title: The BRC repeats in BRCA2 are critical for RAD51 binding and resistance to methyl methanesulfonate treatment.
abstract: The BRCA2 gene was identified based on its involvement in familial breast cancer. The analysis of its sequence predicts that the gene encodes a protein with 3,418 amino acids but provides very few clues pointing to its biological function. In an attempt to address this question, specific antibodies were prepared that identified the gene product of BRCA2 as a 390-kDa nuclear protein. Furthermore, direct binding of human RAD51 to each of the four single 30-amino acid BRC repeats located at the 5' portion of exon 11 of BRCA2 was demonstrated. Such an interaction is significant, as BRCA2 and RAD51 can be reciprocally coimmunoprecipitated by each of the individual, specific antibodies and form complexes in vivo. Inferring from the function of RAD51 in DNA repair, human pancreatic cancer cells, Capan-1, expressing truncated BRCA2 were shown to be hypersensitive to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) treatment. Exogenous expression of wild-type BRCA2, but not BRC-deleted mutants, in Capan-1 cells confers resistance to MMS treatment. These results suggest that the interaction between the BRC repeats of BRCA2 and RAD51 is critical for cellular response to DNA damage caused by MMS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78245, USA.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Z D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D011485:Protein Binding; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate; C495153:RAD51 protein, human; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase