Numerous human genome instability syndromes, including cancer, are closely associated with events arising from malfunction of the essential recombinase Rad51. However, little is known about how Rad51 is dynamically regulated in human cells. Here, we show that the breast cancer susceptibility protein BRCA2, a key Rad51 binding partner, coordinates the activity of the central cell-cycle drivers CDKs and Plk1 to promote Rad51-mediated genome stability control. The soluble nuclear fraction of BRCA2 binds Plk1 directly in a cell-cycle- and CDK-dependent manner and acts as a molecular platform to facilitate Plk1-mediated Rad51 phosphorylation. This phosphorylation is important for enhancing the association of Rad51 with stressed replication forks, which in turn protects the genomic integrity of proliferating human cells. This study reveals an elaborate but highly organized molecular interplay between Rad51 regulators and has significant implications for understanding tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance in patients with BRCA2 deficiency.
