Study of regulation and function of DNA repair enzymes UBE2T and FANCL

Due to the action of endogenous and exogenous agents, DNA is subject up to 70,000 lesions per day, thus the existence of repair mechanisms and enzymes is more than necessary. We know basic mechanisms of several specific DNA repair pathways, of which the Fanconi anaemia (FA) repair pathway is one of the least explored. FA is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder characterized by early onset bone marrow failure, developmental defects, genomic instability and predisposition to acute myeloid leukaemia and solid tumours. The primary diagnosis of FA is a hypersensitivity to cross-linking agents of DNA due to inactivation of one of the 21 genes from the FA repair pathway, the so-called FANC genes (FA complementation group). The molecular defect in FA is an impaired repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs). The ICLs are cytotoxic lesions that inhibit the process of DNA replication and transcription. A crucial step in the FA pathway that initiates ICL repair is a monoubiquitination of FANCD2. FANCD2 monoubiquitination is a base for the recruitment of additional proteins that coordinate DNA repair. Ubiquitin is recruited via activating enzyme E1 (UBA1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T) and transferred onto FANCD2 by multisubunit E3 ligase (FA core complex). There are up to 11 different proteins..