Abstract AMBRA1 (Activating Molecule in Beclin-1-Regulated Autophagy) is a tumor suppressor protein whose expression is downregulated in several human malignancies. AMBRA1 was recently found to function as a substrate receptor for the cullin-4-based ubiquitin ligase (CRL4AMBRA1) that promotes the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis of D-type cyclins (cyclin D1, D2 and D3); this serves to guard against premature S-phase entry and replication stress, providing a potential mechanism for its tumor suppressive activity. Cyclin D1 protein, which is stabilized, along with cyclin D2 and D3, in AMBRA1-deficient cells, has been shown to promote homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), suggesting that AMBRA1 may be additionally involved in the repair of DSBs. Using our recently published CRISPR-Cas9-based dual fluorescent reporter assay system, we show that while the loss of AMBRA1 increased D-type cyclins and Rb hyperphosphorylation as expected, it did, surprisingly, inhibit HR-mediated repair and stimulated error-free non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), and that both of these new activities are independent of cyclin D1 or RB1. High-throughput sequencing of DSB repair junctions confirm these results and shows significant depletion of indels with reduction in microhomology-mediated end-joining in AMBRA1-deficient cells, suggesting that AMBRA1 plays a role in promoting resection at DSBs. In support of this hypothesis, we found that the loss of AMBRA1 reduces RAD51 recruitment to DSBs in cells exposed to ionizing radiation. Consistent with its role in promoting HR, we found that AMBRA1-deficient cells are significantly more sensitive to PARP inhibitors compared to AMBRA1-proficient cells. In summary, we show that AMBRA1 is a novel regulator of DSBs, and that its downregulation in cancer cells and tumors render cancer cells susceptible to inhibition by PARP inhibitors. Citation Format: Yuning Jiang, Tarek Abbas. Novel roles for AMBRA1 in regulating DNA double-strand breaks. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6107.