title: Mechanisms and regulation of DNA end resection.
abstract: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly hazardous for genome integrity, because failure to repair these lesions can lead to genomic instability. DSBs can arise accidentally at unpredictable locations into the genome, but they are also normal intermediates in meiotic recombination. Moreover, the natural ends of linear chromosomes resemble DSBs. Although intrachromosomal DNA breaks are potent stimulators of the DNA damage response, the natural ends of linear chromosomes are packaged into protective structures called telomeres that suppress DNA repair/recombination activities. Although DSBs and telomeres are functionally different, they both undergo 5'-3' nucleolytic degradation of DNA ends, a process known as resection. The resulting 3'-single-stranded DNA overhangs enable repair of DSBs by homologous recombination (HR), whereas they allow the action of telomerase at telomeres. The molecular activities required for DSB and telomere end resection are similar, indicating that the initial steps of HR and telomerase-mediated elongation are related. Resection of both DSBs and telomeres must be tightly regulated in time and space to ensure genome stability and cell survival.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, Milan, Italy. mariapia.longhese@unimib.it
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Longhese
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manfrini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clerici
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D004260:DNA Repair; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA