Open AccessThe RecQ DNA Helicases in DNA Repair
Author(s) -
Kara A. Bernstein,
Serge Gangloff,
Rodney Rothstein
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
annual review of genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.88
H-Index - 183
eISSN - 1545-2948
pISSN - 0066-4197
DOI - 10.1146/annurev-genet-102209-163602
Subject(s) - recq helicase , biology , helicase , genome instability , genetics , dna repair , holliday junction , homologous recombination , telomere , dna , dna replication , genome , dna damage , gene , rna
The RecQ helicases are conserved from bacteria to humans and play a critical role in genome stability. In humans, loss of RecQ gene function is associated with cancer predisposition and/or premature aging. Recent experiments have shown that the RecQ helicases function during distinct steps during DNA repair; DNA end resection, displacement-loop (D-loop) processing, branch migration, and resolution of double Holliday junctions (dHJs). RecQ function in these different processing steps has important implications for its role in repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) that occur during DNA replication and meiosis, as well as at specific genomic loci such as telomeres.