title: DNA repair functions in heterologous cells.
abstract: Our genetic information is constantly challenged by exposure to endogenous and exogenous DNA-damaging agents, by DNA polymerase errors, and thereby inherent instability of the DNA molecule itself. The integrity of our genetic information is maintained by numerous DNA repair pathways, and the importance of these pathways is underscored by their remarkable structural and functional conservation across the evolutionary spectrum. Because of the highly conserved nature of DNA repair, the enzymes involved in this crucial function are often able to function in heterologous cells; as an example, the E. coli Ada DNA repair methyltransferase functions efficiently in yeast, in cultured rodent and human cells, in transgenic mice, and in ex vivo-modified mouse bone marrow cells. The heterologous expression of DNA repair functions has not only been used as a powerful cloning strategy, but also for the exploration of the biological and biochemical features of numerous enzymes involved in DNA repair pathways. In this review we highlight examples where the expression of DNA repair enzymes in heterologous cells was used to address fundamental questions about DNA repair processes in many different organisms.
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Memisoglu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Samson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006801:Humans; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D008780:Methyltransferases; C045675:Ada protein, E coli; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase; D011088:DNA Ligases