Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery

Abstract Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is a vital nucleotide excision repair sub-pathway that removes DNA lesions from actively transcribed DNA strands. Binding of CSB to lesion-stalled RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) initiates TCR by triggering the recruitment of downstream repair factors. Yet it r...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tanmoy Paul, Chunli Yan, Jina Yu, Susan E. Tsutakawa, John A. Tainer, Dong Wang, Ivaylo Ivanov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57593-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850252046443216896
author Tanmoy Paul
Chunli Yan
Jina Yu
Susan E. Tsutakawa
John A. Tainer
Dong Wang
Ivaylo Ivanov
author_facet Tanmoy Paul
Chunli Yan
Jina Yu
Susan E. Tsutakawa
John A. Tainer
Dong Wang
Ivaylo Ivanov
author_sort Tanmoy Paul
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is a vital nucleotide excision repair sub-pathway that removes DNA lesions from actively transcribed DNA strands. Binding of CSB to lesion-stalled RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) initiates TCR by triggering the recruitment of downstream repair factors. Yet it remains unknown how transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) is recruited to the intact TCR complex. Combining existing structural data with AlphaFold predictions, we build an integrative model of the initial TFIIH-bound TCR complex. We show how TFIIH can be first recruited in an open repair-inhibited conformation, which requires subsequent CAK module removal and conformational closure to process damaged DNA. In our model, CSB, CSA, UVSSA, elongation factor 1 (ELOF1), and specific Pol II and UVSSA-bound ubiquitin moieties come together to provide interaction interfaces needed for TFIIH recruitment. STK19 acts as a linchpin of the assembly, orienting the incoming TFIIH and bridging Pol II to core TCR factors and DNA. Molecular simulations of the TCR-associated CRL4CSA ubiquitin ligase complex unveil the interplay of segmental DDB1 flexibility, continuous Cullin4A flexibility, and the key role of ELOF1 for Pol II ubiquitination that enables TCR. Collectively, these findings elucidate the coordinated assembly of repair proteins in early TCR.
format Article
id doaj-art-50a36252ed9d45da9ddc11cbefcbf411
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-50a36252ed9d45da9ddc11cbefcbf4112025-08-20T01:57:45ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111710.1038/s41467-025-57593-0Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machineryTanmoy Paul0Chunli Yan1Jina Yu2Susan E. Tsutakawa3John A. Tainer4Dong Wang5Ivaylo Ivanov6Department of Chemistry, Georgia State UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, Georgia State UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, Georgia State UniversityMolecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryMolecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryDivision of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Chemistry, Georgia State UniversityAbstract Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is a vital nucleotide excision repair sub-pathway that removes DNA lesions from actively transcribed DNA strands. Binding of CSB to lesion-stalled RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) initiates TCR by triggering the recruitment of downstream repair factors. Yet it remains unknown how transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) is recruited to the intact TCR complex. Combining existing structural data with AlphaFold predictions, we build an integrative model of the initial TFIIH-bound TCR complex. We show how TFIIH can be first recruited in an open repair-inhibited conformation, which requires subsequent CAK module removal and conformational closure to process damaged DNA. In our model, CSB, CSA, UVSSA, elongation factor 1 (ELOF1), and specific Pol II and UVSSA-bound ubiquitin moieties come together to provide interaction interfaces needed for TFIIH recruitment. STK19 acts as a linchpin of the assembly, orienting the incoming TFIIH and bridging Pol II to core TCR factors and DNA. Molecular simulations of the TCR-associated CRL4CSA ubiquitin ligase complex unveil the interplay of segmental DDB1 flexibility, continuous Cullin4A flexibility, and the key role of ELOF1 for Pol II ubiquitination that enables TCR. Collectively, these findings elucidate the coordinated assembly of repair proteins in early TCR.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57593-0
spellingShingle Tanmoy Paul
Chunli Yan
Jina Yu
Susan E. Tsutakawa
John A. Tainer
Dong Wang
Ivaylo Ivanov
Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery
Nature Communications
title Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery
title_full Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery
title_fullStr Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery
title_full_unstemmed Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery
title_short Molecular model of TFIIH recruitment to the transcription-coupled repair machinery
title_sort molecular model of tfiih recruitment to the transcription coupled repair machinery
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57593-0
work_keys_str_mv AT tanmoypaul molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery
AT chunliyan molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery
AT jinayu molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery
AT susanetsutakawa molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery
AT johnatainer molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery
AT dongwang molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery
AT ivayloivanov molecularmodeloftfiihrecruitmenttothetranscriptioncoupledrepairmachinery