DNA damage processing at telomeres: The ends justify the means.
Telomeres at chromosome ends are nucleoprotein structures consisting of tandem TTAGGG repeats and a complex of proteins termed shelterin. DNA damage and repair at telomeres is uniquely influenced by the ability of telomeric DNA to form alternate structures including loops and G-quadruplexes, coupled with the ability of shelterin proteins to interact with and regulate enzymes in every known DNA repair pathway. The role of shelterin proteins in preventing telomeric ends from being falsely recognized and processed as DNA double strand breaks is well established. Here we focus instead on recent developments in understanding the roles of shelterin proteins and telomeric DNA sequence and structure in processing genuine damage at telomeres induced by endogenous and exogenous DNA damage agents. We will highlight advances in double strand break repair, base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair at telomeres, and will discuss important questions remaining in the field.
['Fouquerel|Elise|E|', 'Parikh|Dhvani|D|', 'Opresko|Patricia|P|']
D000818:Animals D004247:DNA D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded D045647:DNA Glycosylases D004260:DNA Repair D004261:DNA Replication D054856:G-Quadruplexes D006801:Humans D021122:Protein Subunits D000089804:Shelterin Complex D016615:Telomere D059505:Telomere Homeostasis D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins
DNA damage Telomeres G-quadruplex Shelterin proteins DNA repair Double strand break repair Base excision repair Nucleotide excision repair