroplet-assisted sonication sensitivity in measuring post-translational chromatin marks. By comparing euchromatin to chemically induced heterochromatin at the same CiA:Oct4 locus, we quantitatively measure the capability of our new sonication technique to resolve differences in chromatin structure. We confirm that nanodroplet-assisted sonication results are indistinguishable from those of samples processed with traditional sonication in downstream applications. While the processing time for each sample was reduced from 38.4 to 2.3 min, DNA fragment distribution sizes were significantly more consistent with a coefficient of variation 2.7 times lower for samples sonicated in the presence of nanodroplets. In conclusion, sonication utilizing the nanodroplet cavitation enhancement reagent drastically reduces the amount of processing time and provides consistently fragmented chromatin of high quality for downstream applications.

Non-coding DNA comprises a very large proportion of the total genomic content in higher organisms, but its function remains largely unclear. Non-coding DNA sequences constitute the majority of peripheral heterochromatin, which has been hypothesized to be the genome's 'bodyguard' against DNA damage from chemicals and radiation for almost four decades. The bodyguard protective function of peripheral heterochromatin in genome defense has been strengthened by the results from numerous recent studies, which are summarized in this review. These data have suggested that cells and/or organisms with a higher level of heterochromatin and more non-coding DNA sequences, including longer telomeric DNA and rDNAs, exhibit a lower frequency of DNA damage, higher radioresistance and longer lifespan after IR exposure. In addition, the majority of heterochromatin is peripherally located in the three-dimensional structure of genome organization. Therefore, the peripheral heterochromatin with non-coding DNA could play a protective role in genome defense against DNA damage from ionizing radiation by both absorbing the radicals from water radiolysis in the cytosol and reducing the energy of IR. However, the bodyguard protection by heterochromatin has been challenged by the observation that DNA damage is less frequently detected in peripheral heterochromatin than in euchromatin, which is inconsistent with the expectation and simulation results. Previous studies have also shown that the DNA damage in peripheral heterochromatin is rarely repaired and moves more quickly, broadly and outwardly to approach the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Additionally, it has been shown that extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs) are formed in the nucleus, highly detectable in the cytoplasm (particularly under stress conditions) and shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Based on these studies, this review speculates that the sites of DNA damage in peripheral heterochromatin could occur more frequently and may be removed by repetitive elements in non-coding DNA through the formation of eccDNAs and expelled out of the nucleus to the cytoplasm via the NPC. Therefore, this review proposes that the genome and central protein-coding sequences are doubly protected by non-coding DNA in peripheral heterochromatin against DNA damage from radiation, which may be a novel protective role of non-coding DNA in genome defense., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Repair of double strand breaks (DSBs) is essential for cell survival and genome integrity. While much is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in DSB repair and checkpoint activation, the roles of nuclear dynamics of radiation-induced foci (RIF) in DNA repair are just beginning to emerge. Here, we summarize results from recent studies that point to distinct features of these dynamics in two different chromatin environments: heterochromatin and euchromatin. We also discuss how nuclear architecture and chromatin components might control these dynamics, and the need of novel quantification methods for a better description and interpretation of these phenomena. These studies are expected to provide new biomarkers for radiation risk and new strategies for cancer detection and treatment., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated by ionizing radiation pose a serious threat to the preservation of genetic and epigenetic information. The known importance of local chromatin configuration in DSB repair raises the question of whether breaks in different chromatin environments are recognized and repaired by the same repair machinery and with similar efficiency. An essential step in DSB processing by non-homologous end joining is the high-affinity binding of Ku70-Ku80 and DNA-PKcs to double-stranded DNA ends that holds the ends in physical proximity for subsequent repair., Methods and Materials: Using transmission electron microscopy to localize gold-labeled pKu70 and pDNA-PKcs within nuclear ultrastructure, we monitored the formation and repair of actual DSBs within euchromatin (electron-lucent) and heterochromatin (electron-dense) in cortical neurons of irradiated mouse brain., Results: While DNA lesions in euchromatin (characterized by two pKu70-gold beads, reflecting the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer) are promptly sensed and rejoined, DNA packaging in heterochromatin appears to retard DSB processing, due to the time needed to unravel higher-order chromatin structures. Complex pKu70-clusters formed in heterochromatin (consisting of 4 or ≥ 6 gold beads) may represent multiple breaks in close proximity caused by ionizing radiation of highly-compacted DNA. All pKu70-clusters disappeared within 72 hours post-irradiation, indicating efficient DSB rejoining. However, persistent 53BP1 clusters in heterochromatin (comprising ≥ 10 gold beads), occasionally co-localizing with γH2AX, but not pKu70 or pDNA-PKcs, may reflect incomplete or incorrect restoration of chromatin structure rather than persistently unrepaired DNA damage., Discussion: Higher-order organization of chromatin determines the accessibility of DNA lesions to repair complexes, defining how readily DSBs are detected and processed. DNA lesions in heterochromatin appear to be more complex, with multiple breaks in spatial vicinity inducing severe chromatin disruptions. Imperfect restoration of chromatin configurations may leave DSB-induced epigenetic memory of damage with potentially pathological repercussions.

The central dogma in radiation biology is that nuclear DNA is the critical target with respect to radiosensitivity. In accordance with the theoretical expectations, and in the absence of a conclusive model, the general consensus in the field has been to view chromatin as a homogeneous template for DNA damage and repair. This paradigm has been called into question by recent findings indicating a disparity in gamma-irradiation-induced gammaH2AX foci formation in euchromatin and heterochromatin. Here, we have extended those studies and provide evidence that gammaH2AX foci form preferentially in actively transcribing euchromatin following gamma-irradiation.

Epigenetic regulation of chromatin structure is central to the process of DNA repair. A well-characterized epigenetic feature is the dynamic phosphorylation of the histone H2AX (gammaH2AX) and mobilization of double strand break (DSB) recognition and repair factors to the site. How chromatin structure is altered in response to DNA damage and how such alterations influence DSB repair mechanisms are currently relevant issues. Despite the clear link between histone deacetylases (HDACs) and radiosensitivity, how histone hyperacetylation influence DSB repair remains poorly understood. We have determined the structure of chromatin is a major factor determining radiosensitivity and repair in human cells. Trichostatin A (TSA) enhances radiosensitivity with dose modification factors of 1.2 and 1.9 at 0.2 and 1 microM, respectively. Cells treated with TSA causing hyperacetylation and remodelling on euchromatic alleles coexist with gammaH2AX accumulation in radiosensitized cells. Formation of gammaH2AX on heterochromatin was significantly reduced even when cells were treated with TSA, suggesting that chromatin structure and histone hyperacetylation are pronounced features of radiation sensitivity and repair in euchromatic regions.

The constitutively heterochromatic 1q12 band and the primarily euchromatic 17cen-p53 region comprise a similar size in terms of percentage of the total human genome but have a completely distinguishable chromatin structure. The aim of this study is to unravel whether this structural difference has an impact on the formation and processing of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. To do so, we have analysed the initial induction and the long-term persistence of radiation-induced (3 Gy gamma-rays) chromosomal aberrations with breakpoints in either the 1q12 band or the 17cen-p53 region in comparison with the behaviour of the overall genome. The fusigenic potential of euchromatic and heterochromatic ends was also compared. This time course experiment was performed in a human lymphoblastoid cell line with sampling times at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 56 days after irradiation. The outcome of this study, with 68 000 metaphases studied by multicolour FISH, with centromeric (1cen and 17cen), paracentric (1q12) and locus specific (p53 gene) probes, revealed: (i) a similar radiosensitivity of all regions analysed irrespective of their chromatin configuration; (ii) a possible enhanced fusigenic potential of heterochromatic chromosome ends; (iii) a rapid decline of 1q12 translocations; and (iv) a similar long-term behaviour of translocations involving 1q12 and 17cen-p53. The implications of these findings in biomonitoring studies are discussed.