Two proteins found on telomeres control DNA damage response pathways

User rating: 4.4 / 5 after 25 vote(s)

End zone. Telomeres (green) have a built-in mechanism that prevents cells from mistaking natural chromosome ends from DNA breaks. Two proteins TRF2 and POT1 independently repress the activation of two DNA damage response pathways that mediate this me ...
End zone. Telomeres (green) have a built-in mechanism that prevents cells from mistaking natural chromosome ends from DNA breaks. Two proteins, TRF2 and POT1, independently repress the activation of two DNA damage response pathways that mediate this mechanism; if the mechanism is disrupted, the result is an inappropriate DNA repair reaction that binds the ends of chromosomes into continuous strands of DNA (bottom).

No sooner had cells evolved linear chromosomes than they had a life-threatening problem to solve. To the machinery that repairs broken DNA, chromosome ends look a lot like breaks in need of mending, so they could elicit a DNA damage response that would ultimately be lethal to cells. Telomeres, segments of DNA that sit at the ends of chromosomes, resolve this situation by protecting chromosome ends from being mistaken for DNA breaks.


Full story »
All News summaries from General Science news
All News summaries for August 10, 2007

Microwave ovens need added safety controls

22 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
Microwave ovens should be equipped with safety controls to prevent children from opening them and being burned by hot foods and drinks, according to a study published today by University of Chicago Medical Center researchers ...

Bird diversity lessens human exposure to West Nile Virus

49 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
A study by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis shows that the more diverse a bird population is in an area, the less chance humans have of exposure to West Nile Virus (WNV).

Social problems dominate concerns in neighborhoods with unsatisfied residents

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
A new study reveals that the general appearance of a neighborhood is the single most important factor affecting how satisfied residents are about the area where they live.

Bioengineers fill holes in science of cellular self-organization

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
The chemical and biological aspects of cellular self-organization are well-studied; less well understood is how cell populations order themselves biomechanically – how their behavior and communication are ...

Landmark discovery of 'engine' that drives cell movement

3 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
This research by Thomas Leung, Ph.D., and his team in the GSK-IMCB Group at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), under Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research, is fundamental to the understanding ...
Goto Archive PhysOrg Forum Goto Archive Video Goto Archive Editorials Goto Archive Free Magazines Goto Archive Newsletter

News Archive