Kanaar R, Hoeijmakers J H
Medical Genetics Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Genes Funct. 1997 Jun;1(3):165-74. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-4624.1997.00016.x.
DNA double-strand breaks are very genotoxic lesions that can result in chromosome aberrations. The current view is that DNA double-strand breaks are repaired most efficiently through homologous recombination in yeast and simple end-joining in mammalian cells. However, recent experiments reveal that both repair pathways are conserved from yeast to mammals, including humans. The challenge ahead is to put the different pieces of the jigsaw together into coherent mechanisms for both pathways and to determine their relative contributions to ionizing-radiation resistance and to the prevention of genetic instability and carcinogenesis.
DNA双链断裂是极具基因毒性的损伤，可导致染色体畸变。目前的观点认为，DNA双链断裂在酵母中通过同源重组、在哺乳动物细胞中通过简单末端连接得到最有效的修复。然而，最近的实验表明，这两种修复途径从酵母到哺乳动物（包括人类）都是保守的。未来面临的挑战是将拼图的不同部分整合为这两种途径的连贯机制，并确定它们对电离辐射抗性以及对预防遗传不稳定性和致癌作用的相对贡献。
