Overview

• RAP1, recruited by TRF2, directly binds and inhibits DNA-PK at chromosome ends to prevent erroneous end-joining.
• The mechanism was demonstrated through converging genetic, biochemical and structural evidence reported in Nature.
• The results explain how a key repair enzyme is prevented from attempting to repair telomeres, addressing a paradox from earlier DNA-PK studies.
• The research was led by Linköping University with collaborators at the Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom.
• The clarified safeguard for telomere integrity may inform understanding of cancer development and rare telomere-related diseases over the long term.