Alternative end joining (Alt-EJ) chromosomal break repair involves bypassing classical non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ), and such repair causes mutations often with microhomology at the repair junction. Since the mediators of Alt-EJ are not well understood, we have sought to identify DNA damage response (DDR) factors important for this repair event. Using chromosomal break reporter assays, we surveyed an RNAi library targeting known DDR factors for siRNAs that cause a specific decrease in Alt-EJ, relative to an EJ event that is a composite of Alt-EJ and c-NHEJ (Distal-EJ between two tandem breaks). From this analysis, we identified several DDR factors that are specifically important for Alt-EJ relative to Distal-EJ. While these factors are from diverse pathways, we also found that most of them also promote homologous recombination (HR), including factors important for DNA crosslink repair, such as the Fanconi Anemia factor, FANCA. Since bypass of c-NHEJ is likely important for both Alt-EJ and HR, we disrupted the c-NHEJ factor Ku70 in Fanca-deficient mouse cells and found that Ku70 loss significantly diminishes the influence of Fanca on Alt-EJ. In contrast, an inhibitor of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) causes a decrease in Alt-EJ that is enhanced by Ku70 loss. Additionally, the helicase/nuclease DNA2 appears to have distinct effects from FANCA and PARP on both Alt-EJ, as well as end resection. Finally, we found that the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib, a cancer therapeutic that has been shown to disrupt FANC signaling, causes a significant reduction in both Alt-EJ and HR, relative to Distal-EJ, as well as a substantial loss of end resection. We suggest that several distinct DDR functions are important for Alt-EJ, which include promoting bypass of c-NHEJ and end resection.

The skin and its appendages comprise the largest and fastest-growing organ in the body. It performs multiple tasks and maintains homeostatic control, including the regulation of body temperature, protection from desiccation and from pathogen invasion. The skin can perform its functions with the assistance of different immune cell populations. Monocyte-derived cells are imperative for the completion of these tasks. The comprehensive role of macrophages and Langerhans cells in establishing and maintaining skin homeostasis remains incompletely defined. However, over the past decade, innovations in mouse genetics have allowed for advancements in the field. In this review, we explore different homeostatic roles of macrophages and Langerhans cells, including wound repair, follicle regeneration, salt balance, and cancer regression and progression, in the skin. The understanding of the precise functions of myeloid-derived cells in the skin under basal conditions can help develop specific therapies that aid in skin and hair follicle regeneration and cutaneous cancer prevention.

We examined the influence of the tetratricopeptide repeat factor XAB2 on chromosomal break repair, and found that XAB2 promotes end resection that generates the 3′ ssDNA intermediate for homologous recombination (HR). Namely, XAB2 is important for chromosomal double-strand break (DSB) repair via two pathways of HR that require end resection as an intermediate step, end resection of camptothecin (Cpt)-induced DNA damage, and RAD51 recruitment to ionizing radiation induced foci (IRIF), which requires end resection. Furthermore, XAB2 mediates specific aspects of the DNA damage response associated with end resection proficiency: CtIP hyperphosphorylation induced by Cpt and BRCA1 IRIF. XAB2 also promotes histone acetylation events linked to HR proficiency. From truncation mutation analysis, the capacity for XAB2 to promote HR correlates with its ability to form a complex with ISY1 and PRP19, which show a similar influence as XAB2 on HR. This XAB2 complex localizes to punctate structures consistent with interchromatin granules that show a striking adjacent-localization to the DSB marker γH2AX. In summary, we suggest that the XAB2 complex mediates DNA damage response events important for the end resection step of HR, and speculate that its adjacent-localization relative to DSBs marked by γH2AX is important for this function.

A bout 0.9% of human neonates are born with congenital heart disease (CHD). CHD can arise from genetic and epigenetic abnormalities that affect the tight control of specification, proliferation, and migration of cardiac progenitors/myocytes.1,2 During cardiogenesis, cardiac progenitors/myocytes proliferate in two waves: primitive heart tube shows highest proliferative activity at arterial and venous poles where latemigrating second heart field progenitors are recruited. 3,4 Then, after the completion of looping, the working myocytes reinitiate mitotic activity, resulting in the ballooning of chambers at late gestational stages. 3,5 Non-ballooning regions, mainly mediastinal myocardium, 6,7 are distinct from appendage myocardium in their morphology, expression profile, 8 and ionic currents. Nkx2-5 is a cardiac homeobox transcription factor that is expressed in a broad range of cardiac sublineages, from the early committed cardiac progenitors through the adult cardiomyocytes, and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of cardiac, vascular, and hematopoietic lineages. 4,[10][11][12][13][14][15] Human heterozygous mutations of NKX2-5 are associated with a spectrum of CHDs including septal defects, conotruncal malformations, hypoplastic left heart, and atrioventricular (AV) conduction block. In agreement with observations in patients, mouse genetics has revealed the complexity of the role of Nkx2-5. [16][17][18][19] Germline deletion of Nkx2-5 gene results in cardiac lethality at the early stages with defects in the myocardial wall thickening, trabeculation, and endocardial cushion formation, suggesting a pro-mitotic role of Nkx2-5. 4,12,13 Recent studies have shown that Nkx2-5 also plays a critical role at chamber ballooning stages. 3,5 Mutant mouse models with genetic deficiency or dysfunction of Nkx2-5 after midgestational stages lead to atrial septal defect (ASD) and conduction defects. [20][21][22][23][24] Despite common phenotypes, however, these studies show partially inconsistent results as to cardiomyocyte growth. Although the temporary controlled global deletion of Nkx2-5 after midgestational stage results in thin hypomorphic ventricle, 24 ventricular-specific deletion of Nkx2-5 shows hypertrophic ventricle with hypertrabeculation. 22 These apparently conflicting results can be, in part, due to the differential regulation of physiological cardiac growth in spatiotemporarily Rationale: Tight control of cardiomyocyte proliferation is essential for the formation of four-chambered heart.Although human mutation of NKX2-5 is linked to septal defects and atrioventricular conduction abnormalities, early lethality and hemodynamic alteration in the mutant models have caused controversy as to whether Nkx2-5 regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation. diverse cardiac subpopulation. In addition, the secondary effect by altered pump function in Nkx2-5 mutants may be another factor that complicates the interpretation of the phenotypes of mouse models mentioned above. In fact, hemodynamics by itself is known to be an indepen...

The E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF168 is a DNA damage response (DDR) factor that promotes monoubiquitination of H2A/H2AX at K13/15, facilitates recruitment of other DDR factors (e.g. 53BP1) to DNA damage, and inhibits homologous recombination (HR) in cells deficient in the tumor suppressor BRCA1. We have examined the domains of RNF168 important for these DDR events, including chromosomal HR that is induced by several nucleases (I-SceI, CAS9-WT and CAS9-D10A), since the inducing nuclease affects the relative frequency of distinct repair outcomes. We found that an N-terminal fragment of RNF168 (1-220/N221*) efficiently inhibits HR induced by each of these nucleases in BRCA1 depleted cells, and promotes recruitment of 53BP1 to DNA damage and H2AX monoubiquitination at K13/15. Each of these DDR events requires a charged residue in RNF168 (R57). Notably, RNF168-N221* fails to self-accumulate into ionizing radiation induced foci (IRIF). Furthermore, expression of RNF168 WT and N221* can significantly bypass the role of another E3 ubiquitin ligase, RNF8, for inhibition of HR in BRCA1 depleted cells, and for promotion of 53BP1 IRIF. We suggest that the ability for RNF168 to promote H2A/H2AX monoubiquitination and 53BP1 IRIF, but not RNF168 self-accumulation into IRIF, is important for inhibition of HR in BRCA1 deficient cells.

The maintenance of genome stability is critical for the suppression of diverse human pathologies that include developmental disorders, premature aging, infertility and predisposition to cancer. The DNA damage response (DDR) orchestrates the appropriate cellular responses following the detection of lesions to prevent genomic instability. The MRE11 complex is a sensor of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and plays key roles in multiple aspects of the DDR, including DNA end resection that is critical for signaling and DNA repair. The MRE11 complex has been shown to function both upstream and in concert with the 5′-3′ exonuclease EXO1 in DNA resection, but it remains unclear to what extent EXO1 influences DSB responses independently of the MRE11 complex. Here we examine the genetic relationship of the MRE11 complex and EXO1 during mammalian development and in response to DNA damage. Deletion of Exo1 in mice expressing a hypomorphic allele of Nbs1 leads to severe developmental impairment, embryonic death and chromosomal instability. While EXO1 plays a minimal role in normal cells, its loss strongly influences DNA replication, DNA repair, checkpoint signaling and damage sensitivity in NBS1 hypomorphic cells. Collectively, our results establish a key role for EXO1 in modulating the severity of hypomorphic MRE11 complex mutations.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCC) are among the most commonly diagnosed malignancies, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) expression of arginase is implicated in tumor progression, and therapeutic use of arginase inhibitors has been studied in various cancers. However, investigating potential cSCC immunotherapies including arginase inhibition in pre-clinical models is hampered by the lack of appropriate tumor models in immunocompetent mice. PDV is a cSCC cell line derived from chemical carcinogenesis of mouse keratinocytes. PDVC57 cells were derived from a PDV tumor in C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Unlike PDV, PDVC57 tumors grow consistently in B6 mice, and have increased TAMs, decreased dendritic and T cell intra-tumor infiltration. Arginase inhibition in cSCC tumors using Nω-hydroxy-nor-arginine (nor-NOHA) reduced tumor growth in B6 mice but not immunodeficient Rag1-deficient mice. nor-NOHA administration increased dendritic and T cell tumor-infiltration and PD-1 expression. The combination of nor-NOHA and anti-PD-1 therapy with nivolumab enhanced anti-PD-1 therapeutic efficacy. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of transcutaneous arginase inhibition in cSCC. A competent immune microenvironment is required for tumor growth inhibition using this arginase inhibitor. Synergistic co-inhibition of tumor growth in these results, supports further examination of transcutaneous arginase inhibition as a therapeutic modality for cSCC.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) have different clinical behaviors, despite both being keratinocyte carcinomas mainly caused by ultraviolet radiation. Whether these distinct features are associated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is largely unknown. The main goal of this study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of density and polarization states of TAMs in SCCs versus BCCs. The role of lactic acid in TAM polarization in SCC versus BCC was examined. We found that SCCs have a higher density of CD68 + TAMs compared to BCCs. TAMs in SCCs express higher levels of TAM-associated markers (arginase-1, MMP9, CD40 and CD127) than those in BCCs. Interestingly, differential expression of TAM-associated markers between SCCs and BCCs was reproduced in human monocytic THP-1 cells stimulated with SCC- or BCC-conditioned media. Analysis of soluble factor(s) in these tumors further revealed that SCCs have a significantly higher concentration of lactic acid than BCCs, and lactic acid was sufficient to upregulate TAM markers. Our results demonstrate that TAMs in SCCs versus BCCs differ in density and polarization states, which can be determined by soluble factors including tumor-derived lactic acid. These differences in TAMs may contribute to the distinct clinical behaviors of SCCs versus BCCs. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Research in context Few studies have studied tumor-associated macrophages in the context of SCC versus BCC. It has been demonstrated that macrophages mobilize to the epidermis after being exposed to ultraviolet-B radiation and produce interleukin-10 (IL-10). It has also been shown that the production of IL-10 results in the evasion of T cell-mediated immunity in BCCs and SCCs. However, the relationship between TAMs and the clinical behaviors of SCCs and BCCs remains largely unclear. Our study shows that despite their similar origins, human cutaneous SCCs and BCCs are considerably different in their TAMs. To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence of differential TAM density and polarization in SCCs versus BCCs, which may contribute to their characteristic clinical behaviors. Future studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms by which TAMs influence these cancers with the goal of developing therapies tailored to each type of malignancy.