Proficiency in homologous recombination repair is prerequisite for activation of G2-checkpoint at low radiation doses

Pathways of repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) cooperate with DNA damage cell cycle checkpoints to safeguard genomic stability when cells are exposed to ionizing radiation (IR). It is widely accepted that checkpoints facilitate the function of DSB repair pathways. Whether DSB repair proficiency feeds back into checkpoint activation is less well investigated. Here, we study activation of the G(2)-checkpoint in cells deficient in homologous recombination repair (HRR) after exposure to low IR doses (-1 Gy) in the G(2)-phase. We report that in the absence of functional HRR, activation of the G(2)-checkpoint is severely impaired. This response is specific for HRR, as cells deficient in classical non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ) develop a similar or stronger G(2)-checkpoint than wild-type (WT) cells. Inhibition of ATM or ATR leaves largely unaffected residual G(2)-checkpoint in HRR-deficient cells, suggesting that the G(2)-checkpoint engagement of ATM/ATR is coupled to HRR. HRRdeficient cells show in G(2)-phase reduced DSB-end-resection, as compared to WT-cells or c-NHEJ mutants, confirming the reported link between resection and G(2)-checkpoint activation. Strikingly, at higher IR doses (>= 4 Gy) HRR-deficient cells irradiated in G(2)-phase activate a weak but readily detectable ATM/ATR-dependent G(2)checkpoint, whereas HRR-deficient cells irradiated in S-phase develop a stronger G(2)-checkpoint than WT-cells. We conclude that HRR and the ATM/ATR-dependent G(2)-checkpoint are closely intertwined in cells exposed to low IR-doses in G(2)-phase, where HRR dominates; they uncouple as HRR becomes suppressed at higher IR doses. Notably, this coupling is specific for cells irradiated in G(2)-phase, and cells irradiated in S-phase utilize a different mechanistic setup.

Automated summary

The repair pathways of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) collaborate with DNA damage cell cycle checkpoints to protect genomic stability in cells exposed to ionizing radiation. Checkpoints are known to facilitate the function of DSB repair pathways, but the feedback of DSB repair proficiency into checkpoint activation has been less investigated. In cells deficient in homologous recombination repair (HRR), the activation of the G(2)-checkpoint is severely impaired after exposure to low IR doses in the G(2)-phase. This shows the close intertwining of HRR and the ATM/ATR-dependent G(2)-checkpoint in cells exposed to low IR-doses in G(2)-phase, indicating that HRR dominates in this context.