PUBLICATION

Regulation of ddb2 expression in blind cavefish and zebrafish reveals plasticity in the control of sunlight-induced DNA damage repair

Authors
Zhao, H., Li, H., Du, J., Di Mauro, G., Lungu-Mitea, S., Geyer, N., Vallone, D., Bertolucci, C., Foulkes, N.S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-210207-7
Date
2021
Source
PLoS Genetics   17: e1009356 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bertolucci, Cristiano, Foulkes, Nicholas-Simon
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cyprinidae/genetics*
  • Cyprinidae/metabolism
  • DNA Damage*
  • DNA Repair*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
  • Fish Proteins/genetics*
  • Fish Proteins/metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation/radiation effects
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics
  • RNA Stability/radiation effects
  • Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
  • Sunlight
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
33544716 Full text @ PLoS Genet.
Abstract
We have gained considerable insight into the mechanisms which recognize and repair DNA damage, but how they adapt to extreme environmental challenges remains poorly understood. Cavefish have proven to be fascinating models for exploring the evolution of DNA repair in the complete absence of UV-induced DNA damage and light. We have previously revealed that the Somalian cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii, lacks photoreactivation repair via the loss of light, UV and ROS-induced photolyase gene transcription mediated by D-box enhancer elements. Here, we explore whether other systems repairing UV-induced DNA damage have been similarly affected in this cavefish model. By performing a comparative study using P. andruzzii and the surface-dwelling zebrafish, we provide evidence for a conservation of sunlight-regulated Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER). Specifically, the expression of the ddb2 gene which encodes a key NER recognition factor is robustly induced following exposure to light, UV and oxidative stress in both species. As in the case of the photolyase genes, D-boxes in the ddb2 promoter are sufficient to induce transcription in zebrafish. Interestingly, despite the loss of D-box-regulated photolyase gene expression in P. andruzzii, the D-box is required for ddb2 induction by visible light and oxidative stress in cavefish. However, in the cavefish ddb2 gene this D-box-mediated induction requires cooperation with an adjacent, highly conserved E2F element. Furthermore, while in zebrafish UV-induced ddb2 expression results from transcriptional activation accompanied by stabilization of the ddb2 mRNA, in P. andruzzii UV induces ddb2 expression exclusively via an increase in mRNA stability. Thus, we reveal plasticity in the transcriptional and post transcriptional mechanisms regulating the repair of sunlight-induced DNA damage under long-term environmental challenges.
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Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
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Mapping