Project description:Most genotoxic anticancer agents fail in tumors with intact DNA repair. Therefore, trabectedin, a unique agent more toxic to cells with active DNA repair, specifically transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER), provides new therapeutic opportunities. To unlock the potential of trabectedin and inform its application in precision oncology, a full mechanistic understanding of the drug’s TC-NER-dependent toxicity is needed. Here, we determined that abortive TC-NER of trabectedin-DNA adducts forms persistent single-strand breaks (SSBs) by blocking the second of the two sequential NER incisions by XPG. We mapped the 3’-hydroxyl groups of SSBs originating from the first NER incision at trabectedin lesions, recording TC-NER on a genome-wide scale. We showed that trabectedin-induced SSBs primarily occur in transcribed strands of active genes and peak near transcription start sites. Frequent SSBs were also found outside gene bodies, revealing TC-NER connection to divergent transcription from promoters. This work advances trabectedin as a tool compound for precision oncology and for studying TC-NER and transcription.
Project description:Repair of UV damage from the transcribed strand (TS) of yeast genes is rapid due to the transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) pathway. TC-NER is triggered when RNA polymerase stalls at UV damage, such as a UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD). During transcription, the histone methyltransferase Set2 methylates histone H3K36, but it is not known if Set2 regulates TC-NER. Here, we report genome-wide repair maps of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in yeast cells lacking Set2.
Project description:We characterized the role of H3K36 methylation in regulating repair of UV damage from the transcribed strand (TS) of yeast genes by the transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) pathway. TC-NER is triggered when RNA polymerase stalls at UV damage, such as a UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD). During transcription, the histone methyltransferase Set2 methylates histone H3K36, but it is not known if H3K36 methylation regulates TC-NER. Here, we report genome-wide repair maps of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in yeast cells containing mutants in histone H3K36 (or set2).