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SUMO promotes DNA repair protein collaboration to support alternative telomere lengthening in the absence of PML
Genes Dev. 2024 Jul 22. doi: 10.1101/gad.351667.124.
Rongwei Zhao 1, Meng Xu 1, Xiaoyang Yu 1, Anne R Wondisford 2, Rachel M Lackner 3, Jayme Salsman 4, Graham Dellaire 4, David M Chenoweth 3, Roderick J O'Sullivan 2, Xiaolan Zhao 5, Huaiying Zhang 6
Abstract:
...it is still unknown whether-and if so, how-SUMO supports ALT beyond APB formation. Here, we show that SUMO condensates that contain DNA repair proteins enable telomere maintenance in the absence of APBs. In PML knockout ALT cell lines that lack APBs, we found that SUMOylation is required for manifesting ALT features independent of PML and APBs. Chemically induced telomere targeting of SUMO produces condensate formation and ALT features in PML-null cells. This effect requires both SUMOylation and interactions between SUMO and SUMO interaction motifs (SIMs). Mechanistically, SUMO-induced effects are associated with the accumulation of DNA repair proteins, including Rad52, Rad51AP1, RPA, and BLM, at telomeres. Furthermore, Rad52 can undergo phase separation, enrich SUMO at telomeres, and promote telomere DNA synthesis in collaboration with the BLM helicase in a SUMO-dependent manner. Collectively, our findings suggest that SUMO condensate formation promotes collaboration among DNA repair factors to support ALT telomere maintenance without PML. Given the promising effects of SUMOylation inhibitors in cancer treatment, our findings suggest their potential use in perturbing telomere maintenance in ALT cancer cells.