Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Nucleotide Excision Repair01:08

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Overview
Nucleotide Excision Repair01:38

Nucleotide Excision Repair

DNA Distortion and Damage
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 Repair01:08

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Overview
Base Excision Repair01:54

Base Excision Repair

One of the common DNA damages is the chemical alteration of single bases by alkylation, oxidation, or deamination. The altered bases cause mispairing and strand breakage during replication. This type of damage causes minimal change to the DNA double helix structure and can be repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathways. BER corrects damaged DNA sequences by removing the damaged base and restoring the original base sequence using the complementary strand as a template.
The first step of...
Base Excision Repair01:54

Base Excision Repair

One of the common DNA damages is the chemical alteration of single bases by alkylation, oxidation, or deamination. The altered bases cause mispairing and strand breakage during replication. This type of damage causes minimal change to the DNA double helix structure and can be repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathways. BER corrects damaged DNA sequences by removing the damaged base and restoring the original base sequence using the complementary strand as a template.
The first step of...
Overview of DNA Repair02:25

Overview of DNA Repair

In order to be passed through generations, genomic DNA must be undamaged and error-free. However, every day, DNA in a cell undergoes several thousand to a million damaging events by natural causes and external factors. Ionizing radiation such as UV rays, free radicals produced during cellular respiration, and hydrolytic damage from metabolic reactions can alter the structure of DNA. Damages caused include single-base alteration, base dimerization, chain breaks, and cross-linkage.
Chemically...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sirtuins at the Interface of Glucose Metabolism, Diabetes, and Heart Failure: Metabolic Sensing in Cardiometabolic Disease.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same author

Brain age gradients as intermediate phenotypes linking plasma p-tau217 to cognition in community-dwelling older adults.

NPJ dementia·2026
Same author

Copper metallodendrimers effectively deliver proapoptotic siRNA to human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same author

Retraction Note: 2-Hydroxylethyl methacrylate (HEMA), a tooth restoration component, exerts its genotoxic effects in human gingival fibroblasts trough methacrylic acid, an immediate product of its degradation.

Molecular biology reports·2026
Same author

Selective sensitivity of Ph-like B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia to BRG1 inhibition identifies a therapeutic vulnerability.

Leukemia·2026
Same author

Biomarkers for Treatment Response in Orthodontics: Molecular Mechanisms, Clinical Utility, and Future Directions.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Assay by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis
12:19

Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Assay by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Published on: April 22, 2022

[Uracil-DNA glycosylases].

Dariusz Pytel1, Artur Słupianek, Dominika Ksiazek

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.

Postepy Biochemii
|March 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Uracil in DNA, though normally found in RNA, can cause mutations if not repaired. DNA repair enzymes like uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs) remove uracil to prevent genetic changes.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Context:

  • Uracil is a key nitrogenous base in RNA, but its presence in DNA arises from cytosine deamination or replication errors.
  • Unrepaired uracil in DNA can lead to critical G:C to T:A transitions, causing mutations.
  • DNA repair mechanisms, particularly base excision repair initiated by uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs), are essential for maintaining genomic integrity.

Purpose:

  • To elucidate the origins and consequences of uracil in DNA.
  • To highlight the role of uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs) in DNA repair pathways.
  • To explore the involvement of uracil and UDGs in various biological processes, including antibody diversification and antiviral defense.

Summary:

  • Uracil can be incorporated into DNA via cytosine deamination or misincorporation of dUMP. If not removed by DNA repair enzymes, it can cause mutations.

More Related Videos

Steady-state, Pre-steady-state, and Single-turnover Kinetic Measurement for DNA Glycosylase Activity
14:27

Steady-state, Pre-steady-state, and Single-turnover Kinetic Measurement for DNA Glycosylase Activity

Published on: August 19, 2013

Atomic Force Microscopy Investigations of DNA Lesion Recognition in Nucleotide Excision Repair
10:59

Atomic Force Microscopy Investigations of DNA Lesion Recognition in Nucleotide Excision Repair

Published on: May 24, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Assay by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis
12:19

Uracil-DNA Glycosylase Assay by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Published on: April 22, 2022

Steady-state, Pre-steady-state, and Single-turnover Kinetic Measurement for DNA Glycosylase Activity
14:27

Steady-state, Pre-steady-state, and Single-turnover Kinetic Measurement for DNA Glycosylase Activity

Published on: August 19, 2013

Atomic Force Microscopy Investigations of DNA Lesion Recognition in Nucleotide Excision Repair
10:59

Atomic Force Microscopy Investigations of DNA Lesion Recognition in Nucleotide Excision Repair

Published on: May 24, 2017

  • Uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs), including nuclear UNG2, SMUG1, TDG, MBD4, and mitochondrial UNG1, initiate base excision repair to remove uracil.
  • UDGs like UNG2 are involved in replication-associated repair, while others like TDG participate in nucleotide excision repair, and uracil is an intermediate in B lymphocyte antibody diversification and a target in antiviral defense.

    • Impact:

    • Understanding uracil's role in DNA is crucial for comprehending mutation processes and genomic instability.
    • The identification and characterization of UDGs provide insights into fundamental DNA repair pathways.
    • Knowledge of uracil's involvement in processes like antibody diversification and antiviral defense opens avenues for therapeutic strategies.