title: The role of RecQ helicases in non-homologous end-joining.
abstract: DNA double-strand breaks are highly toxic DNA lesions that cause genomic instability, if not efficiently repaired. RecQ helicases are a family of highly conserved proteins that maintain genomic stability through their important roles in several DNA repair pathways, including DNA double-strand break repair. Double-strand breaks can be repaired by homologous recombination (HR) using sister chromatids as templates to facilitate precise DNA repair, or by an HR-independent mechanism known as non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) (error-prone). NHEJ is a non-templated DNA repair process, in which DNA termini are directly ligated. Canonical NHEJ requires DNA-PKcs and Ku70/80, while alternative NHEJ pathways are DNA-PKcs and Ku70/80 independent. This review discusses the role of RecQ helicases in NHEJ, alternative (or back-up) NHEJ (B-NHEJ) and microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) in V(D)J recombination, class switch recombination and telomere maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark and.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keijzers
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.forename: Raghavendra A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shamanna
authors.forename: Lene Juel
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Croteau
authors.forename: Vilhelm A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Bohr
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059766:DNA End-Joining Repair; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053484:RecQ Helicases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060152:V(D)J Recombination
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D053484:RecQ Helicases
keywords: Alternative end-joining; Ku70/80; RecQ helicases; microhomology-mediated end-joining; non-homologous end-joining; telomere