Mills · Cell 1999 · Laboratory experimental study · n=?

MEC1-dependent redistribution of the Sir3 silencing protein from telomeres to DNA double-strand breaks.

Cited 333 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Preclinical bench laboratory study in yeast without human data

PubMed 10367890 · doi:10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80772-2 · record verified 2026-08-26

What was done

The authors investigated the localization and repair role of the yeast Sir3 silencing protein following DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), evaluating cell cycle specificity and requirement for checkpoint genes MEC1 and RAD9.

What was found

The abstract reports no numerical data. Qualitatively, Sir3p was released from telomeres upon induction of DSBs, bound to break sites, and mediated repair independently of mating type. Relocalization occurred specifically during S phase and required MEC1 and RAD9.

Why it matters

It describes a mechanism whereby preformed chromatin-silencing machinery is mobilized by DNA damage checkpoint sensors homologous to human ATM to repair double-strand breaks.

Limits

The work was conducted exclusively in a yeast model, meaning conservation in human cells remains unproven in this report. No quantitative measures, sample sizes, or statistical estimates are provided in the abstract.

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