Project 17 - Peter Baumann & Brian Luke

Double-strand DNA breaks are a form of DNA damage that must be repaired accurately to prevent chromosome loss or the formation of oncogenic translocations. When the ends of linear chromosomes, the telomeres, become critically short, they are also treated in a similar manner to a double-strand break. Recently, it has been shown that RNA plays an important, but still undefined role, in double-strand break repair. In this project we will be combining in vitro biochemical approaches with in vivo telomere attrition models to gain mechanistic insights, as well as identifying novel components, regarding how RNA contributes to the fidelity and kinetics of DSB repair and the repair and maintenance of eroded telomeres. In the light of RNA therapies becoming more prevalent, these studies may have important consequences in terms of potential treatment for disease and aging.