Apr 24 2021 Read 4 Times
Scientists at the University of Glasgow have revealed key insights into a vital DNA repair process which is implicated in resistance to cancer treatments, using cryo-electron microscopy.
Led by the University of Glasgow the research(1) is based on data and models collected from the Scottish Centre for Macromolecular Imaging (SCMI) and was conducted with colleagues at the University of Dundee.
The study looks at a toxic type of DNA damage called inter-strand crosslinks, which is normally repaired through a process initiated by a single molecule of ubiquitin – a protein commonly found in humans, animals and plants – being attached to each of the affected strands of DNA. In order to complete the DNA repair process the ubiquitin molecule must also be successfully removed from the damaged site – a process known as deubiquitination.