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The Role And Molecular Mechanisms Of Wss1 In Preserving Genomic Stability, Daniel Kwesi Sam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cells are constantly under threat from both exogenous and endogenous sources of DNA damage. Eukaryotic organisms, however, possess conserved mechanisms that accurately and faithfully respond to DNA damage. The inability to effectively remove DNA lesions can lead to an accumulation of mutations which can compromise cellular viability. The DNA damage response is conserved from bacteria to eukaryotic organisms and have been well characterized, however, how covalently crosslinked proteins are removed from DNA remains enigmatic This thesis provides genetic and biochemical evidence implicating Wss1, a yeast metalloprotease in genome maintenance. We have identified SUMOylation to be an important signal that mediates …