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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Author Spotlight: Quantitative Detection of DNA Protein Crosslinks and Their Post-Translational Modifications
Published on: April 21, 2023
ZATT (ZNF451)-mediated resolution of topoisomerase 2 DNA-protein cross-links
Matthew J Schellenberg1, Jenna Ariel Lieberman2, Andrés Herrero-Ruiz2
1Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
Abstract:
Topoisomerase 2 (TOP2) DNA transactions proceed via formation of the TOP2 cleavage complex (TOP2cc), a covalent enzyme-DNA reaction intermediate that is vulnerable to trapping by potent anticancer TOP2 drugs. How genotoxic TOP2 DNA-protein cross-links are resolved is unclear. We found that the SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) ligase ZATT (ZNF451) is a multifunctional DNA repair factor that controls cellular responses to TOP2 damage. ZATT binding to TOP2cc facilitates a proteasome-independent tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2) hydrolase activity on stalled TOP2cc. The ZATT SUMO ligase activity further promotes TDP2 interactions with SUMOylated TOP2, regulating efficient TDP2 recruitment through a "split-SIM" SUMO2 engagement platform. These findings uncover a ZATT-TDP2-catalyzed and SUMO2-modulated pathway for direct resolution of TOP2cc.
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