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* These authors contributed equally
In the present protocol, we demonstrate how to visualize DNA double-strand end resection during S/G2 phase of the cell cycle using an immunofluorescence-based method.
The study of the DNA damage response (DDR) is a complex and essential field, which has only become more important due to the use of DDR-targeting drugs for cancer treatment. These targets are poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), which initiate various forms of DNA repair. Inhibiting these enzymes using PARP inhibitors (PARPi) achieves synthetic lethality by conferring a therapeutic vulnerability in homologous recombination (HR)-deficient cells due to mutations in breast cancer type 1 (BRCA1), BRCA2, or partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2).
Cells treated with PARPi accumulate DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). These breaks are processed by the DNA end resection machinery, leading to the formation of single-stranded (ss) DNA and subsequent DNA repair. In a BRCA1-deficient context, reinvigorating DNA resection through mutations in DNA resection inhibitors, such as 53BP1 and DYNLL1, causes PARPi resistance. Therefore, being able to monitor DNA resection in cellulo is critical for a clearer understanding of the DNA repair pathways and the development of new strategies to overcome PARPi resistance. Immunofluorescence (IF)-based techniques allow for monitoring of global DNA resection after DNA damage. This strategy requires long-pulse genomic DNA labeling with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Following DNA damage and DNA end resection, the resulting single-stranded DNA is specifically detected by an anti-BrdU antibody under native conditions. Moreover, DNA resection can also be studied using cell cycle markers to differentiate between various phases of the cell cycle. Cells in the S/G2 phase allow the study of end resection within HR, whereas G1 cells can be used to study non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). A detailed protocol for this IF method coupled to cell cycle discrimination is described in this paper.
Modulation of DNA repair factors is an ever-evolving method for cancer therapy, particularly in DNA DSB repair-deficient tumor environments. The inhibition of specific repair factors is one of the ingenious strategies used to sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents. Decades of research led to the identification of various mutations of DNA repair genes as biomarkers for therapeutic strategy choices1. Consequently, the DNA repair field has become a hub for drug development to ensure a wide range of treatments, empowering the personalized medicine concept.
DSBs are repaired by two main pathways: NHEJ and HR2. The NHEJ pathway is error-prone, rapidly ligating the two DNA ends with little to no DNA end-processing and involving the protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), the Ku70/80 complex, 53BP1, and RIF1 proteins3. In contrast, HR is a faithful mechanism initiated by BRCA14. An essential step in HR repair is the DNA-end resection process, which is the degradation of the broken ends leading to single-stranded (ss) DNA with 3'-OH ends. BRCA1 facilitates the recruitment of the downstream proteins that form the resectosome MRN/RPA/BLM/DNA2/EXO1, which are involved in the 5' to 3' DNA resection5.
The initial end-resection is accomplished through the endonuclease activity of MRE11, allowing for further processing by the DNA2 and EXO1 nucleases. The generated ssDNA overhangs are quickly coated by Replication Protein A (RPA) to protect them from further processing. Subsequently, BRCA2, PALB2, and BRCA1 engage to mediate the displacement of RPA and the assembly of the RAD51 nucleofilament required for homology-directed repair mechanism. A fine balance between the usage of NHEJ and HR is necessary for the optimal maintenance of genomic integrity. The pathway choice depends on the cell cycle phase. HR is preferentially used during the S to G2 phases wherein DNA resection is at the highest level, and the sister chromatids are available to ensure proper repair.
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is one of the earliest proteins recruited to the DSB. It regulates both resection activity and the assembly of downstream effectors involved in the NHEJ5,6. PARP-1 is also required for DNA single-stranded break repair during replication7,8. Due to its important role in DNA repair, PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are used as cancer therapies. In several HR-deficient cancers, PARPi treatment leads to a synthetic lethal response due to the incapacity of HR-deficient cells to repair the accumulated damage via an alternative pathway9,10. There are currently four FDA approved PARPi: Olaparib, Rucaparib, Niriparib, and Talazoparib (also called BMN 673), which are used for various breast and ovarian cancer treatments11. However, PARPi resistance is common, and one potential cause arises through the reacquisition of HR proficiency12. Loss or inhibition of PARP-1 in the presence of irradiation dysregulates the resectosome machinery, leading to the accumulation of longer ssDNA tracts13. Therefore, an in-depth study of DNA resection in vivo is critical for a clearer understanding of the DNA repair pathways and the subsequent development of new strategies to treat cancer and to overcome PARPi resistance.
There have been several methods employed to detect DNA resection events5. One such method is the classical IF-based technique allowing for indirect staining and visualization of the resected DNA after stress-induced DSB by using an anti-RPA antibody. Labelling genomic DNA with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and detecting only ssDNA is a direct measurement of DNA resection events. It circumvents the monitoring of RPA, which is involved in multiple cellular processes such as DNA replication. In the method described here, cells incubated with BrdU for a single cell cycle allow BrdU to be incorporated into one strand of the replicating cellular DNA. Following resection, IF staining is performed under conditions allowing wherein BrdU detection only in the ssDNA form, with the use of an anti-BrdU antibody. This antibody can only access exposed BrdU nucleotides and will not detect those integrated into double-stranded DNA. Using fluorescence microscopy, the resected DNA can be visualized in the form of punctate BrdU/ssDNA foci. The nuclear intensity of these foci can be used as a readout to quantify resection following DNA damage. This paper describes step-by-step the processes of this method, which can be applied to most mammalian cell lines. This method should be of broad utility as a simple way of monitoring DNA end resection in cellulo, as a proof of concept.
1. Cell culture, treatments, and coverslip preparation
NOTE: All cell plating, transfections, and treatments, aside from irradiation, should take place under a sterile cell-culture hood.
2. Pre-extraction and fixation
NOTE: All pre-extraction and fixation are performed with the coverslips remaining in the tissue culture plate on ice or at 4 °C; the coverslip is only lifted in the last step of mounting (see discussion).
3. Permeabilization
4. Immunostaining
5. Image acquisition and analysis
NOTE: Image acquisition can be done on several types of fluorescent microscopes. An epifluorescence microscope with a 63x oil objective was used; see the Table of Materials for the brand and model. Z-stacks are not required, although they may be of use depending on the cell line and level of mitochondrial staining.
In this protocol, the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-based assay was used to quantitatively measure the resection response of HeLa cells to irradiation-induced damage. The generated ssDNA tracks are visualized as distinct foci after immunofluorescence staining (Figure 1A). The identified foci were then quantified and expressed as the total integrated intensity of the BrdU staining in the nuclei (Figure 1B, Supplemental Figure S1, Supplemental Figure S2,
This paper describes a method that makes use of IF staining to measure variations in DNA resection in cellulo. The current standard for observing an effect on DNA resection is through RPA staining; however, this is an indirect method that may be influenced by DNA replication. Previously, another BrdU incorporation-based DNA resection IF technique has been described for classifying the resulting intensities in BrdU-positive and BrdU-negative cells. This method allowed for cells that are not undergoing HR to be co...
The authors have nothing to disclose.
We thank Marie-Christine Caron for outstanding technical advice. This work is supported by funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research J.Y.M (CIHR FDN-388879). J.-Y.M. holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in DNA Repair and Cancer Therapeutics. J.O'S is an FRQS PhD student fellow, and S.Y.M is a FRQS postdoctoral fellow.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
Alexa 568 goat anti-rabbit | Molecular probes | A11011 | 1:800 |
Alexa Fluor 488 goat anti-mouse | Molecular probes | A11001 | 1:800 |
Anti PARP1 (F1-23) | Homemade | 1:2500 | |
Anti PCNA (SY12-07) | Novus | NBP2-67390 | 1:500 |
Anti-Alpha tubulin (DM1A) | Abcam | Ab7291 | 1:100000 |
anti-BrdU | GE Healthcare | RPN202 | 1:1000 |
Benchtop X-ray Irradiator | Cell Rad | ||
BMN673 | MedChem Express | HY-16106 | |
Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) | Sigma | B5002 | |
BSA | Sigma | A7906 | |
Cell profiler | Broad Institute | V 3.19 | https://cellprofiler.org/ |
Curwood Parafilm M Laboratory Wrapping Film 4in / 250 ft | Fisher scientific | 13-374-12 | |
DAPI (4',6-Diamidino-2-Phenylindole, Dihydrochloride) | Invitrogen Life Technology | D1306 | |
DMEM high glucose | Fisher scientific | 10063542 | |
EGTA | Sigma-Aldrich | E3889 | |
Fetal Bovine serum | Gibco | 12483-020 | |
Fisherbrand Cover Glasses: Squares 22 x 22 | Fisher scientific | 12 541B | |
Fluorescent microscope | Leica | DMI6000B | 63x immersion objective |
HeLa | ATCC | CCL-2 | |
HERACELL 160I CO2 INCUBATOR CU 1-21 TC 120V | VWR | 51030408 | 37% CO2 |
MgCl2 | BioShop Canada | MAG520.500 | |
NaCl | BioShop Canada | SOD002.10 | |
Needle | |||
PBS 1x | Wisent Bio Products | 311-010-CS | |
PFA 16% | Cedarlane Labs | 15710-S(EM) | |
PIPES | Sigma-Aldrich | P6757-100G | |
ProLong Gold Antifade Mountant | Invitrogen Life Technology | P-36930 | |
RNAiMAX | Invitrogen | 13778-075 | |
siPARPi | Dharmacon | AAG AUA GAG CGU GAA GGC GAA dTdT | |
siRNA control | Dharmacon | UUCGAACGUGUCACGUCAA | |
Sodium Deoxycholcate | Sigma-Aldrich | D6750-100G | |
Sucrose | BioShop Canada | SUC507.5 | |
Tris-base | BioShop Canada | TRS001.5 | |
Trition X-100 | Millipore Sigma | T8787-250ML | |
Tween20 | Fisher scientific | BP337500 | |
Tweezers |
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