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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Real-time Observation of the DNA Strand Exchange Reaction Mediated by Rad51
Published on: February 13, 2019
Wrestling off RAD51: a novel role for RecQ helicases
1Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Department of Medical Oncology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK. leonard.wu@imm.ox.ac.uk
Abstract:
Homologous recombination (HR) is essential for the accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks and damaged replication forks. However, inappropriate or aberrant HR can also result in genome rearrangements. The maintenance of cell viability is, therefore, a careful balancing act between the benefits of HR (the error-free repair of DNA strand breaks) and the potential detrimental outcomes of HR (chromosomal rearrangements). Two papers have recently provided a mechanistic insight into how HR may be tempered by RecQ helicases to prevent genome instability and diseases that are a consequence of this, such as cancer.
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