ATM breaks into heterochromatin.
Heterochromatin is refractory to DNA transactions, including repair. In a recent issue of Molecular Cell, Goodarzi et al. (2008) reveal how the central transducing kinase of the DNA damage response relieves this natural barrier by increasing heterochromatic DNA accessibility.
Fernandez-Capetillo
Oscar
O
Genomic Instability Group, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain. ofernandez@cnio.es
Nussenzweig
André
A
D000818:Animals; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C576324:ATM protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases