Nucleotide Excision Repair in the Three Domains of Life

Abstract

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a vital DNA repair pathway which acts on a wide range of helix-distorting lesions. The importance of this pathway is highlighted by its functional conservation throughout evolution and by several human diseases, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, which are caused by a defective NER pathway. This review summarizes the NER mechanisms present in all three domains of life: eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea.