The FANCI/FANCD2 complex links DNA damage response to R-loop regulation through SRSF1-mediated mRNA export

Fanconi anemia (FA) is characterized by congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and cancer susceptibility. The central FA protein complex FANCI/FANCD2 (ID2) is activated by monoubiquitination and recruits DNA repair proteins for interstrand crosslink (ICL) repair and replication fork protection. Defects in the FA pathway lead to R -loop accumulation, which contributes to genomic instability. Here, we report that the splicing factor SRSF1 and FANCD2 interact physically and act together to suppress R -loop formation via mRNA export regulation. We show that SRSF1 stimulates FANCD2 monoubiquitination in an RNA -dependent fashion. In turn, FANCD2 monoubiquitination proves crucial for the assembly of the SRSF1-NXF1 nuclear export complex and mRNA export. Importantly, several SRSF1 cancer -associated mutants fail to interact with FANCD2, leading to inefficient FANCD2 monoubiquitination, decreased mRNA export, and R -loop accumulation. We propose a model wherein SRSF1 and FANCD2 interaction links DNA damage response to the avoidance of pathogenic R -loops via regulation of mRNA export.