Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
10:59

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Published on: August 21, 2021

DNA repair mechanisms in dividing and non-dividing cells

Teruaki Iyama1, David M Wilson

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

DNA Repair
|May 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Cells possess DNA repair pathways to fix DNA damage, preventing genome instability and diseases like cancer. This review examines DNA repair in dividing versus non-dividing cells, focusing on neurological disease development.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • DNA damage from internal and external sources can cause genome instability and diseases.
  • Cells have evolved multiple DNA repair pathways to resolve DNA lesions.
  • Understanding DNA repair requires considering the cellular context, such as dividing versus non-dividing cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the molecular mechanisms of various DNA repair pathways.
  • To review the roles of DNA repair pathways in non-dividing and dividing cells.
  • To explore how DNA repair pathways influence neurological disease development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of molecular mechanisms of DNA repair.
  • Analysis of DNA repair pathway functions in different cell types.
  • Examination of the link between DNA repair and neurological disorders.

Main Results:

  • Multiple DNA repair pathways exist to counteract DNA damage.
  • The function and importance of DNA repair pathways differ between dividing and non-dividing cells.
  • Dysfunctional DNA repair is implicated in neurological diseases.

Conclusions:

  • DNA repair pathways are crucial for maintaining genome integrity and preventing disease.
  • Cellular context significantly impacts DNA repair mechanisms and outcomes.
  • Targeting DNA repair pathways may offer therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases.
Keywords:
6-4PPs8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylaseAOA1APAP endonuclease 1APE1APTXATMCPDsCSCSRCockayne syndromeDARDNA double strand break repairDNA polymerase βDNA repairDNA single strand break repairDNA single strand breaksDNA-PKcsDNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunitDSBRDividing and non-dividingERCC1Endogenous DNA damageFEN1GG-NERHNPCCHRIRMAPMCSZMGMTMMRMPGMUTYHMUTYH-associated polyposisN-methylpurine-DNA glycosylaseNEIL1NERNHEJNSCNTH1Neural cellsNeurological disorderO(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferaseOGG1PARP1PCNAPGPNKPPUAPol βRFCRNA polymeraseRNAPRPASCAN1SCIDSDSASSASSBRSSBsTC-NERTDP1TFIIHTOP1TTDTop1 cleavage complexTop1ccUNGX-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1XPXRCC1aprataxinapurinic/apyrimidinicataxia telangiectasia mutatedataxia with ocular motor apraxia 1class switch recombinationcyclobutane pyrimidine dimersdRPdeoxyribose-5-phosphateendonuclease III-like 1endonuclease VIII-like 1excision repair cross complementing 1flap endonuclease 1global genome-NERhereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancerhomologous recombinationhuman mutY homologionizing radiationmicrocephaly with early-onset, intractable seizures and developmental delaymismatch repairneural stem cellsnonhomologous end joiningnucleotide excision repairphospho-α,β-unsaturated aldehydephosphoglycolatepoly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1polynucleotide kinase 3′-phosphataseproliferating cellular nuclear antigenpyrimidine-(6,4)-pyrimidone photoproducts.replication factor Creplication protein Asevere combined immunodeficientsingle-strand annealingspinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy-1synthesis-dependent strand annealingtopoisomerase 1transcription domains-associated repairtranscription factor II Htranscription-coupled NERtrichothiodystrophytyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1uracil-DNA glycosylasexeroderma pigmentosum

More Related Videos

Visualizing Single-Stranded DNA Foci in the G1 Phase of the Cell Cycle08:30

Visualizing Single-Stranded DNA Foci in the G1 Phase of the Cell Cycle

Published on: December 22, 2023

Characterizing DNA Repair Processes at Transient and Long-lasting Double-strand DNA Breaks by Immunofluorescence Microscopy08:31

Characterizing DNA Repair Processes at Transient and Long-lasting Double-strand DNA Breaks by Immunofluorescence Microscopy

Published on: June 8, 2018

Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Fixing Double-strand Breaks02:04

Fixing Double-strand Breaks

The double-stranded structure of DNA has two major advantages. First, it serves as a safe repository of genetic information where one strand serves as the back-up in case the other strand is damaged. Second, the double-helical structure can be wrapped around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, which can then be tightly wound to form chromosomes. This way, DNA chains up to 2 inches long can be contained within microscopic structures in a cell. A double-stranded break not only damages...
Fixing Double-strand Breaks02:04

Fixing Double-strand Breaks

The double-stranded structure of DNA has two major advantages. First, it serves as a safe repository of genetic information where one strand serves as the back-up in case the other strand is damaged. Second, the double-helical structure can be wrapped around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, which can then be tightly wound to form chromosomes. This way, DNA chains up to 2 inches long can be contained within microscopic structures in a cell. A double-stranded break not only damages...
DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...