title: Base excision repair in physiology and pathology of the central nervous system.
abstract: Relatively low levels of antioxidant enzymes and high oxygen metabolism result in formation of numerous oxidized DNA lesions in the tissues of the central nervous system. Accumulation of damage in the DNA, due to continuous genotoxic stress, has been linked to both aging and the development of various neurodegenerative disorders. Different DNA repair pathways have evolved to successfully act on damaged DNA and prevent genomic instability. The predominant and essential DNA repair pathway for the removal of small DNA base lesions is base excision repair (BER). In this review we will discuss the current knowledge on the involvement of BER proteins in the maintenance of genetic stability in different brain regions and how changes in the levels of these proteins contribute to aging and the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Zürich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland. bvanloon@vetbio.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosshard
authors.forename: Enni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Markkanen
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Loon
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology*; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species