The LSH/DDM1 Homolog MUS-30 Is Required for Genome Stability, but Not for DNA Methylation in Neurospora crassa

LSH/DDM1 enzymes are required for DNA methylation in higher eukaryotes and have poorly defined roles in genome maintenance in yeast, plants, and animals. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a tractable system that encodes a single LSH/DDM1 homolog (NCU06306). We report that the Neurospora LSH/DDM1 enzyme is encoded by mutagen sensitive-30 (mus-30), a locus identified in a genetic screen over 25 years ago. We show that MUS-30-deficient cells have normal DNA methylation, but are hypersensitive to DNA damaging agents. MUS-30 is a nuclear protein, consistent with its predicted role as a chromatin remodeling enzyme, and levels of MUS-30 are increased following DNA damage. MUS-30 co-purifies with Neurospora WDR76, a homolog of yeast Changed Mutation Rate-1 and mammalian WD40 repeat domain 76. Deletion of wdr76 rescued DNA damage-hypersensitivity of Delta mus-30 strains, demonstrating that the MUS-30-WDR76 interaction is functionally important. DNA damage-sensitivity of Delta mus-30 is partially suppressed by deletion of methyl adenine glycosylase-1, a component of the base excision repair machinery (BER); however, the rate of BER is not affected in Delta mus-30 strains. We found that MUS-30-deficient cells are not defective for DSB repair, and we observed a negative genetic interaction between Delta mus-30 and Delta mei-3, the Neurospora RAD51 homolog required for homologous recombination. Together, our findings suggest that MUS-30, an LSH/DDM1 homolog, is required to prevent DNA damage arising from toxic base excision repair intermediates. Overall, our study provides important new information about the functions of the LSH/DDM1 family of enzymes.