Unlike most checkpoint proteins, Mec1, an ATM/ATR kinase, is essential. We utilized mec1-4, a missense allele (E2130K) that confers diminished kinase activity, to interrogate the question. Unbiased screen for genetic interactors of mec1-4 identified numerous genes involved in proteostasis. mec1-4 confers sensitivity to heat, an amino acid analog, and Htt103Q, an aggregation-prone model peptide of Huntingtin. Oppositely, mec1-4 confers resistance to cycloheximide, a translation inhibitor. In response to heat, mec1-4 leads to widespread protein aggregation and cell death. Key components of the Mec1 signaling network, Rad53, Dun1, and Sml1, also impact survival in response to proteotoxic stress. Activation of autophagy or sml1Δ promotes aggregate resolution and rescues mec1-4 lethality. These findings show that proteostasis is a fundamental function of Mec1 and that Mec1 is likely to utilize its checkpoint response network to mediate resistance to proteotoxic stress, a role that may be conserved from yeast to mammalian cells.

ATM and ATR are conserved regulators of the DNA damage response linked to cancer. Comprehensive DNA sequencing efforts identified ~4,000 cancer-associated mutations in ATM/ATR; however, their cancer implications remain largely unknown. To gain insights, we identify functionally important conserved residues in ATM, ATR and budding yeast Mec1ATR via cancer genome datamining and a functional genetic analysis, respectively. Surprisingly, only a small fraction of the critical residues is in the active site of the respective enzyme complexes, implying that loss of the intrinsic kinase activity is infrequent in carcinogenesis. A number of residues are solvent accessible, suggestive of their involvement in interacting with a protein-partner(s). The majority, buried inside the respective enzyme complexes, might play a structural or regulatory role. Together, these findings identify evolutionarily conserved ATM, ATR, and Mec1ATR residues involved in diverse aspects of the enzyme function and provide fresh insights into the elusive genotype-phenotype relationships in ATM/ATR and their cancer-associated variants.

ATM and ATR are master regulators of the DNA damage response linked to cancer, neurodegeneration, and accelerated ageing. We find that inactivation of Mec1, an essential budding yeast ATM/ATR protein, leads to widespread protein aggregation and cell death in response to three different types of proteotoxic stresses; heat, Huntingtin (HTT), the aggregation prone Huntington’s disease protein, andazetidine 2 carboxylic acid (AZC), a proline analogue that induces protein misfolding. Conditions that activate protein catabolism (e.g. activation of autophagy) or impede protein anabolism (e.g. cycloheximide [CHX] or deletion of genes involved translation) rescues the lethality via aggregate-resolution. Inactivation of Rad53- or Dun1- kinases, the two key components of the Mec1 DNA damage checkpoint response, confers distinct sensitivity profiles: rad53K277A confers sensitivity to AZC, HTT, and CHX; in contrast, dun1Δconfers sensitive only to AZC and HTT but robust resistance to CHX. We also find that Sml1, an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which undergoes Mec1-Rad53-Dun1 dependent degradation in response to DNA damage is maintained in response to proteotoxic stress. Taken together, these results unveil a new function of Mec1 in mediating cellular response to perturbation in protein homeostasis. We propose that Mec1 is a versatile signal transduction protein that promotes resistance to both genotoxic and proteotoxic stresses via distinct mechanisms.

constrained and glycosylated tumor-specific conformationally exposed epitope within NaPi2b EMD4 representing an excellent targets for specific therapeutic antibodies.Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors.