title: Fixing DNA breaks during class switch recombination.
abstract: Immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) involves the breakage and subsequent repair of two DNA sequences, known as switch (S) regions, which flank IgH constant region exons. The resolution of CSR-associated breaks is thought to require the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway, but the role of the NHEJ factor DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) in this process has been unclear. A new study, in which broken IgH-containing chromosomes in switching B cells were visualized directly, clearly demonstrated that DNA-PKcs and, unexpectedly, the nuclease Artemis are involved in the resolution of switch breaks.
authors.affiliation: Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: Adam J L
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Manis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D053960:DNA Breaks; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; C497264:Prkdc protein, mouse