Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33450001›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2021

The MRN complex promotes DNA repair by homologous recombination and restrains antigenic variation in African trypanosomes.

Ann-Kathrin Mehnert, Marco Prorocic, Annick Dujeancourt-Henry, Sebastian Hutchinson, Richard McCulloch, Lucy Glover

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Modulation of TvRAD51 Recombinase inPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  4. RAD51-mediated R-loop formation acts to repair transcription-associated DNA breaks driving antigenic variation inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. DNA Double-Strand Breaks: A Double-Edged Sword for Trypanosomatids.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2021
    Review
  8. Unpicking the Roles of DNA Damage Protein Kinases in Trypanosomatids.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Ann-Kathrin MehnertTrypanosome Molecular Biology, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
Marco ProrocicWellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Sir Graeme Davis Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK.
Annick Dujeancourt-HenryTrypanosome Molecular Biology, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
Sebastian HutchinsonTrypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201, 75015 Paris, France.
Richard McCullochWellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Sir Graeme Davis Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK.
Lucy GloverTrypanosome Molecular Biology, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
Institut Pasteur · FRWellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology · GBInserm · FR

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/K006495/1Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/N016165/1Medical Research Council G0401553Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 089172Wellcome Trust 104111Wellcome Trust 206815
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Homologous recombination dominates as the major form of DNA repair in Trypanosoma brucei, and is especially important for recombination of the subtelomeric variant surface glycoprotein during antigenic variation. RAD50, a component of the MRN complex (MRE11, RAD50, NBS1), is central to homologous recombination through facilitating resection and governing the DNA damage response. The function of RAD50 in trypanosomes is untested. Here we report that RAD50 and MRE11 are required for RAD51-dependent homologous recombination and phosphorylation of histone H2A following a DNA double strand break (DSB), but neither MRE11 nor RAD50 substantially influence DSB resection at a chromosome-internal locus. In addition, we reveal intrinsic separation-of-function between T. brucei RAD50 and MRE11, with only RAD50 suppressing DSB repair using donors with short stretches of homology at a subtelomeric locus, and only MRE11 directing DSB resection at the same locus. Finally, we show that loss of either MRE11 or RAD50 causes a greater diversity of expressed VSG variants following DSB repair. We conclude that MRN promotes stringent homologous recombination at subtelomeric loci and restrains antigenic variation.

Indexed as

Antigenic VariationRecombinational DNA RepairDNA-Binding ProteinsDNA Breaks, Double-StrandedMRE11 Homologue ProteinProtozoan ProteinsTrypanosoma brucei bruceiDNA-Binding ProteinsMRE11 Homologue ProteinProtozoan Proteins

Identifiers

PMID33450001
PMCPMC7897489
OpenAlexW3122750612

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.