Mechanistic Studies of Double-strand Break Repair Factors RAD52 and DNA Polymerase Theta

Abstract

Small molecule disruption of RAD52 rings as a mechanism for precision medicine in BRCA deficient cancers Suppression of RAD52 causes synthetic lethality in BRCA deficient cells. Yet pharmacological inhibition of RAD52, which binds single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and lacks enzymatic activity, has not been demonstrated. Here, we identify the small molecule 6-hydroxy-DL-dopa (6-OH-dopa) as a major allosteric inhibitor of the RAD52 ssDNA binding domain. For example, we find that multiple small molecules bind to and completely transform RAD52 undecamer rings into dimers, which abolishes the ssDNA binding channel observed in crystal structures. 6-OH-dopa also disrupts RAD52 heptamer and undecamer ring superstructures, and suppresses RAD52 recruitment and recombination activity in cells with negligible effects on other double-strand break repair pathways. Importantly, we show that 6-OH-dopa selectively inhibits the proliferation of BRCA deficient cancer cells, including those obtained from leukemia patients. Taken together, these data demonstrate small molecule disruption of RAD52 rings as a promising mechanism for precision medicine in BRCA deficient cancers. How RNA transcripts coordinate DNA recombination and repair Genetic studies in yeast indicate that RNA transcripts facilitate homology-directed DNA repair in a manner that is dependent on RAD52. The molecular basis for so-called RNA-DNA repair, however, remains unknown. Using reconstitution assays, we demonstrate that RAD52 directly cooperates with RNA as a sequence-directed ribonucleoprotein complex to promote two related modes of RNA-DNA repair. In a RNA-bridging mechanism, RAD52 assembles recombinant RNA-DNA hybrids that coordinate synapsis and ligation of homologous DNA breaks. In a RNA-templated mechanism, RAD52 mediated RNA-DNA hybrids enable reverse transcription dependent RNA-to-DNA sequence transfer at DNA breaks that licenses subsequent DNA recombination. Notably, we show that both mechanisms of RNA-DNA repair are promoted by transcription of a homologous DNA template in trans. In summary, these data elucidate how RNA transcripts cooperate with RAD52 to coordinate homology-directed DNA recombination and repair in the absence of a DNA donor, and demonstrate a direct role for transcription in RNA-DNA repair. Characterization of DNA polymerase θ as a reverse transcriptase RNA-to-DNA sequence has been observed in human cells, but how the phenomena occurs remains unknown. Multiple lines of evidence suggest putative reverse transcriptase (RT) activity as a potential mechanism for how RNA sequence can alter chromosomal DNA, but the source of this RT remains unknown. Here, we have identified that the unique A-family DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) displays robust RT activity, a characteristic not found in any other human polymerase tested from the A, B, X, and Y families. We propose that Polθ may be responsible for the observed RT activity in human cells.