Chapter category: Aging

Yeast RecQ Helicases: Clues to DNA Repair, Genome Stability and Aging

This chapter appears in the following book:

Molecular Mechanisms of Werner's Syndrome

Edited by: Michel Lebel
ISBN: 0-306-48233-9
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Rozalyn M. Anderson and David A. Sinclair

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The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used as model for a wide range of cellular processes, including those related to the RecQ-associated progeroid disease, Werner’s syndrome (WS). Investigations of RecQ function in these lower eukaryotes have produced a large body of data that is directly relevant to the function of the Werner’s syndrome helicase, WRN, and other human RecQ members such as BLM. The yeasts studies point to a role for eukaryotic RecQ helicases in a number of key activities associated with DNA repair and replication, including the resolution of aberrant DNA structures, recombinational DNA repair, suppression of illegitimate recombination and the intra-S phase DNA damage checkpoint. Biochemical studies demonstrate that the budding yeast RecQ helicase, Sgs1, resolves the same DNA substrates as the human RecQ enzymes, suggesting that they share a common function. Many of the proteins that interact with Sgs1 also interact with WRN or BLM, further highlighting the relevance of the yeast studies. Mutation of SGS1 results in telomere defects and symptoms of premature aging, two features of WS. Like WS cells, sgs1 mutants also have phenotypes that are not aging-related and most likely stem from defects in recombinational repair and DNA damage signaling.

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Chapter category: Aging

Yeast RecQ Helicases: Clues to DNA Repair, Genome Stability and Aging

Additional chapters from this book:

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