The RAD51D (1-328 a.a.) (Human Recombinant) protein is a human full-length protein expressed in Escherichia coli. It consists of 328 amino acids and has a molecular weight of approximately 37.4 kDa . The recombinant version of this protein is often tagged with a His-tag at the N-terminus to facilitate purification and detection .
RAD51D is involved in the HRR pathway, which is essential for repairing double-stranded DNA breaks. It binds to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and exhibits DNA-dependent ATPase activity. RAD51D is a part of the BCDX2 complex, which also includes RAD51B, RAD51C, and XRCC2. This complex acts in the BRCA1-BRCA2-dependent HR pathway, playing a role downstream of BRCA2 recruitment and upstream of RAD51 recruitment .
The BCDX2 complex predominantly binds to the intersection of the four duplex arms of the Holliday junction and the junction of replication forks. It has been reported to bind single-stranded DNA, single-stranded gaps in duplex DNA, and specifically to nicks in duplex DNA. Additionally, RAD51D is involved in telomere maintenance .
Mutations in the RAD51D gene are associated with a high risk of ovarian cancer. Studies have shown that mutations in RAD51D, along with BRIP1 and RAD51C, significantly increase the susceptibility to ovarian cancer. These mutations are considered high-risk factors for ovarian cancer, second only to BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations .
The recombinant RAD51D (1-328 a.a.) protein is used in various research applications, including: