SummaryPoly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is a key eukaryotic stress sensor that responds in seconds to DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs), the most frequent genomic damage. A burst of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis initiates DNA damage response, whereas PARP-1 inhibition kills BRCA-deficient tumor cells selectively, providing the first anti-cancer therapy based on synthetic lethality. However, the mechanism underlying PARP-1’s function remained obscure; inherent dynamics of SSBs and PARP-1’s multi-domain architecture hindered structural studies. Here we reveal the structural basis of SSB detection and how multi-domain folding underlies the allosteric switch that determines PARP-1’s signaling response. Two flexibly linked N-terminal zinc fingers recognize the extreme deformability of SSBs and drive co-operative, stepwise self-assembly of remaining PARP-1 domains to control the activity of the C-terminal catalytic domain. Automodifcation in cis explains the subsequent release of monomeric PARP-1 from DNA, allowing repair and replication to proceed. Our results provide a molecular framework for understanding PARP inhibitor action and, more generally, allosteric control of dynamic, multi-domain proteins.

The anti-cancer drug target poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) and its close homologue, PARP2, are early responders to DNA damage in human cells 1 , 2 . Upon binding to genomic lesions, these enzymes utilise NAD + to modify a plethora of proteins with mono- and poly(ADP-ribose) signals that are important for subsequent chromatin decompaction and repair factor recruitment 3 , 4 . These post-translational modification events are predominantly serine-linked and require HPF1, an accessory factor that is specific for DNA damage response and switches the amino-acid specificity of PARP1/2 from aspartate/glutamate to serine residues 5 – 10 . Here, we report a co-structure of HPF1 bound to the catalytic domain of PARP2 that, in combination with NMR and biochemical data, reveals a composite active site formed by residues from both PARP1/2 and HPF1. We further show that the assembly of this new catalytic centre is essential for DNA damage-induced protein ADP-ribosylation in human cells. In response to DNA damage and NAD + binding site occupancy, the HPF1-PARP1/2 interaction is enhanced via allosteric networks operating within PARP1/2, providing an additional level of regulation in DNA repair induction. As HPF1 forms a joint active site with PARP1/2, our data implicate HPF1 as an important determinant of the response to clinical PARP inhibitors.

Many proteins involved in pre-mRNA processing contain one or more copies of a 70-90-amino-acid alphabeta module called the ribonucleoprotein domain. RNA maturation depends on the specific recognition by ribonucleoproteins of RNA elements within pre-mRNAs and small nuclear RNAs. The human U1A protein binds an RNA hairpin during splicing, and regulates its own expression by binding an internal loop in the 3'-untranslated region of its pre-mRNA, preventing polyadenylation. Here we report the nuclear magnetic resonance structure of the complex between the regulatory element of the U1A 3'-untranslated region (UTR) and the U1A protein RNA-binding domain. Specific intermolecular recognition requires the interaction of the variable loops of the ribonucleoprotein domain with the well-structured helical regions of the RNA. Formation of the complex then orders the flexible RNA single-stranded loop against the protein beta-sheet surface, and reorganizes the carboxy-terminal region of the protein to maximize surface complementarity and functional group recognition.

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