Identification & Characterization of a Human DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Complex

摘要

We have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterize the assembly and structure of the macromolecular assemblies involved in DNA repair. We have demonstrated using AFM that the DNA-dependent protein kinase can play a structural role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by physically holding DNA ends together. We have extended these studies to include other DNA damage response proteins, these efforts have resulted in important and novel findings regarding the ATM protein. Specifically, our work has demonstrated, for the first time, that the ATM protein binds with specificity to a DNA end. This finding is the first to implicate the ATM protein in the detection of DNA damage by direct physical interaction with DSBs.