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Title: RNF8 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Stimulates Ubc13 E2 Conjugating Activity That Is Essential for DNA Double Strand Break Signaling and BRCA1 Tumor Suppressor Recruitment

Journal Article · · Journal of Biological Chemistry
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [4];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
  2. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Cairo Univ., Giza (Egypt)
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  4. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

DNA double strand break (DSB) responses depend on the sequential actions of the E3 ubiquitin ligases RNF8 and RNF168 plus E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13 to specifically generate histone Lys-63-linked ubiquitin chains in DSB signaling. In this paper, we defined the activated RNF8-Ubc13~ubiquitin complex by x-ray crystallography and its functional solution conformations by x-ray scattering, as tested by separation-of-function mutations imaged in cells by immunofluorescence. The collective results show that the RING E3 RNF8 targets E2 Ubc13 to DSB sites and plays a critical role in damage signaling by stimulating polyubiquitination through modulating conformations of ubiquitin covalently linked to the Ubc13 active site. Structure-guided separation-of-function mutations show that the RNF8 E2 stimulating activity is essential for DSB signaling in mammalian cells and is necessary for downstream recruitment of 53BP1 and BRCA1. Chromatin-targeted RNF168 rescues 53BP1 recruitment involved in non-homologous end joining but not BRCA1 recruitment for homologous recombination. Finally, these findings suggest an allosteric approach to targeting the ubiquitin-docking cleft at the E2-E3 interface for possible interventions in cancer and chronic inflammation, and moreover, they establish an independent RNF8 role in BRCA1 recruitment.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Inst. of Health (NIH) (United States); Canadian Cancer Society; Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance; Canadian Inst. of Health Research (CIHR)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; CA92584; GM105404; CIHR114975; CIHR119515
OSTI ID:
1379308
Journal Information:
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 291, Issue 18; ISSN 0021-9258
Publisher:
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 23 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Reading chromatin signatures after DNA double-strand breaks journal August 2017
The p97–Ataxin 3 complex regulates homeostasis of the DNA damage response E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF 8 journal October 2019
The role of ubiquitin-dependent segregase p97 (VCP or Cdc48) in chromatin dynamics after DNA double strand breaks journal August 2017
Structural basis of generic versus specific E2–RING E3 interactions in protein ubiquitination journal August 2019
The inhibition of UBC13 expression and blockage of the DNMT1-CHFR-Aurora A pathway contribute to paclitaxel resistance in ovarian cancer journal January 2018
A conserved asparagine in a ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme positions the substrate for nucleophilic attack journal May 2019
The p97-Ataxin 3 complex regulates homeostasis of the DNA damage response E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF8 text January 2019