title: Damage-induced ubiquitylation of human RNA polymerase II by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4, but not Cockayne syndrome proteins or BRCA1.
abstract: UV-induced RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) ubiquitylation and degradation are important DNA damage responses, conserved from yeast to man. However, the identity of the human enzymes that mediate these responses has been unclear. Previously, Cockayne syndrome proteins and BRCA1 were implicated in the process. Surprisingly, using a recently developed assay system, we found that these factors are not directly involved in RNAPII ubiquitylation. The defects in RNAPII ubiquitylation observed in CS cells are caused by an indirect mechanism: these cells shut down transcription in response to DNA damage, effectively depleting the substrate for ubiquitylation, namely elongating RNAPII. Instead, we identified Nedd4 as an E3 that associates with and ubiquitylates RNAPII in response to UV-induced DNA damage in human cells. Nedd4-dependent RNAPII ubiquitylation could also be reconstituted with highly purified proteins. Together, our results indicate that transcriptional arrest at DNA lesions triggers Nedd4 recruitment and RNAPII ubiquitylation.
authors.affiliation: Clare Hall Laboratories, Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, Blanche Lane, South Mimms EN6 3LD, UK.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anindya
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aygün
authors.forename: Jesper Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Svejstrup
mesh_terms: D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D056827:Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport; D006801:Humans; D000075702:Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D054875:Ubiquitination; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D019313:BRCA1 Protein; C492913:BRCA1 protein, human; D002843:Chromatin; C095472:ERCC8 protein, human; D056827:Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000075702:Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases; C000618483:Nedd4 protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D004265:DNA Helicases; C078673:ERCC6 protein, human; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes