Homologous recombination (HR) is an essential mechanism for accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, HR must be tightly controlled because excessive or unwanted HR events can lead to genome instability, which is a prerequisite for premature aging and cancer development. A critical step of HR is the loading of RAD51 molecules onto single-stranded DNA regions generated in the vicinity of the DSB, leading to the formation of a nucleoprotein filament. Several DNA helicases have been involved in the regulation of the HR process. One of these is human FBH1 (F-box DNA helicase 1) that is a member of SF1 superfamily of helicases. As a unique DNA helicase, FBH1 additionally possesses a conserved F-box motif that allows it to assemble into an SCF complex, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets proteins for degradation. FBH1 has been implicated in the restriction of nucleoprotein filament stability. However, the exact mechanism of how FBH1 controls the RAD51 action is still not certain. In this work, we revealed that FBH1 actively disassembles RAD51 nucleoprotein filament. We also show that FBH1 interacts with RAD51 and RPA physically in vitro. Based on these data, we propose a potential mechanism of FBH1 antirecombinase function.

Hautement conservé, de la bactérie jusqu'à l’Homme, la recombinaison homologue est indispensable à la survie de tout organisme vivant. Chez l’humain, la protéine hRad51 (human Rad51) y joue un rôle clé en s’autoassemblant au site de cassure sur les extrémités simple-brin d’une molécule d’ADN endommagée pour former le filament nucléoprotéique. Ce filament est capable à lui seul d’effectuer la plupart des opérations nécessaires au bon déroulement de la recombinaison homologue; il va permettre la reconnaissance d’homologie, l’appariement des séquences homologues et l’invasion de brins requise pour la synthèse de l’ADN manquant.La recombinaison homologue est un processus complexe impliquant de multiples partenaires. Pour mieux comprendre le rôle du filament nucléoprotéique au sein de la réaction, on se propose d’étudier ce dernier en l’absence de tout partenaire. Plus précisément, on observe le comportement mécanique de filaments hRad51-ADNdb en fonction des conditions chimiques. La formation du filament nucléoprotéique modifie la conformation de l’ADN sur lequel il s’assemble, l’allongeant de 50% et le déroulant de 43% dans le cas d’une molécule double-brin. Les pinces magnétiques sont un outil permettant de contrôler la force et la torsion appliquées à une unique molécule d’ADN double-brin (ADNdb), elles sont donc l’outil idéal pour sonder les propriétés mécaniques de filaments nucléoprotéiques. Le système des pinces magnétiques a été modifié afin de mesurer des paramètres mécaniques précédemment inaccessibles tel que le couple ressenti ou exercé par le filament. Le but de cette thèse a été d’étudier les propriétés mécano-chimiques des filaments nucléoprotéiques tout en essayant de tracer le paysage énergétique qui régit les transitions de ces systèmes. / Highly conserved throughout the species, homologous recombination is crucial to the survival of any living organism. In humans, the hRad51 protein (human Rad51) plays a key role by self-assembling at the break site on the single stranded extremities of damaged DNA molecules thus forming the nucleoprotein filament. This filament is able by itself to accomplish most of the necessary operations of homologous recombination; it allows the homology search, the pairing of the homologous sequences and the strand exchange.Homologous recombination is a complex process involving many partners. In order to better understand the role of the nucleoprotein filament in this process, we propose to study it in the absence of any partners. We will focus on the study of the mechanical properties of hRad51-dsDNA filaments as a function of chemical conditions. The formation of the nucleoprotein filament modifies the conformation of the DNA molecule on which it assembles, stretching it by 50% and unwinding it by 43% in the case of a double stranded DNA. The magnetic tweezers are a tool allowing the control of the force and torsion applied to a single dsDNA molecule; they are therefore the ideal tool to probe the mechanical properties of nucleoprotein filaments. We modified the magnetic tweezers as to allow the measurement of previously inaccessible mechanical parameters such as the torque applied or felt by the filament. The goal of this thesis has been to study the mechano-chemical properties of nucleoprotein filaments while drawing the energy landscape that governs the various transitions of these systems.