Monoubiquitination-dependent chromatin loading of FancD2 in silkworms, a species lacking the FA core complex

The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway is required for activation and operation of the DNA interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair pathway, although the precise mechanism of the FA pathway remains largely unknown. A critical step in the FA pathway is the monoubiquitination of FANCD2 catalyzed by a FA core complex. This modification appears to allow FANCD2 to coordinate ICL repair with other DNA repair proteins on chromatin. Silkworm, Bombyx mori, lacks apparent homologues of the FA core complex. However, BmFancD2 and BmFancI, the putative substrates of the complex, and BmFancL, the putative catalytic E3 ubiquitin ligase, are conserved. Here, we report that the silkworm FancD2 is monoubiquitinated depending on FancI and FancL, and stabilized on chromatin, following MMC treatment. A substitution of BmFancD2 at lysine 519 to arginine abolishes the monoubiquitination, but not the interaction between the FancD2 and FancI. In addition, we demonstrated that depletion of BmFancD2, BmFancI or BmFancL had effects on cell proliferation in the presence of MMC. These results suggest that the FA pathway in B. mori works in the same manner as that in vertebrates.

► FancD2 is monoubiquitinated following MMC treatment
► FancD2 monoubiquitination is required to recruit FancD2 to chromatin
► FancD2 monoubiquitination depends on FancI and FancL proteins
► FancD2 monoubiquitination is dispensable for an interaction of FancD2 with FancI
► FancD2, FancI, and FancL are required for cellular resistance for MMC