Voineagu Irina, Freudenreich Catherine H, Mirkin Sergei M
Department of Biology, Tufts University, 165 Packard Ave., Medford, MA 02155, USA.
Mol Carcinog. 2009 Apr;48(4):309-18. doi: 10.1002/mc.20512.
DNA sequences that are prone to adopting non-B DNA secondary structures are associated with hotspots of genomic instability. The fine mechanisms by which alternative DNA structures induce phenomena such as repeat expansions, chromosomal fragility, or gross chromosomal rearrangements are under intensive studies. It is well established that DNA damage checkpoint responses play a crucial role in maintaining a stable genome. It is far less clear, however, whether and how the checkpoint machinery responds to alternative DNA structures. This review discusses the role of the interplay between DNA damage checkpoints and alternative DNA structures in genome maintenance.
易于形成非B型DNA二级结构的DNA序列与基因组不稳定热点相关。替代DNA结构诱导重复序列扩增、染色体脆性或染色体大片段重排等现象的具体机制正在深入研究中。众所周知,DNA损伤检查点反应在维持基因组稳定方面起着关键作用。然而,检查点机制是否以及如何对替代DNA结构做出反应,目前还远不清楚。这篇综述讨论了DNA损伤检查点与替代DNA结构之间的相互作用在基因组维持中的作用。