Uranium directly interacts with the DNA repair protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1.

People living in southwest part of United States are exposed to uranium (U) through drinking water, air, and soil. U is radioactive, but independent of this radioactivity also has important toxicological considerations as an environmental metal. At environmentally relevant concentrations, U is both mutagenic and carcinogenic. Emerging evidence shows that U inhibits DNA repair activity, but how U interacts with DNA repair proteins is still largely unknown. Herein, we report that U directly interacts with the DNA repair protein, Protein Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 (PARP-1) through direct binding with the zinc finger motif, resulting in zinc release from zinc finger and DNA binding activity loss of the protein. At the peptide level, instead of direct competition with zinc ion in the zinc finger motif, U does not show thermodynamic advantages over zinc. Furthermore, zinc pre-occupied PARP-1 zinc finger is insensitive to U treatment, but U bound to PARP-1 zinc finger can be partially replaced by zinc. These results provide mechanistic basis on molecular level to U inhibition of DNA repair.