Chapter category: DNA Surveillance and Repair

Mammalian DNA Mismatch Repair

This chapter appears in the following book:

Eukaryotic DNA Damage Surveillance and Repair

Edited by: Keith W. Caldecott
ISBN: 0-306-47987-7
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Helen M.R. Robinson and Robert Brown

[+] view image

Some DNA replication errors escape the proof reading activity of DNA polymerases and if allowed to persist will lead to mutations and potential creation of an abnormal mutant cell. Therefore such errors have to be repaired or the potentially abnormal cell needs to be eliminated. DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is one of the mechanisms by which cells achieve this by recognising and correcting mispairs and insertions occurring during DNA replication, as well as during recombination between diverged sequences. Loss of mismatch repair leads to a mutator phenotype and is associated with certain hereditary forms of cancer, such as Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer and also many sporadic cancers. Furthermore, in response to certain types of DNA damage mismatch repair proteins are necessary for signalling biochemical pathways that lead to cell death by apoptosis. Thus, as well as a role in cancer susceptibility, loss of MMR is also associated with how tumour cells respond to many important anti-cancer agents. The following chapter describes the central MMR proteins, their role in MMR activity, their main interactions with other cellular proteins and discusses how MMR couples mismatch recognition to apoptotic signalling events.

» Access chapter for $19

Additional chapters from this book:

Mammalian Base Excision Repair

Grigory L. Dianov, Sarah L. Allinson, Helen Budworth and Kate Sleeth

In living cells DNA base lesions are formed continuously as a consequence of normal me tabolism and are also generated by a number of external factors. Simple base damages are repaired by base ex...

Origin, Recognition, Signaling and Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Mammalian Cells

Larry H. Thompson and Charles L. Limoli

Achromosomal double-strand break (DSB) can arise from multiple sources including ionizing radiation and DNA replication itself. An understanding of the intricate pro tein pathways that recognize ...

The Detection and Repair of Nucleotide Damage and Coupling to Major Cellular Regulatory Processes in Mammalian Cells

James E. Cleaver

DNA repair serves to restore two of the main macromolecular functions in the cell: DNA replication and transcription. If either are irrevocably blocked cell death in the form of apoptosis or per...

Mammalian DNA Mismatch Repair

Helen M.R. Robinson and Robert Brown

Some DNA replication errors escape the proof reading activity of DNA polymerases and if allowed to persist will lead to mutations and potential creation of an abnormal mutant cell. Therefore suc...

Chapter category: DNA Surveillance and Repair

Mammalian DNA Mismatch Repair

Eukaryotic DNA Damage Surveillance and Repair

Additional chapters from this book:

Mammalian Base Excision Repair

Origin, Recognition, Signaling and Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Mammalian Cells

The Detection and Repair of Nucleotide Damage and Coupling to Major Cellular Regulatory Processes in Mammalian Cells

Mammalian DNA Mismatch Repair

SIGN IN