BRCA1 function in the intra-S checkpoint is activated by acetylation via a pCAF/SIRT1 axis

Breast cancer associated gene 1 (BRCA1) function has been shown to be regulated by phosphorylation but the role of acetylation has not been determined. Therefore, we tested whether BRCA1 can be acetylated by the acetyltransferases P300/CBP-associated factor (pCAF), GCN5, and p300. p300 exhibited the highest level of BRCA1 acetylation; however, there was also a decrease in the total level of BRCA1. Therefore, we focused on pCAF and GCN5 because they both acetylated BRCA1 without affecting BRCA1 expression. Further analysis indicated that the acetylated form of BRCA1 is deacetylated by wild-type (WT) SIRT1, but not deacetylase mutant SIRT1, suggesting that SIRT1 is a specific deacetylase of BRCA1. We demonstrated that lysine 830 of BRCA1 is a preferential acetylation site by pCAF and tested its function in embryonic stem (ES) cells by changing lysine 830 to arginine using a transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) system. After exposure to DNA damage-inducing UV radiation, the viability of BRCA1 K830R mutant cells is greater than the WT ES cells. Further analysis using additional cell lines indicated that the BRCA1 K830R mutation impairs the intra-S checkpoint. Also, checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) phosphorylation was less in K830R cells as compared with WT cells after UV exposure. These data suggest that acetylation of BRCA1 on lysine 830 activates BRCA1 function at the intra-S checkpoint after DNA damage.