hnRNP UL1 plays an important role in cell nuclei, where it is recruited to DNA damage sites and is involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Furthermore, this protein is known as a transcriptional repressor of RNA polymerase II genes. In the present study, we have shown that hnRNP UL1 is also localized in the nucleoli of human cells. Upon investigating its function, we found that hnRNP UL1 stimulates ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene transcription. Moreover, we observed that cells with hnRNP UL1 silencing exhibited increased sensitivity to DNA damage. We also showed that hnRNP UL1 interacts with γH2A.X, RPA32, XRCC1, and Chk1 in cell nucleoli, suggesting its involvement in the repair of rDNA damage.
Keywords: hnRNP UL1; nucleolus; rDNA damage; rDNA genes; rDNA repair; transcription.
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