New study unravels mystery of a DNA repair process Cell damaged
by UVA light, as shown by the stripe, undergoing repair by
enzymes (Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at the University of
Sussex have uncovered the mechanism of a key process in DNA
repair that helps prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as
ataxia. A four-year study led by Dr. Sherif El-Khamisy at the
Sussex Centre for Genome Damage and Stability, has focused on
the behaviour of enzymes within cells that are involved in the
repair of faults in DNA - the genetic material in our cells and
all other living organisms. The most common fault to occur
spontaneously in DNA is single strand breaks (DNA being composed
of two twisted strands). Failure to correct these breaks has
been shown to lead to neurodegenerative disorders (those that
attack the nervous system). Previous research has shown that a
particular enzyme,TPD1,is critical for repairing one type of
these breaks, but it was not known how this enzyme reached sites
of DNA damage. Now Dr El-Khamisy