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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

A third link connecting aging with double strand break repair

William R Engels1, Dena Johnson-Schlitz, Carlos Flores

  • 1Genetics Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. wrengels@wisc.edu

Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|January 25, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Aging DNA repair mechanisms shift from simple end-joining to homologous repair as organisms age. This age-related change in double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway usage offers new insights into aging molecular basis.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Accumulation of DNA damage, particularly double-strand breaks (DSBs), is a hallmark of aging.
  • Defects in DNA repair genes are linked to premature aging and age-related diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the emerging third link between aging and DNA repair: age-dependent changes in DSB repair mechanisms.
  • To review existing evidence and present new data on the underlying causes of these shifts.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on aging and DNA repair.
  • Presentation of new experimental data analyzing DSB repair pathway usage in different age groups.
  • Testing models for the causes of age-related shifts in repair mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • A shift in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms with age has been observed.
  • Younger organisms predominantly use simpler end-joining repair, while older organisms show a trend towards homologous repair pathways.
  • This phenomenon has been observed in a limited number of experimental systems.

Conclusions:

  • Age-related changes in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway usage represent a significant, though not yet universally established, link between aging and DNA repair.
  • Establishing the generality of this phenomenon could provide novel insights into the molecular underpinnings of aging.
  • Understanding these shifts may illuminate how evolutionary processes have shaped aging and repair mechanisms.

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