Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
Published on: August 21, 2021
DNA-damage response pathways triggered by viral replication
Alison Sinclair1, Sarah Yarranton, Celine Schelcher
1School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK. a.j.sinclair@sussex.ac.uk
Abstract:
Many viruses, with distinct replication strategies, activate DNA-damage response pathways, including the lentivirus human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the DNA viruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus 1, adenovirus and SV40. DNA-damage response pathways involving DNA-dependent protein kinase, ataxia-telengiectasia mutated (ATM) and 'ataxia-telengiectasia and Rad3-related' (ATR) have all been implicated. This review focuses on the effects of HIV and EBV replication on DNA repair pathways. It has been suggested that activation of cellular DNA repair and recombination enzymes is beneficial for viral replication, as illustrated by the ability of suppressors of the ATM and ATR family to inhibit HIV replication. However, activation of DNA-damage response pathways can also promote apoptosis. Viruses can tailor the cellular response by suppressing downstream signalling from DNA-damage sensors, as exemplified by EBV. New small-molecule inhibitors of the DNA-damage response pathways could therefore be of value to treat viral infections.
Related Concept Videos
DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle
DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle
Overview of DNA Repair
Chemically...
Overview of DNA Repair
Chemically...
Nucleotide Excision Repair
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
Nucleotide Excision Repair

