Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.31.1 (micrococcal nuclease)
 2,818 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is crucial for maintaining genome stability. Eukaryotic cells repair DSBs by both non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination. How chromatin structure is altered in response to DSBs and how such alterations influence DSB repair processes are important issues. In vertebrates, phosphorylation of the histone variant H2A.X occurs rapidly after DSB formation, spreads over megabase chromatin domains, and is required for stable accumulation of repair proteins at damage foci. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, phosphorylation of the two principal H2A species is also signalled by DSB formation, which spreads approximately 40 kb in either direction from the DSB. Here we show that near a DSB phosphorylation of H2A is followed by loss of histones H2B and H3 and increased sensitivity of chromatin to digestion by micrococcal nuclease; however, phosphorylation of H2A and nucleosome loss occur independently. The DNA damage sensor MRX is required for histone loss, which also depends on INO80, a nucleosome remodelling complex. The repair protein Rad51 (ref. 6) shows delayed recruitment to DSBs in the absence of histone loss, suggesting that MRX-dependent nucleosome remodelling regulates the accessibility of factors directly involved in DNA repair by homologous recombination. Thus, MRX may regulate two pathways of chromatin changes: nucleosome displacement for efficient recruitment of homologous recombination proteins; and phosphorylation of H2A, which modulates checkpoint responses to DNA damage.
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PMID:Chromatin remodelling at a DNA double-strand break site in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 1629 14

Much is known about the distal DNA damage repair response. In particular, many of the enzymes and auxiliary proteins that participate in DNA repair have been characterized. In addition, knowledge of signaling pathways activated in response to DNA damage is increasing. In contrast, comparatively less is known of DNA damage-sensing molecules or of the specific alterations to chromatin structure recognized by such DNA damage sensors. Thus, precisely how chromatin structure is altered in response to DNA damage and how such alterations regulate DNA repair processes remain important unanswered questions. In vertebrates, phosphorylation of the histone variant H2A.X occurs rapidly after double-strand break formation, extends over megabase chromatin domains, and is required for stable accumulation of repair proteins at damage foci. We have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced DNA single-strand breaks induce the incorporation of 32P specifically into histone H3. ADP-Ribosylation of histones may stimulate local chromatin relaxation to facilitate the repair process, and, indeed, histone ribosylation preceded DNA damage-induced histone H3 phosphorylation. However, H3 phosphorylation occurred concomitant with overall chromatin condensation, as revealed by decreased sensitivity of chromatin to digestion by micrococcal nuclease and by DAPI staining of nuclei. Inhibitors of the ERK and p38MAPK pathways and inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase all reduced ROS-induced H3 phosphorylation, chromatin condensation, and cell death. Precisely how changes in the post-translational modification of histone H3 regulate the survival response remains unclear. Attempts to determine the precise site of histone H3 phosphorylation, putative histone H3 kinases, and histone H3 interacting proteins are underway.
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PMID:Ros-induced histone modifications and their role in cell survival and cell death. 1714