Detailed images reveal DNA repair mechanism in cancer-related proteins
Scientists have captured detailed structural images of a protein's DNA repair process, revealing insights into how to inhibit the effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that heighten cancer risk. The study, published in Nucleic Acids Research, used a combination of techniques to observe the DNA repair process in a protein called Mgm101.
Scientists have captured detailed images of a protein's DNA repair process, a finding that could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that heighten cancer risk. The research team studied the protein Mgm101 in yeast mitochondria and observed key steps in its DNA repair process, called single-strand DNA annealing. The team used cryogenic electron microscopy and native mass spectrometry to determine the protein's structure and observe its repair activities. The study found that Mgm101 assembles into a large multi-unit molecular complex called a 19-mer, which binds to DNA strands and coaxes them back together after a break. The high-resolution structures showed multiple phases of the process, including the 19-mer ring with a single strand of DNA attached and the repaired DNA visible as a double helix formation. The findings provide insights for drug targets that could halt the DNA repair process in cancer cells empowered by mutated BRCA genes.
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