RGD Reference Report - A dynamic model for replication protein A (RPA) function in DNA processing pathways. - Rat Genome Database

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A dynamic model for replication protein A (RPA) function in DNA processing pathways.

Authors: Fanning, E  Klimovich, V  Nager, AR 
Citation: Fanning E, etal., Nucleic Acids Res. 2006;34(15):4126-37. Epub 2006 Aug 25.
RGD ID: 5129882
Pubmed: PMID:16935876   (View Abstract at PubMed)
PMCID: PMC1616954   (View Article at PubMed Central)
DOI: DOI:10.1093/nar/gkl550   (Journal Full-text)

Processing of DNA in replication, repair and recombination pathways in cells of all organisms requires the participation of at least one major single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein. This protein protects ssDNA from nucleolytic damage, prevents hairpin formation and blocks DNA reannealing until the processing pathway is successfully completed. Many ssDNA-binding proteins interact physically and functionally with a variety of other DNA processing proteins. These interactions are thought to temporally order and guide the parade of proteins that 'trade places' on the ssDNA, a model known as 'hand-off', as the processing pathway progresses. How this hand-off mechanism works remains poorly understood. Recent studies of the conserved eukaryotic ssDNA-binding protein replication protein A (RPA) suggest a novel mechanism by which proteins may trade places on ssDNA by binding to RPA and mediating conformation changes that alter the ssDNA-binding properties of RPA. This article reviews the structure and function of RPA, summarizes recent studies of RPA in DNA replication and other DNA processing pathways, and proposes a general model for the role of RPA in protein-mediated hand-off.


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