Base Excision Repair Preserves DNA Integrity Base excision repair (BER) represents a fundamental process by which cells remedy damage to their DNA bases. It plays an important role in making sure the DNA strand cannot mutate from either mispairing during DNA replication, (1) or during repair of varieties of breaks in the DNA strand. Various Perspectives: A thorough insight into its importance,…
Mechanism of Action
BER occurs via a cascade of enzymatic reactions in which DNA glycosylases recognizing damaged bases removes them. This results in the creation of an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site which is further processed by AP endonucleases and DNA polymerases to bring back the original sequence. This mechanism is required to repair small, non-helix-distorting lesions that arise due to factors such as oxidation, methylation and alkylation and if not corrected would lead to detrimental gene mutations12.
Role in Cancer Prevention
Impairment of this BER pathway has been associated with an increased cancer risk. That is, mutations in certain glycosylases, e.g. OGG1 are associated with high rates of lung and pancreatic cancers . BER can repair oxidative DNA damage and is thus involved in the defense against tumorigenesis33, emphasizing its great significance in cancer biology34.
Impact on Aging and Disease
BER is not only related to cancers but associated with aging process and other diseases as well. Persistent unrepaired DNA damage results in cellular dysfunction and is linked to a number of age-related pathologies. Research shows that keeping BER efficient might eliminate molecular errors produced during replication with advancing age preventing cellular homeostasis from deteriorating56.DNA Repair (ad)
Overall, BER is not merely a repair mechanism; it is an essential process that preserves genome integrity in diverse biological settings. Its function in the prevention of mutations, contribution to cancer prevention and influence on aging are statements in itself as they make lifeguard into an essential gene for cellular biology.
