[Non-homologous DNA end joining--new proteins, new functions, new mechanisms]

Humans use primarily nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) to repair DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), which are the most serious DNA damage, resulting in cell death if non-repaired or missrepaired. NHEJ directly joins together DNA ends resulted from DSBs. This pathway plays a key role in the development of vertebrate immune system through its involvement in the V(D)J recombination. Classical NHEJ in vertebrates involves a heterodimer of Ku proteins, the catalytic subunits of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKCS), Artemis, Cernunnos-XLF and XRCC4/ligase DNA IV complex. This classical pathway may be assisted by DNA polymerases mu and lambda. Last 2 years brought new information on the mechanisms, proteins and functions of this DNA repair pathway. In 2006 Cernunnos-XLF was discovered, a protein playing a key role in NHEJ. Some alternative NHEJ pathways were also identified, lacking some of the main proteins of classical NHEJ, but involving other factors, including BRCA1, 53BP1, hPNK, WRN or MDC1. The results obtained so far suggest that not all key components and basic mechanisms of NHEJ have been identified. Future aspects of NHEJ research should include the determination of its role in cancer, aging, immune system development and basic nuclear metabolism.