Life on the edge: telomeres and persistent DNA breaks converge at the nuclear periphery

Persistent DNA double-strand breaks and telomeres represent genomic hazards, as they can instigate inappropriate repair reactions. Two recent papers by Oza and colleagues (pp. 912-917) and Schober and colleagues (pp. 928-938) show that both types of DNA ends are sequestered from bulk DNA by Mps3, a SUN domain protein that spans the inner nuclear membrane. Anchorage maintains telomere integrity and steers double-strand breaks toward specialized repair pathways. This work defines the nuclear periphery as a subcompartment where dangerous DNA elements can be handled with care.