ESCRT-III accumulates in micronuclei with ruptured nuclear envelopes

Abstract

1.Micronuclei represent the cellular attempt to compartmentalize DNA to maintain genomic integrity threatened by mitotic errors and genotoxic events. Micronuclei show aberrant nuclear envelopes that collapse, generating damaged DNA and promoting complex genome alterations. However, ruptured micronuclei also provide a pool of cytosolic DNA that stimulates anti-tumour immunity, revealing the complexity of micronuclei impact on tumour progression.\n\nThe ESCRT-III complex ensures nuclear envelope (NE) resealing during late mitosis and NE repair in interphase. Therefore, ESCRT-III activity maybe crucial for maintaining the integrity of other genomic structures enclosed by a nuclear envelope. ESCRT-III activity at the nuclear envelope is coordinated by the subunit CHMP7.\n\nWe show that CHMP7 and ESCRT-III protects against the genomic instability associated with micronuclei formation. Loss of ESCRT-III activity increases the population of micronuclei with ruptured nuclear envelopes, in interphase cells. Surprisingly, ESCRT-III is retained at acentric micronuclei suggesting that ESCRT-III cannot repair these structures. Depletion of CHMP7 expression removes ESCRT-III accumulations at ruptured micronuclei, and removes the population of micronuclei with damaged DNA also containing a sensor for cytosolic DNA.\n\nThus, ESCRT-III activity appears to protect from the consequence of genomic instability in a dichotomous fashion. Membrane repair activity prevents the occurrence of MN with weak envelopes; conversely, aberrant membrane remodelling at micronuclei generates a steady state pool of cytosolic DNA that may contribute to sustaining pro-inflammatory pathways in cancer cells.