Although RNA and RNA-binding proteins have been linked to double-strand breaks (DSBs), little is known regarding their roles in the cellular response to DSBs and, if any, in the repair process. Here, we provide direct evidence for the presence of RNA-DNA hybrids at DSBs and suggest that binding of RNA to DNA at DSBs may impact repair efficiency. Our data indicate that the RNAunwinding protein DEAD box 1 (DDX1) is required for efficient DSB repair and cell survival after ionizing radiation (IR), with depletion of DDX1 resulting in reduced DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR). While DDX1 is not essential for end resection, a key step in homology-directed DSB repair, DDX1 is required for maintenance of the single-stranded DNA once generated by end resection. We show that transcription deregulation has a significant effect on DSB repair by HR in DDX1-depleted cells and that RNA-DNA duplexes are elevated at DSBs in DDX1-depleted cells. Based on our combined data, we propose a role for DDX1 in resolving RNA-DNA structures that accumulate at DSBs located at sites of active transcription. Our findings point to a previously uncharacterized requirement for clearing RNA at DSBs for efficient repair by HR. DEAD box proteins are a family of putative RNA helicases that function by altering RNA secondary structure. This protein family has been implicated in all aspects of RNA metabolism. The DEAD box 1 gene (DDX1) is a widely expressed gene that is misexpressed in a number of cancers, including retinoblastoma, neuroblastoma, and breast cancer (1, 2). Knockout of DDX1 leads to early embryonic lethality in mice and severely reduced fertility in flies (3, 4). DDX1 is involved in the transport of RNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and regulates cytoplasmic localization of the splicing-regulatory protein KSRP (5). In neurons, DDX1 resides in RNA-transporting granules, cytoplasmic organelles that regulate the localization and expression of target mRNAs (6, 7). DDX1 has also been identified as a core subunit of the human tRNA ligase complex which is essential for tRNA splicing (8).In addition to its roles in RNA metabolism, DDX1 has been implicated in the cellular response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Upon treatment of cells with ionizing radiation (IR), DDX1 rapidly accumulates at a subset of DNA DSBs (ϳ30%), where it forms IR-induced foci that colocalize with ␥-H2AX, a marker for DSBs (9). DDX1 coimmunoprecipitates with the MRN (MRE11-RAD50-NBS1) complex, the early sensor of DNA DSBs, and ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) protein, the key transducer of the signaling cascade in response to DSBs (10, 11). DSBs induce DDX1 phosphorylation in an ATM-dependent manner. Notably, IR-induced DDX1 foci are lost when cells are treated with RNase H, an enzyme that specifically digests RNA from RNA-DNA hybrids (9). These results suggest that RNA-DNA double-stranded structures are required for the presence and/or retention of DDX1 at DSBs. In line with this observation, biochemical analysis has shown that DDX1 can unwind both...

Recent studies using animal models suggest that expression of FABP5 drives the stimulation of cell growth observed in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer cells on exposure to retinoic acid (RA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological significance of FABP5 in breast cancer and to evaluate FABP5 as a prognostic marker and a possible novel therapeutic target in breast cancer. Gene expression microarray analysis revealed a significant correlation between elevated FABP5 RNA levels and ER/ progesterone receptor (PR)-negative status, high tumor grade, and poor prognosis. Tissue microarray analysis demonstrated similar correlations with cytoplasmic FABP5 protein. Based on multivariate proportional regression analysis, cytoplasmic FABP5 is a significant and independent prognostic marker of overall survival and recurrence-free survival in breast cancer. The effects of FABP5 on tumor growth appear to be mediated primarily through cytoplasmic FABP, because no correlation was found between nuclear FABP5 and ER/PRnegative status, recurrence, and survival. FABP5 knockdown in breast cancer cell lines demonstrates a correlation between FABP5 levels and growth response to RA. We propose a model whereby growth-promoting FABP5 competes with growth-inhibiting CRABP2 for RA, with retention of RA in the cytoplasm by FABP5 preventing the inhibition of tumor growth. (Am J Pathol

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease characterized by diverse molecular signatures and a variable response to therapy. Clinical management of breast cancer is guided by the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 amplification. New prognostic and predictive markers, as well as additional targets for therapy, are needed for more effective management of this disease. Gene expression microarrays were probed with RNAs from 176 primary breast cancer samples and tissue microarrays immunostained with anti-DDX1 antibody, an antibody to DEAD box protein DDX1, a putative RNA-RNA and RNA-DNA unwinding protein normally found in the nucleus. Half of the patient cohort had experienced early relapse despite standard adjuvant therapy, but were otherwise matched for estrogen receptor and HER2 status, stage and duration of follow-up. Here, we identify DDX1 RNA overexpression as an independent prognostic marker for early recurrence in primary breast cancer, with a hazard ratio of 4.31 based on logrank analysis of Kaplan-Meier curves. Elevated levels of DDX1 protein in the cytoplasm also independently correlate with early recurrence with a hazard ratio of 1.90. In conclusion, our data indicate a strong and independent association between poor prognosis and deregulation of the DEAD box protein DDX1. We propose that elevated levels of DDX1 RNA or the presence of DDX1 in the cytoplasm could serve as an effective prognostic biomarker for early recurrence in primary breast cancer.

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DEAD box 1 (DDX1) is a member of the DEAD box family of RNA helicases which are involved in all aspects of RNA metabolism. DDX1 has been implicated in a variety of biological processes, including 3’-end processing of mRNA, DNA repair, microRNA processing, tRNA maturation and mRNA transport. To study the role of DDX1 during development, we have generated mice carrying a constitutive Ddx1 knock-out allele. Ddx1+/− mice have no obvious phenotype and express similar levels of DDX1 as wild-type mice indicating compensation from the intact Ddx1 allele. Heterozygote matings produce no viable Ddx1−/− progeny, with Ddx1−/− embryos dying prior to embryonic day (E) 3.5. Intriguingly, the number of wild-type progeny is significantly decreased in heterozygote crosses, with two different heterozygote populations identified based on parental genotype: (i) normal Ddx1+/− mice which generate the expected number of wild-type progeny and (ii) Ddx1*/− mice (with * signifying a non-genetically altered allele) which generate a significantly reduced number of wild-type mice. The transgenerational inheritance of wild-type lethality observed upon crossing Ddx1*/− mice is independent of parental sex and occurs in cis through a mechanism that is different from other types of previously reported transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.