Incorporation of 53BP1 into phase-separated bodies in cancer cells during aberrant mitosis

Phase separation in DNA repair: orchestrating the cellular response to genomic stability

DNA repair is a hierarchically organized, spatially and temporally regulated process involving numerous repair factors that respond to various types of damage. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms by which these factors are recruited to and depart from repair sites have been a subject of intrigue. Recent advancements in the field have increasingly highlighted the role of phase separation as a critical facilitator of the efficiency of DNA repair. This review emphasizes how phase separation enhances the concentration and coordination of repair factors at damage sites, optimizing repair efficiency. Understanding how dysregulation of phase separation can impair DNA repair and alter nuclear organization, potentially leading to diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, is crucial. This manuscript provides a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role of phase separation in DNA repair, sheds light on the current research, and suggests potential future directions for research and therapeutic interventions.

First person – Marina Bleiler

First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Marina Bleiler is first author on ‘ Incorporation of 53BP1 into phase-separated bodies in cancer cells during aberrant mitosis’, published in JCS. Marina is a PhD student in the lab of Charles Giardina at Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, USA, investigating molecular mechanisms impacting survival of mitotically stressed cancer cells.