What is the Cellular Response to DNA-Protein Crosslinks?
The cellular response to DPCs involves several pathways aimed at repairing or bypassing these lesions to ensure cell survival. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway is one of the primary repair mechanisms that cells use to remove DPCs. Additionally, the proteasome system can degrade the protein component, allowing for subsequent repair of the DNA. However, when these repair mechanisms fail or are overwhelmed, it can result in persistent DNA damage, contributing to cancer development.
