Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Characterizing DNA Repair Processes at Transient and Long-lasting Double-strand DNA Breaks by Immunofluorescence Microscopy
08:31

Characterizing DNA Repair Processes at Transient and Long-lasting Double-strand DNA Breaks by Immunofluorescence Microscopy

Published on: June 8, 2018

The Mre11 complex: at the crossroads of dna repair and checkpoint signalling

Damien D'Amours1, Stephen P Jackson

  • 1Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research, UK Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK.

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|May 4, 2002
PubMed

Insights

The Mre11 complex, crucial for DNA repair, also plays vital roles in cell cycle checkpoint signaling and DNA replication, impacting genomic stability.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The Mre11 complex (Mre11, Rad50, Nbs1/Xrs2) is a nuclease implicated in DNA repair.
  • Mutations cause DNA damage sensitivity, genomic instability, telomere shortening, and meiotic errors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular functions of the Mre11 complex beyond DNA repair.
  • To explore its roles in DNA replication and checkpoint signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic analysis of Mre11 complex mutants.
  • Biochemical assays to assess nuclease activity.
  • Cellular assays for DNA replication and checkpoint activation.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated novel functions of the Mre11 complex in DNA replication.
  • Identified roles in checkpoint signaling pathways.
  • Linked these functions to previously observed phenotypes.

Conclusions:

  • The Mre11 complex is a multifunctional protein complex essential for maintaining genomic integrity.
  • Its roles extend to DNA replication and checkpoint control, not solely DNA repair.

More Related Videos

Visualization of DNA Repair Proteins Interaction by Immunofluorescence07:55

Visualization of DNA Repair Proteins Interaction by Immunofluorescence

Published on: June 26, 2020

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage10:59

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Published on: August 21, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Mismatch Repair01:36

Mismatch Repair

Overview
DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
Homologous Recombination02:31

Homologous Recombination

The basic reaction of homologous recombination (HR) involves two chromatids that contain DNA sequences sharing a significant stretch of identity. One of these sequences uses a strand from another as a template to synthesize DNA in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The final product is a novel amalgamation of the two substrates. To ensure an accurate recombination of sequences, HR is restricted to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. At these stages, the DNA has been replicated already and the...
Mismatch Repair01:20

Mismatch Repair

Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
Homologous Recombination02:31

Homologous Recombination

The basic reaction of homologous recombination (HR) involves two chromatids that contain DNA sequences sharing a significant stretch of identity. One of these sequences uses a strand from another as a template to synthesize DNA in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The final product is a novel amalgamation of the two substrates. To ensure an accurate recombination of sequences, HR is restricted to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. At these stages, the DNA has been replicated already and the...
DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...