Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage by activating a comprehensive network of
biochemical pathways that enable damage recognition and initiate responses leading to …

When describing the structure of the DNA double helix, Watson and Crick (1) wrote,“It has
not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a …

Microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) is an error-prone alternative double-strand
break–repair pathway that uses sequence microhomology to recombine broken DNA …

The maintenance of genetic stability is of crucial importance for any form of life. Prior to cell
division in each mammalian cell, the process of DNA replication must faithfully duplicate the …

Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), the direct rejoining of DNA double-strand breaks, is
closely associated with illegitimate recombination and chromosomal rearrangement. This …

Three Pol X family members have been linked to nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in
mammals. Template-independent TdT promotes diversity during NHEJ-dependent repair of …

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on DNA polymerases (Pols) and their functions.
DNA Pols are central players in DNA repair and replication—the processes that duplicate …

In mammalian cells, repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by nonhomologous end-
joining (NHEJ) is critical for genome stability. Although the end-bridging and ligation steps of …

In describing the DNA double helix, Watson and Crick suggested that “spontaneous
mutation may be due to a base occasionally occurring in one of its less likely tautomeric …

The mammalian family X DNA polymerases (DNA polymerases β, λ, μ, and TdT) contribute
to base excision repair and double-strand break repair by virtue of their ability to fill short …