7,8-Dihydro-8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) is a major DNA glycosylase involved in base-excision repair (BER) of oxidative DNA damage to nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We used OGG1-deficient (OGG1^−/–) mice to examine the possible roles of OGG1 in the vulnerability of neurons to ischemic and oxidative stress. After exposure of cultured neurons to oxidative and metabolic stress levels of OGG1 in the nucleus were elevated and mitochondria exhibited fragmentation and increased levels of the mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and reduced membrane potential. Cortical neurons isolated from OGG1^−/– mice were more vulnerable to oxidative insults than were OGG1^+/+ neurons, and OGG1^−/– mice developed larger cortical infarcts and behavioral deficits after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion compared with OGG1^+/+ mice. Accumulations of oxidative DNA base lesions (8-oxoG, FapyAde, and FapyGua) were elevated in response to ischemia in both the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres, and to a greater extent in the contralateral cortex of OGG1^−/– mice compared with OGG1^+/+ mice. Ischemia-induced elevation of 8-oxoG incision activity involved increased levels of a nuclear isoform OGG1, suggesting an adaptive response to oxidative nuclear DNA damage. Thus, OGG1 has a pivotal role in repairing oxidative damage to nuclear DNA under ischemic conditions, thereby reducing brain damage and improving functional outcome.

The RecQ helicase RECQL4, mutated in Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, regulates genome stability, aging, and cancer. Here, we identify a crucial role for RECQL4 in DNA end resection, which is the initial and an essential step of homologous recombination (HR)-dependent DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR). Depletion of RECQL4 severely reduces HR-mediated repair and 5' end resection in vivo. RECQL4 physically interacts with MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN), which senses DSBs and initiates DNA end resection with CtIP. The MRE11 exonuclease regulates the retention of RECQL4 at laser-induced DSBs. RECQL4 also directly interacts with CtIP via its N-terminal domain and promotes CtIP recruitment to the MRN complex at DSBs. Moreover, inactivation of RECQL4's helicase activity impairs DNA end processing and HR-dependent DSBR without affecting its interaction with MRE11 and CtIP, suggesting an important role for RECQL4's unwinding activity in the process. Thus, we report that RECQL4 is an important participant in HR-dependent DSBR.

Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, activates receptors coupled to membrane depolarization and Ca(2+) influx that mediates functional responses of neurons including processes such as learning and memory. Here we show that reversible nuclear oxidative DNA damage occurs in cerebral cortical neurons in response to transient glutamate receptor activation using non-toxic physiological levels of glutamate. This DNA damage was prevented by intracellular Ca(2+) chelation, the mitochondrial superoxide dismutase mimetic MnTMPyP (Mn-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine chloride tetrakis(methochloride)), and blockade of the permeability transition pore. The repair of glutamate-induced DNA damage was associated with increased DNA repair activity and increased mRNA and protein levels of apurinic endonuclease 1 (APE1). APE1 knockdown induced accumulation of oxidative DNA damage after glutamate treatment, suggesting that APE1 is a key repair protein for glutamate-induced DNA damage. A cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) binding sequence is present in the Ape1 gene (encodes APE1 protein) promoter and treatment of neurons with a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase inhibitor (KN-93) blocked the ability of glutamate to induce CREB phosphorylation and APE1 expression. Selective depletion of CREB using RNA interference prevented glutamate-induced up-regulation of APE1. Thus, glutamate receptor stimulation triggers Ca(2+)- and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species-mediated DNA damage that is then rapidly repaired by a mechanism involving Ca(2+)-induced, CREB-mediated APE1 expression. Our findings reveal a previously unknown ability of neurons to efficiently repair oxidative DNA lesions after transient activation of glutamate receptors.

Exonuclease 1 (EXO1) is a multifunctional 5′ → 3′ exonuclease and a DNA structure-specific DNA endonuclease. EXO1 plays roles in DNA replication, DNA mismatch repair (MMR) and DNA double-stranded break repair (DSBR) in lower and higher eukaryotes and contributes to meiosis, immunoglobulin maturation, and micro-mediated end-joining in higher eukaryotes. In human cells, EXO1 is also thought to play a role in telomere maintenance. Mutations in the human EXO1 gene correlate with increased susceptibility to some cancers. This review summarizes recent studies on the enzymatic functions and biological roles of EXO1, its possible protective role against cancer and aging, and regulation of EXO1 by posttranslational modification.

Human exonuclease 1 (EXO1), a 5′→3′ exonuclease, contributes to the regulation of the cell cycle checkpoints, replication fork maintenance, and post replicative DNA repair pathways. These processes are required for the resolution of stalled or blocked DNA replication that can lead to replication stress and potential collapse of the replication fork. Failure to restart the DNA replication process can result in double-strand breaks, cell-cycle arrest, cell death, or cellular transformation. In this review, we summarize the involvement of EXO1 in the replication, DNA repair pathways, cell cycle checkpoints, and the link between EXO1 and cancer.