23The ASCC3 subunit of the activating signal co-integrator complex is a dual-cassette like nucleic acid helicase that provides single-stranded DNA for alkylation damage repair by 25 the α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, AlkBH3. Other ASCC components integrate 26 ASCC3/AlkBH3 into a complex DNA repair pathway. We mapped and structurally analyzed 27 interacting ASCC2 and ASCC3 regions. The ASCC3 fragment comprises a central helical 28 domain and terminal, extended arms that clasp the compact ASCC2 unit. ASCC2-ASCC3 29 interfaces are evolutionarily highly conserved and comprise a large number of residues 30 affected by somatic cancer mutations. We quantified contributions of protein regions to the 31 ASCC2-ASCC3 interaction, observing that changes found in cancers lead to reduced ASCC2-32 ASCC3 affinity. Functional dissection of ASCC3 revealed similar organization and regulation 33 as in the spliceosomal RNA helicase, Brr2. Our results delineate functional regions in an 34 important DNA repair complex and suggest possible molecular disease principles. 35 36 Main 37 The human genome is constantly under assault by endogenous or exogenous DNA 38 damaging agents. To ward off these insults, cells have evolved systems to recognize DNA 39 damage, signal its presence and initiate repair processes. 1 Among the diverse repair 40 mechanisms, direct DNA repair processes represent efficient means to revert chemical 41 changes to DNA and involve enzymes such as photolyases, alkyl-transferases or 42 dioxygenases. 2,3 Escherichia coli α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, AlkB, homologs 43 (AlkBH's) are one class of important DNA repair factors that reverse N-alkyl lesions. 4 Among 44 3 the nine identified AlkBH enzymes in human, AlkBH2 and AlkBH3 de-alkylate 1-methyl 45 adenosine and 3-methyl cytosine. 5,6 46Several lines of evidence implicate the human activating signal co-integrator complex 47 (ASCC) in AlkBH3-mediated DNA repair. ASCC is composed of four subunits, ASCC1, ASCC2, 48 ASCC3 and ASC1/TRIP4. 7,8 ASCC3 is the largest subunit of ASCC and was characterized as 49 a DNA helicase that unwinds DNA by translocating on one strand in 3'-to-5' direction. 8 The 50 enzyme is thought to provide single-stranded DNA as a substrate for de-alkylation repair by 51AlkBH3. 8 ASCC and alkylated nucleotides co-localize at nuclear foci upon alkylation damage 52 stress, dependent on a coupling of ubiquitin conjugation to ER degradation (CUE) domain in 53 ASCC2, which links DNA alkylation damage repair to upstream ubiquitin signaling via the RING 54 finger protein 113A. 9 ASCC1 is cleared from these foci upon DNA alkylation damage and 55 knockout of ASCC1 leads to loss of ASCC2 from the nuclear foci and increased cellular 56 sensitivity to alkylating insults. 10 57 Both ASCC2 and ASCC3 have been linked to various human diseases. ASCC2 is 58 upregulated in rheumatoid arthritis patients 11 , and ASCC3 is upregulated in peripheral blood 59 mononuclear cells from lung cancer patients 12,13 . A role of ASCC3 in cancer development or 60 pr...