Activation of PARP-1 by snoRNAs Controls Ribosome Biogenesis and Cell Growth via the RNA Helicase DDX21

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are thought to control cancer cell growth by inducing synthetic lethality with DNA repair defects (e.g., in BRCA1/2 mutant cells). We have identified an alternate pathway for PARPi-mediated growth control in BRCA1/2-intact breast cancer cells involving rDNA transcription and ribosome biogenesis. PARP-1 binds to snoRNAs, which stimulate PARP-1 catalytic activity in the nucleolus independent of DNA damage. Activated PARP-1 ADPribosylates DDX21, an RNA helicase that localizes to the rDNA locus and promotes rDNA transcription when ADP-ribosylated. Treatment with PARPi or mutation of the ADP-ribosylation sites on DDX21 causes a reduction in rDNA transcription, as well as a reduction in ribosome biogenesis, protein translation, and cell growth. Our studies provide mechanistic insights into PARP-1-dependent ADP-ribosylation of DDX21 and its role in ribosome biogenesis. This pathway can be targeted for disruption in cancer cells that lack defects in DNA repair, but exhibit growth inhibition in response to PARPi. RIP-seq datasets were generated using MCF-7 cells to determine the repertoire of PARP-1-binding RNAs. RNA-seq datasets were generated using MCF-7 cells to normalize the RIP-seq datasets and to generate a genome browser snapshots