New insights into the link between DNA damage and apoptosis

When lesions are unrepaired or there are defects in the DNA repair system, DNA damage is often correlated to apoptosis. However, different kinds of lesions and different degrees of lesion severity can trigger numerous signaling responses.

DNA repair proteins involved in specific DNA repair pathways can modulate the function or activity of some apoptotic factors, further emphasizing the crosstalk between DNA damage and cell death.

Here, we discuss the signaling networks that link DNA damage to apoptosis, and we focus on post-translational modifications, leading to crucial changes in protein behavior, following various kinds of DNA damage. Moreover, we analyze the existence of apoptosis-related functions of typical repair proteins, leading to diverse, often-overlapping, DNA damage responses.

The better understanding of the regulation and the functionality of key DNA repair proteins, also involved in apoptosis regulation, has the potential of modulating the cell outcomes on DNA damage, particularly in the context of cancer treatment.