Cell Death and Differentiation (2004) 11, 21–28 & 2004 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 1350-9047/04 $25.00 www.nature.com/cdd Review Death and more: DNA damage response pathways in the nematode C. elegans L Stergiou1 and MO Hengartner*,1 telangiectasia mutated kinase; ATR, ataxia telangiectasia-related kinase; Tel1, telomere length regulation 1; Chk1, checkpoint 1 Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, kinase 1; Cdk, cyclin-dependent kinase; Cdc, cell division control; CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland Apaf-1, apoptotic protease-activating factor-1; Bcl-2, B-cell * Corresponding author: MO Hengartner, Tel: þ 41 1 635 3140; Fax: þ 41 1 lymphoma 2; BH3, BCL-2 homology domain 3; PUMA, p53 635 6861; E-mail:
[email protected] upregulated modulator of apoptosis; ced, cell death abnormal; Received 30.6.03; accepted 05.8.03 egl-1, egg-laying abnormal-1; mrt-2, mortal germ line-2; clk-2, Edited by G Melino clock gene; Spo 11, sporulation, meiosis-specific protein; msh, mismatch repair gene; cep-1, C. elegans p53 Abstract Genotoxic stress is a threat to our cells’ genome integrity. Introduction Failure to repair DNA lesions properly after the induction of cell proliferation arrest can lead to mutations or large-scale Living organisms expend considerable energy to preserve integrity of their genomes. Multiple mechanisms have evolved genomic instability. Because such changes may have to ensure the fidelity of genome duplication and to guarantee tumorigenic potential, damaged cells are often eliminated faithful partitioning of chromosomes at each cell division. via apoptosis. Loss of this apoptotic response is actually one Furthermore, cells are under the constant threat of DNA of the hallmarks of cancer.