DNA damage-related ubiquitinations

Relevance of Simultaneous Mono-Ubiquitinations of Multiple Units of PCNA Homo-Trimers in DNA Damage Tolerance

DNA damage tolerance (DDT) pathways, including translesion synthesis (TLS) and additional unknown mechanisms, enable recovery from replication arrest at DNA lesions. DDT pathways are regulated by post-translational modifications of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) at its K164 residue. In particular, mono-ubiquitination by the ubiquitin ligase RAD18 is crucial for Polη-mediated TLS. Alt...

Systemic DNA damage related to cancer.

The importance of bystander effects is becoming more appreciated, as studies show they may affect the course of cancer and other chronic diseases. The term "bystander effects" refers to changes in naïve cells sharing the same milieu with cells that have been damaged. Bystander cells may be in contact with, or distant from, damaged cells. In addition, it has been shown in culture that not only p...

Radiation track and DNA damage

Thiopurines, DNA damage, DNA repair and therapy-related cancer.

AIMS The thiopurines, azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine are one of the success stories of chemotherapy. They are effective immunosuppressants and anti-cancer agents and are prescribed increasingly to treat inflammatory diseases. Although their metabolism has been studied in detail, the optimal use of thiopurines has been guided predominantly by clinical experience and the precise...

Ubiquitinations in the Notch Signaling Pathway

The very conserved Notch pathway is used iteratively during development and adulthood to regulate cell fates. Notch activation relies on interactions between neighboring cells, through the binding of Notch receptors to their ligands, both transmembrane molecules. This inter-cellular contact initiates a cascade of events eventually transforming the cell surface receptor into a nuclear factor act...