Journal
ANNUAL REVIEW OF GENETICS
Volume 38, Issue -, Pages 445-476Publisher
ANNUAL REVIEWS
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genet.38.072902.092448
Keywords
DNA repair; mutagenesis; knock-out mice; uracil in DNA; DNA oxidation
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Living organisms dependent on water and oxygen for their existence face the major challenge of faithfully maintaining their genetic material under a constant attack from spontaneous hydrolysis and active oxygen species and from other intracellular metabolites that can modify DNA bases. Repair of endogenous DNA base damage by the ubiquitous base-excision repair pathway largely accounts for the significant turnover of DNA even in nonreplicating cells, and must be sufficiently accurate and efficient to preserve genome stability compatible with long-term cellular viability. The size of the mammalian genome has necessitated an increased complexity of repair and diversification of key enzymes, as revealed by gene knock-out mouse models. The genetic instability characteristic of cancer cells may be due, in part, to mutations in genes whose products normally function to ensure DNA integrity.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available