Life on the edge: telomeres and persistent DNA breaks converge at the nuclear periphery.
Persistent DNA double-strand breaks and telomeres represent genomic hazards, as they can instigate inappropriate repair reactions. Two recent papers by Oza and colleagues (pp. 912-917) and Schober and colleagues (pp. 928-938) show that both types of DNA ends are sequestered from bulk DNA by Mps3, a SUN domain protein that spans the inner nuclear membrane. Anchorage maintains telomere integrity and steers double-strand breaks toward specialized repair pathways. This work defines the nuclear periphery as a subcompartment where dangerous DNA elements can be handled with care.
Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA. gartenbe@umdnj.edu
Marc R
MR
Gartenberg
D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D004261:DNA Replication; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D008565:Membrane Proteins