C-terminal extensions of ku70 and ku80 differentially influence dna end binding properties

The Ku70/80 heterodimer binds to DNA ends and attracts other proteins involved in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. We developed a novel assay to measure DNA binding and release kinetics using differences in Förster resonance

Human SNM1A and XPF–ERCC1 collaborate to initiate DNA interstrand cross-link repair

One of the major mammalian DNA interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair pathways is coupled to replication. Here, the 5′–3′ exonuclease activity of SNM1A is found to be critical for ICL repair. Following a 5′ incision of the cross-link by XPF–ERCC1, SNM1A loads at the nick and digests past the ICL, initiating the repair process. Failure of this XPF–ERCC1- and SNM1A-dependent repair pathway causes Mus81-induced replication fork cleavage and double strand breaks, leading to ICL sensitivity