title: One ring to bring them all--the role of Ku in mammalian non-homologous end joining.
abstract: The repair of DNA double strand breaks is essential for cell survival and several conserved pathways have evolved to ensure their rapid and efficient repair. The non-homologous end joining pathway is initiated when Ku binds to the DNA break site. Ku is an abundant nuclear heterodimer of Ku70 and Ku80 with a toroidal structure that allows the protein to slide over the broken DNA end and bind with high affinity. Once locked into placed, Ku acts as a tool-belt to recruit multiple interacting proteins, forming one or more non-homologous end joining complexes that act in a regulated manner to ensure efficient repair of DNA ends. Here we review the structure and functions of Ku and the proteins with which it interacts during non-homologous end joining.
authors.affiliation: Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK. Electronic address: g.j.grundy@sussex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gabrielle J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Grundy
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry, Medical Sciences, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
authors.forename: Hayley A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Moulding
authors.affiliation: Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK. Electronic address: k.w.caldecott@sussex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Keith W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Caldecott
authors.affiliation: Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK. Electronic address: s.l.rulten@sussex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stuart L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rulten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D059766:DNA End-Joining Repair; D011088:DNA Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000072200:Ku Autoantigen; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; C000606509:Xrcc6 protein, human; D000072200:Ku Autoantigen; D011088:DNA Ligases
keywords: APLF; Double-strand break; Ku; Non-homologous end joining; WRN