Oligodeoxynucleotide Binding to (CTG) · (CAG) Microsatellite Repeats Inhibits Replication Fork Stalling, Hairpin Formation, and Genome Instability
ABSTRACT(CTG)n· (CAG)ntrinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion in the 3′ untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene causes myotonic dystrophy type 1. However, a direct link between TNR instability, the formation of noncanonical (CTG)n· (CAG)nstructures, and replication stress has not been demonstrated. In a human cell model, we found that (CTG)45· (CAG)45causes local replication fork stalling, DNA hairpin formation, and TNR instability. Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) complementary to the (CTG)45· (CAG)45lagging-strand template eliminated DNA hairpin formation on leading- and lagging-strand templates and relieved fork stalling. Prolonged cell culture, emetine inhibition of lagging-strand synthesis, or slowing of DNA synthesis by low-dose aphidicolin induced (CTG)45· (CAG)45expansions and contractions. ODNs targeting the lagging-strand template blocked the time-dependent or emetine-induced instability but did not eliminate aphidicolin-induced instability. These results show directly that TNR replication stalling, replication stress, hairpin formation, and instability are mechanistically linkedin vivo.