This finding coupled to the observation of cancer-associated BRCA1-mutations that disrupt the association of BRCA1 with the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UbcH5 (Morris et al., 2006) and the finding that cancer-associated RING domain mutations of BRCA1 that disrupt the ubiquitin ligase function cause hypersensitivity to IR (Ruffner et al., 2001). The gene discussed is UBE2D1; the disease is cancer.