Homologous recombination is the exchange or copying of DNA information through pairing between molecules with related nucleotide sequences. Sequence correspondence directs a donor region toward the matching genomic target [1]. In double-strand-break repair, processing of DNA ends exposes single-stranded regions that assemble with recombination proteins, search for homology, and invade an intact duplex [2]. The paired donor provides a template for DNA synthesis, and subsequent processing restores a continuous DNA molecule. Availability of a suitable template and the state of the broken or stalled replication intermediate guide the cellular use of this pathway [3]. Cell-cycle regulation and end-processing activities coordinate homologous recombination with other repair processes. Resolution of the resulting intermediates can yield exchange of flanking DNA or localized transfer of sequence information [4][5].
- DNA repair
- strand invasion
- Rad51
- homology search
References
- Mario R. Capecchi; Altering the Genome by Homologous Recombination. Science 1989, 244, 1288-1292, 10.1126/science.2660260.
- Joseph San Filippo; Patrick Sung; Hannah Klein; Mechanism of Eukaryotic Homologous Recombination. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 2008, 77, 229-257, 10.1146/annurev.biochem.77.061306.125255.
- Ralph Scully; Arvind Panday; Rajula Elango; Nicholas A. Willis; DNA double-strand break repair-pathway choice in somatic mammalian cells. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 2019, 20, 698-714, 10.1038/s41580-019-0152-0.
- J. Ross Chapman; Martin R.G. Taylor; Simon J. Boulton; Playing the End Game: DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Pathway Choice. Mol. Cell 2012, 47, 497-510, 10.1016/j.molcel.2012.07.029.
- Vivek B. Raina; Aidan Jessop; Eric C. Greene; Biochemical Mechanisms of Genetic Recombination and DNA Repair. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 2025, 94, 161-193, 10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-113931.