Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1)

Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) is a critical protein in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway and the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. It functions by forming a heterodimer with the XPF endonuclease to cleave DNA on the 5' side of a lesion, which is a vital step in removing bulky adducts and cross-links formed by platinum-based chemotherapeutics like cisplatin. In the context of oncology, high expression of ERCC1 in tumor cells is a major mechanism of resistance to platinum therapy, as it allows the cells to efficiently repair drug-induced DNA damage and survive treatment. Consequently, ERCC1 is frequently studied as a predictive biomarker for platinum sensitivity in various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer. While the input name 'Tumor cell survival via platinum-based DNA damage' describes a biological outcome or mechanism of resistance rather than a single molecule, ERCC1 is the primary molecular target and mediator associated with this specific survival process.

Other names

ERCC1DNA excision repair protein ERCC-1Excision repair 1, endonuclease-noncatalytic subunitUV20

ERCC1 forms a complex with XPF (ERCC4) to act as a structure-specific endonuclease that catalyzes the 5' incision during nucleotide excision repair (NER) and the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) caused by platinum agents.