Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42020761›Full record

ArticleNature structural & molecular biology2026

Structural insight into how RAD51 paralog exchange regulates RAD51 filament formation.

Yashpal Rawal, Youngho Kwon, Lijia Jia, Eliza A Ruben, Jae-Hoon Ji, Lijuan Guo, Caleb M Stratton, Digant Nayak, Miriam Tovar, Qingming Fang and 26 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature structural & molecular biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

36 authors.

Yashpal Rawal *Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Youngho Kwon *Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0287-8795
Lijia JiaDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Eliza A RubenDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Jae-Hoon JiDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8233-9416
Lijuan GuoDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Caleb M StrattonDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7955-795X
Digant NayakDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3680-0846
Miriam TovarDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-2844-781X
Qingming FangDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4006-0636
Mohd Azrin JamalruddinDepartment of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7408-6914
Shuo ZhouDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Sahiti KuppaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Shahrez SyedDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0491-3566
Angela M JasperDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Jeffrey N KatzDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Cody M RogersDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Hardeep KaurDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Lorena SamentarDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Weixing ZhaoDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5746-3696
Eloise DrayDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6793-9838
Fang ZhangDevelopmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6018-0790
Svetla Stoilova-McPhieDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Alexander B TaylorDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3517-6033
Sandeep BurmaDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-9845
Manjeet K RaoGreehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
David S LibichDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6492-2803
Robert HromasDepartment of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Alexander V MazinDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Maria JasinDevelopmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Daohong ZhouDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2400-6461
Kara A BernsteinDepartment of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2247-6459
Eric C GreeneDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7387-824X
Elizabeth V WasmuthDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Patrick SungDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA. sungp@uthscsa.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1396-9040
Shaun K OlsenDepartment of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA. olsens@uthscsa.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1265-7101

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI SELWYN M VICKERS · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
Transcription-Coupled & Replication-Associated Excision RepairP01CA092584 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIF-LAWRENC BERKELEY LAB · PI John A. Tainer · 2001 to 2026
$89.6M
Regulation of BRCA-dependent Genome Repair via the 53BP1 AxisP01CA275717 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI DAVID STEVEN LIBICH · 2024 to 2026
$10.1M
YEAST DNA REPAIR GENES AND PROTEINS OF THE RAD52 GROUPR01ES007061 · NIEHS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Patrick Sung · 1995 to 2026
$9.4M
Mechanisms of DNA Homology-directed Genome Repair and Tumor SuppressionR35CA241801 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI SUNG, PATRICK · 2019 to 2025
$6.0M
Mechanistic Dissection of the Fanconi Anemia Pathway of DNA Damage Response and RR01CA168635 · NCI · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Gary M Kupfer, Patrick Sung · 2013 to 2026
$5.8M
Mechanisms of RNA-dependent DNA repair in humansR01GM136717 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI MAZIN, ALEXANDER V · 2020 to 2023
$1.8M
BRCA-dependent Mechanisms of Genome Maintenance and RepairR50CA265315 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI YOUNGHO KWON · 2022 to 2026
$818k
NCI NIH HHS P01 CA092584NCI NIH HHS P01 CA275717NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748NCI NIH HHS R01 CA168635NCI NIH HHS R35 CA241801NCI NIH HHS R50 CA265315NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES007061NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM136717
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Homologous recombination (HR) repairs DNA double-strand breaks and stabilizes stressed replication forks, and HR deficiency promotes genome instability and cancer. HR requires assembly of RAD51 nucleoprotein filaments on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), a process regulated by the human RAD51 paralogs RAD51C, XRCC3, RAD51D and XRCC2. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we find that the RAD51-XRCC3-RAD51C complex (RAD51-X3C) assembles into an octamer in which XRCC3 engages the RAD51 DNA-binding surface and RAD51 subunits adopt a misaligned configuration incompatible with filament formation. These features define an autoinhibited RAD51-X3C state that limits nonproductive RAD51 binding to double-stranded DNA or RNA-DNA hybrids while preserving RAD51 availability for ssDNA-dependent strand exchange. We further show that the RAD51D-XRCC2 paralog complex remodels RAD51-X3C into a pentameric RAD51-X3CDX2 assembly by engaging the exposed RAD51C surface and disrupting contacts that stabilize the octamer. This remodeling exposes the RAD51 DNA-binding interface, enhances RAD51-ssDNA filament assembly, and promotes strand exchange on RPA-coated ssDNA, and yields a filament-compatible paralog assembly that integrates into ssDNA-bound RAD51 filaments. Together, these findings establish paralog exchange as a mechanism that converts an autoinhibited RAD51-X3C octamer into an activated RAD51-X3CDX2 pentamer to regulate RAD51 filament formation during HR and replication fork preservation.

Indexed as

DNA-Binding ProteinsRad51 RecombinaseCryoelectron MicroscopyDNA, Single-StrandedHumansModels, MolecularProtein BindingDNA-Binding ProteinsDNA, Single-StrandedRAD51C protein, humanRAD51D protein, humanRAD51 protein, humanRad51 RecombinaseX-ray repair cross complementing protein 3

Identifiers

PMID42020761
PMCPMC13186703

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.