Project description:Common fragile sites (CFSs) are genomic loci prone to the formation of breaks or gaps on metaphase chromosomes. Here, we seek to map human CFSs with high resolution on a genome-wide scale by sequencing the sites of mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDASeq) that are specific for CFSs. We generated a nucleotide-resolution atlas of MiDAS sites (MDSs) that covered most of know CFSs, and comprehensively analyzed their sequence characteristics and genomic features.
Project description:Common fragile sites (CFSs) are genomic loci prone to the formation of breaks or gaps on metaphase chromosomes. Here, we seek to map human CFSs with high resolution on a genome-wide scale by sequencing the sites of mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDASeq) that are specific for CFSs. We generated a nucleotide-resolution atlas of MiDAS sites (MDSs) that covered most of know CFSs, and comprehensively analyzed their sequence characteristics and genomic features.
Project description:Common fragile sites (CFSs) are genomic loci prone to the formation of breaks or gaps on metaphase chromosomes. Here, we seek to map human CFSs with high resolution on a genome-wide scale by sequencing the sites of mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDASeq) that are specific for CFSs. We generated a nucleotide-resolution atlas of MiDAS sites (MDSs) that covered most of know CFSs, and comprehensively analyzed their sequence characteristics and genomic features.
Project description:Map the histone H3K9/14 acetylation regions of in human cells at 7 common fragile sites and their flanking non-fragile sequences as well as a 200kb containing the rare fragile site FRAXA, a 1,075kb non-fragile region on chr22, a hyperacetylated region HALPHA44, and a heterochromatic region HET405. The acetylated regions were mapped in untreated, aphidicolin(APH)-treated, trichostatin(TSA)-treated, and TSA plus APH-treated cells by combining the chromatin-immunoprecipitation with a tiled microarray platform (ChIP-chip).
Project description:Deregulation of origin firing and licensing, shortage of deoxyribonucleotides in the cell and interference between transcription and replication are among the causes of DNA replication stress in cancer cells. This leads in various ways (notably, through common fragile sites expression and uncomplete replication of late-replicating regions of the genome during S phase) to the necessity of finishing DNA replication in mitosis by a mechanisms called Mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS), which is related to Break-Induced Replication (BIR). Even if it is of primary importance for cancer cells, the molecular mechanism of MiDAS, and generally of BIR, is not yet well understood. Recently, the third subunit of the eukaryotic DNA polymerase delta (POLD3) has been recognized as a key player of BIR, though its role is not yet clear. In this work, using a protocol established in our group to map at high resolution newly replicated DNA at MiDAS sites, we provide new insights into the molecular role of POLD3 in this repair mechanism. In particular, by analyzing MiDAS in mutant HeLa clones lacking the PCNA-interacting domain of POLD3, we demonstrate that the interaction between POLD3 and PCNA is required for coordinating leading and lagging strand synthesis in MiDAS. This work represents an important step forward towards the comprehension of the molecular mechansisms of Mitotic DNA synthesis, the full understanding of which is of primary importance for the possible development of novel cancer therapies targeting BIR-related pathways.
Project description:Common fragile sites (CFSs) are genomic loci prone to the formation of breaks or gaps on metaphase chromosomes. They are hotspots for chromosome rearrangements and structural variations, which have been extensively implicated in carcinogenesis, aging, and other pathological processes. Although many CFSs were identified decades ago, a consensus is still lacking for why they are particularly unstable and sensitive to replication perturbations. This is in part due to the lack of high-resolution mapping data for the vast majority of the CFSs, which has hindered mechanistic interrogations. Here, we seek to map human CFSs with high resolution on a genome-wide scale by sequencing the sites of mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDASeq) that are specific for CFSs. We generated a nucleotide-resolution atlas of MiDAS sites (MDSs) that covered most of the known CFSs, and comprehensively analyzed their sequence characteristics and genomic features. Our data on MDSs tallied well with long-standing hypotheses to explain CFS fragility while highlighting the contributions of late replication timing and large transcription units. Notably, the MDSs also encompassed most of the recurrent double-strand break clusters previously identified in mouse neural stem/progenitor cells, thus bridging evolutionarily conserved break points across species. Moreover, MiDAseq provides an important resource that can stimulate future research on CFSs to further unravel the mechanisms and biological relevance underlying these labile genomic regions.