Human polymerase theta helicase positions DNA microhomologies for double-strand break repair.

ABSTRACT: DNA double-strand breaks occur in all human cells on a daily basis and must be repaired with high fidelity to minimize genomic instability¹. Deficiencies in high-fidelity DNA repair by homologous recombination lead to dependence on DNA polymerase theta, which identifies DNA microhomologies in 3' single-stranded DNA overhangs and anneals them to initiate error-prone double-strand break repair. The resulting genomic instability is associated with numerous cancers, thereby making this polymerase an attractive therapeutic target^2,3. However, despite the biomedical importance of polymerase theta, the molecular details of how it initiates DNA break repair remain unclear^4,5. Here we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the polymerase theta helicase domai

SUBMITTER: Zerio CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11071473 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature