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The species with longer lifespans were found to have slower accumulation of DNA damage, a finding consistent with the DNA damage theory of aging. [119] In healthy humans after age 50, endogenous DNA single- and double-strand breaks increase linearly, and other forms of DNA damage also increase with age in blood mononuclear cells. [ 120 ]
After being incubated to permit DNA repair, the extent of pyrimidine dimerization (which is indicative of DNA damage) was assessed using sensitive primer extension techniques. It was found that the removal of DNA photolesions was much less efficient in rad9 mutant cells than normal cells, providing evidence that RAD9 is involved in DNA repair.
Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a particularly important excision mechanism that removes DNA damage induced by ultraviolet light (UV). UV DNA damage results in bulky DNA adducts — these adducts are mostly thymine dimers and 6,4-photoproducts. Recognition of the damage leads to removal of a short single-stranded DNA segment that contains ...
After DNA damage, cell cycle checkpoints are activated. Checkpoint activation pauses the cell cycle and gives the cell time to repair the damage before continuing to divide. DNA damage checkpoints occur at the G1/S and G2/M boundaries. An intra-S checkpoint also exists. Checkpoint activation is controlled by two master kinases, ATM and ATR.
An arsenal of DNA repair mechanisms exists to repair various forms of damaged DNA and minimize genomic instability. Most DNA repair mechanisms require an intact DNA strand as template to fix the damaged strand. DNA damage prevents the normal enzymatic synthesis of DNA by the replication fork.
DNA-SCARS are associated with PML nuclear bodies and the accumulation of activated ATM, ATR, CHK2 and p53 proteins. DNA-SCARS lack most of the characteristics of transient, reversible DNA damage foci, such as single-stranded DNA, active DNA synthesis, and DNA repair proteins RPA and RAD51 . [ 1 ]
These reactive chemical species can reach DNA by diffusion and the bimolecular reaction damages the DNA (oxidative stress). Unlike direct DNA damage which causes sunburn, indirect DNA damage does not result in any warning signal or pain in the human body. The bimolecular reactions that cause the indirect DNA damage are illustrated in the figure:
The prolonged DDR activates both ATM and ATR DNA damage kinases. The phosphorylation cascade initiated by these two kinases causes the eventual arrest of the cell cycle. Depending on the severity of the DNA damage, the cells may no longer be able to undergo repair and either go through apoptosis or cell senescence. [8]