The histone H2A variant H2AX is rapidly phosphorylated in response to DNA double-stranded breaks to produce gamma-H2AX. gamma-H2AX stabilizes cell-cycle checkpoint proteins and DNA repair factors at the break site. We previously found that the protein phosphatase PP2A is required to resolve gamma-H2AX foci and complete DNA repair after exogenous DNA damage. Here we describe a three-protein PP4 ...

The loss of chromosomal integrity from DNA double-strand breaks introduced into mammalian cells by ionizing radiation results in the specific phosphorylation of histone H2AX on serine residue 139, yielding a specific modified form named gamma-H2AX. An antibody prepared to the unique region of human gamma-H2AX shows that H2AX homologues are phosphorylated not only in irradiated mammalian cells b...

Recently, we identified the "apoptotic ring," containing phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX), as an early chromatin modification during apoptosis. Because γ-H2AX initiates the DNA damage response (DDR), we tested whether the apoptotic H2AX response leads to the full recruitment of the DDR factors that normally coordinate DNA repair and cell-cycle checkpoints. We show that the apoptotic H2AX re...

Recently, we identified the "apoptotic ring," containing phosphorylated histone H2AX (g-H2AX), as an early chromatin modification during apoptosis. Because g-H2AX initiates the DNA damage response (DDR), we tested whether the apoptotic H2AX response leads to the full recruitment of the DDR factors that normally coordinate DNA repair and cell-cycle checkpoints. We show that the apoptotic H2AX re...

Effective molecular target drugs that improve therapeutic efficacy with fewer adverse effects for esophageal cancer are highly anticipated. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have been proposed as low-toxicity agents to treat double strand break (DSB)-repair defective tumors. Several findings imply the potential relevance of DSB repair defects in the tumorigenesis of esophageal squam...

Histone H2AX phosphorylation is an early signalling event triggered by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). To elucidate the elementary units of phospho-H2AX-labelled chromatin, we integrate super-resolution microscopy of phospho-H2AX during DNA repair in human cells with genome-wide sequencing analyses. Here we identify phospho-H2AX chromatin domains in the nanometre range with median length of ∼7...

In mammalian cells, the H2AX histone is rapidly phosphorylated upon the induction of DNA double strand breaks and promotes their repair, which is required for preserving genomic integrity. Etoposide is an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II, which causes DNA breaks and induces H2AX phosphorylation. To elucidate whether H2AX may affect cellular sensitivity to etoposide, we studied the response to ...

The cellular activity of Yondelis (trabectedin, Ecteinascidin 743, Et743) is known to depend on transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TCR). However, the subsequent cellular effects of Et743 are not fully understood. Here we show that Et743 induces both transcription- and replication-coupled DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are detectible by neutral COMET assay and as gamma-H2AX ...

The immunofluorescence-based detection of γ-H2AX is a reliable and sensitive method for quantitatively measuring DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in irradiated samples. Since H2AX phosphorylation is highly linear with radiation dose, this well-established biomarker is in current use in radiation biodosimetry. At the Center for High-Throughput Minimally Invasive Radiation Biodosimetry, we have de...

PURPOSE Arsenic is a valuable therapeutic tool in cancer treatment. Lymphokine-activated killer T-cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) is highly expressed in cancer cells, but its specific function is still unknown. We investigated the role of TOPK in arsenic-induced apoptosis in RPMI7951 human melanoma cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Expression of TOPK was evaluated in different melanoma cell li...