Maintenance of Yeast Genome Integrity by RecQ Family DNA Helicases

Genes (Basel). 2020 Feb 18;11(2):205. doi: 10.3390/genes11020205.

Abstract

With roles in DNA repair, recombination, replication and transcription, members of the RecQ DNA helicase family maintain genome integrity from bacteria to mammals. Mutations in human RecQ helicases BLM, WRN and RecQL4 cause incurable disorders characterized by genome instability, increased cancer predisposition and premature adult-onset aging. Yeast cells lacking the RecQ helicase Sgs1 share many of the cellular defects of human cells lacking BLM, including hypersensitivity to DNA damaging agents and replication stress, shortened lifespan, genome instability and mitotic hyper-recombination, making them invaluable model systems for elucidating eukaryotic RecQ helicase function. Yeast and human RecQ helicases have common DNA substrates and domain structures and share similar physical interaction partners. Here, we review the major cellular functions of the yeast RecQ helicases Sgs1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rqh1 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and provide an outlook on some of the outstanding questions in the field.

Keywords: RecQ helicases; Rqh1; Sgs1; genome instability; yeast.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • DNA Helicases / chemistry
  • DNA Helicases / genetics
  • DNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • DNA Repair
  • Genome, Fungal
  • Genomic Instability
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Protein Domains
  • RecQ Helicases / chemistry
  • RecQ Helicases / genetics
  • RecQ Helicases / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / enzymology
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / chemistry
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • SGS1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • DNA Helicases
  • RecQ Helicases
  • Rqh1 protein, S pombe