VID22 counteracts G-quadruplex-induced genome instability

Genome instability is a condition characterized by the accumulation of various genetic alterations and is a hallmark of cancer cells. To uncover new genes and cellular pathways controlling the levels of endogenous DNA damage and affecting genome integrity, we exploited a Synthetic Genetic Array (SGA)-based screen in yeast. Among the positive genes, we identified VID22, a gene previously reported to be involved in DNA double-strand break repair. We found that vid22Δ cells exhibit chronic DNA damage response activation, show increased levels of increased endogenous DNA damage and accumulate DNA aberrations in sequences displaying high probabilities of forming G-quadruplexes (G4-DNA). If not resolved, these non-canonical DNA secondary structures can block the progression of both DNA and RNA polymerases and correlate with chromosome fragile sites. We show that Vid22 in vitro and in vivo binds directly to and protects DNA at G4-containing regions both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, loss of VID22 causes an increase in gross chromosomal rearrangement (GCR) events dependent on G-quadruplex forming sequences. We also demonstrate that the absence of Vid22 causes defects in the correct maintenance of G4-DNA rich elements, such as telomeres and mtDNA, and hypersensitivity to the G4-stabilizing ligand TMPyP4. We thus propose that Vid22 is directly involved in genome integrity maintenance as a novel regulator of G4 metabolism. 2 samples