Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
30
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-8-26
pubmed:abstractText
Ku is a heterodimeric protein with high binding affinity for ends, nicks, and gaps in double-stranded DNA. Both in mammalian cells and in budding yeast, Ku plays a role in nonhomologous end joining in the double strand break repair pathway. However, Ku has a more significant role in DNA repair in mammalian cells compared with yeast, in which a homology-dependent pathway is the predominant one. Recently Ku has been shown to be a likely component of the telomeric complex in yeast, suggesting the possibility of a similar role for Ku at mammalian telomeres. However, long single-stranded G-rich overhangs are continuously present at mammalian but not at yeast telomeres. These overhangs have the potential to fold in vitro into G-G base-paired conformations, such as G-quartets, that might prevent Ku from recognizing telomeric ends and thus offer a mechanism to sequester the telomere from the prevalent double strand break repair pathway in mammals. We show here that Ku binds to mammalian telomeric DNA ends in vitro and that G-quartet conformations are unable to prevent Ku from binding with high affinity to the DNA. Our results indicate that the DNA binding characteristics of Ku are consistent with its direct interaction with telomeric DNA in mammalian cells and its proposed role as a telomere end factor.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0021-9258
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
23
pubmed:volume
274
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
21223-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Ku binds telomeric DNA in vitro.
pubmed:affiliation
Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't