Young researcher Anya Bakhrat presenting in Brighton 2004
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Research Summary
Accurate transmission of genetic information from a cell to its progeny depends on accurate DNA replication and chromosome segregation and also on the ability to survive DNA damage with minimal genetic mutation. Genome surveillance and signalling by the DNA damage response pathway (DDR) underpins the preservation of genome integrity. DDR is a multifaceted and integrated response regulating cell cycle progression, DNA repair, chromatin dynamics and other facets of cell metabolism including transcription and translation. Understanding these various facets of DDR, therefore, will impact on a number of areas of cell biology. Defects in DDR cause increased mutagenesis and chromosome instability leading to cell death, birth defects and cancer. Thus, understanding DDR may have important implications in understanding how diseases associated with genome instability such Bloom’s syndrome, Ataxia Telangiectasia etc. arise. It is also likely that most or all tumour cells are defective in some aspect of DDR and cancer treatment usually involves damaging DNA with chemotherapeutic agents or radiation. Thus, detailed understanding of DDR and clinical application of this knowledge will have a major impact on human health. Our network comprises groups working on DDR in a wide variety of model organisms
DNA damage responses in eukaryotic cells
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