Browsing by Subject "RPA"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Defining the Role of Lysine Acetylation in Regulating the Fidelity of DNA Synthesis
    (2020-12) Ononye, Onyekachi Ebelechukwu; Balakrishnan, Lata; Watson, John; Baucum, AJ; Turchi, John; Bochman, Matthew
    Accurate DNA replication is vital for maintaining genomic stability. Consequently, the machinery required to drive this process is designed to ensure the meticulous maintenance of information. However, random misincorporation of errors reduce the fidelity of the DNA and lead to pre-mature aging and age-related disorders such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Some of the incorporated errors are the result of the error prone DNA polymerase alpha (Pol α), which initiates synthesis on both the leading and lagging strand. Lagging strand synthesis acquires an increased number of polymerase α tracks because of the number of Okazaki fragments synthesized per round of the cell cycle (~50 million in mammalian cells). The accumulation of these errors invariably reduces the fidelity of the genome. Previous work has shown that these pol α tracks can be removed by two redundant pathways referred to as the short and long flap pathway. The long flap pathway utilizes a complex network of proteins to remove more of the misincorporated nucleotides than the short flap pathway which mediates the removal of shorter flaps. Lysine acetylation has been reported to modulate the function of the nucleases implicated in flap processing. The cleavage activity of the long flap pathway nuclease, Dna2, is stimulated by lysine acetylation while conversely lysine acetylation of the short flap pathway nuclease, FEN1, inhibits its activity. The major protein players implicated during Okazaki fragment processing (OFP) are known, however, the choice of the processing pathway and its regulation by lysine acetylation of its main players is yet unknown. This dissertation identifies three main findings: 1) Saccharomyces cerevisiae helicase, petite integration frequency (Pif1) is lysine acetylated by Esa1 and deacetylated by Rpd3 regulating its viability and biochemical properties including helicase, binding and ATPase activity ii) the single stranded DNA binding protein, human replication protein A (RPA) is modified by p300 and this modification stimulates its primary binding function and iii) lysine acetylated human RPA directs OFP towards the long flap pathway even for a subset of short flaps.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Identification of novel small molecule inhibitors of proteins required for genomic maintenance and stability
    (2010-06) Shuck, Sarah C.; Turchi, John J.; Kelley, Mark Richard, 1957-; Hurley, Thomas D., 1961-; Witzmann, F. A. (Frank A.)
    Targeting uncontrolled cell proliferation and resistance to DNA damaging chemotherapeutics using small molecule inhibitors of proteins involved in these pathways has significant potential in cancer treatment. Several proteins involved in genomic maintenance and stability have been implicated both in the development of cancer and the response to chemotherapeutic treatment. Replication Protein A, RPA, the eukaryotic single-strand DNA binding protein, is essential for genomic maintenance and stability via roles in both DNA replication and repair. Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group A, XPA, is required for nucleotide excision repair, the main pathway cells employ to repair bulky DNA adducts. Both of these proteins have been implicated in tumor progression and chemotherapeutic response. We have identified a novel small molecule that inhibits the in vitro and cellular ssDNA binding activity of RPA, prevents cell cycle progression, induces cytotoxicity and increases the efficacy of chemotherapeutic DNA damaging agents. These results provide new insight into the mechanism of RPA-ssDNA interactions in chromosome maintenance and stability. We have also identified small molecules that prevent the XPA-DNA interaction, which are being investigated for cellular and tumor activity. These results demonstrate the first molecularly targeted eukaryotic DNA binding inhibitors and reveal the utility of targeting a protein-DNA interaction as a therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Platinum-Induced Ubiquitination of Phosphorylated H2AX by RING1A is Mediated by Replication Protein A in Ovarian Cancer
    (American Association for Cancer Research, 2020-11) Sriramkumar, Shruthi; Matthews, Timothy D.; Ghobashi, Ahmed H.; Miller, Samuel A.; VanderVere-Carozza, Pamela S.; Pawelczak, Katherine S.; Nephew, Kenneth P.; Turchi, John J.; O’Hagan, Heather M.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Platinum resistance is a common occurrence in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and a major cause of ovarian cancer deaths. Platinum agents form DNA cross-links, which activate nucleotide excision repair (NER), Fanconi anemia, and homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathways. Chromatin modifications occur in the vicinity of DNA damage and play an integral role in the DNA damage response (DDR). Chromatin modifiers, including polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) members, and chromatin structure are frequently dysregulated in ovarian cancer and can potentially contribute to platinum resistance. However, the role of chromatin modifiers in the repair of platinum DNA damage in ovarian cancer is not well understood. We demonstrate that the PRC1 complex member RING1A mediates monoubiquitination of lysine 119 of phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AXub1) at sites of platinum DNA damage in ovarian cancer cells. After platinum treatment, our results reveal that NER and HRR both contribute to RING1A localization and γH2AX monoubiquitination. Importantly, replication protein A, involved in both NER and HRR, mediates RING1A localization to sites of damage. Furthermore, RING1A deficiency impairs the activation of the G2-M DNA damage checkpoint, reduces the ability of ovarian cancer cells to repair platinum DNA damage, and increases sensitivity to platinum. IMPLICATIONS: Elucidating the role of RING1A in the DDR to platinum agents will allow for the identification of therapeutic targets to improve the response of ovarian cancer to standard chemotherapy regimens.