Making ends meet: repairing breaks in bacterial DNA by non-homologous end-joining

Bowater, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2745-7807 and Doherty, Aidan J. (2006) Making ends meet: repairing breaks in bacterial DNA by non-homologous end-joining. PLoS Genetics, 2 (2). ISSN 1553-7404

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Abstract

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most dangerous forms of DNA lesion that can result in genomic instability and cell death. Therefore cells have developed elaborate DSB-repair pathways to maintain the integrity of genomic DNA. There are two major pathways for the repair of DSBs in eukaryotes: homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Until very recently, the NHEJ pathway had been thought to be restricted to the eukarya. However, an evolutionarily related NHEJ apparatus has now been identified and characterized in the prokarya. Here we review the recent discoveries concerning bacterial NHEJ and discuss the possible origins of this repair system. We also examine the insights gained from the recent cellular and biochemical studies of this DSB-repair process and discuss the possible cellular roles of an NHEJ pathway in the life-cycle of prokaryotes and phages.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Molecular Microbiology Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry
Depositing User:	EPrints Services
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2010 13:37
Last Modified:	03 Nov 2024 00:35
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/1127
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pgen.0020008

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