Response to RAG-mediated V(D)J cleavage by NBS1 and γ-H2AX

Genetic disorders affecting cellular responses to DNA damage are characterized by high rates of translocations involving antigen receptor loci and increased susceptibility to lymphoid malignancies. We report that the Nijmegen breakage syndrome protein (NBS1) and histone gamma -H2AX, which associate with irradiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), are also found at sites of V(D)J (variable, diversity, joining) recombination-induced DSBs. In developing thymocytes, NBS1 and gamma -H2AX form nuclear foci that colocalize with the T cell receptor alpha locus in response to recombination activating gene (RAG) protein-mediated V(D)J cleavage. Our results suggest that surveillance of T cell receptor recombination intermediates by NBS1 and gamma -H2AX may be important for preventing oncogenic translocations.