Previous Article | Next Article 
Molecular and Cellular Biology, April 2005, p. 3127-3139, Vol. 25, No. 8
0270-7306/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.25.8.3127-3139.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
RAD-51-Dependent and -Independent Roles of a Caenorhabditis elegans BRCA2-Related Protein during DNA Double-Strand Break Repair
,
Julie S. Martin,
Nicole Winkelmann,
Mark I. R. Petalcorin,
Michael J. McIlwraith, and
Simon J. Boulton*
Clare Hall Laboratories, London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Received 26 November 2004/
Returned for modification 27 December 2004/
Accepted 24 January 2005
The BRCA2 tumor suppressor is implicated in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR), where it regulates the RAD51 recombinase. We describe a BRCA2-related protein of Caenorhabditis elegans (CeBRC-2) that interacts directly with RAD-51 via a single BRC motif and that binds preferentially to single-stranded DNA through an oligonucleotide-oligosaccharide binding fold. Cebrc-2 mutants fail to repair meiotic or radiation-induced DSBs by HR due to inefficient RAD-51 nuclear localization and a failure to target RAD-51 to sites of DSBs. Genetic and cytological comparisons of Cebrc-2 and rad-51 mutants revealed fundamental phenotypic differences that suggest a role for Cebrc-2 in promoting the use of an alternative repair pathway in the absence of rad-51 and independent of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Unlike rad-51 mutants, Cebrc-2 mutants also accumulate RPA-1 at DSBs, and abnormal chromosome aggregates that arise during the meiotic prophase can be rescued by blocking the NHEJ pathway. CeBRC-2 also forms foci in response to DNA damage and can do so independently of rad-51. Thus, CeBRC-2 not only regulates RAD-51 during HR but can also function independently of rad-51 in DSB repair processes.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Clare Hall Laboratories, London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK, Blanche Ln., South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3LD, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 1707 625774. Fax: 44 208 269 3801. E-mail:
simon.boulton{at}cancer.org.uk.
Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://mcb.asm.org/.
We dedicate this work to the memory of Nicole Winkelmann.
Molecular and Cellular Biology, April 2005, p. 3127-3139, Vol. 25, No. 8
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.25.8.3127-3139.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Pauklin, S., Burkert, J. S., Martin, J., Osman, F., Weller, S., Boulton, S. J., Whitby, M. C., Petersen-Mahrt, S. K.
(2009). Alternative Induction of Meiotic Recombination From Single-Base Lesions of DNA Deaminases. Genetics
182: 41-54
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Zhou, Q., Kojic, M., Holloman, W. K.
(2009). DNA-binding Domain within the Brh2 N Terminus Is the Primary Interaction Site for Association with DNA. J. Biol. Chem.
284: 8265-8273
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Youds, J. L., Barber, L. J., Ward, J. D., Collis, S. J., O'Neil, N. J., Boulton, S. J., Rose, A. M.
(2008). DOG-1 Is the Caenorhabditis elegans BRIP1/FANCJ Homologue and Functions in Interstrand Cross-Link Repair. Mol. Cell. Biol.
28: 1470-1479
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Smolikov, S., Eizinger, A., Hurlburt, A., Rogers, E., Villeneuve, A. M., Colaiacovo, M. P.
(2007). Synapsis-Defective Mutants Reveal a Correlation Between Chromosome Conformation and the Mode of Double-Strand Break Repair During Caenorhabditis elegans Meiosis. Genetics
176: 2027-2033
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Petalcorin, M. I. R., Galkin, V. E., Yu, X., Egelman, E. H., Boulton, S. J.
(2007). Stabilization of RAD-51-DNA filaments via an interaction domain in Caenorhabditis elegans BRCA2. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
104: 8299-8304
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Harris, J., Lowden, M., Clejan, I., Tzoneva, M., Thomas, J. H., Hodgkin, J., Ahmed, S.
(2006). Mutator Phenotype of Caenorhabditis elegans DNA Damage Checkpoint Mutants. Genetics
174: 601-616
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Clejan, I., Boerckel, J., Ahmed, S.
(2006). Developmental Modulation of Nonhomologous End Joining in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics
173: 1301-1317
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Saeki, H., Siaud, N., Christ, N., Wiegant, W. W., van Buul, P. P. W., Han, M., Zdzienicka, M. Z., Stark, J. M., Jasin, M.
(2006). Suppression of the DNA repair defects of BRCA2-deficient cells with heterologous protein fusions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
103: 8768-8773
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Dray, E., Siaud, N., Dubois, E., Doutriaux, M.-P.
(2006). Interaction between Arabidopsis Brca2 and Its Partners Rad51, Dmc1, and Dss1. Plant Physiol.
140: 1059-1069
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Kojic, M., Zhou, Q., Lisby, M., Holloman, W. K.
(2006). Rec2 Interplay with both Brh2 and Rad51 Balances Recombinational Repair in Ustilago maydis. Mol. Cell. Biol.
26: 678-688
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Proudfoot, C., McCulloch, R.
(2005). Distinct roles for two RAD51-related genes in Trypanosoma brucei antigenic variation. Nucleic Acids Res
33: 6906-6919
[Abstract]
[Full Text]