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The DNA strand exchange protein RAD51 facilitates the central step in homologous recombination, a process fundamentally important for accurate repair of damaged chromosomes, restart of collapsed replication forks, and telomere maintenance. The active form of RAD51 is a nucleoprotein filament that assembles on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at the sites of DNA damage. The c-Abl tyrosine kinase and its oncogenic counterpart BCR-ABL fusion kinase phosphorylate human RAD51 on tyrosine residues 54 and 315. We combined biochemical reconstitutions of the DNA strand exchange reactions with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to determine how the two phosphorylation events affect the biochemical activities of human RAD51 and properties of the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament. By mimicking RAD51 tyrosine phosphorylation with a nonnatural amino acid, p-carboxymethyl-L-phenylalanine (pCMF), we demonstrated that Y54 phosphorylation enhances the RAD51 recombinase activity by at least two different mechanisms, modifies the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament formation, and allows RAD51 to compete efficiently with ssDNA binding protein RPA. In contrast, Y315 phosphorylation has little effect on the RAD51 activities. Based on our work and previous cellular studies, we propose a mechanism underlying RAD51 activation by c-Abl/BCR-ABL kinases.

In checkpoint-deficient cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are produced during replication by the structure-specific endonuclease MUS81. The mechanism underlying MUS81-dependent cleavage, and the effect on chromosome integrity and viability of checkpoint deficient cells is only partly understood, especially in human cells. Here, we show that MUS81-induced DSBs are specifically triggered by CHK1 inhibition in a manner that is unrelated to the loss of RAD51, and does not involve formation of a RAD51 substrate. Indeed, CHK1 deficiency results in the formation of a RAD52-dependent structure that is cleaved by MUS81. Moreover, in CHK1-deficient cells depletion of RAD52, but not of MUS81, rescues chromosome instability observed after replication fork stalling. However, when RAD52 is down-regulated, recovery from replication stress requires MUS81, and loss of both these proteins results in massive cell death that can be suppressed by RAD51 depletion. Our findings reveal a novel RAD52/MUS81-dependent mechanism that promotes cell viability and genome integrity in checkpoint-deficient cells, and disclose the involvement of MUS81 to multiple processes after replication stress.

High fidelity homologous DNA recombination depends on mismatch repair (MMR), which antagonizes recombination between divergent sequences by rejecting heteroduplex DNA containing excessive nucleotide mismatches. The hMSH2–hMSH6 heterodimer is the first responder in postreplicative MMR and also plays a prominent role in heteroduplex rejection. Whether a similar molecular mechanism underlies its function in these two processes remains enigmatic. We have determined that hMSH2–hMSH6 efficiently recognizes mismatches within a D-loop recombination initiation intermediate. Mismatch recognition by hMSH2–hMSH6 is not abrogated by human replication protein A (HsRPA) bound to the displaced single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or by HsRAD51. In addition, ATP-bound hMSH2–hMSH6 sliding clamps that are essential for downstream MMR processes are formed and constrained within the heteroduplex region of the D-loop. Moreover, the hMSH2–hMSH6 sliding clamps are stabilized on the D-loop by HsRPA bound to the displaced ssDNA. Our findings reveal similarities and differences in hMSH2–hMSH6 mismatch recognition and sliding-clamp formation between a D-loop recombination intermediate and linear duplex DNA.

RAD51 protein plays an important role in homologous genetic recombination (HR), an essential DNA metabolic process used by cells to faithfully repair the most deleterious forms of DNA damage and maintain genomic integrity. RAD51 along with its bacterial counterpart RecA, bacteriophage UvsX and archaeal RadA have been subjected to genetic and biochemical scrutiny resulting in a plentitude of mechanistic and functional information on formation, regulation and activities of these recombinases. An important disconnect between these two lines of investigation still exists because the recombinase functions of RAD51 are highly regulated through mediator proteins like the BRCA2 recombination mediator, and a host of post translational modifications, namely phosphorylation. The mechanism and biochemical implications of these regulatory processes have not been satisfactorily evaluated in-vitro. This work characterizes the interaction between RAD51 and the BRCA2 recombination mediator protein using computational methods to generate homology models for this interaction which are validated through experimental data. Using the knowledge gained from our structural model for the RAD51 recombinase, I developed a novel strategy to understand several key mechanisms for the regulation of RAD51 by phosphorylation. RAD51 is phosphorylated by the cABL tyrosine kinase. The mechanistic and functional significance of this event is largely disputed. Using biochemical and single molecule assays reconstituting major activities of RAD51, I have successfully dissected the biochemical mechanism of regulation of RAD51 by the c-Abl kinase. The results of this work strongly correlate with observations made in previous cell based analysis.

In checkpoint-deficient cells, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are produced during replication by the structure-specific endonuclease MUS81. The mechanism underlying MUS81-dependent cleavage, and the effect on chromosome integrity and viability of checkpoint deficient cells is only partly understood, especially in human cells. Here, we show that MUS81-induced DSBs are specifically triggered by CHK1 inhibition in a manner that is unrelated to the loss of RAD51, and does not involve formation of a RAD51 substrate. Indeed, CHK1 deficiency results in the formation of a RAD52-dependent structure that is cleaved by MUS81. Moreover, in CHK1-deficient cells depletion of RAD52, but not of MUS81, rescues chromosome instability observed after replication fork stalling. However, when RAD52 is down-regulated, recovery from replication stress requires MUS81, and loss of both these proteins results in massive cell death that can be suppressed by RAD51 depletion. Our findings reveal a novel RAD52/MUS81-dependent mechanism that promotes cell viability and genome integrity in checkpoint-deficient cells, and disclose the involvement of MUS81 to multiple processes after replication stress.