Redundant function of DNA ligase 1 and 3 in alternative end-joining during immunoglobulin class switch recombination

S Masani, L Han, K Meek, K Yu - Proceedings of the …, 2016 - National Acad Sciences
S Masani, L Han, K Meek, K Yu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016National Acad Sciences
Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair
pathway in mammals and resolves the DSBs generated during both V (D) J recombination in
developing lymphocytes and class switch recombination (CSR) in antigen-stimulated B
cells. In contrast to the absolute requirement for NHEJ to resolve DSBs associated with V (D)
J recombination, DSBs associated with CSR can be resolved in NHEJ-deficient cells (albeit
at a reduced level) by a poorly defined alternative end-joining (A-EJ) pathway. Deletion of …
Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway in mammals and resolves the DSBs generated during both V(D)J recombination in developing lymphocytes and class switch recombination (CSR) in antigen-stimulated B cells. In contrast to the absolute requirement for NHEJ to resolve DSBs associated with V(D)J recombination, DSBs associated with CSR can be resolved in NHEJ-deficient cells (albeit at a reduced level) by a poorly defined alternative end-joining (A-EJ) pathway. Deletion of DNA ligase IV (Lig4), a core component of the NHEJ pathway, reduces CSR efficiency in a mouse B-cell line capable of robust cytokine-stimulated CSR in cell culture. Here, we report that CSR levels are not further reduced by deletion of either of the two remaining DNA ligases (Lig1 and nuclear Lig3) in Lig4−/− cells. We conclude that in the absence of Lig4, Lig1, and Lig3 function in a redundant manner in resolving switch region DSBs during CSR.
National Acad Sciences