Programmable nucleases, such as Cas9, are used for precise genome editing by homology-dependent repair (HDR)1–3. However, HDR efficiency is constrained by competition from other double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways, including non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)4. We report the discovery of a genetically encoded inhibitor of 53BP1 that increases the efficiency of HDR-dependent genome editing in human and mouse cells. 53BP1 is a key regulator of DSB repair pathway choice in eukaryotic cells4, 5 and functions to favor NHEJ over HDR by suppressing end resection, which is the rate-limiting step in the initiation of HDR. We screened an existing combinatorial library of engineered ubiquitin variants6 for inhibitors of 53BP1. Expression of one variant, named i53 (inhibitor of 53BP1), in human and mouse cells blocked accumulation of 53BP1 at sites of DNA damage and improved gene targeting and chromosomal gene conversion with either double-stranded DNA or single-stranded oligonucleotide donors by up to 5.6-fold. Inhibition of 53BP1 is a robust method to increase efficiency of HDR-based precise genome editing.

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The KEOPS/EKC complex is a tRNA modification complex involved in the biosynthesis of N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A), a universally conserved tRNA modification found on ANN-codon recognizing tRNAs. In archaea and eukaryotes, KEOPS is composed of OSGEP/Kae1, PRPK/Bud32, TPRKB/Cgi121 and LAGE3/Pcc1. In fungi, KEOPS contains an additional subunit, Gon7, whose orthologs outside of fungi, if existent, remain unidentified. In addition to displaying defective t6A biosynthesis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains harboring KEOPS mutations are compromised for telomere homeostasis, growth and transcriptional co-activation. To identify a Gon7 ortholog in multicellular eukaryotes as well as to uncover KEOPS-interacting proteins that may link t6A biosynthesis to the diverse set of KEOPS mutant phenotypes, we conducted a proteomic analysis of human KEOPS. This work identified 152 protein interactors, one of which, C14ORF142, interacted strongly with all four KEOPS subunits, suggesting that it may be a core component of human KEOPS. Further characterization of C14ORF142 revealed that it shared a number of biophysical and biochemical features with fungal Gon7, suggesting that C14ORF142 is the human ortholog of Gon7. In addition, our proteomic analysis identified specific interactors for different KEOPS subcomplexes, hinting that individual KEOPS subunits may have additional functions outside of t6A biosynthesis.

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) is a single-stranded circular DNA virus that carries 3 genes, the most studied of which is the gene encoding VP3, also known as apoptin. This protein has been demonstrated to specifically kill transformed cells while leaving normal cells unharmed in a manner that is independent of p53 status. Although the mechanistic basis for this differential activity is unclear, it is evident that the subcellular localization of the protein is important for the difference. In normal cells, apoptin exists in filamentous networks in the cytoplasm, whereas in transformed cells, apoptin is present in the nucleus and appears as distinct foci. We have previously demonstrated that DNA damage signaling through the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) pathway induces the translocation of apoptin from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where it induces apoptosis. We found that apoptin contains four checkpoint kinase consensus sites and that mutation of either threonine 56 or 61 to alanine restricts apoptin to the cytoplasm. Furthermore, treatment of tumor cells expressing apoptin with inhibitors of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) and Chk2 causes apoptin to localize to the cytoplasm. Importantly, silencing of Chk2 rescues cancer cells from the cytotoxic effects of apoptin. Finally, treatment of virus-producing cells with Chk inhibitor protects them from virus-mediated toxicity and reduces the titer of progeny virus. Taken together, our results indicate that apoptin is a sensor of DNA damage signaling through the ATM-Chk2 pathway, which induces it to migrate to the nucleus during viral replication. IMPORTANCEThe chicken anemia virus (CAV) protein apoptin is known to induce tumor cell-specific death when expressed. Therefore, understanding its regulation and mechanism of action could provide new insights into tumor cell biology. We have determined that checkpoint kinase 1 and 2 signaling is important for apoptin regulation and is a likely feature of both tumor cells and host cells producing virus progeny. Inhibition of checkpoint signaling prevents apoptin toxicity in tumor cells and attenuates CAV replication, suggesting it may be a future target for antiviral therapy. Circoviruses are a diverse group of nonenveloped, icosahedral viruses containing circular, single-stranded DNA genomes (1, 2). These viruses have been shown to infect a wide range of hosts, and they are the causative agents of several serious diseases in animals. In particular, chicken anemia virus (CAV), a member of the genus Gyrovirus, is the etiological agent of chicken infectious anemia. CAV infects several bone marrow-derived cells, resulting in severe anemia and immunosuppression in young chickens and compromised immune response in older birds (3, 4). CAV can lead to considerable economic loss during intensive chicken farming, and control of the virus through vaccination is currently standard practice. Recently, a novel circovirus with partial homology to CAV isolated from a skin swab was designated human gyrovirus (HGyV) (5). The identificati...

In this panel, which shows flow cytometry data, there is a duplication. The plots for Ad-Apwt siChk1 and siChk2 are identical. We were unable to retrieve the raw flow cytometry data from the original plots, so we repeated the experiments. Although higher backgrounds of cell death were observed, when Ad-Apwt-induced cell death was normalized to the vector control, similar effects were observed after Chk1/2 knockdown. Figure 8 and its legend should appear as shown on the following page. Citation Kucharski TJ, Ng TF, Sharon DM, Navid-Azarbaijani P, Tavassoli M, Teodoro JG. 2020. Correction for Kucharski et al., "Activation of the chicken anemia virus apoptin protein by Chk1/2 phosphorylation is required for apoptotic activity and efficient viral replication."