Akira Motegi

National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

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Publications (8)47.37 Total impact

  • Article: Polyubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen by HLTF and SHPRH prevents genomic instability from stalled replication forks.
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    ABSTRACT: Chronic stalling of DNA replication forks caused by DNA damage can lead to genomic instability. Cells have evolved lesion bypass pathways such as postreplication repair (PRR) to resolve these arrested forks. In yeast, one branch of PRR involves proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) polyubiquitination mediated by the Rad5-Ubc13-Mms2 complex that allows bypass of DNA lesion by a template-switching mechanism. Previously, we identified human SHPRH as a functional homologue of yeast Rad5 and revealed the existence of RAD5-like pathway in human cells. Here we report the identification of HLTF as a second RAD5 homologue in human cells. HLTF, like SHPRH, shares a unique domain architecture with Rad5 and promotes lysine 63-linked polyubiquitination of PCNA. Similar to yeast Rad5, HLTF is able to interact with UBC13 and PCNA, as well as SHPRH; and the reduction of either SHPRH or HLTF expression enhances spontaneous mutagenesis. Moreover, Hltf-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts show elevated chromosome breaks and fusions after methyl methane sulfonate treatment. Our results suggest that HLTF and SHPRH are functional homologues of yeast Rad5 that cooperatively mediate PCNA polyubiquitination and maintain genomic stability.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 09/2008; 105(34):12411-6. · 9.68 Impact Factor
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    Article: Mph1p promotes gross chromosomal rearrangement through partial inhibition of homologous recombination.
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    ABSTRACT: Gross chromosomal rearrangement (GCR) is a type of genomic instability associated with many cancers. In yeast, multiple pathways cooperate to suppress GCR. In a screen for genes that promote GCR, we identified MPH1, which encodes a 3'-5' DNA helicase. Overexpression of Mph1p in yeast results in decreased efficiency of homologous recombination (HR) as well as delayed Rad51p recruitment to double-strand breaks (DSBs), which suggests that Mph1p promotes GCR by partially suppressing HR. A function for Mph1p in suppression of HR is further supported by the observation that deletion of both mph1 and srs2 synergistically sensitize cells to methyl methanesulfonate-induced DNA damage. The GCR-promoting activity of Mph1p appears to depend on its interaction with replication protein A (RPA). Consistent with this observation, excess Mph1p stabilizes RPA at DSBs. Furthermore, spontaneous RPA foci at DSBs are destabilized by the mph1Delta mutation. Therefore, Mph1p promotes GCR formation by partially suppressing HR, likely through its interaction with RPA.
    The Journal of Cell Biology 07/2008; 181(7):1083-93. · 10.26 Impact Factor
  • Article: Measuring the rate of gross chromosomal rearrangements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A practical approach to study genomic rearrangements observed in cancer.
    Akira Motegi, Kyungjae Myung
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    ABSTRACT: Gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs), including translocations, deletions, amplifications and aneuploidy are frequently observed in various types of human cancers. Despite their clear importance in carcinogenesis, the molecular mechanisms by which GCRs are generated and held in check are poorly understood. By using a GCR assay, which can measure the rate of accumulation of spontaneous GCRs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have found that many proteins involved in DNA replication, DNA repair, DNA recombination, checkpoints, chromosome remodeling, and telomere maintenance, play crucial roles in GCR metabolism. We describe here the theoretical background and practical procedures of this GCR assay. We will explain the breakpoint structure and DNA damage that lead to GCR formation. We will also summarize the pathways that suppress and enhance GCR formation. Finally, we will briefly describe similar assays developed by others and discuss their potential in studying GCR metabolism.
    Methods 03/2007; 41(2):168-76. · 4.01 Impact Factor
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    Article: Human SHPRH suppresses genomic instability through proliferating cell nuclear antigen polyubiquitination.
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    ABSTRACT: Differential modifications of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) determine DNA repair pathways at stalled replication forks. In yeast, PCNA monoubiquitination by the ubiquitin ligase (E3) yRad18 promotes translesion synthesis (TLS), whereas the lysine-63-linked polyubiquitination of PCNA by yRad5 (E3) promotes the error-free mode of bypass. The yRad5-dependent pathway is important to prevent genomic instability during replication, although its exact molecular mechanism is poorly understood. This mechanism has remained totally elusive in mammals because of the lack of apparent RAD5 homologues. We report that a putative tumor suppressor gene, SHPRH, is a human orthologue of yeast RAD5. SHPRH associates with PCNA, RAD18, and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC13 (E2) and promotes methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-induced PCNA polyubiquitination. The reduction of SHPRH by stable short hairpin RNA increases sensitivity to MMS and enhances genomic instability. Therefore, the yRad5/SHPRH-dependent pathway is a conserved and fundamental DNA repair mechanism that protects the genome from genotoxic stress.
    The Journal of Cell Biology 01/2007; 175(5):703-8. · 10.26 Impact Factor
  • Article: Genetic analysis of ionizing radiation-induced mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals TransLesion Synthesis (TLS) independent of PCNA K164 SUMOylation and ubiquitination.
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    ABSTRACT: Ionizing radiation-induced mutagenesis (IR-IM) underlies a basis for radiation associated carcinogenesis as well as resistance to radiation therapy. This process was examined in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using an array of isogenic DNA repair deficient mutants. Mutations inactivating homologous recombination (rad51, 52, 54) or nucleotide excision repair (rad1, rad10, rad4) caused elevated IR-IM whereas inactivation of TransLesion Synthesis (TLS: rad6) caused severely defective IR-IM. Of the mutations inactivating TLS polymerases, rev3 and rev1 caused equally severe defects in IR-IM whereas rad30 did not significantly affect the process. The effects of the rev3, rev1, and rad6 mutations on IR-IM were epistatic, suggesting the requirement of both polymerase zeta and Rev1p in IR-IM related TLS. Although PCNA K164 SUMOylation/ubiquitination is a proposed prerequisite for TLS, the IR-IM defect of a rev3 or a rad6 mutant was worse than and epistatic to the pol30K164R mutant, a mutant in which the PCNA had been mutated to abolish such modifications. These results suggested that IR-IM related TLS occurs in the absence of PCNA K164 modification. Further analysis of a mutant simultaneously defective in SUMOylation and mono-ubiquitination (rad18 siz1) revealed that these modifications redundantly affected TLS as well as NHEJ. A genetic model based on these observations is proposed.
    DNA Repair 01/2007; 5(12):1475-88. · 4.14 Impact Factor
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    Article: Regulation of gross chromosomal rearrangements by ubiquitin and SUMO ligases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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    ABSTRACT: Gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) are frequently observed in many cancers. Previously, we showed that inactivation of Rad5 or Rad18, ubiquitin ligases (E3) targeting for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), increases the de novo telomere addition type of GCR (S. Smith, J. Y. Hwang, S. Banerjee, A. Majeed, A. Gupta, and K. Myung, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:9039-9044, 2004). GCR suppression by Rad5 and Rad18 appears to be exerted by the RAD5-dependent error-free mode of bypass DNA repair. In contrast, Siz1 SUMO ligase and another ubiquitin ligase, Bre1, which target for PCNA and histone H2B, respectively, have GCR-supporting activities. Inactivation of homologous recombination (HR) proteins or the helicase Srs2 reduces GCR rates elevated by the rad5 or rad18 mutation. GCRs are therefore likely to be produced through the restrained recruitment of an HR pathway to stalled DNA replication forks. Since this HR pathway is compatible with Srs2, it is not a conventional form of recombinational pathway. Lastly, we demonstrate that selection of proper DNA repair pathways to stalled DNA replication forks is controlled by the Mec1-dependent checkpoint and is executed by cooperative functions of Siz1 and Srs2. We propose a mechanism for how defects in these proteins could lead to diverse outcomes (proper repair or GCR formation) through different regulation of DNA repair machinery.
    Molecular and Cellular Biology 03/2006; 26(4):1424-33. · 5.53 Impact Factor
  • Article: PRAC2: a new gene expressed in human prostate and prostate cancer.
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    ABSTRACT: The database of human Expressed Sequence Tags was previously used to identify PRAC (Prostate 47:125-131, 2001), a novel gene specifically expressed in human prostate, prostate cancer, rectum, and distal colon. In this report, we have identified PRAC2, another gene with a similar expression pattern that is located adjacent to the original PRAC gene on chromosome 17q21.3. Using a computer-based analysis, a cluster of sequence homologous ESTs was identified that is mainly derived from human prostate cDNA libraries. The tissue specificity was examined by multiple tissue RNA dot blots and RT-PCR. The PRAC2 transcript and protein were identified using Northern blot analysis, RACE-PCR, primer extension, and Western blots. PRAC2 encodes a 564 nucleotide RNA found in prostate, rectum, distal colon, and testis. Weak expression was also found in placenta, peripheral blood leukocytes, skin, and in two prostate cancer cell lines: LNCaP and PC-3. The transcript seems to encode a 10.5-kDa nuclear protein. The PRAC2 gene is located on chromosome 17 at position 17q21, between the Hoxb-13 gene and the recently discovered PRAC gene. Because of the higher expression of PRAC2 in prostate and its proximity to Hoxb-13, PRAC2 may have a function in prostate growth and development.
    The Prostate 08/2003; 56(2):123-30. · 3.48 Impact Factor
  • Article: Genetic analysis of ionizing radiation-induced mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals TransLesion Synthesis (TLS) independent of PCNA K164 SUMOylation and ubiquitination
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Ionizing radiation-induced mutagenesis (IR-IM) underlies a basis for radiation associated carcinogenesis as well as resistance to radiation therapy. This process was examined in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using an array of isogenic DNA repair deficient mutants. Mutations inactivating homologous recombination (rad51, 52, 54) or nucleotide excision repair (rad1, rad10, rad4) caused elevated IR-IM whereas inactivation of TransLesion Synthesis (TLS: rad6) caused severely defective IR-IM. Of the mutations inactivating TLS polymerases, rev3 and rev1 caused equally severe defects in IR-IM whereas rad30 did not significantly affect the process. The effects of the rev3, rev1, and rad6 mutations on IR-IM were epistatic, suggesting the requirement of both polymerase zeta and Rev1p in IR-IM related TLS. Although PCNA K164 SUMOylation/ubiquitination is a proposed prerequisite for TLS, the IR-IM defect of a rev3 or a rad6 mutant was worse than and epistatic to the pol30K164R mutant, a mutant in which the PCNA had been mutated to abolish such modifications. These results suggested that IR-IM related TLS occurs in the absence of PCNA K164 modification. Further analysis of a mutant simultaneously defective in SUMOylation and mono-ubiquitination (rad18 siz1) revealed that these modifications redundantly affected TLS as well as NHEJ. A genetic model based on these observations is proposed.
    DNA Repair.