A mediator methylation mystery: JMJD1C demethylates MDC1 to regulate DNA repair

Mediator of DNA-damage checkpoint 1 (MDC1) has a central role in repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by both homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining, and its function is regulated by post-translational phosphorylation, ubiquitylation and SUMOylation. In this issue, a new study by Watanabe et al. reveals that methylation of MDC1 is also critical for its function in DSB repair and specifically affects repair through BRCA1-dependent homologous recombination.