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Overview of DNA Repair

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...

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

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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...

Nucleotide Excision Repair

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...

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

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Nuclear Export of mRNA

Nuclear Export of mRNA

Before mRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm, it is crucial to check each mRNA for structural and functional integrity. Eukaryotic cells use several different mechanisms, collectively known as mRNA surveillance, to look for irregularities in mRNAs. Irregular or aberrant mRNA are rapidly degraded by various enzymes. If a defective mRNA escapes the surveillance, it would be translated into a protein which would either be non-functional or not function properly. One of the primary irregularities in...

RNA Stability

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Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2025

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

Published on: August 21, 2021

Cellular responses to RNA damage.

Jacqueline Cordes¹, Shubo Zhao², Carla M Engel¹

¹Gene Center and Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 81377 Munich, Germany.

|February 21, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This review highlights the crucial role of RNA damage responses in cell survival. Discover how cells actively repair RNA lesions, challenging previous assumptions about their insignificance.

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Last Updated: May 26, 2025

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage

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Live-Cell Imaging of Transcriptional Activity at DNA Double-Strand Breaks

Live-Cell Imaging of Transcriptional Activity at DNA Double-Strand Breaks

Published on: September 20, 2021

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Genetics

Background:

RNA is vital for protein synthesis and cellular functions.
RNA, like DNA, is susceptible to endogenous and environmental damage.
RNA lesions were previously considered less significant than DNA damage due to RNA's transient nature.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent findings on RNA damage responses.
To challenge the view that RNA lesions are inconsequential.
To highlight the mechanisms cells use to resolve RNA damage.

Main Methods:

Review of recent scientific literature on RNA damage and repair.
Analysis of studies investigating cellular responses to nucleic acid-damaging agents.

Main Results:

RNA damage elicits complex cellular responses crucial for survival.
Specific RNA damage response pathways have been identified.
These responses actively promote the resolution of RNA lesions.

Conclusions:

RNA damage is a significant cellular stress that requires active response.
Understanding RNA damage responses is essential for comprehending cell viability under genotoxic stress.
Further research into RNA repair mechanisms is warranted.