Mismatch repair (MMR) is a highly conserved biological mechanism that is essential for genomic integrity. MMR is most specific for base-base mismatches and insertion/deletion mispairs that occur during DNA replication and recombination. MMR also slows homeologous recombination and has recently been linked to DNA damage signaling in eukaryotic cells. MutS and MutL from Escherichia coli, as well as their eukaryotic homologs MutS and MutL, are important participants in MMR-associated genome maintenance. Many additional protein components involved in other DNA metabolic pathways, such as PCNA and RPA, are also required for MMR (Therese et al., 2019). MMR mutations are linked to genome-wide instability, propensity to certain forms of cancer, including hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, resistance to some chemotherapeutic drugs, and meiotic and sterility disorders in mammalian systems (Yunusa et al., 2018).
Share this article