Abstract
The genomic integrity of a eukaryotic cell is challenged by over 10,000 chromosomal lesions perday. Therefore the cell has evolved efficient mechanisms to recognize, signal, and repair DNAbreaks. Defects in any of these steps can lead to chromosomal aberrations and cancers. As theselesions must be repaired in the context of chromatin, both chromatin-modifying and nucleosomeremodelingenzymes have been implicated in DNA damage repair. We reported recently that theRSC and Swi/Snf ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes are involved in DSB repairspecifically by homologous recombination. Here we discuss how such enzymes might be recruitedto DNA breaks, why so many remodelers are recruited to sites of DSBs, and a possible functionalconnection between RSC’s roles in sister chromatid cohesion and DSB repair.