Interrogation of the protein-protein interactions between human BRCA2 BRC repeats and RAD51 reveals atomistic determinants of affinity

The breast cancer suppressor BRCA2 controls the recombinase RAD51 in the reactions that mediate homologous DNA recombination, an essential cellular process required for the error-free repair of DNA double-stranded breaks. The primary mode of interaction between BRCA2 and RAD51 is through the BRC repeats, which are ～35 residue peptide motifs that interact directly with RAD51 in vitro. Human BRCA2, like its mammalian orthologues, contains 8 BRC repeats whose sequence and spacing are evolutionarily conserved. Despite their sequence conservation, there is evidence that the different human BRC repeats have distinct capacities to bind RAD51. A previously published crystal structure reports the structural basis of the interaction between human BRC4 and the catalytic core domain of RAD51. However, no structural information is available regarding the binding of the remaining seven BRC repeats to RAD51, nor is it known why the BRC repeats show marked variation in binding affinity to RAD51 despite only subtle sequence variation. To address these issues, we have performed fluorescence polarisation assays to indirectly measure relative binding affinity, and applied computational simulations to interrogate the behaviour of the eight human BRC-RAD51 complexes, as well as a suite of BRC cancer-associated mutations. Our computational approaches encompass a range of techniques designed to link sequence variation with binding free energy. They include MM-PBSA and thermodynamic integration, which are based on classical force fields, and a recently developed approach to computing binding free energies from large-scale quantum mechanical first principles calculations with the linear-scaling density functional code onetep. Our findings not only reveal how sequence variation in the BRC repeats directly affects affinity with RAD51 and provide significant new insights into the control of RAD51 by human BRCA2, but also exemplify a palette of computational and experimental tools for the analysis of protein-protein interactions for chemical biology and molecular therapeutics.     

A region of human BRCA2 containing multiple BRC repeats promotes RAD51-mediated strand exchange

Human BRCA2, a breast and ovarian cancer suppressor, binds to the DNA recombinase RAD51 through eight conserved BRC repeats, motifs of approximately 30 residues, dispersed across a large region of the protein. BRCA2 is essential for homologous recombination in vivo, but isolated BRC repeat peptides can prevent the assembly of RAD51 into active nucleoprotein filaments in vitro, suggesting a model in which BRCA2 sequesters RAD51 in undamaged cells, and promotes recombinase function after DNA damage. How BRCA2 might fulfill these dual functions is unclear. We have purified a fragment of human BRCA2 (BRCA2(BRC1-8)) with 1127 residues spanning all 8 BRC repeats but excluding the C-terminal DNA-binding domain (BRCA2(CTD)). BRCA2(BRC1-8) binds RAD51 nucleoprotein filaments in a ternary complex, indicating it may organize RAD51 on DNA. Human RAD51 is relatively ineffective in vitro at strand exchange between homologous DNA molecules unless non-physiological ions like NH4+ are present. In an ionic milieu more typical of the mammalian nucleus, BRCA2(BRCI-8) stimulates RAD51-mediated strand exchange, suggesting it may be an essential co-factor in vivo. Thus, the human BRC repeats, embedded within their surronding sequences as an eight-repeat unit, mediate homologous recombination independent of the BRCA2(CTD) through a previously unrecognized role in control of RAD51 activity.     

Classical molecular dynamics simulations of the complex between the RAD51 protein and the BRC hairpin loops of the BRCA2 protein

In the repair of double-strand breaks of DNA by homologous recombination the recombinase protein RAD51 has its functions controlled by the breast cancer susceptibility protein BRCA2. BRCA2 can bind to RAD51 via the BRC repeats BRC1–BRC8, which are eight conserved sequence motifs in BRCA2 of about 35 amino acids. We have carried out a series of extensive unrestrained atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit water for a total time period of 248 ns, in order to study the dynamical behaviour and conformations of the complexes between the hairpin loop region of the BRC repeats and RAD51. Our simulations have allowed us to investigate the conformations adopted by the BRC repeats both while bound to RAD51 and while isolated. These conformations are rationalised through an analysis of the inter- and intra-molecular backbone and side chain bonding interactions in all the eight human BRC repeats as well as in a single-point mutation of BRC4. The differences in sequence result in differences in the interactions between the BRC repeats and the RAD51 protein but these do not appear to disrupt the binding in any of the BRC–RAD51 complexes as there are always a number of key residues remaining which allow a sufficient number of interactions to stabilise the complexes.     

Two modules in the BRC repeats of BRCA2 mediate structural and functional interactions with the RAD51 recombinase

The breast and ovarian cancer suppressor protein BRCA2 controls the RAD51 recombinase in reactions that lead to homologous DNA recombination (HDR). BRCA2 binds RAD51 via eight conserved BRC repeat motifs of approximately 35 amino acids, each with a varying capacity to bind RAD51. BRC repeats both promote and inhibit RAD51 assembly on different DNA substrates to regulate HDR, but the structural basis for these functions is unclear. Here, we demarcate two tetrameric clusters of hydrophobic residues in the BRC repeats, interacting with distinct pockets in RAD51, and show that the co-location of both modules within a single BRC repeat is necessary for BRC–RAD51 binding and function. The two modules comprise the sequence FxxA, known to inhibit RAD51 assembly by blocking the oligomerization interface, and a previously unrecognized tetramer with the consensus sequence LFDE, which binds to a RAD51 pocket distinct from this interface. The LFDE motif is essential in BRC repeats for modes of RAD51 binding both permissive and inhibitory to RAD51 oligomerization. Targeted insertion of point mutations in RAD51 that disrupt the LFDE-binding pocket impair its assembly at DNA damage sites in living cells. Our findings suggest a model for the modular architecture of BRC repeats that provides fresh insight into the mechanisms regulating homologous DNA recombination.     

Interaction with the BRCA2 C terminus protects RAD51-DNA filaments from disassembly by BRC repeats

BRCA2 has an essential function in DNA repair by homologous recombination, interacting with RAD51 via short motifs in the middle and at the C terminus of BRCA2. Here, we report that a conserved 36-residue sequence of human BRCA2 encoded by exon 27 (BRCA2Exon27) interacts with RAD51 through the specific recognition of oligomerized RAD51 ATPase domains. BRCA2Exon27 binding stabilizes the RAD51 nucleoprotein filament against disassembly by BRC repeat 4. The protection is specific for RAD51 filaments formed on single-stranded DNA and is lost when BRCA2Exon27 is phosphorylated on Ser3291. We propose that productive recombination results from the functional balance between the different RAD51-binding modes [corrected] of the BRC repeat and exon 27 regions of BRCA2. Our results further suggest a mechanism in which CDK phosphorylation of BRCA2Exon27 at the G2-M transition alters the balance in favor of RAD51 filament disassembly, thus terminating recombination.     

RAD51B plays an essential role during somatic and meiotic recombination in Physcomitrella

The eukaryotic RecA homologue Rad51 is a key factor in homologous recombination and recombinational repair. Rad51-like proteins have been identified in yeast (Rad55, Rad57 and Dmc1), plants and vertebrates (RAD51B, RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2, XRCC3 and DMC1). RAD51 and DMC1 are the strand-exchange proteins forming a nucleofilament for strand invasion, however, the function of the paralogues in the process of homologous recombination is less clear. In yeast the two Rad51 paralogues, Rad55 and Rad57, have been shown to be involved in somatic and meiotic HR and they are essential to the formation of the Rad51/DNA nucleofilament counterbalancing the anti-recombinase activity of the SRS2 helicase. Here, we examined the role of RAD51B in the model bryophyte Physcomitrella patens. Mutant analysis shows that RAD51B is essential for the maintenance of genome integrity, for resistance to DNA damaging agents and for gene targeting. Furthermore, we set up methods to investigate meiosis in Physcomitrella and we demonstrate that the RAD51B protein is essential for meiotic homologous recombination. Finally, we show that all these functions are independent of the SRS2 anti-recombinase protein, which is in striking contrast to what is found in budding yeast where the RAD51 paralogues are fully dependent on the SRS2 anti-recombinase function.     

The epistatic relationship between BRCA2 and the other RAD51 mediators in homologous recombination

RAD51 recombinase polymerizes at the site of double-strand breaks (DSBs) where it performs DSB repair. The loss of RAD51 causes extensive chromosomal breaks, leading to apoptosis. The polymerization of RAD51 is regulated by a number of RAD51 mediators, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD52, SFR1, SWS1, and the five RAD51 paralogs, including XRCC3. We here show that brca2-null mutant cells were able to proliferate, indicating that RAD51 can perform DSB repair in the absence of BRCA2. We disrupted the BRCA1, RAD52, SFR1, SWS1, and XRCC3 genes in the brca2-null cells. All the resulting double-mutant cells displayed a phenotype that was very similar to that of the brca2-null cells. We suggest that BRCA2 might thus serve as a platform to recruit various RAD51 mediators at the appropriate position at the DNA-damage site.     

Interactions between BRCA2 and RAD51 for promoting homologous recombination in Leishmania infantum

In most organisms, the primary function of homologous recombination (HR) is to allow genome protection by the faithful repair of DNA double-strand breaks. The vital step of HR is the search for sequence homology, mediated by the RAD51 recombinase, which is stimulated further by proteins mediators such as the tumor suppressor BRCA2. The biochemical interplay between RAD51 and BRCA2 is unknown in Leishmania or Trypanosoma. Here we show that the Leishmania infantum BRCA2 protein possesses several critical features important for the regulation of DNA recombination at the genetic and biochemical level. A BRCA2 null mutant, generated by gene disruption, displayed genomic instability and gene-targeting defects. Furthermore, cytological studies show that LiRAD51 can no longer localize to the nucleus in this mutant. The Leishmania RAD51 and BRCA2 interact together and the purified proteins bind single-strand DNA. Remarkably, LiBRCA2 is a recombination mediator that stimulates the invasion of a resected DNA double-strand break in an undamaged template by LiRAD51 to form a D-loop structure. Collectively, our data show that LiBRCA2 and LiRAD51 promote HR at the genetic and biochemical level in L. infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis.     

Functional interaction between the Bloom's syndrome helicase and the RAD51 paralog,RAD51L3 (RAD51D)

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is a genetic disorder associated with short stature, fertility defects, and a predisposition to the development of cancer. BS cells are characterized by genomic instability; in particular, a high rate of reciprocal exchanges between sister-chromatids and homologous chromosomes. The BS gene product, BLM, is a helicase belonging to the highly conserved RecQ family. BLM is known to form a complex with the RAD51 recombinase, and to act upon DNA intermediates that form during homologous recombination, including D-loops and Holliday junctions. Here, we show that BLM also makes a direct physical association with the RAD51L3 protein (also known as RAD51D), a so-called RAD51 paralog that shows limited sequence similarity to RAD51 itself. This interaction is mediated through the N-terminal domain of BLM. To analyze functional interactions between BLM and RAD51L3, we have purified a heteromeric complex comprising RAD51L3 and a second RAD51 paralog, XRCC2. We show that the RAD51L3-XRCC2 complex stimulates BLM to disrupt synthetic 4-way junctions that model the Holliday junction. We also show that a truncated form of BLM, which retains helicase activity but is unable to bind RAD51L3, is not stimulated by the RAD51L3-XRCC2 complex. Our data indicate that the activity of BLM is modulated through an interaction with the RAD51L3-XRCC2 complex, and that this stimulatory effect on BLM is dependent upon a direct physical association between the BLM and RAD51L3 proteins. We propose that BLM co-operates with RAD51 paralogs during the late stages of homologous recombination processes that serve to restore productive DNA replication at sites of damaged or stalled replication forks.     

Visualization of direct and diffusion-assisted RAD51 nucleation by full-length human BRCA2 protein

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The self-association of two N-terminal interaction domains plays an important role in the tetramerization of TRPC4

Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels function as cation channels. In a previous study, we identified the molecular determinants involved in promoting TRPC subunit assembly. In the present study, we used size-exclusion chromatography assays to show that the N-terminus of TRPC4 can self-associate and form a tetramer in cellulo. We further showed that the N-terminus of TRPC4 self-associates via the ankyrin repeat domain and the region downstream from the coiled-coil domain. GST pull-down, yeast two-hybrid, and circular dichroism approaches demonstrated that both domains can self-associate. These findings indicated that the self-association of two distinct domains in the N-terminus of TRPC4 is involved in the assembly of the tetrameric channel.     

Angiopoietin-2 plays an important role in retinal angiogenesis

Angiopoietin 2 (Ang2) expression in the retina is increased during physiologic and pathologic neovascularization suggesting that it may be involved. In this study, we used Ang2-deficient mice to test that hypothesis. Mice deficient in Ang2 showed delayed and incomplete development of the superficial vascular bed of the retina, which develops primarily by vasculogenesis, and complete absence of the intermediate and deep vascular beds which develop by angiogenesis. In addition to incomplete retinal vascular development, Ang2-deficient mice showed lack of regression of the hyaloid vasculature, resulting in a phenotype that mimics infants with persistent fetal vasculature (PFV), a relatively common congenital abnormality. Exposure to high levels of oxygen resulted in partial regression of the retinal vessels, indicating that oxygen-induced regression of retinal vessels does not require Ang2. When these oxygen-exposed mice with few retinal vessels were moved to room air, there was no ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization. These data support the hypothesis that Ang2 plays a critical role in physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis, and physiologic, but not oxygen-induced vascular regression. The data also suggest that infants with PFV should be examined for genetic modifications that would be expected to cause perturbations in Tie2 signaling.     

Cancer-Associated Mutations in BRC Domains of BRCA2 Affect Homologous Recombination Induced by Rad51

The tumor suppressor BRCA2 protein plays a major role in the regulation of Rad51-catalyzed homologous recombination. BRCA2 interacts with monomeric Rad51 primarily via conserved BRC domains and coordinates the formation of Rad51 filaments at double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) breaks. A number of cancer-associated mutations in BRC4 and BRC2 domains have been reported. To elucidate their effects on homologous recombination, we studied Rad51 filament formation on single-stranded DNA and dsDNA substrates and Rad51-catalyzed strand exchange, in the presence of wild-type and mutated peptides of either BRC4 or BRC2. While the wild-type BRC2 and BRC4 peptides inhibited filament formation and, thus, strand exchange, the mutated forms decreased significantly these inhibitory effects. These results are consistent with a three-dimensional model for the interface between individual BRC repeats and Rad51. We suggest that mutations at sites crucial for the association between Rad51 and BRC domains impair the ability of BRCA2 to recruit Rad51 to dsDNA breaks, hampering recombinational repair.     

Stabilization of RAD51 nucleoprotein filaments by the C-terminal region of BRCA2

The human breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 is required for the regulation of RAD51-mediated homologous recombinational repair. BRCA2 interacts with RAD51 monomers, as well as nucleoprotein filaments, primarily though the conserved BRC motifs. The unrelated C-terminal region of BRCA2 also interacts with RAD51. Here we show that the BRCA2 C terminus interacts directly with RAD51 filaments, but not monomers, by binding an interface created by two adjacent RAD51 protomers. These interactions stabilize filaments so that they cannot be dissociated by association with BRC repeats. Interaction of the BRCA2 C terminus with the RAD51 filament causes a large movement of the flexible RAD51 N-terminal domain that is important in regulating filament dynamics. We suggest that interactions of the BRCA2 C-terminal region with RAD51 may facilitate efficient nucleation of RAD51 multimers on DNA and thereby stimulate recombination-mediated repair.     

Role of BRCA2 in control of the RAD51 recombination and DNA repair protein

Individuals carrying BRCA2 mutations are predisposed to breast and ovarian cancers. Here, we show that BRCA2 plays a dual role in regulating the actions of RAD51, a protein essential for homologous recombination and DNA repair. First, interactions between RAD51 and the BRC3 or BRC4 regions of BRCA2 block nucleoprotein filament formation by RAD51. Alterations to the BRC3 region that mimic cancer-associated BRCA2 mutations fail to exhibit this effect. Second, transport of RAD51 to the nucleus is defective in cells carrying a cancer-associated BRCA2 truncation. Thus, BRCA2 regulates both the intracellular localization and DNA binding ability of RAD51. Loss of these controls following BRCA2 inactivation may be a key event leading to genomic instability and tumorigenesis.     

The BRCA2-interacting protein BCCIP functions in RAD51 and BRCA2 focus formation and homologous recombinational repair

Homologous recombinational repair (HRR) of DNA damage is critical for maintaining genome stability and tumor suppression. RAD51 and BRCA2 colocalization in nuclear foci is a hallmark of HRR. BRCA2 has important roles in RAD51 focus formation and HRR of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). We previously reported that BCCIPalpha interacts with BRCA2. We show that a second isoform, BCCIPbeta, also interacts with BRCA2 and that this interaction occurs in a region shared by BCCIPalpha and BCCIPbeta. We further show that chromatin-bound BRCA2 colocalizes with BCCIP nuclear foci and that most radiation-induced RAD51 foci colocalize with BCCIP. Reducing BCCIPalpha by 90% or BCCIPbeta by 50% by RNA interference markedly reduces RAD51 and BRCA2 foci and reduces HRR of DSBs by 20- to 100-fold. Similarly, reducing BRCA2 by 50% reduces RAD51 and BCCIP foci. These data indicate that BCCIP is critical for BRCA2- and RAD51-dependent responses to DNA damage and HRR.     

Trypanosoma brucei BRCA2 acts in antigenic variation and has undergone a recent expansion in BRC repeat number that is important during homologous recombination

Antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei has selected for the evolution of a massive archive of silent Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes, which are activated by recombination into specialized expression sites. Such VSG switching can occur at rates substantially higher than background mutation and is dependent on homologous recombination, a core DNA repair reaction. A key regulator of homologous recombination is BRCA2, a protein that binds RAD51, the enzyme responsible for DNA strand exchange. Here, we show that T. brucei BRCA2 has undergone a recent, striking expansion in the number of BRC repeats, a sequence element that mediates interaction with RAD51. T. brucei BRCA2 mutants are shown to be significantly impaired in antigenic variation and display genome instability. By generating BRCA2 variants with reduced BRC repeat numbers, we show that the BRC expansion is crucial in determining the efficiency of T. brucei homologous recombination and RAD51 localization. Remarkably, however, this appears not to be a major determinant of the activation of at least some VSG genes.     

Histidine 454 plays an important role in polymerization of human glutamate dehydrogenase

Although previous chemical modification studies have suggested several residues to be involved in the maintenance of the quaternary structure of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), there are conflicting views for the polymerization process and no clear evidence has been reported yet. In the present study, cassette mutagenesis at seven putative positions (Lys333, Lys337, Lys344, Lys346, Ser445, Gly446, and His454) was performed using a synthetic human GDH gene to examine the polymerization process. Of the mutations at the seven different sites, only the mutagenesis at His454 results in depolymerization of the hexameric GDH into active trimers as determined by HPLC gel filtration analysis and native gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The mutagenesis at His454 has no effects on expression or stability of the protein. The K_M values for NADH and 2-oxoglutarate were 1.5-fold and 2.5-fold greater, respectively, for the mutant GDH than for wild-type GDH, indicating that substitution at position 454 had appreciable effects on the affinity of the enzyme for both NADH and 2-oxoglutarate. The V_max values were similar for wild-type and mutant GDH. The k_cat/K_M value of the mutant GDH was reduced up to 2.8-fold. The decreased efficiency of the mutant, therefore, results from the increase in K_M values for NADH and 2-oxoglutarate. The results with cassette mutagenesis and HPLC gel filtration analysis suggest that His454 is involved in the polymerization process of human GDH.