A team of scientists at the University of Seville has identified an essential process that protects DNA integrity in reproductive cells, providing new clues about how organisms avoid genetic defects during egg formation.

A recently published study, the result of Nuria Fernández-Fernández’s doctoral work, describes how phosphorylation, a chemical modification of the BRC-1/BRD-1 protein complex in the Caenorhabditis elegans worm, acts as a “switch” against DNA damage. This activation allows the genome to repair itself properly during meiosis, the process that gives rise to reproductive cells.

When this mechanism fails, the DNA suffers serious breaks, leading to accumulated damage, chromosome fragmentation and loss of embryo viability. The researchers also identified two enzymes, Bloom and Mus81, that contribute to these problems by incorrectly resolving the bonds between damaged DNA molecules.

“Our findings reveal a critical step in the cellular response to genetic damage in the germline,” explains Dr Tatiana García-Muse, principal investigator at the Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (Cabimer), “Understanding these processes is essential to understanding how aneuploidy and developmental defects are prevented.”

The study highlights the importance of DNA repair systems in fertility and healthy development and could pave the way for new research into reproductive disorders in humans.