Recombinase protein Rad51 (RAD51)

RAD51 recombinase is a highly conserved protein essential for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) through homologous recombination (HR). It plays a central role in maintaining genomic stability and preventing diseases such as cancer by ensuring accurate DNA repair. It assembles onto ssDNA at sites of DSBs, displacing replication protein A (RPA). The resulting nucleoprotein filament searches for homologous sequences on undamaged DNA and facilitates strand invasion to form a displacement loop (D-loop), enabling template-directed repair synthesis. Efforts are underway to develop small-molecule inhibitors targeting either the formation or activity of the Rad51 filament as potential cancer therapeutics due to its pivotal role in tumor cell survival under genotoxic stress conditions.

Other names

hRAD51HRAD51

Inhibition of Rad51 filament formation or activity