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Nucleic Acids Res
2011 Aug 01;3914:5967-77. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkr216.
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Mechanistic analysis of Xenopus EXO1's function in 5'-strand resection at DNA double-strand breaks.
Liao S
,
Toczylowski T
,
Yan H
.
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The processing of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into 3' single-stranded tails is the first step of homology-dependent DSB repair. A key player in this process is the highly conserved eukaryotic exonuclease 1 (EXO1), yet its precise mechanism of action has not been rigorously determined. To address this issue, we reconstituted 5'-strand resection in cytosol derived from unfertilized interphase eggs of the frog Xenopus laevis. Xenopus EXO1 (xEXO1) was found to display strong 5'→3' dsDNA exonuclease activity but no significant ssDNA exonuclease activity. Depletion of xEXO1 caused significant inhibition of 5' strand resection. Co-depletion of xEXO1 and Xenopus DNA2 (xDNA2) showed that these two nucleases act in parallel pathways and by distinct mechanisms. While xDNA2 acts on ssDNA unwound mainly by the Xenopus Werner syndrome protein (xWRN), xEXO1 acts directly on dsDNA. Furthermore, xEXO1 and xWRN are required for both the initiation stage and the extension stage of resection. These results reveal important novel information on the mechanism of 5'-strand resection in eukaryotes.
Figure 1. Establishment of cytosol as a system for studying 5â²- strand processing. (A) A dideoxynucleotide at the 3â²-end blocks NHEJ. A 5.7âkb linear DNA (pBLP) with either dC or ddC at the 3â²- end was incubated in cytosol at 5âng/µl. Samples were taken at the indicated times, treated with SDSâproteinase K and separated on a 1% TAEâagarose gel. DNA was detected by SYBR Gold staining. L: linear substrate. S: supercoiled monomer product. Bracket: dimers, trimers and multimers. (B) Effect of DNA concentration on 5â²-strand processing. DNA with ddC-terminated 3â²-ends was incubated in cytosol at 5âng/µl and 1âng/µl concentrations. Samples were processed as in (A), transferred to a Nylon membrane, and detected by Southern hybridization with a 32P-labeled probe. L: liner substrate. Bracket: intermediates. (C) Differential fate of 5â²- and 3â² 32P-label during 5â² strand processing. 5â²- or 3â²-labeled DNA with ddC-terminated 3â²-ends was incubated in cytosol for the indicated times and separated by gel electrophoresis as in (A). The gel was dried and the 32P signal was detected by exposure to an X-ray film.
Figure 2. Characterization of xEXO1's nuclease activity. (A) A SDSâPAGE showing the purified recombinant wild-type and mutant xEXO1. (B) Nuclease assay of recombinant xEXO1 with different DNA substrates. The substrates were 48-mer oligonucleotides in either ss- or ds-form attached to magnetic beads, leaving the 5â²-end (of the 32P-labeled strand) accessible to the nuclease. After 1âh of incubation at room temperature, the reactions were terminated with 1% SDS, heated at 95°C for 15âmin, and then separated on an 8% TAEâPAGE. (C) Effect of RPA on the 5â²â3â² exonuclease activity of xEXO1. Different amounts of RPA and xEXO1 were incubated with the 32P-labeled 5â² accessible ss- or ds-48-mer beads for one hour at room temperature. The analysis was similar to that in (A). (D) Determination of the 3â²â5â² exonuclease activity of xEXO1. Four microliters of xEXO1 was incubated with 32P-labeled 3â² accessible ss- or ds-48-mer beads in the presence or absence of RPA (75ânM) at room temperature for 1âh. The analysis was similar to that in (A).
Figure 3. Effect of xEXO1 on 5â²-strand processing. (A) Detection of xEXO1 in cytosol and NPE by western blot with anti-xEXO1 bleed (immune) and pre-bleed (pre-immune). (B) Efficiency of xEXO1 depletion. The quantitation standards for western blot were untreated cytosol at different amounts relative the depleted cytosol. (C) Effect of xEXO1 depletion on 5â²-strand processing. 3â²-32P-labeled linear pBLP DNA with ddC-blocked ends (1âng/µl) was incubated in xEXO1-depleted or mock-depleted cytosol. Four additional reactions of xEXO1-depleted cytosol were supplemented two different levels of wild-type (wt) and mutant (mt) recombinant xEXO1. Samples taken at the indicated times were treated with SDSâproteinase K and separated on 1% TAEâagarose gel. The gel was stained with SYBR Gold and then dried for exposure to an X-ray film.
Figure 4. Effect of xEXO1 and xDNA2 co-depletion on 5â²-strand resection. (A) Efficiency of xEXO1 and xDNA2 depletion. The quantitation standards for western blot were untreated cytosol at different amounts relative the depleted cytosol. (B) Effect of xDNA2 single depletion on 5â²-strand processing in cytosol. The 3â²-32P-labeled linear pBLP DNA with ddC-blocked ends (1âng/µl) was incubated in mock-depleted cytosol or xDNA2-depleted cytosol (supplemented with either the ELB buffer or the purified xDNA2). Samples were taken at the indicated times, treated with SDSâproteinase K and analyzed on a 1% TAEâagarose gel. (C) Effect of xEXO1 and xDNA2 double depletion on 5â²-strand processing. Cytosol depleted of the indicated proteins was incubated with the 3â²-labeled ddC-blocked linear pBLP (1âng/µl). Samples taken at the indicated times were treated with SDSâProteinase K, separated on an 1% TAEâagarose gel, transferred to a Nylon membrane, and detected by Southern hybridization with a 32P-labeled probe. (D) Plot of the substrate remaining at the indicated times after incubation in the various depleted extract. The averages and standard deviations were derived from three sets of data.
Figure 5. Effect of xEXO1 and xDNA2 on 3â²-labeled ssDNA degradation. Linear ss-pBS DNA (2âng/µl) labeled with 32P at the 3â²-end was incubated in the indicated depleted cytosol or buffer. Samples taken at the indicated times were treated with SDSâproteinase K, separated on a 1% TAEâagarose gel, and detected by exposure to an X-ray film.
Figure 6. Effect of xEXO1 and xWRN co-depletion on 5â²-strand processing. (A) Western showing the depletion of xEXO1, xWRN, and xDNA2. (B) Effect of xWRN single depletion on 5â²-strand processing. The 3â²-32P-labeled linear pBLP DNA with ddC-blocked ends (1âng/µl) was incubated in mock-depleted cytosol or xWRN-depleted cytosol (supplemented with either buffer or the purified xWRN). Time points were treated with SDSâproteinase K and analyzed on a 1% TAEâagarose gel. (C) Effect of xEXO1-xWRN and xDNA2-xWRN double depletions on 5â²-strand processing. Cytosol depleted of the indicated proteins were incubated with the 3â²-32P-labeled and ddC-blocked linear pBLP (1âng/µl). The reactions were treated and analyzed similarly to that in (B). The percentage of remaining DNA substrate was calculated relative to the total input DNA.
Figure 7. Effect of xEXO1 and xWRN on the initiation of 5â²-strand processing. The 5â²-32P-labeled linear pBLP DNA with ddC-blocked ends (1âng/µl) was incubated with cytosol depleted of the indicated proteins. Samples were taken at the indicated times, treated with SDSâproteinase K, and analyzed by a 1% TAEâagarose gel. The percentage of 5â²-32P-label retained on the substrate was calculated relative the total input.
Figure 8. Model for the 5â²-strand-specific processing of DNA ends. xWRN-xDNA and xEXO1 constitute two parallel pathways. MRN and CtIP act with xWRN-xDNA2 and xEXO1 in the initiation step, but are dispensable after partial degradation of the 5â²-strand.
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