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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...
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
Nucleotide Excision Repair01:08

Nucleotide Excision Repair

Overview
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...

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Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites
09:39

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Published on: August 2, 2024

Ancient DNA damage.

Jesse Dabney1, Matthias Meyer, Svante Pääbo

  • 1Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. jesse_dabney@eva.mpg.de

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|June 5, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ancient DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) degrades over millennia due to depurination and deamination, resulting in shorter fragments and end-specific cytosine damage. Understanding these DNA decay processes is crucial for paleogenetics research.

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Last Updated: May 10, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Paleogenetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • DNA can persist for thousands of years in ancient remains under specific conditions.
  • DNA degradation is a significant challenge in ancient DNA studies.
  • Key degradation processes include depurination and deamination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the state of ancient DNA found in biological remains.
  • To identify the primary molecular mechanisms responsible for DNA degradation over long timescales.
  • To characterize common DNA lesions in ancient samples.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of DNA extracted from ancient biological remains.
  • Characterization of DNA fragment size distribution.
  • Identification and quantification of DNA base modifications, specifically deaminated cytosines.

Main Results:

  • Extracted ancient DNA is consistently degraded to small average sizes.
  • Depurination is a major contributor to DNA fragmentation.
  • Accumulation of deaminated cytosine residues, particularly at molecule ends, is a common feature.

Conclusions:

  • Ancient DNA survival is possible but involves significant molecular damage.
  • Depurination and deamination are critical processes shaping the integrity of ancient DNA.
  • Characterizing these lesions is essential for accurate ancient DNA analysis and interpretation.