No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-105). Also available in electronic version.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, RTT107 (ESC4, YHR154W) encodes a BRCT-domain protein that is important for recovery from DNA damage during S phase. I have found that Rtt107 forms a complex with the Slx1/Slx4 structure-specific nuclease. Deletion of SLX4 confers many of the same phenotypes observed in rtt107∆, including DNA damage sensitivity, prolonged DNA damage checkpoint activation, and increased spontaneous DNA damage, suggesting that Slx4 and Rtt107 function in concert. These defects are not shared by Slx1 indicating that the function of Slx4 and Slx1 in the DNA damage response is not entirely overlapping. Furthermore, I found that Slx4 regulates the phosphorylation of Rtt107 by the checkpoint kinase Mec1. The phenotypes conferred by deletion of RTT107 and the spectrum of its synthetic genetic interactions indicates that Rtt107 may function at stalled replication forks. I have shown that Rtt107 is recruited to chromatin in the presence of DNA damaging agents that cause DNA replication forks to stall. Recruitment of Rtt107 to chromatin requires Rtt109, an acetyltransferase, and the cullin Rtt101, but is not dependent on Slx4 or the checkpoint kinases. Rtt109 acetylates histone H3 on lysine 56 (H3-K56), yet recruitment of Rtt107 to chromatin does not require acetylation of H3-K56, indicating that Rtt109 may have additional targets. Chromatin immunoprecipitation indicates that the sites of Rtt107 binding correspond to regions at or near stalled replication forks throughout the genome. I propose that Rtt107 acts in the recovery from DNA damage by localizing to stalled replication forks and acting as a scaffold for assembly of DNA damage response proteins, ultimately promoting replication fork restart.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, RTT107 (ESC4, YHR154W) encodes a BRCT-domain protein that is important for recovery from DNA damage during S phase. I have found that Rtt107 forms a complex with the Slx1/Slx4 structure-specific nuclease. Deletion of SLX4 confers many of the same phenotypes observed in rtt107∆, including DNA damage sensitivity, prolonged DNA damage checkpoint activation, and increased spontaneous DNA damage, suggesting that Slx4 and Rtt107 function in concert. These defects are not shared by Slx1 indicating that the function of Slx4 and Slx1 in the DNA damage response is not entirely overlapping. Furthermore, I found that Slx4 regulates the phosphorylation of Rtt107 by the checkpoint kinase Mec1. The phenotypes conferred by deletion of RTT107 and the spectrum of its synthetic genetic interactions indicates that Rtt107 may function at stalled replication forks. I have shown that Rtt107 is recruited to chromatin in the presence of DNA damaging agents that cause DNA replication forks to stall. Recruitment of Rtt107 to chromatin requires Rtt109, an acetyltransferase, and the cullin Rtt101, but is not dependent on Slx4 or the checkpoint kinases. Rtt109 acetylates histone H3 on lysine 56 (H3-K56), yet recruitment of Rtt107 to chromatin does not require acetylation of H3-K56, indicating that Rtt109 may have additional targets. Chromatin immunoprecipitation indicates that the sites of Rtt107 binding correspond to regions at or near stalled replication forks throughout the genome. I propose that Rtt107 acts in the recovery from DNA damage by localizing to stalled replication forks and acting as a scaffold for assembly of DNA damage response proteins, ultimately promoting replication fork restart.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 188-220). Also available in print.

No description available.

APLF is a forkhead associated (FHA) domain-containing protein with unique poly(ADP)-ribose (PAR)-binding zinc finger (PBZ) domains that are involved in the DNA damage response. The interaction of the APLF PBZ domains with PAR is essential for the rapid recruitment of APLF to sites of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), while the FHA domain facilitates non-homologous end-joining. In response to ionizing radiation (IR), APLF is phosphorylated at Serine-116 (APLFS116), although the function of this post-translational modification has yet to be defined. Here we provide a detailed characterization of the IR-induced and ATM- dependent phosphorylation of endogenous APLF at Serine-116 in the context of DNA damage. We additionally examine a novel APLF FHA-dependent interaction with 53BP1 (p53 Binding protein 1). Together, we illustrate that APLFS116 phosphorylation is dependent upon both the tandem PBZ domains, as well as the FHA-domain, and that the depletion of either PARP3 or 53BP1, similarly affected APLFS116 phosphorylation. Furthermore, we show that DSB-repair was compromised in cells expressing the APLFS116A mutation. Collectively, our findings provide a detailed understanding of the molecular pathway that leads to the phosphorylation of APLF following DNA damage and suggest that APLFS116 phosphorylation facilitates APLF-dependent DSB repair.