title: Saving the ends for last: the role of pol mu in DNA end joining.
abstract: At least three DNA polymerases participate in nonhomologous end joining in mammalian cells: pol mu, pol kappa, and TdT. A study in this issue of Molecular Cell (Nick McElhinny et al., 2005) clarifies the role of pol mu in end joining at the kappa light chain locus and also provides a biochemical explanation for the unique polymerization functions of pol mu on DNA ends.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A4800, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Tanya T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Paull
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004260:DNA Repair; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015321:Gene Rearrangement / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007133:Immunoglobulin Joining Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013698:Templates, Genetic
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D007133:Immunoglobulin Joining Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D004247:DNA; C415367:DNA polymerase beta2; C407743:DNA polymerase mu; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase