A mutation that frustrates DNA repair likely contributes to Fanconi anemia
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 - 15:56
in Biology & Nature
The threats to our genes come fast and furious. To fend them off, evolution has come up with complex safety measures to preserve the stability of our DNA. New research identifies a protein that is involved in guarding against a particularly dangerous peril called the inter-strand crosslink, when two strands of DNA become stuck together and can’t be unzipped for their proper replication or transcription. A mutation in the gene that produces this protein may lead to the deadly cancer-causing disorder known as Fanconi anemia, and may be involved in breast cancer as well, the experiments show.