Gene Conversion During DNA Repair

Gene conversion is a DNA repair event linked to genetic recombination. It can change the sequence of one DNA region by using a related DNA strand as a template. This process is important for understanding how cells repair damage and reshuffle genetic information.

During recombination, gene conver...

Unlike mitosis where double-strand breaks are accidental, in meiosis, they are created by an enzyme called Spo11, which cleaves the phosphodiester backbone. The broken helical ends are trimmed by a protein complex called MRX and the damage is repaired by a process called gene conversion. 

Here the damaged “acceptor” DNA strand invades a h...