RAD51

RAD51, an essential eukaryotic DNA recombinase, promotes homologous pairing and strand exchange during homologous recombination (HR) and the recombinational repair of double strand breaks. RAD51 protein is recruited onto the DNA break by BRCA2 and forms homopolymeric filaments that invade the homologous chromatid and use it as a template for repair. RAD51 filaments are detectable by immunofluorescence as distinct foci in the cell nucleus, and their presence is a read out of HR proficiency. RAD51 is an essential gene, protecting cells from genetic instability.

RAD51 recombinase activity plays a critical role for cancer cell proliferation and survival, and often contributes to drug-resistance. Abnormally elevated RAD51 function and hyperactive homologous recombination (HR) rates have been found in a panel of cancers, including breast cancer and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Directly targeting RAD51 and attenuating the deregulated RAD51 activity has therefore been proposed as an alternative and supplementary strategy for cancer treatment.