Ubiquitylation of Rad51d Mediated by E3 Ligase Rnf138 Promotes the Homologous Recombination Repair Pathway

PLoS One. 2016 May 19;11(5):e0155476. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155476. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Ubiquitylation has an important role as a signal transducer that regulates protein function, subcellular localization, or stability during the DNA damage response. In this study, we show that Ring domain E3 ubiquitin ligases RNF138 is recruited to DNA damage site quickly. And the recruitment is mediated through its Zinc finger domains. We further confirm that RNF138 is phosphorylated by ATM at Ser124. However, the phosphorylation was dispensable for recruitment to the DNA damage site. Our findings also indicate that RAD51 assembly at DSB sites following irradiation is dramatically affected in RNF138-deficient cells. Hence, RNF138 is likely involved in regulating homologous recombination repair pathway. Consistently, efficiency of homologous recombination decreased observably in RNF138-depleted cells. In addition, RNF138-deficient cell is hypersensitive to DNA damage insults, such as IR and MMS. And the comet assay confirmed that RNF138 directly participated in DNA damage repair. Moreover, we find that RAD51D directly interacted with RNF138. And the recruitment of RAD51D to DNA damage site is delayed and unstable in RNF138-depleted cells. Taken together, these results suggest that RNF138 promotes the homologous recombination repair pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatin / chemistry
  • Comet Assay
  • DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded
  • DNA Damage
  • HCT116 Cells
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Homologous Recombination
  • Humans
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Phosphorylation
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Rad51 Recombinase / metabolism*
  • Recombination, Genetic*
  • Recombinational DNA Repair
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination
  • Zinc / chemistry
  • Zinc Fingers

Substances

  • Chromatin
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNF138 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Rad51 Recombinase
  • Zinc

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (2012CB944902) and the State Key Laboratory Special fund (2060204) from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.