New Regulatory Response Mechanism to DNA Damage

WSTF regulates the H2A.X DNA damage response via a novel tyrosine kinase activity (Nature 457, 57-62) was authored by Andrew Xiao, Haitao Li, David Shechter, Sung Hee Ahn, Laura A. Fabrizio, Hediye Erdjument-Bromage, Satoko Ishibe-Murakami, Bin Wang, Paul Tempst, Kay Hofmann, Dinshaw J. Patel, Stephen J. Elledge and C. David Allis. The paper notes two accomplishments: adding to our knowledge of domains containing tyrosine kinase activity and the discovery of a DNA damage response mechanism. As the authors explain double stranded breaks in DNA are a potentially lethal threat to a cell. Genomic instability can lead to cancer.

The new regulatory mechanism, identified by researchers, is mediated by a transcription factor dubbed BAZ1B or WSTF- Williams–Beuren syndrome transcription factor. WSTF is a component of an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodelling complex. The complex is dubbed the WICH complex. WSTF, which has a phophorylation function, plays an important regulatory role in the DNA damage response.