Cell
Volume 136, Issue 3, 6 February 2009, Pages 435-446
Journal home page for Cell

Article
RNF168 Binds and Amplifies Ubiquitin Conjugates on Damaged Chromosomes to Allow Accumulation of Repair Proteins

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2008.12.041Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Summary

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) not only interrupt the genetic information, but also disrupt the chromatin structure, and both impairments require repair mechanisms to ensure genome integrity. We showed previously that RNF8-mediated chromatin ubiquitylation protects genome integrity by promoting the accumulation of repair factors at DSBs. Here, we provide evidence that, while RNF8 is necessary to trigger the DSB-associated ubiquitylations, it is not sufficient to sustain conjugated ubiquitin in this compartment. We identified RNF168 as a novel chromatin-associated ubiquitin ligase with an ability to bind ubiquitin. We show that RNF168 interacts with ubiquitylated H2A, assembles at DSBs in an RNF8-dependent manner, and, by targeting H2A and H2AX, amplifies local concentration of lysine 63-linked ubiquitin conjugates to the threshold required for retention of 53BP1 and BRCA1. Thus, RNF168 defines a new pathway involving sequential ubiquitylations on damaged chromosomes and uncovers a functional cooperation between E3 ligases in genome maintenance.

DNA
SIGNALING

Cited by (0)