# Define redundant functions of H2AX and NBS1 in DNA repair

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2020 · $366,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying genomic instability and tumorigenesis is the long-term
goal of my laboratory. The broad objective, of this proposal, reflects our pursuit to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the network involved in DNA repair and to determine how these proteins and pathways
intersect, interact, communicate, coordinate, and collaborate for genome maintenance. The short-term goal is
to perform detailed mechanistic studies of several DNA damage signaling and repair pathways, which will
provide the foundation to achieve our long-term goal of exploiting DNA repair network for cancer therapy.
 This proposal will define two overlapping DNA damage-signaling pathways that together are essential for
cell survival. We and other researchers have constructed an elaborate signaling pathway that acts downstream
of H2AX and regulates the recruitment and accumulation of many DNA damage repair proteins at sites of DNA
breaks. This H2AX-dependent pathway is composed of H2AX, MDC1, RNF8, and RNF168. However, repair
defects observed in H2AX-, MDC1-, RNF8-, or RNF168-deficient cells or mice are mild, raising the possibility
that there is an H2AX-independent mechanism involved in the recruitment of these downstream repair
proteins. We propose that this H2AX-independent pathway is controlled by NBS1.
 On the basis of our previous studies and preliminary data presented in this proposal, we hypothesize that
the H2AX- and NBS1-dependent pathways are involved in the DNA damage response and are critical for cell
survival. We believe that these two pathways have redundant functions, especially in promoting homologous
recombination repair. However, they are not completely separate, since they intersect at multiple points. This
makes it considerably challenging for us to delineate the functions of these two redundant pathways. It is
unknown whether we can elucidate the contribution of a single pathway to the ever-growing network, i.e., can
we untangle the network to understand the mechanisms by which different pathways intersect and contribute
to biological processes? We will address this question in this application and we will further study the
mechanisms by which the H2AX- and NBS1-dependent pathways act together to ensure cell survival and the
completion of DNA repair. We propose the following specific aims: 1) determine whether NBS1 acts
redundantly with the established H2AX-MDC1-RNF8-RNF168 pathway to ensure cell survival; 2) delineate the
NBS1-dependent pathway; and 3) explore the mechanisms underlying cell lethality caused by NBS1 and H2AX
co-depletion. These studies will not only allow us to understand the redundant functions of H2AX and NBS1 in
vivo but will also reveal ways to investigate the functions of proteins and pathways in today’s complex signaling
networks. Moreover, results from these studies will provide the rationale for exploiting DNA repair defect and
applying synthetic lethality concept in precision m...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841363
- **Project number:** 5R01CA210929-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Junjie Chen
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $366,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-01-25 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841363

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841363, Define redundant functions of H2AX and NBS1 in DNA repair (5R01CA210929-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841363. Licensed CC0.

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