title: The DNA damage checkpoint response requires histone H2B ubiquitination by Rad6-Bre1 and H3 methylation by Dot1.
abstract: The cellular response to DNA lesions entails the recruitment of several checkpoint and repair factors to damaged DNA, and chromatin modifications may play a role in this process. Here we show that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae epigenetic modification of histones is required for checkpoint activity in response to a variety of genotoxic stresses. We demonstrate that ubiquitination of histone H2B on lysine 123 by the Rad6-Bre1 complex, is necessary for activation of Rad53 kinase and cell cycle arrest. We found a similar requirement for Dot1-dependent methylation of histone H3. Loss of H3-Lys(79) methylation does not affect Mec1 activation, whereas it renders cells checkpoint-defective by preventing phosphorylation of Rad9. Such results suggest that histone modifications may have a role in checkpoint function by modulating the interactions of Rad9 with chromatin and active Mec1 kinase.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari e Biotecnologie, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannattasio
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lazzaro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plevani
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muzi-Falconi
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002469:Cell Separation; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry; D008745:Methylation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D044763:Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / Q000502:physiology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: C472168:Bre1 protein, S cerevisiae; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; C069930:rad9 protein; D012694:Serine; C416235:Dot1 protein, S cerevisiae; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; C471606:RAD6 protein, S cerevisiae; D044763:Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; C088937:MEC1 protein, S cerevisiae; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C067022:RAD53 protein, S cerevisiae; D008239:Lysine