Interlace between Chromatin Structure, DNA Repair and Ubiquitination

Abstract

Chromatin remodeling, ubiquitylation, and DNA damage repair may be regarded as three discrete processes, but in fact, they are three extremely important interlinked processes that are imperative for the sustenance for life. Discrepancies in one will have outcomes that will affect the other processes direly. Exogenous and endogenous factors persistently affect the DNA by inducing damage and modifications. To sustain the integrity of life, these challenges need to be combated efficiently. For the preservation of the structural and functional components of the genome, nature has allowed them to evolve numerous pathways that constantly work to repair the induced damage. This sort of response is termed as DDR (DNA damage response) that include BER and NER (base excision and nucleotide excision repair, respectively) and non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination (NHEJ & HR). Since the DNA in cells is exceedingly organized and compressed, hence any process that utilizes DNA as its substrate requires essential remodeling of the chromatin structure. The chapter emphasizes on the phenomenon of chromatin remodeling and ubiquitylation which subsequently affects the integral process of DNA damage repair.