ROLE OF γ-H2AX IN DNA-DAMAGE RESPONSE AND ITS POSSIBLE CLINICAL APPLICATIONS

H2AX Phosphorylation: Its Role in DNA Damage Response and Cancer Therapy

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most deleterious DNA lesions, which, if left unrepaired, may have severe consequences for cell survival, as they lead to chromosome aberrations, genomic instability, or cell death. Various physical, chemical, and biological factors are involved in DSB induction. Cells respond to DNA damage by activating the so-called DNA damage response (DDR), a complex molec...

The HINT1 tumor suppressor regulates both γ-H2AX and ATM in response to DNA damage

Hint1 is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor gene and the underlying molecular mechanisms for its tumor suppressor function are unknown. In this study we demonstrate that HINT1 participates in ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA damage responses. In response to IR, HINT1 is recruited to IR-induced foci (IRIF) and associates with gamma-H2AX and ATM. HINT1 deficiency does not affect the formatio...

Critical role of lysine 134 methylation on histone H2AX for γ-H2AX production and DNA repair

The presence of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) is associated with the local activation of DNA-damage repair pathways. Although γ-H2AX deregulation in cancer has previously been reported, the molecular mechanism involved and its relationship with other histone modifications remain largely unknown. Here we find that the histone methyltransferase SUV39H2 methylates histone H2AX on lysine 134...

Genome-wide profiles of H2AX and γ-H2AX differentiate endogenous and exogenous DNA damage hotspots in human cells

Phosphorylation of the histone variant H2AX forms γ-H2AX that marks DNA double-strand break (DSB). Here, we generated the sequencing-based maps of H2AX and γ-H2AX positioning in resting and proliferating cells before and after ionizing irradiation. Genome-wide locations of possible endogenous and exogenous DSBs were identified based on γ-H2AX distribution in dividing cancer cells without irradi...

Origin and Role of DNA Damage in Varicocele