title: DNA ligase III: a spotty presence in eukaryotes, but an essential function where tested.
abstract: DNA ligases are crucial for most DNA transactions, including DNA replication, repair, and recombination. Recently, DNA ligase III (Lig3) has been demonstrated to be crucial for cell survival due to its catalytic function in mitochondria. This review summarizes these recent results and reports on a hitherto unappreciated widespread phylogenetic presence of Lig3 in eukaryotes, including in some organisms before the divergence of metazoa. Analysis of these putative Lig3 homologs suggests that many of them are likely to be found in mitochondria and to be critical for mitochondrial function.
authors: Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Deniz
authors: D
authors: Simsek
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Jasin
mesh_terms: D017124:Conserved Sequence; D000072481:DNA Ligase ATP; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000201:enzymology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D010802:Phylogeny; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
chemical_list: D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D011088:DNA Ligases; D000072481:DNA Ligase ATP; C000618816:DNA ligase III alpha protein, Xenopus