Regulation of Precise DNA Repair by Nuclear Actin Polymerization: A Chance for Improving Gene Therapy?

Abstract

Although more difficult to detect than in the cytoplasm, it is now clear that actin polymerization occurs in the nucleus and that it plays a role in the specific processes of the nucleus such as transcription, replication, and DNA repair. A number of studies suggest that nuclear actin polymerization is promoting precise DNA repair by homologous recombination, which could potentially be of help for precise genome editing and gene therapy. This review summarizes the findings and describes the challenges and chances in the field.

Keywords

• nuclear actin
• actin dynamics
• actin polymerization
• double-strand DNA breaks
• DNA repair
• DNA damage response