DNA recombination: The replication connection

Abstract

Chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) arise after exposure to ionizing radiation or enzymatic cleavage, but especially during the process of DNA replication itself. Homologous recombination plays a critical role in repair of such DSBs. There has been significant progress in our understanding of two processes that occur in DSB repair: gene conversion and recombination-dependent DNA replication. Recent evidence suggests that gene conversion and break-induced replication are related processes that both begin with the establishment of a replication fork in which both leading- and lagging-strand synthesis occur. There has also been much progress in characterization of the biochemical roles of recombination proteins that are highly conserved from yeast to humans. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.