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Identification of a DNA Nonhomologous End-Joining Complex in Bacteria

Authors :
Kevin M. Devine
Aidan J. Doherty
Elizabeth Scanlan
Stephen P. Jackson
Geoffrey R. Weller
Adam Wilkinson
Marina Della
Boris Kysela
Susanne Krogh Devine
Richard P. Bowater
Louise M. Tonkin
Jonathan P. Day
Rajat Roy
Fabrizio d'Adda di Fagagna
Penny A. Jeggo
Source :
Science. 297:1686-1689
Publication Year :
2002
Publisher :
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2002.

Abstract

In eukaryotic cells, double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA are generally repaired by the pathway of homologous recombination or by DNA nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Both pathways have been highly conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution, but no equivalent NHEJ system has been identified in prokaryotes. The NHEJ pathway requires a DNA end-binding component called Ku. We have identified bacterial Ku homologs and show that these proteins retain the biochemical characteristics of the eukaryotic Ku heterodimer. Furthermore, we show that bacterial Ku specifically recruits DNA ligase to DNA ends and stimulates DNA ligation. Loss of these proteins leads to hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation in Bacillus subtilis . These data provide evidence that many bacteria possess a DNA DSB repair apparatus that shares many features with the NHEJ system of eukarya and suggest that this DNA repair pathway arose before the prokaryotic and eukaryotic lineages diverged.

Details

ISSN :
10959203 and 00368075
Volume :
297
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Science
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....7a82ed73af1050cd9eca2d18a07eeaaf