Topoisomerases and cancer chemotherapy: recent advances and unanswered questions.

ABSTRACT: DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that catalyze changes in the torsional and flexural strain of DNA molecules. Earlier studies implicated these enzymes in a variety of processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including DNA replication, transcription, recombination, and chromosome segregation. Studies performed over the past 3 years have provided new insight into the roles of various topoisomerases in maintaining eukaryotic chromosome structure and facilitating the decatenation of daughter chromosomes at cell division. In addition, recent studies have demonstrated that the incorporation of ribonucleotides into DNA results in trapping of topoisomerase I (TOP1)-DNA covalent complexes during aborted ribonucleotide removal. Importantly, such trapped TOP1-DNA covalent complexes, formed either

SUBMITTER: Bjornsti MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6774054 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature