RNF8 has both KU-dependent and independent roles in chromosomal break repair

• Published in: Nucleic acids research 2020-06, Vol.48 (11), p.6032-6052
• Main Authors: Tsai, Linda Jillianne, Lopezcolorado, Felicia Wednesday, Bhargava, Ragini, Mendez-Dorantes, Carlos, Jahanshir, Eva, Stark, Jeremy M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: BRCA1 Protein - metabolism; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Chromosome Breakage; DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; DNA End-Joining Repair - genetics; DNA Polymerase theta; DNA-Binding Proteins - chemistry; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - metabolism; Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group N Protein - metabolism; Genome Integrity, Repair and; Humans; INDEL Mutation; Ku Autoantigen - metabolism; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Protein Domains; Rad51 Recombinase - metabolism; Recombinational DNA Repair - genetics; RNA Interference; Sequence Deletion; Tumor Suppressor p53-Binding Protein 1 - metabolism; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - chemistry; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - metabolism
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa380

Chromosomal double strand breaks (DSBs) can initiate several signaling events, such as ubiquitination, however the precise influence of such signaling on DSB repair outcomes remains poorly understood. With an RNA interference screen, we found that the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF8 suppresses a deletion rearrangement mediated by canonical non-homologous end joining (C-NHEJ). We also found that RNF8 suppresses EJ without insertion/deletion mutations, which is a hallmark of C-NHEJ. Conversely, RNF8 promotes alternative EJ (ALT-EJ) events involving microhomology that is embedded from the edge of the DSB. These ALT-EJ events likely require limited end resection, whereas RNF8 is not required for single-strand annealing repair involving extensive end resection. Thus, RNF8 appears to specifically facilitate repair events requiring limited end resection, which we find is dependent on the DSB end protection factor KU. However, we also find that RNF8 is important for homology-directed repair (HDR) independently of KU, which appears linked to promoting PALB2 function. Finally, the influence of RNF8 on EJ is distinct from 53BP1 and the ALT-EJ factor, POLQ. We suggest that RNF8 mediates both ALT-EJ and HDR, but via distinct mechanisms, since only the former is dependent on KU.