NUCLEOSOMES DYNAMICS AT DNA DOUBLE STRAND BREAKS

Kurzfassung

Background: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly toxic lesions that, if not correctly repaired, can have detrimental consequences on genome integrity and cell survival. Repair of DSBs by homologous recombination (HR) requires the processing of DSB ends during DNA end resection, which, through the degradation of 5’-terminated strands, generates a long stretch of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Therefore, resection divides the chromatin surrounding a DSB in distinct ssDNA and dsDNA domains. The molecular composition of these domains is crucial for HR repair as well as for DNA damage signaling and checkpoint activation. However, it was unclear whether nucleosomes, the fundamental unit of chromatin, could be found in the ssDNA domain as well. [...]