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Dhoonmoon, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Dhoonmoon, A..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Genome-wide CRISPR synthetic lethality screen identifies a role for the ADP- ribosyltransferase PARP14 in replication fork stability controlled by ATR

The DNA damage response is essential to maintain genomic stability, suppress replication stress, and protect against carcinogenesis. The ATR-CHK1 pathway is an essential component of this response, which regulates cell cycle progression in the face of replication stress. PARP14 is an ADP-ribosyltransferase with multiple roles in transcription, signaling, and DNA repair. To understand the biological functions of PARP14, we catalogued the genetic components that impact cellular viability upon loss of PARP14 by performing an unbiased, comprehensive, genome-wide CRISPR knockout genetic screen in PARP14-deficient cells. We uncovered the ATR-CHK1 pathway as essential for viability of PARP14-deficient cells, and identified regulation of replication fork stability as an important mechanistic contributor to the synthetic lethality observed. Our work shows that PARP14 is an important modulator of the response to ATR-CHK1 pathway inhibitors.

cancer biology

Dual genome-wide CRISPR knockout and CRISPR activation screens identify common mechanisms that regulate the resistance to multiple ATR inhibitors

The ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) protein kinase is a key regulator of the cellular response to DNA damage. Due to increased amount of replication stress, cancer cells heavily rely on ATR to complete DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Thus, ATR inhibition is an emerging target in cancer therapy, with multiple ATR inhibitors currently undergoing clinical trials. Here, we describe dual genome-wide CRISPR knockout and CRISPR activation screens employed to comprehensively identify genes that regulate the cellular resistance to ATR inhibitors. Specifically, we investigated two different ATR inhibitors, namely VE822 and AZD6738, in both HeLa and MCF10A cells. We identified and validated multiple genes that alter the resistance to ATR inhibitors. Importantly, we show that the mechanisms of resistance employed by these genes are varied, and include restoring DNA replication tract progression, and prevention of ATR inhibitor-induced apoptosis. Our dual genome-wide screen findings pave the way for personalized medicine by identifying potential biomarkers for ATR inhibitor resistance.

cancer biology