The NuRD chromatin-remodeling complex regulates signaling and repair of DNA damage.

Cells respond to ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by orchestrating events that coordinate cell cycle progression and DNA repair. How cells signal and repair DSBs is not yet fully understood. A genome-wide RNA interference screen in Caenorhabditis elegans identified egr-1 as a factor that protects worm cells against IR.