Deniz Simsek

TL;DR: Investigation of the DNA ligase requirement of chromosomal translocation formation in mouse cells finds the existence of two alt-NHEJ pathways, one that is biased toward microhomology use and requires Lig3 and a back-up pathway which does not depend on microHomology and utilizes Lig1.

TL;DR: The results establish a role for Lig3 in mitochondria, but distinguish it from its interacting protein Xrcc1, which can be circumvented by targeting Lig1 to the mitochondria or expressing Chlorella virus DNA ligase, the minimal eukaryal nick-sealing enzyme, or Escherichia coli LigA, an NAD-dependent ligase.

TL;DR: The approach described in this report is readily applicable to primary human cells, including mutipotent and pluripotent cells, to uncover both the underlying mechanisms and phenotypic consequences of targeted translocations and other genomic rearrangements.

TL;DR: A hitherto unappreciated widespread phylogenetic presence of Lig3 in eukaryotes, including in some organisms before the divergence of metazoa, is reported on.