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Molecular biology

DNA repair without flipping out

Nature volume 527, pages 168–169 (2015)Cite this article

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Time-resolved molecular snapshots of the bacterial enzyme AlkD reveal an unprecedented mechanism for the recognition and removal of damaged bases in DNA, with implications for cell biology and cancer therapy. See Letter p.254

Many people imagine DNA as a highly stable blueprint that allows offspring to inherit the traits of their parents. However, DNA is a dynamic molecule that is not only read, replicated and modified by various cellular factors, but is also constantly being damaged. DNA repair mechanisms are crucial for maintaining sufficient sequence fidelity for cell survival and disease prevention. In October 2015, Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their descriptions of DNA repair processes, which all involve enzymatic opening of the DNA double helix and unpairing of one or more DNA bases. In this issue, Mullins et al.1 (page 254) describe a new class of DNA base-repair enzyme that unexpectedly leaves the double helix largely intact during the first step of damage recognition and removal.

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Figure 1: Two mechanisms for base excision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. David S. Shin and John A. Tainer are in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.,

    David S. Shin & John A. Tainer

  2. J.A.T. is also in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.,

    John A. Tainer

Authors
  1. David S. Shin
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  2. John A. Tainer
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to David S. Shin or John A. Tainer.

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Shin, D., Tainer, J. DNA repair without flipping out. Nature 527, 168–169 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15646

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