Ku: A multifunctional protein involved in telomere maintenance

Timothy S. Fisher, Virginia A. Zakian

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

128 Scopus citations

Abstract

The DNA-binding protein Ku plays a critical role in a variety of cellular processes, including the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks and V(D)J recombination. Paradoxically, while Ku is required for double-stranded break repair by non-homologous end-joining, in many organisms, Ku is also associated with telomeres. Although telomeres are naturally occurring double-stranded DNA breaks, one of their first identified functions is to protect chromosomes from end-to-end fusions, a process that is promoted by non-homologous end-joining. While located at telomeres, Ku appears to play several important roles, including: (1) regulating telomere addition, (2) protecting telomeres from recombination and nucleolytic degradation, (3) promoting transcriptional silencing of telomere-proximal genes and (4) nuclear positioning of telomeres. Here, we review the role of Ku at telomeres in the model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and compare and contrast it to the roles of Ku at telomeres in other organisms.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1215-1226
Number of pages12
JournalDNA Repair
Volume4
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 21 2005

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

Keywords

  • Degradation
  • Ku
  • Recombination
  • Silencing
  • Telomere

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