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Chromatin mobility in response to DNA damage

Award Number: U01CA214282
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/19/2018
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2024

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Chromatin mobility in response to DNA damage - Project Summary Genomic translocations are well-established drivers of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN) that affect survivors of primary malignancies. t-MN accounts for 10-20% of all myeloid malignancies and have very poor clinical outcomes. It is not possible to predict which patients treated for a primary cancer will develop t-MN, which constitutes a major clinical challenge. A method to assess the risk of translocations after patient exposures to DNA damaging chemotherapy and radiations would inform therapeutic decisions. Translocations depend on the movements of broken DNA ends on non-homologous chromosomes. We developed a method based on diffractive optical elements (DOE) to track photoactivated chromatin reporters (PACR) and map chromatin motions in the cell nucleus. Our preliminary data show that chromatin movements transiently decrease in response to DNA damage, which led to the hypothesis that chromatin `freezes' to facilitate the initial steps of the DNA damage response and reduce frequencies of genomic rearrangements. This effect may be mediated by reversible chromatin compaction and by chromatin interactions with structural nuclear elements. Inter-individual variability may determine genomic aberration frequencies and t-MN risk. The following specific aims will expand PACR assays and test this hypothesis: In Aim 1, methodology will be developed for 3D measurements of chromatin mobility, in order to improve tracking accuracy and to account for inhomogeneities of the nuclear environment in all three dimensions. Rapid light sheet imaging will be used, and a novel multifocus 3D system based on a rotating point spread function DOE will be built. New photoactivatable DNA dyes will be developed to expand the PACR approach to difficult-to-transfect cells and tissues. The goals for Aim 2 are to identify the mechanisms controlling chromatin motions after DNA damage and to assess the functional consequences for DNA repair and translocations of chromatin `freezing'. We will feed PACR measurements with high time resolution (before/during/after DNA damage) into biophysical polymer models to predict physical changes of chromatin (intramolecular forces, persistence length, etc.), then test the predictions using multidimensional maps of chromatin motions, compaction, and nucleoskeletal organization, as well as functional cell assays. Two approaches to alter chromatin diffusion will assess causality between chromatin motions, DNA repair, and genomic translocations. In Aim 3, we will use hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell samples from t-MN patients and healthy donors to test for clinically relevant associations between chromatin motions and genomic translocations. Characterizing the physical origins of genomic translocations may yield new methods to predict, and new targets to prevent, genomic rearrangements driving cancer initiation. Beyond the proposed research focused on chromatin motions during DNA repair, we anticipate broad applicability of our novel 3D imaging resources to study chromatin in multiple contexts.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$44,103 )
2025	2022	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	5	2/4/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$44,103
														Subtotal = -$44,103

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2023	2022	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	5	10/21/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2023	2022	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	5	4/26/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $580,321 )
2022	2022	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	5	9/7/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$580,321
2022	2021	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	4	12/16/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $580,321

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $601,304 )
2021	2021	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	4	8/27/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$601,304
														Subtotal = $601,304

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $590,454 )
2020	2020	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	3	8/20/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$590,454
2020	2019	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	2	5/6/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $590,454

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $566,848 )
2019	2019	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	2	8/5/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$566,848
														Subtotal = $566,848

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $634,406 )
2018	2018	WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	MEDICAL CENTER BLVD	WINSTON SALEM	NC	27157	FORSYTH	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	1	9/19/2018	NEW	$634,406
														Subtotal = $634,406

Grand Total All Awards = $2,929,230

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Chromatin mobility in response to DNA damage

Award Number: U01CA214282

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/19/2018

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2024

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