DNA Repair Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology)

The field of eukaryotic DNA repair is enjoying a period of remarkable growth and discovery, fueled by technological advances in molecular bi- ogy, protein biochemistry, and genetics. Notable achievements include the molecular cloning of multiple genes associated with classical human repair disorders, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne syndrome, and ataxia telangiectasia; elucidation of the core reaction of nucleotide excision repair (NER); the discovery that certain NER proteins participate not only in repair, but also in transcription; recognition of the crucial role played by mismatch repair processes in maintenance of genome stability and avoidance of cancer; the findings that the tumor suppressor protein p53 is mutated in many types of cancer, and has a key role in directing potentially malignant, genotoxin-d- aged cells towards an apoptotic fate; and the discovery and elaboration of DNA damage (and replication) checkpoints, which placed repair phenomen- ogy firmly within a cell-cycle context. Of course, much remains to be learned about DNA repair. To that end, DNA Repair Protocols: Eukaryotic Systems is about the tools and techniques that have helped propel the DNA repair field into the mainstream of biological research. DNA Repair Protocols: Eukaryotic Systems provides detailed, step-- step instructions for studying manifold aspects of the eukaryotic response to genomic injury. The majority of chapters describe methods for analyzing DNA repair processes in mammalian cells. However, many of those techniques can be applied with only minor modification to other systems, and vice versa.

In DNA Repair Protocols: Eukaryotic Systems, Daryl S. Henderson and a team of hands-on experts give time-tested instructions for analyzing a wide range of DNA repair processes and cellular responses to DNA damage, including nucleotide and base excision repair, DNA strand break repair, and mismatch repair. The methods focus on eukaryotic model systems that have made, or have the potential to make, important contributions to our understanding of cellular responses to DNA damage in relation to mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and the cell cycle. Although mammalian cells predominate, consideration is also given to such important nonmammalian model systems as yeast, C. elegans (nematode), Drosophila (fruitfly), Xenopus (amphibian), and plants.

DNA Repair Protocols: Eukaryotic Systems offers the most comprehensive collection of DNA repair protocols available, all step-by-step, optimized, and eminently reproducible with tips on troubleshooting and avoiding pitfalls. It will serve as the gold-standard reference for both the practical and theoretical aspects of DNA repair studies, encourage the transfer of methodologies between model systems, and stimulate the development of new approaches.