Visualization of mismatch repair complexes using fluorescence microscopy

Abstract

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a surveillance mechanism present in most living organisms, which repairs errors introduced by DNA polymerases. Importantly, loss of MMR function due to inactivating mutations and/or epigenetic silencing results in the accumulation of mutations and as consequence increased cancer susceptibility, as observed in Lynch syndrome patients. During the past decades important progress has been made in the MMR field resulting in the identification and characterization of essential MMR components, culminating in the in vitro reconstitution of 5' and 3' nick-directed MMR. However, several mechanistic aspects of the MMR reaction remain not fully understood, therefore alternative approaches and further investigations are needed. Recently, the use of imaging techniques and, more specifically, visualization of MMR components in living cells, has broadened our mechanistic understanding of the repair reaction providing more detailed information about the spatio-temporal organization of MMR in vivo. In this review we would like to comment on mechanistic aspects of the MMR reaction in light of these and other recent findings. Moreover, we will discuss the current limitations and provide future perspectives regarding imaging of mismatch repair components in diverse organisms.

Keywords: DNA repair; MMR; Microsatellite instability; Visualization of DNA Mismatch repair complexes.