Publications by authors named "Cecilia Ayala-Zambrano"

The FA/BRCA pathway safeguards DNA replication by repairing interstrand crosslinks (ICL) and maintaining replication fork stability. Chromatin structure, which is in part regulated by histones posttranslational modifications (PTMs), has a role in maintaining genomic integrity through stabilization of the DNA replication fork and promotion of DNA repair. An appropriate balance of PTMs, especially acetylation of histones H4 in nascent chromatin, is required to preserve a stable DNA replication fork.

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Double strand break (DSB) repair is critical to maintaining the integrity of the genome. DSB repair deficiency underlies multiple pathologies, including cancer, chromosome instability syndromes, and, potentially, neurodevelopmental defects. DSB repair is mainly handled by two pathways: highly accurate homologous recombination (HR), which requires a sister chromatid for template-based repair, limited to S/G2 phases of the cell cycle, and canonical non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ), available throughout the cell cycle in which minimum homology is sufficient for highly efficient yet error-prone repair.

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Article Synopsis
  • Overexpression of the TGFβ pathway negatively affects hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in Fanconi anemia, leading to issues with cell proliferation.
  • Disruption of Smad3, a key component of the TGFβ signaling pathway, alters the development and survival of Fancd2-deficient mouse models, impacting embryonic outcomes.
  • While some Fancd2-/-Smad3-/- double knockout mice survive through alternative signaling pathways, they face severe health issues, including genomic instability and poor blood cell formation.
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DNA damage adaptation (DDA) allows the division of cells with unrepaired DNA damage. DNA repair deficient cells might take advantage of DDA to survive. The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway repairs DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), and deficiencies in this pathway cause a fraction of breast and ovarian cancers as well as FA, a chromosome instability syndrome characterized by bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition.

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