XPF activates break-induced telomere synthesis.

Fiche publication


Date publication

octobre 2022

Journal

Nature communications

Auteurs

Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Dr EGLY Jean-Marc


Tous les auteurs :
Guh CY, Shen HJ, Chen LW, Chiu PC, Liao IH, Lo CC, Chen Y, Hsieh YH, Chang TC, Yen CP, Chen YY, Chen TW, Chen LY, Wu CS, Egly JM, Chu HC

Résumé

Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) utilizes a recombination mechanism and break-induced DNA synthesis to maintain telomere length without telomerase, but it is unclear how cells initiate ALT. TERRA, telomeric repeat-containing RNA, forms RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) at ALT telomeres. We show that depleting TERRA using an RNA-targeting Cas9 system reduces ALT-associated PML bodies, telomere clustering, and telomere lengthening. TERRA interactome reveals that TERRA interacts with an extensive subset of DNA repair proteins in ALT cells. One of TERRA interacting proteins, the endonuclease XPF, is highly enriched at ALT telomeres and recruited by telomeric R-loops to induce DNA damage response (DDR) independent of CSB and SLX4, and thus triggers break-induced telomere synthesis and lengthening. The attraction of BRCA1 and RAD51 at telomeres requires XPF in FANCM-deficient cells that accumulate telomeric R-loops. Our results suggest that telomeric R-loops activate DDR via XPF to promote homologous recombination and telomere replication to drive ALT.

Mots clés

DNA, Endonucleases, metabolism, RNA, Telomerase, genetics, Telomere, genetics, Telomere Homeostasis

Référence

Nat Commun. 2022 10 2;13(1):5781