XRCC4 and DNA ligase IV form a complex that is essential for the repair of all double-strand DNA breaks by the nonhomologous DNA end joining pathway in eukaryotes. We find here that human XRCC4:DNA ligase IV can ligate two double-strand DNA ends that have fully incompatible short 3' overhang configurations with no potential for base pairing. Moreover, at DNA ends that share 1-4 annealed base pa...

Aprataxin, aprataxin and PNKP-like factor (APLF) and polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (PNKP) are key DNA-repair proteins with diverse functions but which all contain a homologous forkhead-associated (FHA) domain. Their primary binding targets are casein kinase 2-phosphorylated forms of the XRCC1 and XRCC4 scaffold molecules which respectively coordinate single-stranded and double-stranded DNA ...

PARP-3 is a member of the ADP-ribosyl transferase superfamily of unknown function. We show that PARP-3 is stimulated by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in vitro and functions in the same pathway as the poly (ADP-ribose)-binding protein APLF to accelerate chromosomal DNA DSB repair. We implicate PARP-3 in the accumulation of APLF at DSBs and demonstrate that APLF promotes the retention of XRCC4/...

Objective: Increasing evidences have shown that DNA repair molecule related genes can be cancer-risk genes. In recent, polymorphisms in XRCC4, which is a member of DNA repair genes, have been identified contributed to the risk of a variety of cancers, including glioma. Nevertheless, data derived from these studies are inconclusive. Therefore, to obtain a more precise estimation, the present met...

Inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6) is a member of the inositol polyphosphate group that participates in numerous intracellular signaling pathways. Cheung and colleagues previously reported that InsP6 stimulated double-strand break repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in cell-free extracts and that InsP6 binding by the Ku70/80 subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) was require...

Inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP(6)) is a member of the inositol polyphosphate group that participates in numerous intracellular signaling pathways. Cheung and colleagues previously reported that InsP(6) stimulated double-strand break repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in cell-free extracts and that InsP(6) binding by the Ku70/80 subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) was r...

Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) is the main means for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in human cells. Molecular understanding of NHEJ has benefited from analyses in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In human cells, the DNA ligation reaction of the classical NHEJ pathway is carried out by a protein complex composed of DNA ligas...

We conducted a case-control study to assess the LIG4 and XRCC4 genes polymorphisms and development of glioma. A case-control study including 162 glioma cases and 324 controls was conducted in a Chinese population. Genotypes of rs10131 and rs1805388 in LIG4 and rs2075685 and rs1805377 in XRCC4 were conducted by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. ...

Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repairs DNA double-strand breaks created by ionizing radiation or V(D)J recombination of the immunoglobulin genes. The breaks often leave mismatched or nonligatable ends, and NHEJ must repair the breaks with high efficiency and minimal nucleotide loss. Here, the NHEJ proteins Ku, DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, XRCC4/Ligase IV, and Cernunnos/XRCC...

Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA ligase IV (LIG4) has been shown previously to be involved in non-homologous DNA end joining and meiosis. The homologous mammalian DNA ligase IV interacts with XRCC4, a protein implicated in V(D)J recombination and double-strand break repair. Here, we report the discovery of LIF1, a S.cerevisiae protein that strongly interacts with the C-terminal BRCT domain of yeast...