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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

DNA replication stress-induced phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein mediated by ATM.

The DNA damage-response regulators ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated) and ATR (ATM-Rad3-related) are structurally and functionally related protein kinases that exhibit nearly identical substrate specificities in vitro. Current paradigms hold that the relative contributions of ATM and ATR to nuclear substrate phosphorylation are dictated by the type of initiating DNA lesion; ATM-dependent substrate phosphorylation is principally activated by DNA double strand breaks, whereas ATR-dependent substrate phosphorylation is induced by UV light and other forms of DNA replication stress. In this report, we employed the cyclic AMP-response element-binding (CREB) protein to provide evidence for substrate discrimination by ATM and ATR in cellulo. ATM and ATR phosphorylate CREB in vitro, and CREB is phosphorylated on Ser-121 in intact cells in response to ionizing radiation (IR), UV light, and hydroxyurea. The UV light- and hydroxyurea-induced phosphorylation of CREB was delayed in comparison to the canonical ATR substrate CHK1, suggesting potentially different mechanisms of phosphorylation. UV light-induced CREB phosphorylation temporally correlated with ATM autophosphorylation on Ser-1981, and an ATM-specific small interfering RNA suppressed CREB phosphorylation in response to this stimulus. UV light-induced CREB phosphorylation was absent in ATM-deficient cells, confirming that ATM is required for CREB phosphorylation in UV irradiation-damaged cells. Interestingly, RNA interference-mediated suppression of ATR partially inhibited CREB phosphorylation in response to UV light, which correlated with reduced phosphorylation of ATM on Ser-1981. These findings suggest that ATM is the major genotoxin-induced CREB kinase in mammalian cells and that ATR lies upstream of ATM in a UV light-induced signaling pathway.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗
PubMed1999

ATM: the protein encoded by the gene mutated in the radiosensitive syndrome ataxia-telangiectasia.

PURPOSE: To provide an update on the product of the ATM gene mutated in the human genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). SUMMARY: The product of the ATM gene mutated in the human genetic disorder A-T is a 350 kDa protein that plays a central role in the regulation of a number of cellular processes. It is a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase superfamily, but is more likely a protein kinase similar to another member of that family, i.e. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). A-T cells and fibroblasts derived from the atm -/- mouse are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation and defective in cell cycle checkpoint control. At present the nature of the lesion in damaged DNA recognized by ATM remains uncertain, but it is evident that a small number of residual strand breaks remain unrepaired in A-T cells, which may well account for the radiosensitivity. On the other hand, considerable progress has been achieved in delineating the role of ATM in cell cycle checkpoint control. Defects are observed at all cell cycle checkpoints in A-T cells post-irradiation. At the G1 /S interface ATM has been shown to play a central role in radiation-induced activation of the tumour suppressor gene product p53. ATM binds to p53 in a complex fashion and activates the molecule in response to breaks in DNA by phosphorylating it at serine 15 close to the N-terminus and by controlling other phosphorylation and dephosphorylation changes on the molecule. This in turn leads to the induction of p21/WAF1 and other p53 effector proteins before inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase activity and G1 arrest. Emerging evidence supports a direct role for ATM at other cell cycle checkpoints. Other proteins interacting with ATM include c-Abl a protein tyrosine kinase, beta-adaptin an endosomal protein and p21 a downstream effector of p53. The significance of these interactions is currently being investigated. ATM also plays an important role in the regulation and surveillance of meiotic progression. The localization of ATM to both the nucleus and other subcellular organelles implicates this molecule in a myriad of cellular processes. CONCLUSION: ATM is involved in DNA damage recognition and cell cycle control in response to ionizing radiation damage. There is evidence that ATM may also have a more general signalling role.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Immunoglobulin class switch recombination is impaired in Atm-deficient mice.

Immunoglobulin class switch recombination (Ig CSR) involves DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) at recombining switch regions and repair of these breaks by nonhomologous end-joining. Because the protein kinase ataxia telengiectasia (AT) mutated (ATM) plays a critical role in DSB repair and AT patients show abnormalities of Ig isotype expression, we assessed the role of ATM in CSR by examining ATM-deficient mice. In response to T cell-dependent antigen (Ag), Atm-/- mice secreted substantially less Ag-specific IgA, IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG3, and less total IgE than Atm+/+ controls. To determine whether Atm-/- B cells have an intrinsic defect in their ability to undergo CSR, we analyzed in vitro responses of purified B cells. Atm-/- cells secreted substantially less IgA, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG3, and IgE than wild-type (WT) controls in response to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, CD40 ligand, or anti-IgD plus appropriate cytokines. Molecular analysis of in vitro responses indicated that WT and Atm-/- B cells produced equivalent amounts of germline IgG1 and IgE transcripts, whereas Atm-/- B cells produced markedly reduced productive IgG1 and IgE transcripts. The reduction in isotype switching by Atm-/- B cells occurs at the level of genomic DNA recombination as measured by digestion-circularization PCR. Analysis of sequences at CSR sites indicated that there is greater microhomology at the mu-gamma1 switch junctions in ATM B cells than in wild-type B cells, suggesting that ATM function affects the need or preference for sequence homology in the CSR process. These findings suggest a role of ATM in DNA DSB recognition and/or repair during CSR.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Impaired hepatocyte survival and liver regeneration in Atm-deficient mice.

Atm is a stress-induced DNA damage checkpoint protein kinase with multiple roles in cell-cycle progression. Recent evidence indicates that Atm also plays a role in stem cell maintenance and self-renewal. It is not known whether Atm has a role during tissue regeneration. Using liver regeneration as a model system, we examined the role of Atm in this process. Here, we show that the expression levels of Atm protein were gradually increased during liver regeneration and this was correlated with the onset of DNA replication. The induction of Stat3 and JNK signaling, which are essential processes in normal regeneration response, was attenuated during the early phases of liver regeneration in Atm-deficient mice. P53 was transiently phosphorylated at serine 23 during liver regeneration in an Atm-dependent manner. In addition, we found that cyclin A induction was delayed and p21 was over-expressed, both of these processes were correlated with reduced and delayed DNA replication in Atm(-/-) mice during liver regeneration. Finally, we show that increased apoptosis was observed in Atm(-/-) mice in response to partial hepatectomy, indicating that Atm is required for the survival of hepatocytes. Collectively, these data indicate that liver regeneration is impaired in Atm-deficient mice. Given that liver is the first line of defense against environmental toxins, the elucidation of the function of Atm and Atm-mediated signaling pathways in liver metabolism and in response to environmental toxins is of fundamental interest.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

ATM activation and its recruitment to damaged DNA require binding to the C terminus of Nbs1.

ATM has a central role in controlling the cellular responses to DNA damage. It and other phosphoinositide 3-kinase-related kinases (PIKKs) have giant helical HEAT repeat domains in their amino-terminal regions. The functions of these domains in PIKKs are not well understood. ATM activation in response to DNA damage appears to be regulated by the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) complex, although the exact functional relationship between the MRN complex and ATM is uncertain. Here we show that two pairs of HEAT repeats in fission yeast ATM (Tel1) interact with an FXF/Y motif at the C terminus of Nbs1. This interaction resembles nucleoporin FXFG motif binding to HEAT repeats in importin-beta. Budding yeast Nbs1 (Xrs2) appears to have two FXF/Y motifs that interact with Tel1 (ATM). In Xenopus egg extracts, the C terminus of Nbs1 recruits ATM to damaged DNA, where it is subsequently autophosphorylated. This interaction is essential for ATM activation. A C-terminal 147-amino-acid fragment of Nbs1 that has the Mre11- and ATM-binding domains can restore ATM activation in an Nbs1-depleted extract. We conclude that an interaction between specific HEAT repeats in ATM and the C-terminal FXF/Y domain of Nbs1 is essential for ATM activation. We propose that conformational changes in the MRN complex that occur upon binding to damaged DNA are transmitted through the FXF/Y-HEAT interface to activate ATM. This interaction also retains active ATM at sites of DNA damage.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2005

Atm heterozygosity cooperates with loss of Brca1 to increase the severity of mammary gland cancer and reduce ductal branching.

The role of homozygous ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) mutations in familial and sporadic forms of cancer is well established, but the contribution of ATM heterozygosity to mammary gland and other cancers has been controversial. To test the effect of Atm heterozygosity on mammary gland cancer, mice with complete loss of exon 11 of Brca1 specifically in mammary epithelium (Brca1-MG-Deltaex11) were studied in either Atm heterozygous or Atm wild-type backgrounds. Targeted deletion of Brca1 in mammary epithelium resulted in carcinomas and adenocarcinomas of varying histology with long (>9 months) latency. Latency to tumorigenesis was found to be unchanged in the Brca1-MG-Deltaex11;Atm heterozygous mice compared with Brca1-MG-Deltaex11;Atm wild-type mice. However, the mice displayed variable tumor severity and differences in mammary tissue development. Mammary tumors from Brca1-MG-Deltaex11;Atm heterozygous mice were anaplastic and undifferentiated in all 20 tumors tested, whereas tumors from mice that were Brca1-MG-Deltaex11 but wild-type for Atm displayed variable histologic profiles, with some anaplastic tumors and other differentiated and less invasive tumor types. Previously reported developmental defects for Brca1-deficient mice were also observed in our model with and without Atm heterozygosity, but Brca1-MG-Deltaex11;Atm heterozygous mice displayed decreased ductal branching during puberty, a phenotype that was not observed in Brca1-MG-Deltaex11;Atm wild-type mice. Our results provide evidence that Atm heterozygosity influences severity of mammary gland tumors in the Brca1-MG-Deltaex11 tumor-prone mouse and suggest that this mutation leads to a newly characterized developmental defect during glandular maturation.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Influence of ATM function on interactions between telomeres and nuclear matrix.

The ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) gene product has been implicated in mitogenic signal transduction, chromosome condensation, meiotic recombination, and cell cycle control. The human ATM protein shows similarity to several yeast and mammalian proteins involved in meiotic recombination and cell cycle progression. Because of the homology of the human ATM gene to the TEL1 and rad3 genes of yeast, it has been suggested that mutations in ATM could lead to defective telomere maintenance. Recently, we have shown that the ATM gene product, which is defective in the cancer-prone disorder ataxia telangiectasia (AT), influences chromosome end associations and telomere length. A possible hypothesis explaining these results is that the defective telomere metabolism in AT cells is due to altered interactions between the telomeres and the nuclear matrix. These interactions were examined in nuclear matrix halos prior to and after irradiation. A difference was observed in the ratio of soluble and matrix-associated telomeric DNA between cells derived from AT and normal individuals. Treatment with ionizing radiation affected the ratio of soluble and matrix-associated telomeric DNA only in the AT cells. To test the hypothesis that the ATM gene product is involved in interactions between telomeres and the nuclear matrix, such interactions were examined in human cells expressing either a dominant-negative effect or complementation of the ATM gene. The phenotype of RKO colorectal tumor cells expressing ATM fragments containing a leucine zipper motif mimics the altered interactions of telomere and nuclear matrix seen in AT cells. Fibroblasts from AT individuals transfected with a wild-type ATM gene had corrected telomere-nuclear matrix interactions. In experiments designed to determine whether there is a link between the altered telomere-nuclear matrix interactions and defective telomere movement and clustering, a significant difference was observed in the ratio of soluble compared to matrix-associated telomeric DNA sequences in meiocytes of Atm(-/-) and control mice. These results suggest that the ATM gene influences the interactions between telomeres and the nuclear matrix and that alterations in telomere chromatin could be at least partly responsible for the pleiotropic phenotypes of the ATM gene. This paper summarizes our recent publications on the influence of inactivation of ATM on the interaction of telomeres with nuclear matrix in somatic and germ cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Lack of defective expression of the ATM gene in sporadic breast cancer tissues and cell lines.

Homozygous mutations of the gene mutated in ataxia telangiectasia (ATM) causes the AT syndrome, a pleiotropic phenotype that includes an increased risk of cancer. Most of the known mutations at the ATM gene lead to truncations which are usually associated with instability of mRNA and protein. A decrease or loss of ATM protein expression is associated with specific lymphoid malignancies in AT and non-AT patients. ATM is located within a region in chromosome 11q22-23 that is frequently undergoing loss of heterozygosity in sporadic breast cancer. Epidemiological studies estimated a 4-fold increase in breast cancer risk in heterozygous women. However, direct mutational analysis failed to clearly support a role for mutant ATM alleles in breast carcinogenesis. If ATM does have a suppressor role in this tissue, one would expect deficient ATM expression. We therefore tested the hypothesis that the expression of the ATM gene is reduced in sporadic breast cancer. We determined ATM transcript levels using competitive RT-PCR on 89 randomly selected sporadic breast cancer samples and 29 normal breast tissues. Of these, 11 were matched normal/cancer pairs. We also evaluated 7 breast cancer cell lines. Deficiency in ATM expression was not observed. Of the 11 matched pairs, 7 tumors expressed mildly higher levels, 3 tumors expressed the same amount and only 1 tumor expressed <50% of the normal match. In addition, 3 cancers with tumor-associated LOH of the ATM gene expressed higher mRNA levels in the tumors than in their normal tissue matches, suggesting that no correlation exists between tumors with LOH and decreased ATM expression. In summary, our results do not support a suppressor role for ATM in the development of sporadic breast cancer.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of the ATM protein in wild-type and ataxia telangiectasia cells.

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a human disorder that results in a number of clinical symptoms, including cerebellar degeneration and increased cancer predisposition. Recently the gene that is defective in A-T has been cloned and designated ATM. Here, we describe the production of antisera raised against the approximately 350 kDa ATM protein. Antisera specificity is confirmed by them recognising a approximately 350 kDa polypeptide in wild-type cells but not in A-T cells containing mutations that truncate ATM upstream of the antibody binding sites. We show that ATM is almost exclusively nuclear and is expressed in all cell lines and tissues analysed. However, ATM levels are not regulated in response to u.v. or ionising radiation. These data are consistent with ATM being a component of the DNA damage detection apparatus rather than being an inducible downstream effector of the DNA damage response. In addition, we analyse ATM protein expression in a variety of A-T patients. Strikingly, ATM expression is reduced drastically or absent in all patients analysed, including those predicted to express proteins that should be detected by our antisera. Thus, the A-T phenotype may result not only from mutations that disrupt functional domains of ATM, but also from mutations that destabilise the ATM mRNA or protein. Finally, we report that a group of patients displaying an intermediate A-T phenotype express low levels of apparently full-length ATM. This suggests that the ATM pathway is partially active in these individuals and that there is a correlation between levels of residual ATM expression and disease severity.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

Ataxia-telangiectasia: phenotype/genotype studies of ATM protein expression, mutations, and radiosensitivity.

Previous studies on a limited number of ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) patients with detectable levels of intracellular ATM protein have suggested a genotype/phenotype correlation. We sought to elucidate this possible correlation by comparing ATM protein levels with mutation types, radiosensitivity, and clinical phenotype. In this study, Western blot analysis was used to measure ATM protein in lysates of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from 123 unrelated A-T patients, 10 A-T heterozygotes, and 10 patients with phenotypes similar to A-T. Our Western blot protocol can detect the presence of ATM protein in as little as 1 microg of total protein; at least 25 microg of protein was tested for each individual. ATM protein was absent in 105 of the 123 patients (85%); most of these patients had truncating mutations. The remaining subset of 18 patients (15%) had reduced levels of normal-sized ATM protein; missense mutations were more common in this subset. We used a colony survival assay to characterize the phenotypic response of the LCLs to radiation exposure; patients with or without detectable ATM protein were typically radiosensitive. Nine of 10 A-T heterozygotes also had reduced expression of ATM, indicating that both alleles contribute to ATM protein production. These data suggest that although ATM-specific mRNA is abundant in A-T cells, the abnormal ATM protein is unstable and is quickly targeted for degradation. We found little correlation between level of ATM protein and the type of underlying mutation, the clinical phenotype, or the radiophenotype.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed2001

ATM protein expression correlates with radioresistance in primary glioblastoma cells in culture.

PURPOSE: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the malignancies most resistant to radiation therapy. In contrast, cells derived from individuals with ataxia telangiectasia (AT), possessing mutations in the ATM gene, demonstrate increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Using a collection of glioma specimens adapted to tissue culture and several established GBM cell lines, we investigated the relationship between ATM protein expression and radiosensitivity. The three aims of our study were to: (1) quantify ATM protein levels in cultured glioma cells; (2) measure the correlation between ATM protein levels and radiation sensitivity; and (3) examine the dependence of ATM on p53 status. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Glioma specimens were collected, catalogued, and adapted to grow in culture. Levels of ATM, p53, and p21 proteins were determined by Western blot. Radiation sensitivities were determined by clonogenic assays. p53 mutation status was determined by DNA sequencing. Correlations were identified by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: ATM protein levels were variable in the primary gliomas. Glioma cell lines demonstrated significantly lower levels of ATM protein. Clonogenic assays of cell strains and cell lines yielded survival fractions (SF2s) consistent with the radioresistant behavior of GBM tumors in vivo. Regression analysis revealed a high correlation between ATM protein levels and SF2 for primary glioma cell strains, but not for established GBM cell lines. p53 status failed to predict radiosensitivity. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that while our collection of low passage cell cultures depends on ATM for their resistance to IR, established cell lines may acquire adaptive characteristics which downplay the role of the ATM gene product in vitro. Therefore, attenuating ATM gene expression may be a successful strategy in the treatment of GBM tumors.

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins↗
PubMed2004

Functional expression of ATM gene carried by HSV amplicon vector in vitro and in vivo.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a human autosomal recessive disease with a pleiotropic phenotype characterized by cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, premature aging, cancer predisposition, and radiation sensitivity. The gene mutated in AT, ATM (for AT-mutated), had been cloned and found to have ionizing radiation and oxidative stress-inducible kinase activity. No treatment can stop the progression of the disease. In this study, the complete open-reading frame of ATM cDNA was cloned into a Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) amplicon vector (pTO-ATM), and the transduction of cultured AT cells was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Functional gene expression was evaluated by cell colony-forming assays following exposure to oxidative stress. The survival of AT cells with ATM gene transduction was about 100% higher compared to nontransduced cells after t-butyl hydroperoxide treatments. Next, the normal ATM gene expression in different regions of the rat brain was studied. Immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated weak endogenous ATM protein expression in neurons of the caudate-putamen, with significantly higher levels of expression detected in neurons in other brain regions. Exogenous ATM gene expression from pTO-ATM after viral transduction in the caudate-putamen of the adult rat was examined. At 3 days after injection of the pTO-ATM viral vector, abundant positive ATM staining of the neurons was found at the injection sites, in comparison to the controls. These data demonstrate that the relatively large ATM cDNA can be transduced and expressed in vitro and in vivo from an HSV amplicon viral vector. These data provide initial evidence that the replacement of the ATM gene into the cells of AT patients might be possible some day.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A role for the Tip60 histone acetyltransferase in the acetylation and activation of ATM.

The ataxia telangiectasia mutant (ATM) protein kinase regulates the cell's response to DNA damage through the phosphorylation of proteins involved in cell-cycle checkpoints and DNA repair. However, the signal-transduction pathway linking DNA strand breaks to activation of ATM's kinase activity is not clearly defined. Here, we demonstrate that DNA damage induces the rapid acetylation of ATM. This acetylation depends on the Tip60 histone acetyltransferase (HAT). Suppression of Tip60 blocks the activation of ATM's kinase activity and prevents the ATM-dependent phosphorylation of p53 and chk2. Further, inactivation of Tip60 sensitizes cells to ionizing radiation. ATM forms a stable complex with Tip60 through the conserved FATC domain of ATM. The interaction between ATM and Tip60 is not regulated in response to DNA damage. Instead, the HAT activity of the ATM-Tip60 complex is specifically activated by DNA damage. Furthermore, this activation of Tip60 by DNA damage and the recruitment of the ATM-Tip60 complex to sites of DNA damage is independent of ATM's kinase activity. The results demonstrate that the Tip60 HAT plays a key role in the activation of ATM's kinase activity in response to DNA damage.

Acetylation↗
PubMed2004

Independent roles for nibrin and Mre11-Rad50 in the activation and function of Atm.

The Atm protein kinase and Mre11-Rad50-nibrin (MRN) complex play an integral role in the cellular response to DNA double-strand breaks. Mutations in Mre11 and nibrin result in the radiosensitivity disorders ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder (ATLD) and Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), respectively. Cells from ATLD and NBS patients are deficient in activation of the Atm protein kinase and phosphorylation of downstream Atm targets following irradiation. However, the roles of individual MRN complex proteins in Atm function are not clear, because the mutations in NBS and ATLD cells result in global effects on the MRN complex. Previously we showed that the C-terminal 100 amino acids of nibrin were necessary and sufficient to translocate the MRN complex to the nucleus. Here we have taken advantage of this feature of nibrin to create isogenic cell lines lacking either nibrin or Mre11-Rad50 in the nucleus. We found that nuclear expression of Mre11-Rad50, but not nibrin, stimulated Atm activation at early times after low doses of radiation. At later times or higher doses of irradiation, Atm activation was independent of Mre11-Rad50 or nibrin. The requirement of MRN complex proteins for downstream Atm phosphorylation events following irradiation was more complex. Phosphorylation of nibrin and Chk2 by Atm required Mre11-Rad50 expression in the nucleus at early times after irradiation, reflecting the stimulation of Atm activation by Mre11-Rad50. By contrast, autophosphorylation of Chk2 and phosphorylation of Smc1 at Ser-957 was dependent on the MRN complex 60 min after irradiation, even though Atm was activated at that time point. These results indicate an independent role for Mre11-Rad50 in the activation of Atm and suggest nibrin and/or Mre11-Rad50 also act as adaptors for some downstream Atm phosphorylation events.

Acid Anhydride Hydrolases↗
PubMed2004

Doxorubicin activates ATM-dependent phosphorylation of multiple downstream targets in part through the generation of reactive oxygen species.

The requirement for the serine/threonine protein kinase ATM in coordinating the cellular response to DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation has been studied extensively. Many of the anti-tumor chemotherapeutics in clinical use today cause DNA double strand breaks; however, few have been evaluated for their ability to modulate ATM-mediated pathways. We have investigated the requirement for ATM in the cellular response to doxorubicin, a topoisomerase II-stabilizing drug. Using several ATM-proficient and ATM-deficient cell lines, we have observed ATM-dependent nuclear accumulation of p53 and ATM-dependent phosphorylation of p53 on seven serine residues. This was accompanied by an increased binding of p53 to its cognate binding site, suggesting transcriptional competency of p53 to activate its downstream effectors. Treatment of cells with doxorubicin led to the phosphorylation of histone H2AX on serine 139 with dependence on ATM for the initial response. Doxorubicin treatment also stimulated ATM autophosphorylation on serine 1981 and the ATM-dependent phosphorylation of numerous effectors in the ATM-signaling pathway, including Nbs1 (Ser(343)), SMC1 (Ser(957)), Chk1 (Ser(317) and Ser(345)), and Chk2 (Ser(33/35) and Thr(68)). Although generally classified as a topoisomerase II-stabilizing drug that induces DNA double strand breaks, doxorubicin can intercalate DNA and generate reactive oxygen species. Pretreatment of cells with the superoxide scavenger ascorbic acid had no effect on the doxorubicin-induced phosphorylation and accumulation of p53. In contrast, preincubation of cells with the hydroxyl radical scavenger, N-acetylcysteine, significantly attenuated the doxorubicin-mediated phosphorylation and accumulation of p53, p53-DNA binding, and the phosphorylation of H2AX, Nbs1, SMC1, Chk1, and Chk2, suggesting that hydroxyl radicals contribute to the doxorubicin-induced activation of ATM-dependent pathways.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed2006

ATM activation by ionizing radiation requires BRCA1-associated BAAT1.

ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) is required for the early response to DNA-damaging agents such as ionizing radiation (IR) that induce DNA double-strand breaks. Cells deficient in ATM are extremely sensitive to IR. It has been shown that IR induces immediate phosphorylation of ATM at Ser(1981), leading to catalytic activation of the protein. We recently isolated a novel BRCA1-associated protein, BAAT1 (BRCA1-associated protein required for ATM activation-1), by yeast two-hybrid screening and found that BAAT1 also binds to ATM, localizes to double-strand breaks, and is required for Ser(1981) phosphorylation of ATM. Small interfering RNA-mediated stable or transient reduction of BAAT1 resulted in decreased phosphorylation of both ATM at Ser(1981) and CHK2 at Thr(68). Treatment of BAAT1-depleted cells with okadaic acid greatly restored phosphorylation of ATM at Ser(1981), suggesting that BAAT1 is involved in the regulation of ATM phosphatase. Protein phosphatase 2A-mediated dephosphorylation of ATM was partially blocked by purified BAAT1 in vitro. Significantly, acute loss of BAAT1 resulted in increased p53, leading to apoptosis. These results demonstrate that DNA damage-induced ATM activation requires a coordinated assembly of BRCA1, BAAT1, and ATM.

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins↗
PubMed2006

ATM activation and histone H2AX phosphorylation as indicators of DNA damage by DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan and during apoptosis.

Damage that engenders DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) activates ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase through its auto- or trans-phosphorylation on Ser1981 and activated ATM is one of the mediators of histone H2AX phosphorylation on Ser139. The present study was designed to explore: (i) whether measurement of ATM activation combined with H2AX phosphorylation provides a more sensitive indicator of DSBs than each of these events alone, and (ii) to reveal possible involvement of ATM activation in H2AX phosphorylation during apoptosis. Activation of ATM and/or H2AX phosphorylation in HL-60 or Jurkat cells treated with topotecan (Tpt) was detected immunocytochemically in relation to cell cycle phase, by multiparameter cytometry. Exposure to Tpt led to concurrent phosphorylation of ATM and H2AX in S-phase cells, whereas G1 cells were unaffected. Immunofluorescence (IF) of the S-phase cells immunostained for ATM-S1981P and gammaH2AX combined was distinctly stronger compared to that of the cells stained for each of these proteins alone. However, because of the relatively high ATM-S1981P IF of G1 cells, the ratio of IF of S to G1 cells, that is, the factor that determines competence of the assay in distinction of cells with DSBs, was 2- to 3-fold lower for ATM-S1981P alone, or for ATM-S1981P and gammaH2AX IF combined, than for gammaH2AX alone. ATM activation concurrent with H2AX phosphorylation, likely triggered by induction of DSBs during DNA fragmentation, occurred during apoptosis. The data suggest that frequency of activated ATM and phosphorylated H2AX molecules, per apoptotic cell, is comparable.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2006

Caspase-mediated cleavage of ATM during cisplatin-induced tubular cell apoptosis: inactivation of its kinase activity toward p53.

Cisplatin induces renal cell injury and death, resulting in nephrotoxicity that limits its use in cancer therapy. Using cell culture models, recent work has suggested the involvement of p53 in renal cell apoptosis during cisplatin treatment. However, the signals upstream of p53 remain elusive. ATM and ATR are critical regulators of p53 under various conditions of DNA damage. Here, we show that ATM, and not ATR, was proteolytically cleaved into specific fragments of approximately 210 and 150 kDa during cisplatin-induced tubular cell apoptosis. ATM cleavage was paralleled by the development of apoptosis. VAD, a broad-spectrum inhibitor of caspases, attenuated the cleavage of ATM, whereas the inhibitors of specific caspases were less effective. In caspase-3-deficient MCF-7 cells, ATM was cleaved, releasing the 210- but not the 150-kDa fragment. Recombinant caspase-3 was much more effective than caspase-7 in cleaving ATM that was immunoprecipitated from cell lysates. During cisplatin incubation, VAD protected ATM and enhanced p53 phosphorylation. In vitro assay of protein kinase activity further showed that ATM immunoprecipitated from cisplatin-treated cells had significantly lower kinase activity toward p53 than that from control cells. Importantly, the protein kinase activity was restored in ATM that was protected by VAD during cisplatin incubation. ATM deficiency sensitized the cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis, suggesting a cytoprotective role of ATM in this experimental model. Thus proteolysis of ATM by caspases may inactivate this regulatory molecule to facilitate the progression of apoptosis.

Animals↗