NuRD chromatin remodeling is required to repair exogenous DSBs in the germline.

Organisms rely on coordinated networks of DNA repair pathways to protect genomes against toxic double-strand breaks (DSBs), particularly in germ cells. All repair mechanisms must successfully negotiate the local chromatin environment in order to access DNA. For example, nucleosomes can be repositioned by the highly conserved Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex.