The many substrates and functions of ATM

As its name suggests, the ATM - 'ataxia-telangiectasia, mutated' - gene is responsible for the rare disorder ataxia-telangiectasia. Patients show various abnormalities, mainly in their responses to DNA damage, but also in other cellular processes. Although it is hard to understand how a single gene product is involved in so many physiological processes, a clear picture is starting to emerge.