IIT-Hyderabad researchers unravel protein mechanism to mend damaged DNA

The institute has discovered the mechanism by which these repair proteins assemble when DNA is under threat.
Source: Internet
Source: Internet

 Hyderabad’s Indian Institute of Technology reportedly claimed that its researchers had unravelled working of a protein that repaired damaged DNA.

“Our laboratory seeks to understand the working of DNA damage repair proteins. Certain types of chemicals produced naturally in the body can damage DNA and, if not fixed early, may trigger cell death,” said Anindya Roy, Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, IIT-H.

According to the institute’s study, humans have a repair mechanism that involves activation of a special class of proteins, called ‘DNA repair proteins’. With the increasing awareness about the impact of DNA damage, efforts are being made to understand how these repair proteins work, both as an academic exercise as well as the foundation for therapeutic interventions.

The institute has discovered the mechanism by which these repair proteins assemble when DNA is under threat. The researchers studied the action of one specific protein, called alkB homolog 3 (ALKBH3). The study reportedly states that ALKBH3 repairs alkylated DNA containing 1-methyladenosine and 3-methylcytosine through oxidative demethylation, but the mechanism has hitherto remained unclear. The research team has unravelled the mechanism by which ALKBH3 brings about demethylation.

“We have found ALKBH3 has a direct protein-protein interaction with another protein, called RAD51C, and this interaction stimulates ALKBH3-mediated repair of methyl-adduct located within 3’- tailed DNA,” Roy said.

The results of the study, conducted in collaboration with Arun Goyal, Professor at the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT-Guwahati, has recently been published in Nucleic Acid Research, a peer-reviewed journal. 
The paper has been co-authored by Anindya Roy, Arun Goyal and research scholars -- Monisha Mohan, Deepa Akula and Arun Dhillon.

*Edited from an IANS report.

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