Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Modifications of the Langendorff Method for Simultaneous Isolation of Atrial and Ventricular Myocytes from Adult Mice
06:27

Modifications of the Langendorff Method for Simultaneous Isolation of Atrial and Ventricular Myocytes from Adult Mice

Published on: May 13, 2021

The ATR pathway: fine-tuning the fork

Renee D Paulsen1, Karlene A Cimprich

  • 1Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, 318 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5441, USA.

DNA Repair
|May 29, 2007
PubMed

Insights

The ATR pathway is crucial for stabilizing stalled DNA replication forks, preventing genomic instability and cancer. Its proper function ensures DNA repair and cell cycle regulation.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Genomic stability is vital and threatened during DNA replication by various damaging events.
  • Replication fork stalling can lead to DNA damage, genomic instability, and cancer.
  • The cell utilizes a replication checkpoint to manage stalled forks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms by which the ATR pathway recognizes and stabilizes stalled replication forks.
  • To highlight the importance of ATR and Chk1 in the replication checkpoint.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes current research on the ATR pathway and replication checkpoint.
  • Focuses on the molecular mechanisms of fork stabilization.

Main Results:

  • The ATR-Chk1 pathway is central to the replication checkpoint, blocking cell cycle progression and stabilizing forks.
  • Loss of ATR or Chk1 leads to replication fork collapse and chromosomal instability.
  • ATR pathway activation is essential for preventing genomic rearrangements.

Conclusions:

  • The ATR pathway plays a critical role in maintaining genomic integrity by managing stalled replication forks.
  • Dysregulation of ATR signaling can predispose individuals to cancer.
  • Understanding ATR's role is key to developing therapeutic strategies for replication stress-induced diseases.

More Related Videos

Electrophysiological Assessment of Murine Atria with High-Resolution Optical Mapping08:19

Electrophysiological Assessment of Murine Atria with High-Resolution Optical Mapping

Published on: February 22, 2018

Optimization of Transesophageal Atrial Pacing to Assess Atrial Fibrillation Susceptibility in Mice08:05

Optimization of Transesophageal Atrial Pacing to Assess Atrial Fibrillation Susceptibility in Mice

Published on: June 29, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks02:37

Restarting Stalled Replication Forks

DNA replication is initiated at sites containing predefined DNA sequences known as origins of replication. DNA is unwound at these sites by the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and other factors such as Cdc45 and the associated GINS complex.The unwound single strands are protected by replication protein A (RPA) until DNA polymerase starts synthesizing DNA at the 5’ end of the strand in the same direction as the replication fork. To prevent the replication fork from falling apart, a...
Conduction System of the Heart01:20

Conduction System of the Heart

The cardiac conduction system produces and transmits electrical impulses that prompt myocardial contraction, ensuring efficient heart function. This intricate system ensures that the heart beats in a coordinated and efficient manner, beginning with the atria and then the ventricles. The conduction system optimizes cardiac output by maintaining this precise sequence, which is crucial for adequate blood circulation.
This system relies on the unique properties of nodal and Purkinje cells:...
Conduction System of the Heart01:19

Conduction System of the Heart

Autorhythmicity is a term that refers to the heart's inherent ability to generate electrical signals and instigate muscle contractions. This self-regulating conduction system within the heart consists of two key components: the pacemaker cells and specialized conducting cells.
The pacemaker cells are located in two primary nodes: the sinoatrial (SA) node and the atrioventricular (AV) node. The SA node pacemaker cells can autonomously depolarize, triggering an action potential that leads to the...
Chambers of the Heart01:16

Chambers of the Heart

The human heart is a complex organ made up of four chambers: the right and left atria and the right and left ventricles. These internal chambers are separated by partitions known as the interatrial and interventricular septa. The exterior of the heart features a groove known as the coronary sulcus that demarcates the atria from the ventricles, while the anterior and posterior interventricular sulci distinguish between the two ventricles.
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...