title: Resolution of complex ends by Nonhomologous end joining - better to be lucky than good?
abstract: The Nonhomologous end joining pathway is essential for efficient repair of chromosome double strand breaks. This pathway consequently plays a key role in cellular resistance to break-inducing exogenous agents, as well as in the developmentally-programmed recombinations that are required for adaptive immunity. Chromosome breaks often have complex or "dirty" end structures that can interfere with the critical ligation step in this pathway; we review here how Nonhomologous end joining resolves such breaks.
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. dale_ramsden@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Natasha Tiffany
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Strande
authors.forename: Crystal Ann
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Dale A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ramsden