Molecular mechanisms for the recognition of damaged DNA regions by peptides and proteins.
DNA damages can lead to drastic perturbations of living cell cycle (e.g., in carcinogenesis) by inducing mutations in the genetic information. Therefore DNA repair processes play an important role during cell life by eliminating DNA damages before mutation fixation. Different repair processes are briefly presented in this review. Two probes were used to provide information on the mechanisms involved in the specific recognition of damaged DNA by proteins and enzymes of the DNA repair machinery. It will be shown that a simple tripeptide Lys-Trp-Lys is able to mimic two repair systems, namely, the photosensitized splitting of pyrimidine dimers and the cleavage of phosphodiester bonds at apurinic sites.
D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D004260:DNA Repair; D004261:DNA Replication; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers / Q000378:metabolism; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers; D004247:DNA; D011938:Rec A Recombinases