O-GlcNAcylation of RPA2 at S4/S8 antagonizes phosphorylation and regulates checkpoint activation during replication stress.

O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is the most abundant mono-saccharide modification occurring in the cytoplasm, nucleus and mitochondria. Recent advent of the mass spectrometry technology has enabled identification of abundant O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) substrates in diverse biological processes, such as cell cycle progression, replication and DNA damage response. Herein we report the O-GlcNAcylation of Replication Protein A2 (RPA2), a component of the heterotrimeric RPA complex pivotal for DNA metabolism. We found that RPA2 interacts with OGT, and a topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, diminishes the association. Using higher-energy collisional dissociation mass spectrometry, we mapped RPA2 O-GlcNAc sites to be Ser-4/Ser-8, which are well-known PIKK-dependent RPA2 phosphorylation sites involved in checkpoint activation upon replication stress. We further demonstrated that Ser-4/Ser-8 O-GlcNAcylation antagonizes phosphorylation and impairs downstream Chk1 activation. Moreover, RPA2 O-GlcNAcylation sustains H2AX phosphorylation upon etoposide treatment, and promotes inappropriate cell cycle progression, indicative of checkpoint defects. Our work not only unveils a new OGT substrate, but also underscores the distinct roles of OGT in replication versus replication stress.