Exonuclease 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the EXO1 gene. [5] [6] [7]
This gene encodes a protein with 5' to 3' exonuclease activity as well as RNase activity (endonuclease activity cleaving RNA on DNA/RNA hybrid). [8] It is similar to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Exo1 which interacts with Msh2 and which is involved in DNA mismatch repair and homologous recombination. Alternative splicing of this gene results in three transcript variants encoding two different isoforms. [7]
ExoI is essential for meiotic progression through metaphase I in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in mouse. [9] [10]
Recombination during meiosis is often initiated by a DNA double-strand break (DSB) as illustrated in the accompanying diagram. During recombination, sections of DNA at the 5' ends of the break are cut away in a process called resection. In the strand invasion step that follows, an overhanging 3' end of the broken DNA molecule "invades" the DNA of a homologous chromosome that is not broken, forming a displacement loop (D-loop). After strand invasion, the further sequence of events may follow either of two main pathways leading to a crossover (CO) or a non-crossover (NCO) recombinant (see Genetic recombination and Homologous recombination). The pathway leading to a CO involves a double Holliday junction (DHJ) intermediate. Holliday junctions need to be resolved for CO recombination to be completed.
During meiosis in S. cerevisiae, transcription of the Exo1 gene is highly induced. [9] In meiotic cells, Exo1 mutation reduces the processing of DSBs and the frequency of COs. [9] Exo1 has two temporally and biochemically distinct functions in meiotic recombination. [11] First, Exo1 acts as a 5’–3’ nuclease to resect DSB-ends. Later in the recombination process, Exo1 acts to facilitate the resolution of DHJs into COs, independently of its nuclease activities. In resolving DHJs, Exo 1 acts together with MLH1-MLH3 heterodimer (MutL gamma) and Sgs1 (ortholog of Bloom syndrome helicase) to define a joint molecule resolution pathway that produces the majority of crossovers. [12]
Male mice deficient for Exo1 are capable of normal progress through the pachynema stage of meiosis, but most germ cells fail to progress normally to metaphase I due to dynamic loss of chiasmata. [10] Surprisingly though, this meiotic role of Exo1 is not mediated by its nuclease activity per se, since Exo1-DA mice harboring a point mutation in Exo1's nuclease domain have no detectable meoitic defects. [13]
Exonuclease 1 has been shown to interact with MSH2 [6] [14] [15] and MLH1. [15]
Chromosomal crossover, or crossing over, is the exchange of genetic material during sexual reproduction between two homologous chromosomes' non-sister chromatids that results in recombinant chromosomes. It is one of the final phases of genetic recombination, which occurs in the pachytene stage of prophase I of meiosis during a process called synapsis. Synapsis begins before the synaptonemal complex develops and is not completed until near the end of prophase I. Crossover usually occurs when matching regions on matching chromosomes break and then reconnect to the other chromosome.
Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is a pathway that repairs double-strand breaks in DNA. It is called "non-homologous" because the break ends are directly ligated without the need for a homologous template, in contrast to homology directed repair (HDR), which requires a homologous sequence to guide repair. NHEJ is active in both non-dividing and proliferating cells, while HDR is not readily accessible in non-dividing cells. The term "non-homologous end joining" was coined in 1996 by Moore and Haber.
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a system for recognizing and repairing erroneous insertion, deletion, and mis-incorporation of bases that can arise during DNA replication and recombination, as well as repairing some forms of DNA damage.
A Holliday junction is a branched nucleic acid structure that contains four double-stranded arms joined. These arms may adopt one of several conformations depending on buffer salt concentrations and the sequence of nucleobases closest to the junction. The structure is named after Robin Holliday, the molecular biologist who proposed its existence in 1964.
DNA mismatch repair protein Msh2 also known as MutS homolog 2 or MSH2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MSH2 gene, which is located on chromosome 2. MSH2 is a tumor suppressor gene and more specifically a caretaker gene that codes for a DNA mismatch repair (MMR) protein, MSH2, which forms a heterodimer with MSH6 to make the human MutSα mismatch repair complex. It also dimerizes with MSH3 to form the MutSβ DNA repair complex. MSH2 is involved in many different forms of DNA repair, including transcription-coupled repair, homologous recombination, and base excision repair.
DNA mismatch repair protein Mlh1 or MutL protein homolog 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MLH1 gene located on chromosome 3. The gene is commonly associated with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. Orthologs of human MLH1 have also been studied in other organisms including mouse and the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
MSH6 or mutS homolog 6 is a gene that codes for DNA mismatch repair protein Msh6 in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is the homologue of the human "G/T binding protein," (GTBP) also called p160 or hMSH6. The MSH6 protein is a member of the Mutator S (MutS) family of proteins that are involved in DNA damage repair.
Chromosome segregation is the process in eukaryotes by which two sister chromatids formed as a consequence of DNA replication, or paired homologous chromosomes, separate from each other and migrate to opposite poles of the nucleus. This segregation process occurs during both mitosis and meiosis. Chromosome segregation also occurs in prokaryotes. However, in contrast to eukaryotic chromosome segregation, replication and segregation are not temporally separated. Instead segregation occurs progressively following replication.
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAP2K1 gene.
Double-strand break repair protein MRE11 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MRE11 gene. The gene has been designated MRE11A to distinguish it from the pseudogene MRE11B that is nowadays named MRE11P1.
Mismatch repair endonuclease PMS2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PMS2 gene.
Bloom syndrome protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the BLM gene and is not expressed in Bloom syndrome.
DNA repair protein RAD50, also known as RAD50, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RAD50 gene.
Cell cycle checkpoint protein RAD1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RAD1 gene.
DNA mismatch repair protein, MutS Homolog 3 (MSH3) is a human homologue of the bacterial mismatch repair protein MutS that participates in the mismatch repair (MMR) system. MSH3 typically forms the heterodimer MutSβ with MSH2 in order to correct long insertion/deletion loops and base-base mispairs in microsatellites during DNA synthesis. Deficient capacity for MMR is found in approximately 15% of colorectal cancers, and somatic mutations in the MSH3 gene can be found in nearly 50% of MMR-deficient colorectal cancers.
PMS1 protein homolog 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PMS1 gene.
MutS protein homolog 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MSH4 gene.
REX2, RNA exonuclease 2 homolog , also known as REXO2, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the REXO2 gene.
DNA mismatch repair protein Mlh3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MLH3 gene.
DNA repair and recombination protein RAD54B is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RAD54B gene.