Distinct roles for RSC and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers in genomic excision repair

Nucleosomes are a significant barrier to the repair of UV damage because they impede damage recognition by nucleotide excision repair (NER). The RSC and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers function in cells to promote DNA access by moving or evicting nucleosomes, and both have been linked to NER in yeast. Here, we report genome-wide repair maps of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in yeast cells lacking RSC or SWI/SNF activity. Our data indicate that SWI/SNF is not generally required for NER but instead promotes repair of CPD lesions at specific yeast genes. In contrast, mutation or depletion of RSC subunits causes a general defect in NER across the yeast genome. Our data indicate that RSC is required for repair not only in nucleosomal DNA but also in neighboring linker DNA and nucleosome-free regions (NFRs). Although depletion of the RSC catalytic subunit also affects base excision repair (BER) of N-methylpurine (NMP) lesions, RSC activity is less important for BER in linker DNA and NFRs. Furthermore, our data indicate that RSC plays a direct role in transcription-coupled NER (TC-NER) of transcribed DNA. These findings help to define the specific genomic and chromatin contexts in which each chromatin remodeler functions in DNA repair, and indicate that RSC plays a unique function in facilitating repair by both NER subpathways.

Automated summary

The study shows that RSC and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers in yeast cells facilitate repair of CPD lesions in specific yeast genes by promoting DNA access through moving or evicting nucleosomes. While SWI/SNF is not generally required for NER, RSC plays a general role in NER across the yeast genome as well as in neighboring linker DNA and nucleosome-free regions.