DNA Ligase C and Prim-PolC participate in base excision repair in mycobacteria

Archaeal replicative primase mediates DNA double-strand break repair

Archaea, often thriving in extreme habitats, are believed to have evolved efficient DNA repair pathways to cope with constant insults to their genomes. However, how these organisms repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), the most lethal DNA lesions, remains unclear. Here, we show that replicative primase consisting of the catalytic subunit PriS and the noncatalytic subunits PriL and PriX from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Saccharolobus islandicus is involved in DSB repair. We show that the overproduction or knockdown of PriL increases or decreases, respectively, the rate of survival and mutation frequency of S. islandicus cells following treatment with a DNA damaging agent. The increase in mutation is attributed primarily to an increase in small insertions or deletions. Further, overproduction of PriL enhances the repair of CRISPR-generated DSBs in vivo. These results are consistent with the extraordinary ability of PriSL to promote annealing between DNA strands sharing microhomology in addition to the activity of the heterodimer in terminal transfer and primer extension. The primase-mediated DSB repair is cell-cycle dependent since PriL is barely detectable during the S/G2 transition. Our data demonstrate that replicative primase is involved in DSB repair through microhomology-mediated end joining in Archaea.

SNPs in genes related to the repair of damage to DNA in clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis: A transversal and longitudinal approach

The presence of SNPs in genes related to DNA damage repair in M. tuberculosis can trigger hypermutagenic phenotypes with a higher probability of generating drug resistance. The aim of this research was to compare the presence of SNPs in genes related to DNA damage repair between sensitive and DR isolates, as well as to describe the dynamics in the presence of SNPs in M. tuberculosis isolated from recently diagnosed TB patients of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The presence of SNPs in the coding regions of 65 genes related to DNA damage repair was analyzed. Eighty-six isolates from 67 patients from central Veracruz state, Mexico, were sequenced. The results showed several SNPs in 14 genes that were only present in drug-resistant genomes. In addition, by following of 15 patients, it was possible to describe three different dynamics of appearance and evolution of non-synonymous SNPs in genes related to DNA damage repair: 1) constant fixed SNPs, 2) population substitution, and 3) gain of fixed SNPs. Further research is required to discern the biological significance of each of these pathways and their utility as markers of DR or for treatment prognosis.

A role for the ATP-dependent DNA ligase lig E of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in biofilm formation

BACKGROUND

The ATP-dependent DNA ligase Lig E is present as an accessory DNA ligase in numerous proteobacterial genomes, including many disease-causing species. Here we have constructed a genomic Lig E knock-out in the obligate human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae and characterised its growth and infection phenotype.

RESULTS

This demonstrates that N. gonorrhoeae Lig E is a non-essential gene and its deletion does not cause defects in replication or survival of DNA-damaging stressors. Knock-out strains were partially defective in biofilm formation on an artificial surface as well as adhesion to epithelial cells. In addition to in vivo characterisation, we have recombinantly expressed and assayed N. gonorrhoeae Lig E and determined the crystal structure of the enzyme-adenylate engaged with DNA substrate in an open non-catalytic conformation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings, coupled with the predicted extracellular/ periplasmic location of Lig E indicates a role in extracellular DNA joining as well as providing insight into the binding dynamics of these minimal DNA ligases.

Primase-polymerases: how to make a primer from scratch

To pass on genetic information to the next generation, cells must faithfully replicate their genomes to provide copies for each daughter cell. To synthesise these duplicates, cells employ specialised enzymes called DNA polymerases, which rapidly and accurately replicate nucleic acid polymers. However, most polymerases lack the ability to directly initiate DNA synthesis and required specialised replicases called primases to make short polynucleotide primers, from which they then extend. Replicative primases (eukaryotes and archaea) belong to a functionally diverse enzyme superfamily known as Primase-Polymerases (Prim-Pols), with orthologues present throughout all domains of life. Characterised by a conserved catalytic Prim-Pol domain, these enzymes have evolved various roles in DNA metabolism, including DNA replication, repair, and damage tolerance. Many of these biological roles are fundamentally underpinned by the ability of Prim-Pols to generate primers de novo. This review examines our current understanding of the catalytic mechanisms utilised by Prim-Pols to initiate primer synthesis.

Promoting the healing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected wound by a multi-target antimicrobial AIEgen of 6-Aza-2-thiothymine-decorated gold nanoclusters

The use of conventional antibiotic therapies is in question owing to the emergence of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, novel, highly efficient antibacterial agents to effectively overcome resistant bacteria are urgently needed. Accordingly, in this work, we described a novel class luminogen of 6-Aza-2-thiothymine-decorated gold nanoclusters (ATT-AuNCs) with aggregation-induced emission property that possessed potent antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Scanning electron microscopy was performed to investigate the interactions between ATT-AuNCs and MRSA. In addition, ATT-AuNCs exhibited excellent ROS generation efficiency and could effectively ablate MRSA via their internalization to the cells. Finally, tandem mass tag-labeling proteome analysis was carried out to investigate the differential expression proteins in MRSA strains. The results suggested that ATT-AuNCs killed MRSA cells through altering the expression of multiple target proteins involved in DNA replication, aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis, peptidoglycan and arginine biosynthesis metabolism. Parallel reaction monitoring technique was further used for the validation of these proteome results. ATT-AuNCs could also be served as a wound-healing agent and accelerate the healing process. Overall, we proposed ATT-AuNCs could serve as a robust antimicrobial aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) that shows the ability to alter the activities of multiple targets for the elimination of drug-resistant bacteria.

DNA repair enzymes of the Antarctic Dry Valley metagenome

Microbiota inhabiting the Dry Valleys of Antarctica are subjected to multiple stressors that can damage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) such as desiccation, high ultraviolet light (UV) and multiple freeze-thaw cycles. To identify novel or highly-divergent DNA-processing enzymes that may enable effective DNA repair, we have sequenced metagenomes from 30 sample-sites which are part of the most extensive Antarctic biodiversity survey undertaken to date. We then used these to construct wide-ranging sequence similarity networks from protein-coding sequences and identified candidate genes involved in specialized repair processes including unique nucleases as well as a diverse range of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) -dependent DNA ligases implicated in stationary-phase DNA repair processes. In one of the first direct investigations of enzyme function from these unique samples, we have heterologously expressed and assayed a number of these enzymes, providing insight into the mechanisms that may enable resident microbes to survive these threats to their genomic integrity.

Deletion of the primase-polymerases encoding gene, located in a mobile element in Thermus thermophilus HB27, leads to loss of function mutation of addAB genes

DNA primase-polymerases (Ppol) have been shown to play active roles in DNA repair and damage tolerance, both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The ancestral thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus strain HB27 encodes a Ppol protein among the genes present in mobile element ICETh2, absent in other T. thermophilus strains. Using different strategies we ablated the function of Ppol in HB27 cells, either by knocking out the gene through insertional mutagenesis, markerless deletion or through abolition of its catalytic activity. Whole genome sequencing of this diverse collection of Ppol mutants showed spontaneous loss of function mutation in the helicase-nuclease AddAB in every ppol mutant isolated. Given that AddAB is a major player in recombinational repair in many prokaryotes, with similar activity to the proteobacterial RecBCD complex, we have performed a detailed characterization of the ppol mutants in combination with addAB mutants. The results show that knockout addAB mutants are more sensitive to DNA damage agents than the wild type, and present a dramatic three orders of magnitude increase in natural transformation efficiencies with both plasmid and lineal DNA, whereas ppol mutants show defects in plasmid stability. Interestingly, DNA-integrity comet assays showed that the genome of all the ppol and/or addAB mutants was severely affected by widespread fragmentation, however, this did not translate in neat loss of viability of the strains. All these data support that Ppol appears to keep in balance the activity of AddAB as a part of the DNA housekeeping maintenance in T. thermophilus HB27, thus, playing a key role in its genome stability.

Molecular basis for the initiation of DNA primer synthesis

During the initiation of DNA replication, oligonucleotide primers are synthesized de novo by primases and are subsequently extended by replicative polymerases to complete genome duplication. The primase-polymerase (Prim-Pol) superfamily is a diverse grouping of primases, which includes replicative primases and CRISPR-associated primase-polymerases (CAPPs) involved in adaptive immunity1-3. Although much is known about the activities of these enzymes, the precise mechanism used by primases to initiate primer synthesis has not been elucidated. Here we identify the molecular bases for the initiation of primer synthesis by CAPP and show that this mechanism is also conserved in replicative primases. The crystal structure of a primer initiation complex reveals how the incoming nucleotides are positioned within the active site, adjacent to metal cofactors and paired to the templating single-stranded DNA strand, before synthesis of the first phosphodiester bond. Furthermore, the structure of a Prim-Pol complex with double-stranded DNA shows how the enzyme subsequently extends primers in a processive polymerase mode. The structural and mechanistic studies presented here establish how Prim-Pol proteins instigate primer synthesis, revealing the requisite molecular determinants for primer synthesis within the catalytic domain. This work also establishes that the catalytic domain of Prim-Pol enzymes, including replicative primases, is sufficient to catalyse primer formation.

SNPs in Genes Related to DNA Damage Repair in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: Their Association with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Drug Resistance

Genes related to DNA damage repair in Mycobacterium tuberculosis are critical for survival and genomic diversification. The aim of this study is to compare the presence of SNPs in genes related to DNA damage repair in sensitive and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis genomes isolated from patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We collected 399 M. tuberculosis L4 genomes from several public repositories; 224 genomes belonging to hosts without T2DM, of which 123 (54.9%) had drug sensitive tuberculosis (TB) and 101 (45.1%) had drug resistance (DR)-TB; and 175 genomes from individuals with T2DM, of which 100 (57.1%) had drug sensitive TB and 75 (42.9%) had DR-TB. The presence of SNPs in the coding regions of 65 genes related to DNA damage repair was analyzed and compared with the resistance profile and the presence/absence of T2DM in the host. The results show the phylogenetic relationships of some SNPS and L4 sub-lineages, as well as differences in the distribution of SNPs present in DNA damage repair-related genes related to the resistance profile of the infecting strain and the presence of T2DM in the host. Given these differences, it was possible to generate two discriminant functions to distinguish between drug sensitive and drug resistant genomes, as well as patients with or without T2DM.

Bacteriophage origin of some minimal ATP-dependent DNA ligases: a new structure from Burkholderia pseudomallei with striking similarity to Chlorella virus ligase

DNA ligases, the enzymes responsible for joining breaks in the phosphodiester backbone of DNA during replication and repair, vary considerably in size and structure. The smallest members of this enzyme class carry out their functions with pared-down protein scaffolds comprising only the core catalytic domains. Here we use sequence similarity network analysis of minimal DNA ligases from all biological super kingdoms, to investigate their evolutionary origins, with a particular focus on bacterial variants. This revealed that bacterial Lig C sequences cluster more closely with Eukaryote and Archaeal ligases, while bacterial Lig E sequences cluster most closely with viral sequences. Further refinement of the latter group delineates a cohesive cluster of canonical Lig E sequences that possess a leader peptide, an exclusively bacteriophage group of T7 DNA ligase homologs and a group with high similarity to the Chlorella virus DNA ligase which includes both bacterial and viral enzymes. The structure and function of the bacterially-encoded Chlorella virus homologs were further investigated by recombinantly producing and characterizing, the ATP-dependent DNA ligase from Burkholderia pseudomallei as well as determining its crystal structure in complex with DNA. This revealed that the enzyme has similar activity characteristics to other ATP-dependent DNA ligases, and significant structural similarity to the eukaryotic virus Chlorella virus including the positioning and DNA contacts of the binding latch region. Analysis of the genomic context of the B. pseudomallei ATP-dependent DNA ligase indicates it is part of a lysogenic bacteriophage present in the B. pseudomallei chromosome representing one likely entry point for the horizontal acquisition of ATP-dependent DNA ligases by bacteria.

Repriming DNA synthesis: an intrinsic restart pathway that maintains efficient genome replication

To bypass a diverse range of fork stalling impediments encountered during genome replication, cells possess a variety of DNA damage tolerance (DDT) mechanisms including translesion synthesis, template switching, and fork reversal. These pathways function to bypass obstacles and allow efficient DNA synthesis to be maintained. In addition, lagging strand obstacles can also be circumvented by downstream priming during Okazaki fragment generation, leaving gaps to be filled post-replication. Whether repriming occurs on the leading strand has been intensely debated over the past half-century. Early studies indicated that both DNA strands were synthesised discontinuously. Although later studies suggested that leading strand synthesis was continuous, leading to the preferred semi-discontinuous replication model. However, more recently it has been established that replicative primases can perform leading strand repriming in prokaryotes. An analogous fork restart mechanism has also been identified in most eukaryotes, which possess a specialist primase called PrimPol that conducts repriming downstream of stalling lesions and structures. PrimPol also plays a more general role in maintaining efficient fork progression. Here, we review and discuss the historical evidence and recent discoveries that substantiate repriming as an intrinsic replication restart pathway for maintaining efficient genome duplication across all domains of life.

CRISPR-Associated Primase-Polymerases are implicated in prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas adaptation

CRISPR-Cas pathways provide prokaryotes with acquired “immunity” against foreign genetic elements, including phages and plasmids. Although many of the proteins associated with CRISPR-Cas mechanisms are characterized, some requisite enzymes remain elusive. Genetic studies have implicated host DNA polymerases in some CRISPR-Cas systems but CRISPR-specific replicases have not yet been discovered. We have identified and characterised a family of CRISPR-Associated Primase-Polymerases (CAPPs) in a range of prokaryotes that are operonically associated with Cas1 and Cas2. CAPPs belong to the Primase-Polymerase (Prim-Pol) superfamily of replicases that operate in various DNA repair and replication pathways that maintain genome stability. Here, we characterise the DNA synthesis activities of bacterial CAPP homologues from Type IIIA and IIIB CRISPR-Cas systems and establish that they possess a range of replicase activities including DNA priming, polymerisation and strand-displacement. We demonstrate that CAPPs operonically-associated partners, Cas1 and Cas2, form a complex that possesses spacer integration activity. We show that CAPPs physically associate with the Cas proteins to form bespoke CRISPR-Cas complexes. Finally, we propose how CAPPs activities, in conjunction with their partners, may function to undertake key roles in CRISPR-Cas adaptation.

CAPPs are putative Primase-Polymerases associated with CRISPR-Cas operons. Here, the authors show CAPPs genetic and physical association with Cas1 and Cas2, their capacity to function as DNA-dependent DNA primases and DNA polymerases, and that Cas1-Cas2 complex adjacent to CAPP has bona fide spacer integration activity.

Dissecting the RecA-(In)dependent Response to Mitomycin C in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Using Transcriptional Profiling and Proteomics Analyses

Mycobacteria exploit at least two independent global systems in response to DNA damage: the LexA/RecA-dependent SOS response and the PafBC-regulated pathway. Intracellular pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are exposed to oxidative and nitrosative stress during the course of infection while residing inside host macrophages. The current understanding of RecA-independent responses to DNA damage is based on the saprophytic model of Mycobacterium smegmatis, a free-living and nonpathogenic mycobacterium. The aim of the present study was to identify elements of RecA-independent responses to DNA damage in pathogenic intracellular mycobacteria. With the help of global transcriptional profiling, we were able to dissect RecA-dependent and RecA-independent pathways. We profiled the DNA damage responses of an M. tuberculosis strain lacking the recA gene, a strain with an undetectable level of the PafBC regulatory system, and a strain with both systems tuned down simultaneously. RNA-Seq profiling was correlated with the evaluation of cell survival in response to DNA damage to estimate the relevance of each system to the overall sensitivity to genotoxic agents. We also carried out whole-cell proteomics analysis of the M. tuberculosis strains in response to mitomycin C. This approach highlighted that LexA, a well-defined key element of the SOS system, is proteolytically inactivated during RecA-dependent DNA repair, which we found to be transcriptionally repressed in response to DNA-damaging agents in the absence of RecA. Proteomics profiling revealed that AlkB was significantly overproduced in the ΔrecA pafBC^{CRISPRi/dCas9} strain and that Holliday junction resolvase RuvX was a DNA damage response factor that was significantly upregulated regardless of the presence of functional RecA and PafBC systems, thus falling into a third category of DNA damage factors: RecA- and PafBC-independent. While invisible to the mass spectrometer, the genes encoding alkA, dnaB, and dnaE2 were significantly overexpressed in the ΔrecA pafBC^{CRISPRi/dCas9} strain at the transcript level.

ATP-Dependent Ligases and AEP Primases Affect the Profile and Frequency of Mutations in Mycobacteria under Oxidative Stress

The mycobacterial nonhomologous end-joining pathway (NHEJ) involved in double-strand break (DSB) repair consists of the multifunctional ATP-dependent ligase LigD and the DNA bridging protein Ku. The other ATP-dependent ligases LigC and AEP-primase PrimC are considered as backup in this process. The engagement of LigD, LigC, and PrimC in the base excision repair (BER) process in mycobacteria has also been postulated. Here, we evaluated the sensitivity of Mycolicibacterium smegmatis mutants defective in the synthesis of Ku, Ku-LigD, and LigC₁-LigC₂-PrimC, as well as mutants deprived of all these proteins to oxidative and nitrosative stresses, with the most prominent effect observed in mutants defective in the synthesis of Ku protein. Mutants defective in the synthesis of LigD or PrimC/LigC presented a lower frequency of spontaneous mutations than the wild-type strain or the strain defective in the synthesis of Ku protein. As identified by whole-genome sequencing, the most frequent substitutions in all investigated strains were T→G and A→C. Double substitutions, as well as insertions of T or CG, were exclusively identified in the strains carrying functional Ku and LigD proteins. On the other hand, the inactivation of Ku/LigD increased the efficiency of the deletion of G in the mutant strain.

Structural insight into DNA joining: from conserved mechanisms to diverse scaffolds

DNA ligases are diverse enzymes with essential functions in replication and repair of DNA; here we review recent advances in their structure and distribution and discuss how this contributes to understanding their biological roles and technological potential. Recent high-resolution crystal structures of DNA ligases from different organisms, including DNA-bound states and reaction intermediates, have provided considerable insight into their enzymatic mechanism and substrate interactions. All cellular organisms possess at least one DNA ligase, but many species encode multiple forms some of which are modular multifunctional enzymes. New experimental evidence for participation of DNA ligases in pathways with additional DNA modifying enzymes is defining their participation in non-redundant repair processes enabling elucidation of their biological functions. Coupled with identification of a wealth of DNA ligase sequences through genomic data, our increased appreciation of the structural diversity and phylogenetic distribution of DNA ligases has the potential to uncover new biotechnological tools and provide new treatment options for bacterial pathogens.

Molecular basis for DNA repair synthesis on short gaps by mycobacterial Primase-Polymerase C

Cells utilise specialized polymerases from the Primase-Polymerase (Prim-Pol) superfamily to maintain genome stability. Prim-Pol's function in genome maintenance pathways including replication, repair and damage tolerance. Mycobacteria contain multiple Prim-Pols required for lesion repair, including Prim-PolC that performs short gap repair synthesis during excision repair. To understand the molecular basis of Prim-PolC's gap recognition and synthesis activities, we elucidated crystal structures of pre- and post-catalytic complexes bound to gapped DNA substrates. These intermediates explain its binding preference for short gaps and reveal a distinctive modus operandi called Synthesis-dependent Template Displacement (STD). This mechanism enables Prim-PolC to couple primer extension with template base dislocation, ensuring that the unpaired templating bases in the gap are ushered into the active site in an ordered manner. Insights provided by these structures establishes the molecular basis of Prim-PolC's gap recognition and extension activities, while also illuminating the mechanisms of primer extension utilised by closely related Prim-Pols.

Mycobacterial DNA polymerase I: activities and crystal structures of the POL domain as apoenzyme and in complex with a DNA primer-template and of the full-length FEN/EXO-POL enzyme

Mycobacterial Pol1 is a bifunctional enzyme composed of an N-terminal DNA flap endonuclease/5' exonuclease domain (FEN/EXO) and a C-terminal DNA polymerase domain (POL). Here we document additional functions of Pol1: FEN activity on the flap RNA strand of an RNA:DNA hybrid and reverse transcriptase activity on a DNA-primed RNA template. We report crystal structures of the POL domain, as apoenzyme and as ternary complex with 3'-dideoxy-terminated DNA primer-template and dNTP. The thumb, palm, and fingers subdomains of POL form an extensive interface with the primer-template and the triphosphate of the incoming dNTP. Progression from an open conformation of the apoenzyme to a nearly closed conformation of the ternary complex entails a disordered-to-ordered transition of several segments of the thumb and fingers modules and an inward motion of the fingers subdomain-especially the O helix-to engage the primer-template and dNTP triphosphate. Distinctive structural features of mycobacterial Pol1 POL include a manganese binding site in the vestigial 3' exonuclease subdomain and a non-catalytic water-bridged magnesium complex at the protein-DNA interface. We report a crystal structure of the bifunctional FEN/EXO-POL apoenzyme that reveals the positions of two active site metals in the FEN/EXO domain.

Focusing on DNA Repair and Damage Tolerance Mechanisms in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: An Emerging Therapeutic Theme

Tuberculosis (TB) is one such disease that has become a nuisance in the world scenario and one of the most deadly diseases of the current times. The etiological agent of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) kills millions of people each year. Not only 1.7 million people worldwide are estimated to harbor M. tb in the latent form but also 5 to 15 percent of which are expected to acquire an infection during a lifetime. Though curable, a long duration of drug regimen and expense leads to low patient adherence. The emergence of multi-, extensive- and total- drug-resistant strains of M. tb further complicates the situation. Owing to high TB burden, scientists worldwide are trying to design novel therapeutics to combat this disease. Therefore, to identify new drug targets, there is a growing interest in targeting DNA repair pathways to fight this infection. Thus, this review aims to explore DNA repair and damage tolerance as an efficient target for drug development by understanding M. tb DNA repair and tolerance machinery and its regulation, its role in pathogenesis and survival, mutagenesis, and consequently, in the development of drug resistance.

Bacterial NHEJ: a never ending story

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most detrimental DNA damage encountered by bacterial cells. DBSs can be repaired by homologous recombination thanks to the availability of an intact DNA template or by Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) when no intact template is available. Bacterial NHEJ is performed by sets of proteins of growing complexity from Bacillus subtilis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Streptomyces and Sinorhizobium meliloti. Here, we discuss the contribution of these models to the understanding of the bacterial NHEJ repair mechanism as well as the involvement of NHEJ partners in other DNA repair pathways. The importance of NHEJ and of its complexity is discussed in the perspective of regulation through the biological cycle of the bacteria and in response to environmental stimuli. Finally, we consider the role of NHEJ in genome evolution, notably in horizontal gene transfer.

RecGwed : A probable novel regulator in the resolution of branched DNA structures in mycobacteria

Structure-specific helicases, such as RecG, play an important role in the resolution of recombination intermediates. A bioinformatic analysis of mycobacterial genomes led to the identification of a protein (RecG_wed ) with a C-terminal "edge" domain, similar to the wedge domain of RecG. RecG_wed is predominately found in the phylum Actinobacteria and in few human pathogens. Mycobacterium smegmatis RecG_wed was able to bind branched DNA structures in vitro but failed to interact with single- or double-stranded DNA. The expression of recG_wed in M. smegmatis cells was up-regulated during stationary phase/UV damage and down-regulated during MMS/H₂ O₂ treatment. These observations indicate the possible involvement of RecG_wed in transactions during recombination events, that proceed though branched DNA intermediates. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(8):786-794, 2018.

Guardians of the mycobacterial genome: A review on DNA repair systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The genomic integrity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is continuously threatened by the harsh survival conditions inside host macrophages, due to immune and antibiotic stresses. Faithful genome maintenance and repair must be accomplished under stress for the bacillus to survive in the host, necessitating a robust DNA repair system. The importance of DNA repair systems in pathogenesis is well established. Previous examination of the M. tuberculosis genome revealed homologues of almost all the major DNA repair systems, i.e. nucleotide excision repair (NER), base excision repair (BER), homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). However, recent developments in the field have pointed to the presence of novel proteins and pathways in mycobacteria. Homologues of archeal mismatch repair proteins were recently reported in mycobacteria, a pathway previously thought to be absent. RecBCD, the major nuclease-helicase enzymes involved in HR in E. coli, were implicated in the single-strand annealing (SSA) pathway. Novel roles of archeo-eukaryotic primase (AEP) polymerases, previously thought to be exclusive to NHEJ, have been reported in BER. Many new proteins with a probable role in DNA repair have also been discovered. It is now realized that the DNA repair systems in M. tuberculosis are highly evolved and have redundant backup mechanisms to mend the damage. This review is an attempt to summarize our current understanding of the DNA repair systems in M. tuberculosis.