Xiaoli Wu

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.

Activation of the p21-ras signaling pathway from aberrantly expressed receptors promotes the growth of malignant human astrocytomas. We developed a transgenic mouse astrocytoma model using the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter to express oncogenic V(12)Ha-ras, specifically in astrocytes. The development of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytomas was directly proportional to the level of V(12)Ha-ras transgene expression. Chimeras expressing high levels of V(12)Ha-ras in astrocytes died from multifocal malignant astrocytomas within 2 weeks, whereas those with moderate levels went to germ-line transmission. Ninety-five percent of these mice died from solitary or multifocal low- and high-grade astrocytomas within 2-6 months. These transgenic astrocytomas are pathologically similar to human astrocytomas, with a high mitotic index, nuclear pleomorphism, infiltration, necrosis, and increased vascularity. Derivative astrocytoma cells are tumorigenic upon inoculation in another host. The transgenic astrocytomas exhibit additional molecular alterations associated with human astrocytomas, including a decreased or absent expression of p16, p19, and PTEN as well as overexpression of EGFR, MDM2, and CDK4. Cytogenetic analysis revealed consistent clonal aneuploidies of chromosomal regions syntenic with comparable loci altered in human astrocytomas. Therefore, this transgenic mouse astrocytoma model recapitulates many of the molecular histopathological and growth characteristics of human malignant astrocytomas in a reproducible, germ-line-transmitted, and high-penetrance manner.

Regulator of telomere length 1 (RTEL1) is an essential DNA helicase that disassembles telomere loops (T loops) and suppresses telomere fragility to maintain the integrity of chromosome ends. We established that RTEL1 also associates with the replisome through binding to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Mouse cells disrupted for the RTEL1-PCNA interaction (PIP mutant) exhibited accelerated senescence, replication fork instability, reduced replication fork extension rates, and increased origin usage. Although T-loop disassembly at telomeres was unaffected in the mutant cells, telomere replication was compromised, leading to fragile sites at telomeres. RTEL1-PIP mutant mice were viable, but loss of the RTEL1-PCNA interaction accelerated the onset of tumorigenesis in p53-deficient mice. We propose that RTEL1 plays a critical role in both telomere and genome-wide replication, which is crucial for genetic stability and tumor avoidance.