Checkpoint protein blocks chromosome breaks at fragile sites

With 46 chromosomes to copy every time most human cells divide, it's not surprising that breaks sometimes show up in the finished product. What's surprising is that the breaks don't occur at random. They happen at a few specific locations on chromosomes called fragile sites. Now scientists at the U-M Medical School and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have discovered a protein that protects fragile sites from breaking during DNA replication.

National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation

Contact:
Sally Pobojewski
pobo@umich.edu
734-615-6912
University of Michigan Health System

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