DNA ligase III promotes alternative nonhomologous end-joining during chromosomal translocation formation Journal Article


Authors: Simsek, D.; Brunet, E.; Wong, S. Y. W.; Katyal, S.; Gao, Y.; McKinnon, P. J.; Lou, J.; Zhang, L.; Li, J.; Rebar, E. J.; Gregory, P. D.; Holmes, M. C.; Jasin, M.
Article Title: DNA ligase III promotes alternative nonhomologous end-joining during chromosomal translocation formation
Abstract: Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the primary DNA repair pathway thought to underlie chromosomal translocations and other genomic rearrangements in somatic cells. The canonical NHEJ pathway, including DNA ligase IV (Lig4), suppresses genomic instability and chromosomal translocations, leading to the notion that a poorly defined, alternative NHEJ (alt-NHEJ) pathway generates these rearrangements. Here, we investigate the DNA ligase requirement of chromosomal translocation formation in mouse cells. Mammals have two other DNA ligases, Lig1 and Lig3, in addition to Lig4. As deletion of Lig3 results in cellular lethality due to its requirement in mitochondria, we used recently developed cell lines deficient in nuclear Lig3 but rescued for mitochondrial DNA ligase activity. Further, zinc finger endonucleases were used to generate DNA breaks at endogenous loci to induce translocations. Unlike with Lig4 deficiency, which causes an increase in translocation frequency, translocations are reduced in frequency in the absence of Lig3. Residual translocations in Lig3-deficient cells do not show a bias toward use of pre-existing microhomology at the breakpoint junctions, unlike either wild-type or Lig4-deficient cells, consistent with the notion that alt-NHEJ is impaired with Lig3 loss. By contrast, Lig1 depletion in otherwise wild-type cells does not reduce translocations or affect microhomology use. However, translocations are further reduced in Lig3-deficient cells upon Lig1 knockdown, suggesting the existence of two alt-NHEJ pathways, one that is biased toward microhomology use and requires Lig3 and a back-up pathway which does not depend on microhomology and utilizes Lig1. © 2011 Simsek et al.
Keywords: controlled study; unclassified drug; gene deletion; nonhuman; animal cell; mouse; mammalia; cell death; gene; dna repair; embryo; protein depletion; gene locus; enzyme activity; wild type; dna strand breakage; chromosome translocation; endonuclease; ligase; polydeoxyribonucleotide synthase iv; nonhomologous end joining; polydeoxyribonucleotide synthase iii; polydeoxyribonucleotide synthase i; lig3 gene
Journal Title: PLoS Genetics
Volume: 7
Issue: 6
ISSN: 1553-7390
Publisher: Public Library of Science  
Date Published: 2011-06-01
Start Page: e1002080
Language: English
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002080
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC3107202
PUBMED: 21655080
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 17 August 2011" - "Art. No.: e1002080" - "Source: Scopus"
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MSK Authors
  1. Maria Jasin
    249 Jasin
  2. Deniz Simsek
    5 Simsek