The ABC of DNA repair

Rad50 is an ABC-type ATPase that forms a complex with the nuclease Mre11 and plays an essential role in the signaling and repair of DNA damage. Now crystal structures and SAXS analyses determined here at the SIBYLS beamline, along with functional assays, reveal how Rad50 transmits information between the ATPase and Mre11-binding sites, and the mechanism uncovered may be general to other ABC ATPases. The paper appears in the March issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
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Williams GJ, Williams RS, Williams JS, Moncalian G, Arvai AS, Limbo O, Guenther G, Sildas S, Hammel M, Russell P, Tainer JA. “ABC ATPase signature helices in Rad50 link nucleotide state to Mre11 interface for DNA repair.” Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2011 Mar 27.

There is also a nice [write up](http://newscenter.lbl.gov/news-releases/2011/03/30/dna-repair-machine-flexibility/) in the Berkeley Lab News Center containing an interview with Gareth Williams and John Tainer, which also contains a movie showing the ATP-induced conformational changes of Rad50.