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Mechanism of K63-linked polyubiquitin recognition and cleavage by the BRCA1-A complex

Preprint Created on 10 Jun 2026 bioRxiv

Deubiquitylases modulate cellular processes by cleaving monoubiquitin or polyubiquitin chains. The ARISC-RAP80 complex partners with BRCA1-BARD1 to form the BRCA1-A super-complex, which recognises K63-linked ubiquitin chains at DNA damage sites. ARISC-RAP80 contains multiple ubiquitin-binding sites, yet how these influence recognition and cleavage of K63-polyubiquitylated substrates remains unknown. We discover that a composite three-subunit interface allows ARISC-RAP80 to position K63-linked polyubiquitin chains in its catalytic site. Substrate recognition is further supported by RAP80 and non-catalytic ubiquitin-binding sites that impose a compact conformation to K63-polyubiquitylated substrates. This mechanism exploits the inherent flexibility of long ubiquitin chains and differs considerably from other deubiquitylases. Structure-guided mutagenesis validate ubiquitin chain interactions, and cell-based assays demonstrate a functional role of the observed interfaces in chromatin recruitment. Our findings define mechanisms of polyubiquitin chain decoding and cleavage by ARISC-RAP80, linking ubiquitin reading and erasing functions to BRCA1-A mediated DNA damage responses.

Foglizzo, M., Datta, A., Degtjarik, O., Perera, H., Liburd, J., Sykora, U. M., Ganji, S. R., Wildsmith, G., Chandler, F., Campbell, L. J., Calabrese, A. N., Greenberg, R., Zeqiraj, E.

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