BRCA1/BARD1 intrinsically disordered regions facilitate chromatin recruitment and ubiquitylation

Abstract

BRCA1/BARD1 is a tumor suppressor E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase with roles in DNA damage repair and in transcriptional regulation. BRCA1/BARD1 RING domains interact with nucleosomes to facilitate mono-ubiquitylation ofdistinct residues on the C-terminal tail of histone H2A. These enzymatic domains constitute a small fraction of the hetero- dimer, raising the possibility of functional chromatin interactions involv- ing other regions such as the BARD1 C-terminal domains that bind nucleosomes containing the DNA damage signal H2AK15-Ub and H4 K20me0, or portions of the expansive intrinsically disordered regions found in both subunits. Herein, we reveal novel interactions that sup- port robust H2A ubiquitylation activity mediated through a high-affinity, intrinsically disordered DNA-binding region of BARD1. These interactions support BRCA1/BARD1 recruitment to chromatin and sites of DNA dam- age in cells and contribute to their survival. We also reveal distinct BRCA1/BARD1 complexes that depend on the presence of H2AK15-Ub, including a complex where a single BARD1 subunit spans adjacent nucleosome units. Our findings identify an extensive network ofmultiva- lent BARD1-nucleosome interactions that serve as a platform for BRCA1/ BARD1-associated functions on chromatin. Keywords