When
Where
Dr. Tyler Weaver
Presenter:
Dr. Tyler Weaver
Abstract:
Eukaryotic genomic DNA is packaged into chromatin through a fundamental repeating unit known as the nucleosome. In this chromatin environment, genomic DNA is constantly exposed to a variety of endogenous and exogenous sources of DNA damage, which must be repaired to prevent mutagenesis, genomic instability, and human disease. Chromatin is a key regulatory barrier that must be overcome to successfully repair DNA lesions and maintain genome stability. However, the mechanisms used by DNA repair proteins to overcome this chromatin barrier to repair are poorly understood, which represents a significant gap in knowledge in the chromatin biology and DNA repair fields. Here, we describe the kinetic and structura
l basis of DNA lesion processing in the nucleosome by the core base excision repair machinery. These findings establish fundamental mechanisms governing DNA repair in chromatin and lay the foundation for future work exploring the interplay between chromatin structure, chromatin modifying enzymes, and DNA damage repair.