Distinct requirements for Ku in N nucleotide addition at V(D)J- and non-V(D)J-generated double-strand breaks

Loss or addition of nucleotides at junctions generated by V(D)J recombination significantly expands the antigen-receptor repertoire. Addition of nontemplated (N) nucleotides is carried out by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), whose only known physiological role is to create diversity at V(D)J junctions during lymphocyte development. Although purified TdT can act at free DNA ends, its ability to add nucleotides (i.e. form N regions) at coding joints appears to depend on the nonhomologous end-joining factor Ku80. Because the DNA ends generated during V(D)J rearrangements remain associated with the RAG proteins after cleavage, TdT might be targeted for N region addition through interactions with RAG proteins or with Ku80 during remodeling of the post-cleavage complex. Such regulated access would help to prevent TdT from acting at other types of broken ends and degrading the fidelity of end joining. To test this hypothesis, we measured TdT’s ability to add nucleotides to endonuclease-induced chromosomal and extrachromosomal breaks. In both cases TdT added nucleotides efficiently to the cleaved DNA ends. Strikingly, the frequency of N regions at non-V(D)J-generated ends was not dependent on Ku80. Thus our results suggest that Ku80 is required to allow TdT access to RAG post-cleavage complexes, providing support for the hypothesis that Ku is involved in disassembling or remodeling the post-cleavage complex. We also found that N regions were abnormally long in the absence of Ku80, indicating that Ku80 may regulate TdT’s activity at DNA ends in vivo.     

Modulation of terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase activity by the DNA-dependent protein kinase.

Rare Ig and TCR coding joints can be isolated from mice that have a targeted deletion in the gene encoding the 86-kDa subunit of the Ku heterodimer, the regulatory subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). However in the coding joints isolated from Ku86-/- animals, there is an extreme paucity of N regions (the random nucleotides added during V(D)J recombination by the enzyme TdT). This finding is consistent with a decreased frequency of coding joints containing N regions isolated from C.B-17 SCID mice that express a truncated form of the catalytic subunit of the DNA-PK (DNA-PKCS). This finding suggests an unexpected role for DNA-PK in addition of N nucleotides to coding ends during V(D)J recombination. In this report, we establish that TdT forms a stable complex with DNA-PK. Furthermore, we show that DNA-PK modulates TdT activity in vitro by limiting both the length and composition of nucleotide additions.     

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase requires KU80 and XRCC4 to promote N-addition at non-V(D)J chromosomal breaks in non-lymphoid cells

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a DNA polymerase that increases the repertoire of antigen receptors by adding non-templated nucleotides (N-addition) to V(D)J recombination junctions. Despite extensive in vitro studies on TdT catalytic activity, the partners of TdT that enable N-addition remain to be defined. Using an intrachromosomal substrate, we show here that, in Chinese hamter ovary (CHO) cells, ectopic expression of TdT efficiently promotes N-additions at the junction of chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated by the meganuclease I-SceI and that the size of the N-additions is comparable with that at V(D)J junctions. Importantly, no N-addition was observed in KU80- or XRCC4-deficient cells. These data show that, in a chromosomal context of non-lymphoid cells, TdT is actually able to promote N-addition at non-V(D)J DSBs, through a process that strictly requires the components of the canonical non-homologous end-joining pathway, KU80 and XRCC4.     

Double-strand break repair in Ku86- and XRCC4-deficient cells.

The Ku86 and XRCC4 proteins perform critical but poorly understood functions in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Both Ku 86- and XRCC4-deficient cells exhibit profound radiosensitivity and severe defects in V(D)J recombination, including excessive deletions at recombinant junctions. Previous workers have suggested that these phenomena may reflect defects in joining of the broken DNA ends or in protection of the ends from nucleases. However, end joining in XRCC4-deficient cells has not been examined. Here we show that joining of both matched and mismatched DNA ends occurs efficiently in XRCC4-deficient cells. Furthermore, analysis of junctions shows that XRCC4 is not required to protect the ends from degradation. However, nucleotide sequence analysis of junctions derived from joining of mismatched DNA ends in XRCC4-deficient cells revealed a strong preference for a junction containing a 7 nt homology. Similar results were obtained in Ku86-deficient cells. These data suggest that in the absence of XRCC4 or Ku86, joining is assisted by base pairing interactions, supporting the hypothesis that these proteins may participate in aligning or stabilizing intermediates in end joining.     

Ku86 is not required for protection of signal ends or for formation of nonstandard V(D)J recombination products.

Ku, a heterodimer of 70- and 86-kDa subunits, serves as the DNA binding component of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Cells deficient for the 86-kDa subunit of Ku (Ku86-deficient cells) lack Ku DNA end-binding activity and are severely defective for formation of the standard V(D)J recombination products, i.e., signal and coding joints. It has been widely hypothesized that Ku is required for protection of broken DNA ends generated during V(D)J recombination. Here we report the first analysis of V(D)J recombination intermediates in a Ku-deficient cell line. We find that full-length, ligatable signal ends are abundant in these cells. These data show that Ku86 is not required for the protection or stabilization of signal ends, suggesting that other proteins may perform this function. The presence of high levels of signal ends in Ku-deficient cells prompted us to investigate whether these ends could participate in joining reactions. We show that nonstandard V(D)J recombination products (hybrid joints), which involve joining a signal end to a coding end, form with similar efficiencies in Ku-deficient and wild-type fibroblasts. These data support the surprising conclusion that Ku is not required for some types of V(D)J joining events. We propose a novel RAG-mediated joining mechanism, analogous to disintegration reactions performed by retroviral integrases, to explain how formation of hybrid joints can bypass the requirement for Ku and DNA-PK.     

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase indiscriminately incorporates ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides.

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) catalyzes the condensation of deoxyribonucleotides on 3'-hydroxyl ends of DNA strands in a template-independent manner and adds N-regions to gene segment junctions during V(D)J recombination. Although TdT is able to incorporate a few ribonucleotides in vitro, TdT discrimination between ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides has never been studied. We found that TdT shows only a minor preference for incorporation of deoxyribonucleotides over ribonucleotides on DNA strands. However, incorporation of ribonucleotides alone or in the presence of deoxyribonucleotides generally leads to premature chain termination, reflecting an impeded accommodation of ribo- or mixed ribo/deoxyribonucleic acid substrates by TdT. An essential catalytic aspartate in TdT was identified, which is a first step toward understanding the apparent lack of sugar discrimination by TdT.     

Evidence that terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase expression plays a role in Ig heavy chain gene segment utilization

TdT is a nuclear enzyme that catalyzes the addition of random nucleotides at Ig and TCR V(D)J junctions. In this paper we analyze human IgH rearrangements generated from transgenic minilocus mice in the presence or absence of TdT. In the absence of TdT, the pseudo-VH gene segment present in the minilocus is rearranged dramatically more frequently. Additionally, JH6 gene segment utilization is increased as well as the number of rearrangements involving only VH and JH gene segments. Thus, the recombination of IgH gene segments that are flanked by 23-nt spacer recombination signal sequences may be influenced by TdT expression. Extensive analysis indicates that these changes are independent of antigenic selection and cannot be explained by homology-mediated recombination. Thus, the role played by TdT may be more extensive than previously thought.     

Evidence that the long murine terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase isoform plays no role in the control of V(D)J junctional diversity

Two TdT isoforms have been found in the mouse. The short isoform is known to add N regions to gene segment junctions during V(D)J recombination, but the role of the long (TdTL) isoform is controversial. We have shown that TdTL, although endowed with terminal transferase activity, is thermally unstable and unable to add N regions in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate that TdTL is devoid of 3'-5' exonuclease activity, and provide an analysis of nucleotide deletion and addition patterns in large series of V(D)J coding joins, arguing against a role of TdTL in the control of junctional diversity in Igs and TCRs.     

A complex of RAG-1 and RAG-2 proteins persists on DNA after single-strand cleavage at V(D)J recombination signal sequences.

The recombination activating gene (RAG) 1 and 2 proteins are required for initiation of V(D)J recombination in vivo and have been shown to be sufficient to introduce DNA double-strand breaks at recombination signal sequences (RSSs) in a cell-free assay in vitro. RSSs consist of a highly conserved palindromic heptamer that is separated from a slightly less conserved A/T-rich nonamer by either a 12 or 23 bp spacer of random sequence. Despite the high sequence specificity of RAG-mediated cleavage at RSSs, direct binding of the RAG proteins to these sequences has been difficult to demonstrate by standard methods. Even when this can be demonstrated, questions about the order of events for an individual RAG-RSS complex will require methods that monitor aspects of the complex during transitions from one step of the reaction to the next. Here we have used template-independent DNA polymerase terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in order to assess occupancy of the reaction intermediates by the RAG complex during the reaction. In addition, this approach allows analysis of the accessibility of end products of a RAG-catalyzed cleavage reaction for N nucleotide addition. The results indicate that RAG proteins form a long-lived complex with the RSS once the initial nick is generated, because the 3'-OH group at the nick remains obstructed for TdT-catalyzed N nucleotide addition. In contrast, the 3'-OH group generated at the signal end after completion of the cleavage reaction can be efficiently tailed by TdT, suggesting that the RAG proteins disassemble from the signal end after DNA double-strand cleavage has been completed. Therefore, a single RAG complex maintains occupancy from the first step (nick formation) to the second step (cleavage). In addition, the results suggest that N region diversity at V(D)J junctions within rearranged immunoglobulin and T cell receptor gene loci can only be introduced after the generation of RAG-catalyzed DNA double-strand breaks, i.e. during the DNA end joining phase of the V(D)J recombination reaction.     

The C terminus of Ku80 activates the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit

Ku is a heterodimeric protein with double-stranded DNA end-binding activity that operates in the process of nonhomologous end joining. Ku is thought to target the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex to the DNA and, when DNA bound, can interact and activate the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). We have carried out a 3' deletion analysis of Ku80, the larger subunit of Ku, and shown that the C-terminal 178 amino acid residues are dispensable for DNA end-binding activity but are required for efficient interaction of Ku with DNA-PKcs. Cells expressing Ku80 proteins that lack the terminal 178 residues have low DNA-PK activity, are radiation sensitive, and can recombine the signal junctions but not the coding junctions during V(D)J recombination. These cells have therefore acquired the phenotype of mouse SCID cells despite expressing DNA-PKcs protein, suggesting that an interaction between DNA-PKcs and Ku, involving the C-terminal region of Ku80, is required for DNA double-strand break rejoining and coding but not signal joint formation. To gain further insight into important domains in Ku80, we report a point mutational change in Ku80 in the defective xrs-2 cell line. This residue is conserved among species and lies outside of the previously reported Ku70-Ku80 interaction domain. The mutational change nonetheless abrogates the Ku70-Ku80 interaction and DNA end-binding activity.     

Distinct roles of XRCC4 and Ku80 in non-homologous end-joining of endonuclease- and ionizing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is mediated by two protein complexes comprising Ku80/Ku70/DNA-PKcs/Artemis and XRCC4/LigaseIV/XLF. Loss of Ku or XRCC4/LigaseIV function compromises the rejoining of radiation-induced DSBs and leads to defective V(D)J recombination. In this study, we sought to define how XRCC4 and Ku80 affect NHEJ of site-directed chromosomal DSBs in murine fibroblasts. We employed a recently developed reporter system based on the rejoining of I-SceI endonuclease-induced DSBs. We found that the frequency of NHEJ was reduced by more than 20-fold in XRCC4−/− compared to XRCC4+/+ cells, while a Ku80 knock-out reduced the rejoining efficiency by only 1.4-fold. In contrast, lack of either XRCC4 or Ku80 increased end degradation and shifted repair towards a mode that used longer terminal microhomologies for rejoining. However, both proteins proved to be essential for the repair of radiation-induced DSBs. The remarkably different phenotype of XRCC4- and Ku80-deficient cells with regard to the repair of enzyme-induced DSBs mirrors the embryonic lethality of XRCC4 knock-out mice as opposed to the viability of the Ku80 knock-out. Thus, I-SceI-induced breaks may resemble DSBs arising during normal DNA metabolism and mouse development. The removal of these breaks likely has different genetic requirements than the repair of radiation-induced DSBs.     

Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase deficiency decreases autoimmune disease in diabetes-prone nonobese diabetic mice and lupus-prone MRL-Fas(lpr) mice

The wide diversity of the T and B Ag receptor repertoires becomes even more extensive postneonatally due to the activity of TdT, which adds nontemplated N nucleotides to Ig and TCR coding ends during V(D)J recombination. In addition, complementarity-determining region 3 sequences formed in the absence of TdT are more uniform due to the use of short sequence homologies between the V, D, and J genes. Thus, the action of TdT produces an adult repertoire that is both different from, and much larger than, the repertoire of the neonate. We have generated TdT-deficient nonobese diabetic (NOD) and MRL-Fas(lpr) mice, and observed a decrease in the incidence of autoimmune disease, including absence of diabetes and decreased pancreatic infiltration in NOD TdT(-/-) mice, and reduced glomerulonephritis and increased life span in MRL-Fas(lpr) TdT(-/-) mice. Using tetramer staining, TdT(-/-) and TdT(+/+) NOD mice showed similar frequencies of the diabetogenic BDC 2.5 CD4(+) T cells. We found no increase in CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in NOD TdT(-/-) mice. Thus, TdT deficiency ameliorates the severity of disease in both lupus and diabetes, two very disparate autoimmune diseases that affect different organs, with damage conducted by different effector cell types. The neonatal repertoire appears to be deficient in autoreactive T and/or B cells with high enough affinities to induce end-stage disease. We suggest that the paucity of autoreactive specificities created in the N region-lacking repertoire, and the resultant protection afforded to the newborn, may be the reason that TdT expression is delayed in ontogeny.     

Double-strand break repair by Ku70 requires heterodimerization with Ku80 and DNA binding functions.

Heterodimers of the 70 and 80 kDa Ku autoantigens (Ku70 and Ku80) activate the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Mutations in any of the three subunits of this protein kinase (Ku70, Ku80 and DNA-PKcs) lead to sensitivity to ionizing radiation (IR) and to DNA double-strand breaks, and V(D)J recombination product formation defects. Here we show that the IR repair, DNA end binding and DNA-PK defects in Ku70-/- embryonic stem cells can be counteracted by introducing epitope-tagged wild-type Ku70 cDNA. Truncations and chimeras of Ku70 were used to identify the regions necessary for DNA end binding and IR repair. Site-specific mutational analysis revealed a core region of Ku70 responsible for DNA end binding and heterodimerization. The propensity for Ku70 to associate with Ku80 and to bind DNA correlates with the ability to activate DNA-PK, although two mutants showed that the roles of Ku70 in DNA-PK activation and IR repair are separate. Mutation of DNA-PK autophosphorylation sites and other structural motifs in Ku70 showed that these sites are not necessary for IR repair in vivo. These studies reveal Ku70 features required for double-strand break repair.     

Protein-protein and protein-DNA interaction regions within the DNA end-binding protein Ku70-Ku86.

DNA ends are generated during double-strand-break repair and recombination. A p70-p86 heterodimer, Ku, accounts for the DNA end binding activity in eukaryotic cell extracts. When one or both subunits of Ku are missing, mammalian cells are deficient in double-strand-break repair and in specialized recombination, such as V(D)J recombination. Little is known of which regions of Ku70 and Ku86 bind to each other to form the heterodimeric complex or of which regions are important for DNA end binding. We have done genetic and biochemical studies to examine the domains within the two subunits important for protein assembly and for DNA end binding. We found that the C-terminal 20-kDa region of Ku70 and the C-terminal 32-kDa region of Ku86 are important for subunit-subunit interaction. For DNA binding, full-length individual subunits are inactive, indicating that heterodimer assembly precedes DNA binding. DNA end binding activity by the heterodimer requires the C-terminal 40-kDa region of Ku70 and the C-terminal 45-kDa region of Ku86. Leucine zipper-like motifs in both subunits that have been suggested as the Ku70-Ku86 interaction domains do not appear to be the sites of such interaction because these are dispensable for both assembly and DNA end binding. On the basis of these studies, we have organized Ku70 into nine sequence regions conserved between Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Drosophila melanogaster, mice, and humans; only the C-terminal three regions are essential for assembly (amino acids [aa] 439 to 609), and the C-terminal four regions appear to be essential for DNA end binding (aa 254 to 609). Within the minimal active fragment of Ku86 necessary for subunit interaction (aa 449 to 732) and DNA binding (aa 334 to 732), a proline-rich region is the only defined motif.     

Mechanistic constraints on diversity in human V(D)J recombination.

We have analyzed a large collection of coding junctions generated in human cells. From this analysis, we infer the following about nucleotide processing at coding joints in human cells. First, the pattern of nucleotide loss from coding ends is influenced by the base composition of the coding end sequences. AT-rich sequences suffer greater loss than do GC-rich sequences. Second, inverted repeats can occur at ends that have undergone nucleolytic processing. Previously, inverted repeats (P nucleotides) have been noted only at coding ends that have not undergone nucleolytic processing, this observation being the basis for a model in which a hairpin intermediate is formed at the coding ends early in the reaction. Here, inverted repeats at processed coding ends were present at approximately twice the number of junctions as P nucleotide additions. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is required for the appearance of the inverted repeats at processed ends (but not full-length coding ends), yet statistical analysis shows that it is virtually impossible for the inverted repeats to be polymerized by TdT. Third, TdT additions are not random. It has long been noted that TdT has a G utilization preference. In addition to the G preference, we find that TdT adds strings of purines or strings of pyrimidines at a highly significant frequency. This tendency suggests that nucleotide-stacking interactions affect TdT polymerization. All three of these features place constraints on the extent of junctional diversity in human V(D)J recombination.     

Evidence for Ku70/Ku80 association with full-length RAG1

Antigen receptor genes are assembled by a site-specific DNA rearrangement process called V(D)J recombination. This process proceeds through two distinct phases: a cleavage phase in which the RAG1 and RAG2 proteins introduce DNA double-strand breaks at antigen receptor gene segments, and a joining phase in which the resulting DNA breaks are processed and repaired via the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway. Genetic and biochemical evidence suggest that the RAG proteins play an active role in guiding the repair of DNA breaks introduced during V(D)J recombination to the NHEJ pathway. However, evidence for specific association between the RAG proteins and any of the factors involved in NHEJ remains elusive. Here we present evidence that two components of the NHEJ pathway, Ku70 and Ku80, interact with full-length RAG1, providing a biochemical link between the two phases of V(D)J recombination.     

Lack of MSH2 involvement differentiates V(D)J recombination from other non-homologous end joining events

V(D)J recombination and class switch recombination are the two DNA rearrangement events used to diversify the mouse and human antibody repertoires. While their double strand breaks (DSBs) are initiated by different mechanisms, both processes use non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) in the repair phase. DNA mismatch repair elements (MSH2/MSH6) have been implicated in the repair of class switch junctions as well as other DNA DSBs that proceed through NHEJ. MSH2 has also been implicated in the regulation of factors such as ATM and the MRN (Mre11, Rad50, Nbs1) complex, which are involved in V(D)J recombination. These findings led us to examine the role of MSH2 in V(D)J repair. Using MSH2-/- and MSH2+/+ mice and cell lines, we show here that all pathways involving MSH2 are dispensable for the generation of an intact pre-immune repertoire by V(D)J recombination. In contrast to switch junctions and other DSBs, the usage of terminal homology in V(D)J junctions is not influenced by MSH2. Thus, whether the repair complex for V(D)J recombination is of a canonical NHEJ type or a separate microhomology-mediated-end joining (MMEJ) type, it does not involve MSH2. This highlights a distinction between the repair of V(D)J recombination and other NHEJ reactions.     

Bcl2 negatively regulates DNA double-strand-break repair through a nonhomologous end-joining pathway

Bcl2 can enhance susceptibility to carcinogenesis, but the mechanism(s) remains fragmentary. Here we discovered that Bcl2 suppresses DNA double-strand-break (DSB) repair and V(D)J recombination by downregulating Ku DNA binding activity, which is associated with increased genetic instability. Exposure of cells to ionizing radiation enhances Bcl2 expression in the nucleus, which interacts with both Ku70 and Ku86 via its BH1 and BH4 domains. Removal of the BH1 or BH4 domain abrogates the inhibitory effect of Bcl2 on Ku DNA binding, DNA-PK, and DNA end-joining activities, which results in the failure of Bcl2 to block DSB repair as well as V(D)J recombination. Intriguingly, Bcl2 directly disrupts the Ku/DNA-PKcs complex in vivo and in vitro. Thus, Bcl2 suppression of the general DSB repair and V(D)J recombination may occur in a mechanism by inhibiting the nonhomologous end-joining pathway, which may lead to an accumulation of DNA damage and genetic instability.     

Identification of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ku80 homologue: roles in DNA double strand break rejoining and in telomeric maintenance.

Ku is a heterodimer of polypeptides of approximately 70 and 80 kDa (Ku70 and Ku80, respectively) that binds to DNA ends. Mammalian cells lacking Ku are defective in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair and in site-specific V(D)J recombination. Here, we describe the identification and characterisation of YKU80, the gene for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ku80 homologue. Significantly, we find that YKU80 disruption enhances the radiosensitivity of rad52 mutant strains, suggesting that YKU80 functions in a DNA DSB repair pathway that does not rely on homologous recombination. Indeed, through using an in vivo plasmid rejoining assay, we find that YKU80 plays an essential role in illegitimate recombination events that result in the accurate repair of restriction enzyme generated DSBs. Interestingly, in the absence of YKU80function, residual repair operates through an error-prone pathway that results in recombination between short direct repeat elements. This resembles closely a predominant DSB repair pathway in vertebrates. Together, our data suggest that multiple, evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for DSB repair exist in eukaryotes. Furthermore, they imply that Ku binds to DSBs in vivo and promotes repair both by enhancing accurate DNA end joining and by suppressing alternative error-prone repair pathways. Finally, we report that yku80 mutant yeasts display dramatic telomeric shortening, suggesting that, in addition to recognising DNA damage, Ku also binds to naturally occurring chromosomal ends. These findings raise the possibility that Ku protects chromosomal termini from nucleolytic attack and functions as part of a telomeric length sensing system.