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Polθ helicase: drive or reverse

The helicase intrinsic to DNA polymerase θ (Polθ), the versatile mediator of microhomology-based repair of DNA double-strand breaks and stalled replication forks, is now revealed to be a member of an elite group of proteins known as annealing helicases. This small family of enzymes remodels DNA intermediates in multiple repair processes that are crucial to preserving genome stability and warding off cancer and aging.

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Figure 1: The end-joining mechanism of the Polθ helicase.

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Correspondence to Judith L Campbell.

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Campbell, J., Li, H. Polθ helicase: drive or reverse. Nat Struct Mol Biol 24, 1007–1008 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.3510

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