During DNA repair, a protein regulates homology search by reorganizing the genome

Within (nearly) all of our cells, 23 pairs of chromosomes, encapsulated in the cell nucleus, encode the workings of the body. The stability of this genetic material is vital for all cell processes and, by extension, for keeping our body in good health. But accidents can occur, caused for example by radiation or errors in chromosome copying, and this can result in one or more breaks in both DNA strands. If these breaks are poorly repaired, they can lead to harmful and pathogenic rearrangements, which may cause cancer. Scientists in the Spatial Regulation of Genomes Unit at the Institut Pasteur are working in collaboration with the Genome Mechanics team at ENS Lyon on homologous recombination, one of the methods the body uses to restore genetic code in the event of an accident.

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