DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Pathway Choice Is Directed by Distinct MRE11 Nuclease Activities.
Shibata, A., Moiani, D., Arvai, A.S., Perry, J., Harding, S.M., Genois, M.M., Maity, R., van Rossum-Fikkert, S., Kertokalio, A., Romoli, F., Ismail, A., Ismalaj, E., Petricci, E., Neale, M.J., Bristow, R.G., Masson, J.Y., Wyman, C., Jeggo, P.A., Tainer, J.A.(2014) Mol Cell 53: 7-18
- PubMed: 24316220 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2013.11.003
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
4NZV, 4O24, 4O43, 4O4K, 4O5G - PubMed Abstract: 
MRE11 within the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex acts in DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR), detection, and signaling; yet, how its endo- and exonuclease activities regulate DSBR by nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) versus homologous recombination (HR) remains enigmatic. Here, we employed structure-based design with a focused chemical library to discover specific MRE11 endo- or exonuclease inhibitors. With these inhibitors, we examined repair pathway choice at DSBs generated in G2 following radiation exposure. While nuclease inhibition impairs radiation-induced replication protein A (RPA) chromatin binding, suggesting diminished resection, the inhibitors surprisingly direct different repair outcomes. Endonuclease inhibition promotes NHEJ in lieu of HR, while exonuclease inhibition confers a repair defect. Collectively, the results describe nuclease-specific MRE11 inhibitors, define distinct nuclease roles in DSB repair, and support a mechanism whereby MRE11 endonuclease initiates resection, thereby licensing HR followed by MRE11 exonuclease and EXO1/BLM bidirectional resection toward and away from the DNA end, which commits to HR.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK; Advanced Scientific Research Leaders Development Unit, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.