Exposure of cells to DNA-damaging agents results in a rapid increase in the formation of subnuclear complexes containing Rad51. To date, it has not been determined to what extent DNA damage-induced cytoplasmic to nuclear transport of Rad51 may contribute to this process. We have analyzed subcellular fractions of HeLa and HCT116 cells and found a significant increase in nuclear Rad51 levels following exposure to a modest dose of ionizing radiation (2 grays). We also observed a DNA damageinduced increase in nuclear Rad51 in the Brca2-defective cell line Capan-1. To address a possible Brca2-independent mechanism for Rad51 nuclear transport, we analyzed subcellular fractions for two other Rad51-interacting proteins, Rad51C and Xrcc3. Rad51C has a functional nuclear localization signal, and although we found that the subcellular distribution of Xrcc3 was not significantly affected by DNA damage, there was a damageinduced increase in nuclear Rad51C. Furthermore, RNA interference-mediated depletion of Rad51C in HeLa and Capan-1 cells resulted in lower steady-state levels of nuclear Rad51 as well as a diminished DNA damage-induced increase. Our results provide important insight into the cellular regulation of Rad51 nuclear entry and a role for Rad51C in this process.Cellular surveillance of genome integrity and repair of DNA damage are essential processes that ensure proper development and survival of all organisms. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) 2 are a particularly deleterious form of genome damage and occur following exposure of cells to exogenous mutagens as well as during normal metabolic processes, e.g. antigen receptor gene rearrangement, restart of stalled replication forks, formation of meiotic DNA crossovers, etc. (1, 2). Mammalian cells use two distinct mechanisms for repair of DSBs, non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination (HR). Processes requiring imprecise DNA repair, such as the creation of antibody diversity, exploit the error-prone non-homologous end joining mechanism. In contrast, HR is an error-free DNA repair pathway and is critical for avoidance of unwanted genetic changes during the meiotic exchange of information between paternal and maternal alleles and for error-free repair of broken chromosomes (3). Rad51 is the central enzymatic component of HR. Upon its regulated recruitment to sites of DNA breaks, Rad51 forms a nucleoprotein filament by polymerizing onto single-stranded DNA at the processed break. This filament catalyzes DNA strand exchange with an undamaged sister chromatid or homologous chromosome, which serves as a template for the restoration of missing genetic information (3, 4).Visible nuclear Rad51 clusters, or foci, form during S-phase and appear to localize to sites of replicating DNA (5-7). A dramatic increase in the number and size of nuclear Rad51 foci is a hallmark of the early cellular response to genomic insult (7-10). The appearance of DNA damage-induced nuclear Rad51 foci is blocked in cells with deficiencies in several HR-related proteins, including Brca2 ...