HERC2 regulates RPA2 by mediating ATR-induced Ser33 phosphorylation and ubiquitin-dependent degradation

Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 3;9(1):14257. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50812-x.

Abstract

Replication protein A (RPA) binds to and stabilizes single-stranded DNA and is essential for the genome stability. We reported that an E3 ubiquitin ligase, HERC2, suppresses G-quadruplex (G4) DNA by regulating RPA-helicase complexes. However, the precise mechanism of HERC2 on RPA is as yet largely unknown. Here, we show essential roles for HERC2 on RPA2 status: induction of phosphorylation and degradation of the modified form. HERC2 interacted with RPA through the C-terminal HECT domain. Ubiquitination of RPA2 was inhibited by HERC2 depletion and rescued by reintroduction of the C-terminal fragment of HERC2. ATR-mediated phosphorylation of RPA2 at Ser33 induced by low-level replication stress was inhibited by depletion of HERC2. Contrary, cells lacking HERC2 catalytic residues constitutively expressed an increased level of Ser33-phosphorylated RPA2. HERC2-mediated ubiquitination of RPA2 was abolished by an ATR inhibitor, supporting a hypothesis that the ubiquitinated RPA2 is a phosphorylated subset. Functionally, HERC2 E3 activity has an epistatic relationship with RPA in the suppression of G4 when judged with siRNA knockdown experiments. Together, these results suggest that HERC2 fine-tunes ATR-phosphorylated RPA2 levels through induction and degradation, a mechanism that could be critical for the suppression of secondary DNA structures during cell proliferation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • HCT116 Cells
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Interaction Maps
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Proteolysis
  • Replication Protein A / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination

Substances

  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Protein Subunits
  • Replication Protein A
  • Ubiquitin
  • HERC2 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • RPA2 protein, human