Nuclear IMPDH2 controls the DNA damage response by modulating PARP1 activity

Nuclear metabolism and DNA damage response are intertwined processes, but the precise molecular connections remain elusive. Here, we delve into this crosstalk using as a model triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype often prone to DNA damage accumulation. We reveal that the de novo purine synthesis enzyme Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) is enriched on chromatin in TNBC when compared to other subtypes. IMPDH2 chromatin localization is DNA damage dependent and IMPDH2 repression leads to DNA damage accumulation. On chromatin, IMPDH2 interacts and modulates Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP1) activity by controlling nuclear availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) -a shared metabolic cofactor- to fine-tune the DNA damage response. However, when IMPDH2 is restricted to the nucleus, it depletes nuclear NAD+, leading to PARP1 cleavage and cell death. Our study identifies a non-canonical nuclear role for IMPDH2 that act as convergence point of nuclear metabolism and DNA damage response. # Contributed equally *Corresponding authors: [e-mail]; [e-mail] To investigate the role of IMPDH2 in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line, IMPDH2 gene was knocked-out and reconstituted in different forms and under different growth conditions.