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MLH1‐mediated recruitment of FAN1 to chromatin for the induction of apoptosis triggered by O6‐methylguanine

O6‐Methylguanines (O6‐meG), which are produced in DNA by the action of alkylating agents, are mutagenic and cytotoxic, and induce apoptosis in a mismatch repair (MMR) protein‐dependent manner. To understand the molecular mechanism of O6‐meG‐induced apoptosis, we performed functional analyses of FANCD2 and FANCI‐associated nuclease 1 (FAN1), which was identified as an interacting partner of MLH1. Immunoprecipitation analyses showed that FAN1 interacted with both MLH1 and MSH2 after treatment with N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosourea (MNU), indicating the formation of a FAN1‐MMR complex. In comparison with control cells, FAN1‐knockdown cells were more resistant to MNU, and the appearances of a sub‐G1 population and caspase‐9 activation were suppressed. FAN1 formed nuclear foci in an MLH1‐dependent manner after MNU treatment, and some were colocalized with both MLH1 foci and single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) created at damaged sites. Under the same condition, FANCD2 also formed nuclear foci, although it was dispensable for the formation of FAN1 foci and ssDNA. MNU‐induced formation of ssDNA was dramatically suppressed in FAN1‐knockdown cells. We therefore propose that FAN1 is loaded on chromatin through the interaction with MLH1 and produces ssDNA by its exonuclease activity, which contributes to the activation of the DNA damage response followed by the induction of apoptosis triggered by O6‐meG.