Assessment of epigenetic mechanisms and DNA double-strand break repair using laser micro-irradiation technique developed for hematological cells

BACKGROUND: Certain tumors rely heavily on their DNA repair capability to survive the DNA damage induced by chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, it is important to monitor the dynamics of DNA repair in patient samples during the course of their treatment, in order to determine whether a particular drug regimen perturbs the DNA repair networks in cancer cells and provides therapeutic benefits. Quantitative measurement of proteins and/or their posttranslational modification(s) at DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) induced by laser microirradiation provides an applicable diagnostic approach to examine DNA repair and its dynamics. However, its use is restricted to adherent cell lines and not employed in suspension tumor cells that include the many hematological malignancies. METHODS: Here, we report the development of an assay to laser micro-irradiate and quantitatively measure DNA repair transactions at DSB sites in normal mononuclear cells and a variety of suspension leukemia and lymphoma cells including primary patient samples. FINDINGS: We show that global changes in the H3K27me3-ac switch modulated by inhibitors of Class I HDACs, EZH2 methyltransferase and (or) H3K27me3 demethylases do not reflect the dynamic changes in H3K27me3 that occur at double-strand break sites during DNA repair. INTERPRETATION: Results from our mechanistic studies and proof-of-principle data with patient samples together show the effectiveness of using the modified micro-laser-based assay to examine DNA repair directly in suspension cancer cells, and has important clinical implications by serving as a valuable tool to assess drug efficacies in hematological cancer cells that grow in suspension.