Fanconi anemia and ubiquitination

J Genet Genomics. 2007 Jul;34(7):573-80. doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(07)60065-4.

Abstract

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive hereditary disease characterized clinically by congenital defects, progressive bone-marrow failure, and cancer predisposition. Cells from FA patients exhibit hypersensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents, such as mitomycin C (MMC). To date, at least 12 FA genes have been found deleted or mutated in FA cells, and 10 FA gene products form a core complex involved in FA/BRCA2 DNA repair pathway?FA pathway. The ubiquitin E3 ligase FANCL, an important factor of FA core complex, co-functions with a new ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UBE2T to catalyze the monoubiquitination of FANCD2. FANCD2-Ub binds BRCA2 to form a new complex located in chromatin foci and then take part in DNA repair process. The deubiquitylating enzyme USP1 removes the mono-ubiquitin from FANCD2-Ub following completion of the repair process, then restores the blocked cell cycle to normal order by shutting off the FA pathway. In a word, the FANCD2 activity adjusted exquisitely by ubiquitination and/or deubiquitination in vivo may co-regulate the FA pathway involving in variant DNA repair pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Fanconi Anemia / metabolism*
  • Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group L Protein / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Signal Transduction
  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination*

Substances

  • Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes
  • Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group L Protein