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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Immunofluorescence Imaging of DNA Damage and Repair Foci in Human Colon Cancer Cells
Published on: June 9, 2020
DNA damage foci: Meaning and significance
Kai Rothkamm1,2, Stephen Barnard1, Jayne Moquet1
1Public Health England, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Chilton, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The discovery of DNA damage response proteins such as γH2AX, ATM, 53BP1, RAD51, and the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 complex, that accumulate and/or are modified in the vicinity of a chromosomal DNA double-strand break to form microscopically visible, subnuclear foci, has revolutionized the detection of these lesions and has enabled studies of the cellular machinery that contributes to their repair. Double-strand breaks are induced directly by a number of physical and chemical agents, including ionizing radiation and radiomimetic drugs, but can also arise as secondary lesions during replication and DNA repair following exposure to a wide range of genotoxins. Here we aim to review the biological meaning and significance of DNA damage foci, looking specifically at a range of different settings in which such markers of DNA damage and repair are being studied and interpreted.
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