Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41871908›Full record

ReviewGenes & development2026

Nonhomologous end joining-the importance of end tethering and beyond.

Shan Zha, Geunil Yi

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Genes & development, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Shan ZhaInstitute for Cancer Genetics, Vagelos College for Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA; sz2296@cumc.columbia.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-6568-1818
Geunil YiInstitute for Cancer Genetics, Vagelos College for Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1612-0464

Funding

The role of ATM in the suppression of lymphoid malignancyR01CA158073 · NCI · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Shan Zha · 2011 to 2026
$5.7M
The role of DNA-PKcs in DNA repair, lymphocyte development, RNA metabolism and tumor suppressionR01CA275184 · NCI · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Shan Zha · 2022 to 2026
$2.7M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA158073NCI NIH HHS R01 CA275184
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway is a major mechanism for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), essential for lymphocyte development and for maintaining genome stability in postmitotic cells, including neurons. Under pathological conditions, NHEJ is also responsible for most oncogenic translocations and the repair of DSBs induced by chemotherapy/radiation. Advances in structural biology and single-molecule imaging have captured NHEJ at various stages of the reaction, revealing a modular, dynamic organization with built-in redundancy and resilience. Here, we describe NHEJ in five phases (end sensing, end protection, end tethering, end processing, and end ligation), highlighting their molecular features and transitions and how structural insights explain genetic interactions and physiological consequences, including lymphocyte development. Unlike other DSB repair mechanisms, NHEJ operates with minimal or no sequence complementarity, relying instead on protein assemblies to bridge and stabilize the two DNA ends. This review highlights the unique end-tethering phase, supported by at least five known overlapping machineries, all anchored on Ku.

Indexed as

DNA End-Joining RepairAnimalsDNA Breaks, Double-StrandedHumansclassical nonhomologous end joiningDNA damage responseDNA double-strand breaksDNA repairend processingend tetheringNHEJV(D)J recombination

Identifiers

PMID41871908
PMCPMC13041557

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.