title: Non-homologous end joining requires that the DNA-PK complex undergo an autophosphorylation-dependent rearrangement at DNA ends.
abstract: Repair of chromosome breaks by non-homologous end joining requires the XRCC4-ligase IV complex, Ku, and the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). DNA-PKcs must also retain kinase activity and undergo autophosphorylation at six closely linked sites (ABCDE sites). We describe here an end-joining assay using only purified components that reflects cellular requirements for both Ku and kinase-active DNA-PKcs and investigate the mechanistic basis for these requirements. A need for DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation is sufficient to explain the requirement for kinase activity, in part because autophosphorylation is generally required for end-joining factors to access DNA ends. However, DNA-PKcs with all six ABCDE autophosphorylation sites mutated to alanine allows access to ends through autophosphorylation of other sites, yet our in vitro end-joining assay still reflects the defectiveness of this mutant in cellular end joining. In contrast, mutation of ABCDE sites to aspartate, a phosphorylation mimic, supports high levels of end joining that is now independent of kinase activity. This is likely because DNA-PKcs with aspartate substitutions at ABCDE sites allow access to DNA ends while retaining affinity for Ku-bound ends and stabilizing recruitment of the XRCC4-ligase IV complex. Autophosphorylation at ABCDE sites thus apparently directs a rearrangement of the DNA-PK complex that ensures access to broken ends and joining steps are coupled together within a synaptic complex, making repair more accurate.
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Yeturu V R
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lees-Miller
authors.forename: Katheryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.forename: Dale A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ramsden
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004265:DNA Helicases; D000072481:DNA Ligase ATP; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology*; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000072200:Ku Autoantigen; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C101467:XRCC4 protein, human; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; C497263:PRKDC protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D004265:DNA Helicases; C106893:XRCC5 protein, human; D000072200:Ku Autoantigen; D011088:DNA Ligases; D000072481:DNA Ligase ATP