The Function of Werner Syndrome Protein

National Institute On Aging

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Abstract

Patients with mutations in the WRN gene develop Werner syndrome (WS), a premature aging disorder. In general, WS cells have a high level of genomic instability, with increased amounts of DNA deletions, insertions, and rearrangements. These effects could potentially be the result of defects in DNA repair, replication, and/or recombination, although the actual biochemical defect remains unclear. We have been investigating the localization of WRN to sites of DNA damage using confocal microscopy coupled with site directed mutagenesis of critical amino acids in WRN protein. Our findings show that basic residues are important for its localization and that amino acids modified by posttranslational modifications can modulate WRNs re-localization to sites of DNA and its retention times there.