Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

In Situ Immunofluorescent Staining of Autophagy in Muscle Stem Cells
08:35

In Situ Immunofluorescent Staining of Autophagy in Muscle Stem Cells

Published on: June 12, 2017

Acetylation: a novel link between double-strand break repair and autophagy

Ghadeer Shubassi1, Thomas Robert, Fabio Vanoli

  • 1Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy.

Cancer Research
|March 17, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors impact cancer drug efficacy by affecting DNA repair and autophagy. Understanding this link is crucial for developing new cancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are clinically used as anticancer agents.
  • Emerging evidence links the DNA damage response (DDR), protein acetylation, and autophagy.
  • HDAC inhibitors interfere with cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the interplay between acetylation, autophagy, and the DDR in cancer cells.
  • To investigate the role of autophagy in the efficacy of HDAC inhibitors and radiomimetic drugs.

Main Methods:

  • The study reviews recent evidence on the molecular mechanisms involved.
  • Analysis of how HDAC inhibitors affect DNA repair pathways (checkpoint activation, homologous recombination).
  • Examination of the role of autophagy in the degradation of DNA resection factors.

Main Results:

  • HDAC inhibitors disrupt key steps in the DNA damage response, including checkpoint activation and DNA repair.
  • Autophagy degrades essential DNA resection factors, playing a detrimental role in hyperacetylated cells treated with radiomimetic anticancer drugs.
  • The hyperacetylated state combined with autophagy induction compromises cellular resistance to DNA-damaging agents.

Conclusions:

  • The intricate relationship between acetylation, autophagy, and the DDR is critical for understanding HDAC inhibitor action.
  • Targeting autophagy, potentially with mTORC1 inhibitors, may enhance cancer therapy effectiveness.
  • Further research is needed to fully unravel these complex mechanisms for therapeutic advancement.

More Related Videos

Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research14:08

Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research

Published on: September 9, 2017

Immunofluorescence Microscopy of γH2AX and 53BP1 for Analyzing the Formation and Repair of DNA Double-strand Breaks10:47

Immunofluorescence Microscopy of γH2AX and 53BP1 for Analyzing the Formation and Repair of DNA Double-strand Breaks

Published on: November 3, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...