A reexamination of the role of the RAD52 gene in spontaneous mitotic recombination

Summary The RAD52 gene is required for much of the recombination that occurs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One of the two commonly utilized mutant alleles, rad52-2, increases rather than reduces mitotic recombination, yet in other respects appears to be a typical rad52 mutant allele. This raises the question as to whether RAD52 is really necessary for mitotic recombination. Analysis of a deletion/insertion allele created in vitro indicates that the null mutant phenotype is indeed a deficiency in mitotic recombination, especially in gene conversion. The data also indicate that RAD52 is required for crossing-over between at least some chromosomes. Finally, examination of the behavior of a replicating plasmid in rad52-1 strains indicates that the frequency of plasmid integration is substantially reduced from that in wild type, a conclusion consistent with a role for RAD52 in reciprocal crossing-over. Analysis of recombinants arising in rad52-2 strains suggests that this allele may result in the increased activity of a RAD52-independent recombinational pathway.     

Genetic and cytological characterization of the RecA-homologous proteins Rad51 and Dmc1 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad51⁺ and dmc1⁺ genes code for homologues of the Escherichia coli recombination protein RecA. Deletion of rad51⁺ causes slow growth, retardation of cell division and a decrease in viability. rad51 cells have a defect in mating-type switching. The DNA modification at the mating-type locus required for mating-type switching contributes to slow growth in the rad51 mutant. Cell mating is reduced in crosses homozygous for rad51. Ectopic expression of the dmc1⁺ gene allowed us to demonstrate that the reduction in meiotic recombination in dmc1 mutants is not caused by a disturbance of rad24 expression from the dmc1-rad24 bicistronic RNA. We describe the functional defects of terminally epitope-tagged Dmc1 and Rad51 and discuss it in terms of protein interaction. Presumptive Rad51 and Dmc1 foci were detected on spreads of meiotic chromatin.     

Effects of the rad52 gene on sister chromatid recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Spontaneous and UV induced unequal mitotic sister chromatid recombination was examined in RAD+ and rad52-1 strains carrying the LEU2 gene inserted in the rDNA locus. The rad52-1 mutation does not affect spontaneous sister chromatid recombination but greatly reduces the frequency of UV induced sister chromatid recombination.     

Interaction of excision repair gene products and mitotic recombination functions in yeast

We have tested the ability of mutants of three additional genes in the excision repair pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to suppress the hyper-recombination and rad52 double-mutant lethality phenotypes of the rad3-102 (formerly rem1-2) mutation. Such suppression has previously been been observed with mutant alleles of RAD1 and RAD4. We had hypothesized that the rad3-102 mutation created elevated levels of DNA lesions which could be processed by the products of the RAD1 and RAD4 genes into recombinogenic double-strand breaks requiring the RAD52 product for repair. In this report, we show that the RAD2, RAD7, and RAD10 genes are also necessary for this processing. We discuss our observations of varying levels of mitotic crossingover in Rem^- rad double-mutant strains.     

Repair of ultraviolet light damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as studied with double- and single-stranded incoming DNAs

Summary Purified double- and single-stranded DNAs of the autonomously replicating vector M13RK9-T were irradiated with ultraviolet light (UV) in vitro and introduced into competent whole cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Incoming double-stranded DNA was more sensitive to UV in excision repair-deficient rad2-1 cells than in proficient repair RAD ⁺ cells, while single-stranded DNA exhibited high sensitivity in both host cells. The results indicate that in yeast there is no effective rescue of UV-incoming single-stranded DNA by excision repair or other constitutive dark repair processes.     

RAD58 (XRS4)—A new gene in the RAD52 epistasis group

The RAD58 (XRS4) gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been previously identified as a DNA repair gene. In this communication, we show that RAD58 also encodes an essential meiotic function. The spore inviability of rad58 strains is not rescued by a spo13 mutation. The rad50 mutation suppresses spore inviability of a spo13 rad58 strain suggesting that RAD58 acts after RAD50 in meiotic recombination. The rad58-4 mutation does not prevent mitotic recombination events. Haploid rad58 cells fail to carry out G₂-repair of gamma-induced lesions, whereas rad58/rad58 diploids are able to perform some diploid-specific repair of these lesions.     

Nonrandomly-associated forward mutation and mitotic recombination yield yeast diploids homozygous for recessive mutations

We have employed the analysis of spontaneous forward mutations that confer the ability to utilize L--aminoadipate as a nitrogen source (-Aa⁺) to discern the events that contribute to mitotic segregation of spontaneous recessive mutations by diploid cells. -Aa^- diploid cells yield -Aa⁺ mutants at a rate of 7.8±3.6×10^-9. As in haploid strains, approximately 97% (30/31) of -Aa⁺ mutants are spontaneous lys2-x recessive mutations. -Aa⁺ mutants of diploid cells reflect mostly the fate of LYS2/lys2-x heterozygotes that arise by mutation within LYS2/LYS2 populations at a rate of 1.2±0.4×10^-6. Mitotic recombination occurs in nonrandom association with forward mutation of LYS2 at a rate of 1.3±0.6×10^-3. This mitotic recombination rate is tenfold higher than that of a control LYS2/lys2-1 diploid. Mitotic segregation within LYS2/lys2-x subpopulations yields primarily lys2-x/lys2-x diploids and a minority of lys2-x aneuploids. Fifteen percent of lys2-x/lys2-x diploids appear to have arisen by gene conversion of LYS2 to lys2-x; 85% of lys2-x/lys2-x diploids appear to have arisen by mitotic recombination in the CENII-LYS2 interval. lys2-1/lys2-1 mitotic segregants of a control LYS2/lys2-1 diploid consist similarly of 18% of lys2-1/lys2-1 diploids that appear to have arisen by gene conversion of LYS2 to lys2-1 and 82% of lys2-1/lys2-1 diploids that appear to have arisen by mitotic recombination in the CENII-LYS2 interval. The methods described can be used to simultaneously monitor the effects of yeast gene mutations and carcinogens on the principal parameters affecting the genomic stability of diploid mitotic cells: mutation, gene conversion, intergenic recombination, and chromosomal loss or rearrangement.The research of the authors was supported by the Director, Office of Energy Research, Biological Research Division of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-ACO3-76SF00098, grants to M. S. E. and C. V. B. from the National Institutes of Health and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellowship award to R. M. R.     

Inhibition of thymidylate biosynthesis induces mitotic unequal sister chromatid recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Inhibition of thymidylate biosynthesis has been found to induce deletion of a LEU2 insert from the ribosomal DNA gene cluster of haploid strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Loss of the insert was detected phenotypically by the enhanced production of both sectored (leu⁺/leu^–) and non-sectored (leu^–) colonies. Hybridization patterns obtained by Southern blot analysis of DNA from the leu⁺ and leu^– sectors were consistent with the occurrence of unequal sister chromatid recombination. The induction of sectored colonies was prevented by the rad52-1 mutation but not by defects in RAD6. However, the formation of non-sectored leu^– colonies was induced by thymidylate depletion in both rad52-1 and rad6 strains.     

Induced recombination and reversion of theCDC8 gene in relation to the cell cycle of yeast

Summary The induction of mitotic recombination in theCDC8 locus was studied in a diploid strain heteroallelic forcdc8 mutations (cdc8-1/cdc8-3); mitotic reversion was studied in strainscdc8-1/cdc8-1 andcdc8-3/cdc8-3. Conversion and reversion did not occur in those cells blocked at the S stage of the cell cycle by exposure to a nonpermissive temperature. In stationary phase cells irradiated just prior to exposure to temperature stress, the induction of recombinants was rather low and the induction of revertants was minimal. Conversely, a significant induction ofcdc ⁺ occurred in logarithmic phase cells subjected to the same treatment. Irradiation of synchronously dividing cultures revealed that intragenic recombination occurs at all three stages of the cell cycle- G₁, S and G₂. It was also found that UV-induced gene reversion can occur during the S and G₂ stages, but not during the G₁ stage of the cell cycle.     

The UV excision-repair system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is involved in the removal of methylcytosines formed in vivo by a cloned prokaryotic DNA methyltransferase

Summary DNA methyltransferase activity is not normally found in yeast. To investigate the response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the presence of methylated bases, we introduced the Bacillus subtilis SPR phage DNA-[cytosine-5] methyltransferase gene on the shuttle vector, YEp51. The methyltransferase gene was functionally expressed in yeast under the control of the inducible yeast GAL10 promoter. Following induction we observed a time-dependent methylation of yeast DNA in RAD ⁺ and rad2 mutant strains; the rad2 mutant is defective in excision-repair of UV-induced DNA damage. Analysis of restriction endonuclease digestion patterns revealed that the relative amount of methylated DNA was greater in the excision defective rad2 mutant than in the RAD ⁺ strain. These data indicate that the yeast excision-repair system is capable of recognizing and removing m⁵C residues.     

The use of a double-marker shuttle vector to study DNA double-strand break repair in wild-type and radiation-sensitive mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An episomal DNA vector (YpJA18), encoding two selectable recombinant yeast genes (TRP1, URA3), was constructed to assess the fidelity of DNA repair in haploid repair-competent (RAD) wild-type yeast and several radiation-sensitive mutants. Either a DNA double-strand break (DSB) or a double-strand gap of 169 bp (DSG) was introduced by restriction enzymes in-vitro within the coding sequence of the URA3 gene of this vector. To eliminate transfer artefacts, selection was first applied for the undamaged TRP1 gene followed by counter selection for URA3 gene activity, which indicated correct repair of the DSB and DSG. Correct repair of the damaged URA3 gene was found to be about 90% in RAD cells (normalized for the expression of undamaged URA3 in TRP ⁺ transformants). Plasmids isolated from the transformants (URA ⁺ TRP ⁺) carry both unique sites (ApaI and NcoI) within the URA3 gene indicating the precise restitution of the 169-bp gap. An excision-repair-defective rad4-4 mutant repaired these lesions as correctly as RAD cells, whereas the mutants rad50-1, rad51-1 and rad54-1, proven to be defective in DSB repair and mitotic recombination, showed less than 5% correct repair of such lesions. In contrast, a representative of the RAD6 epistasis group of genes, the rev2-1 mutant which is sensitive towards UV and ionizing radiation, had a significantly reduced ability (about 20%) for the correct repair of both DSBs and DSGs.     

Extragenic revertants of rad50, a yeast mutation causing defects in recombination and repair

Summary The RAD50 gene in yeast is required for recombination-repair (i.e., the double strand break repair pathway) in mitosis, and for meiotic recombination and sporulation. Both of these processes are complex and seem likely to require a relatively large number of gene products. In order to help define other genes required for recombination and repair processes in yeast, we have isolated extragenic revertants of rad50-4 which restore the ability to grow in the presence of MMS. Evidence from segregation indicates the extragenic revertants fall into at least five loci. Two of them reduce sporulation and spore viability at high temperature; another mutation confers a spontaneous hyperrec phenotype on mitotic cells. Thus, at least three revertants are candidates for mutations which affect recombination functions.     

Cloning and integrative deletion of the RAD6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Three overlapping plasmids were isolated from a YEp24 library, which restore Rad+ functions to rad6-1 and rad6-3 mutants. Different subclones were made and shown to integrate by homologous recombination at the RAD6 site on chromosome VII, thus verifying the cloned DNA segments to be the RAD6 gene and not a suppressor. The gene resides in a 1.15 kb fragment, which restores Rad⁺ levels of resistance to U.V., MMS and -rays to both rad6-1 and rad6-3 strains. It also restores sporulation ability to rad6-1 diploids.Integrative deletion of the RAD6 gene was shown not to be completely lethal to the yeast. Our results suggest that the RAD6 gene has some cell cycle-specific function(s), probably during late S phase.     

The RAD50 gene,a member of the double strand break repair epistasis group,is not required for spontaneous mitotic recombination in yeast

Summary Mutations in the RAD50 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been shown to reduce double strand break repair, meiotic recombination, and radiation-inducible mitotic recombination. Several different point mutations (including ochre and amber alleles) have been previously examined for effects on spontaneous mitotic recombination and did not reduce the frequency of recombination. Instead, the rad50 mutations conferred a moderate hyper-rec phenotype. This paper examines a deletion/interruption allele of RAD50 that removes 998 of 1312 amino acids and adds 1.1 kb of foreign DNA. The results clearly indicate that spontaneous mitotic recombination can occur in the absence of RAD50; in fact, the frequency of recombination is elevated over the wild-type cell. One possible interpretation of these observations is that the initiating lesion in spontaneous recombination events in mitosis might not be a double strand break.     

In-vitro recombination in rad and rnc mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Extracts of S. cerevisiae cells can catalyze homologous recombination between plasmids in vitro. Extracts prepared from rad50, rad52 or rad54 disruption mutants all have reduced recombinational activity compared to wild-type. The rad52 and rad54 extracts are more impaired in the recombination of plasmids containing double-strand breaks than of intact plasmids, whereas rad50 extracts are deficient equally for both types of substrate. The nuclease RhoNuc (previously designated yNucR), encoded by the RNC1 (previously designated NUC2) gene and regulated by the RAD52 gene, is not required for recombination when one substrate is single-stranded but is essential for the majority of recombination events when both substrates are double-stranded. Furthermore, elimination of this nuclease restores recombination in rad52 extracts to levels comparable to those in wild-type extracts.     

Interactions among genes controlling sensitivity to radiation (RAD) and to alkylation by nitrogen mustard (SNM) in yeast

Summary Three haploid yeast mutants (snm) sensitive or thermoconditionally sensitive to the DNA cross-linking agent nitrogen mustard (HN2) were crossed with four rad strains representing mutations in the three pathways of DNA dark repair. The resulting haploid double and triple mutant strains were tested for their sensitivity to UV, HN2 and HN1. From the observed epistatic or synergistic interactions of the combinations of mutant alleles we could derive the relation of the SNM1 and SNM2 genes to the postulated repair pathways. Alleles snm1-1 and snml-2 ^ts were found epistatic to genes of the rad3 group, whereas snm2-1 ^ts was epistatic to rad6. The snm1 and snm2 mutant alleles interacted synergistically. From these data it is concluded that the SNM1 gene product plays a cross-link specific role in excision repair while the SNM2 gene product may be involved in a system of error-prone repair.     

Genetic evidence for different RAD52-dependent intrachromosomal recombination pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mutations in the RecA-like genes RAD51 and RAD57 reduce the frequency of gene conversion/reciprocal exchange between inverted repeats 7-fold. However, they enhance the frequency of deletions between direct repeats 5–12-fold. These induced deletions are RAD1- and RAD52-dependent. On the basis of these results it is proposed that there are several RAD52-dependent pathways of recombination: the recombinational repair pathway of gene conversion/reciprocal exchange dependent on RAD51 and RAD57; a RAD1-and RAD52-dependent pathway exclusively responsible for deletions that are induced in rad51 and rad57 mutants; and finally, it is possible that the gene conversion/reciprocal exchange events observed in rad51 and rad57 strains represent another RAD52-dependent recombination pathway of gene conversion/reciprocal exchange that does not require Rad51 and Rad57 functions. It is also shown that the RAD10 excision-repair gene is involved in long gene conversion tracts in homologous recombination between inverted repeats, as previously observed for RAD1. Finally, an analysis of meiotic recombination reveals that deletions are induced in meiosis 100-fold above mitotic levels, similar to intrachromosomal gene conversion/reciprocal exchange, and that, in contrast to intrachromosomal meiotic gene conversion (50% association), intrachromosomal meiotic gene conversion is not preferentially associated with reciprocal exchange (12–30% of association).     

Cytokine-induced differentiation and proliferation of human T lymphocytesin vitro: Effects of interleukin 2 and interleukin 6

The contents of CD8⁺, CD4⁺CD8⁺, CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺, CD⁺INF-γ⁺ T cells, and natural killers (CD16⁺56⁺) and NK/T cells (CD16⁺56⁺CD3⁺) increase after 7-day culturing in the presence of interleukin-2. The number of apoptotic cells and cells in S-, and G₂+M phases of the cell cycle also increased. Interleukin-6 predominantly induced proliferation of CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺ T cells and G₂+M mitotic cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii I Meditsiny, Vol. 129, No. 6, pp. 667–671, June, 2000     

SGK1 increases Na,K-ATP cell-surface expression and function in Xenopus laevis oocytes

The Na⁺-retaining hormone aldosterone increases the cell-surface expression of the luminal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and the basolateral Na⁺ pump (Na,K-ATPase) in aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron cells in a coordinated fashion. To address the question of whether aldosterone-induced serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 (SGK1) might be involved in mediating this regulation of Na,K-ATPase subcellular localization, similar to that of the epithelial Na⁺ channel (ENaC), we co-expressed the Na,K-ATPase (rat 1- and Xenopus laevis 1-subunits) and Xenopus SGK1 in Xenopus oocytes. Measurements of the Na⁺ pump current showed that wild-type SGK1 increases the function of exogenous Na,K-ATPase at the surface of Xenopus oocytes. This appeared to be secondary to an increase in Na,K-ATPase cell-surface expression as visualized by Western blotting of surface-biotinylated proteins. In contrast, the functional surface expression of two other exogenous transporters, the heterodimeric amino acid transporter LAT1-4F2hc and the Na⁺/phosphate cotransporter NaPi-IIa, was not increased by SGK1 co-expression. The total pool of exogenous Na,K-ATPase was increased by the co-expression of SGK1, and similarly also by ENaC co-expression. This latter effect depended on the [Na⁺] of the buffer and was not additive to that of SGK1. When the total Na,K-ATPase was increased by ENaC co-expression, SGK1 still increased Na,K-ATPase cell-surface expression. These observations in Xenopus oocytes suggest the possibility that SGK1 induction and/or activation could participate in the coordinated regulation of Na,K-ATPase and ENaC cell-surface expression in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron.     

Interactions among mutations affecting spontaneous mutation,mitotic recombination,and DNA repair in yeast

The mutant alleles mms9-1, mms13-1, or mms21-1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae confer pleiotropic effects, including sensitivity to the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate, elevations in spontaneous mutation and mitotic recombination, defects in meiosis, and cross-sensitivity to radiation. We constructed double-mutant strains containing an mms mutation and a defect in either excision repair, mutagenic repair, or recombinational repair and measured the levels of spontaneous mutation and mitotic reombination. Double mutants lacking excision repair show elevations in spontaneous mutation but with predominantly unchanged levels of mitotic recombination. RAD52 function was required for the expression of the hyper-recombination phenotype of the mms9-1, mms13-1, and mms21-1 alleles; double mutants displayed the very low recombination levels characteristic of rad52 mutants. Phenotypes of double mutants containing one of the mms alleles and either of the hyper-recombination/mutator rad6-1 or rad3-102 alleles suggest that the mutagenic lesions in mms strains may not be identical to the recombinogenic lesions.