4月13日电美国研究人员最新发现，一种特殊的蛋白质可以有效修复严重受损的DNA（脱氧核糖核酸），这一发现有望帮助治疗因机体老化、DNA受损而导致的诸多疾病。
DNA是人类主要的遗传物质，染色体由双链DNA分子和组蛋白所组成。生命科学研究普遍认为，随着机体老化，染色体内DNA会出现不同程度损伤，这是导致人体出现癌症以及其他一些与衰老有关疾病的关键因素。与此同时，机体自身也会尽力去修复受损DNA，但背后具体的机理人们尚不清楚。
美国北卡罗来纳大学研究人员在最新一期英国《自然》杂志上发表报告说，他们研究发现，一种被称为Ku的蛋白质可以通过特殊方法有效修复一类严重的DNA损伤。
参与研究的戴尔·拉姆斯登介绍说，在各种DNA损伤中，DNA双链断裂导致的整个染色体被破坏，是最难修复的一种。这类损伤发生时，构成DNA分子的基本单位——核苷酸可能受到了破坏。因此，此前科学家认为，这类DNA损伤根本无法精确修复。
而他们的最新研究却发现，Ku蛋白质可以完成这种高难度的修复工作。它首先定位DNA双链断裂处，然后能够精确地将出问题的核苷酸修复，最后再对整个染色体进行检查，“整个过程就好比在缝合伤口前首先清洗伤口并为其消毒”。
研究人员表示，他们希望在此基础上能够获得更多的有关DNA损伤修复的信息，进而能够寻找到与机体衰老相关疾病的新疗法。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原文出处：
Nature doi:10.1038/nature08926
Ku is a 5′-dRP/AP lyase that excises nucleotide damage near broken ends
Steven A. Roberts1, Natasha Strande1, Martin D. Burkhalter1, Christina Strom1, Jody M. Havener1, Paul Hasty2 & Dale A. Ramsden1
1 Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
2 Department of Molecular Medicine and Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 15355 Lambda Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78245, USA
Top of pageMammalian cells require non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) for the efficient repair of chromosomal DNA double-strand breaks1. A key feature of biological sources of strand breaks is associated nucleotide damage, including base loss (abasic or apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites)2. At single-strand breaks, 5′-terminal abasic sites are excised by the 5′-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (5′-dRP) lyase activity of DNA polymerase?β (pol?β)3, 4, 5, 6: here we show, in vitro and in cells, that accurate and efficient repair by NHEJ of double-strand breaks with such damage similarly requires 5′-dRP/AP lyase activity. Classically defined NHEJ is moreover uniquely effective at coupling this end-cleaning step to joining in cells, helping to distinguish this pathway from otherwise robust alternative NHEJ pathways. The NHEJ factor Ku can be identified as an effective 5′-dRP/AP lyase. In a similar manner to other lyases7, Ku nicks DNA 3′ of an abasic site by a mechanism involving a Schiff-base covalent intermediate with the abasic site. We show by using cell extracts that Ku is essential for the efficient removal of AP sites near double-strand breaks and, consistent with this result, that joining of such breaks is specifically decreased in cells complemented with a lyase-attenuated Ku mutant. Ku had previously been presumed only to recognize ends and recruit other factors that process ends; our data support an unexpected direct role for Ku in end-processing steps as well.
