YKU70 — Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288c

Summary

YKU70 (YMR284W) on chromosome XIII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288c encodes the Ku70 subunit of the Ku70:Ku80 complex, a protein with telomere binding, damaged DNA binding, dsDNA binding, RNA binding, ATP binding and ATP hydrolase activities. The gene is associated with non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), double-strand break repair, telomere maintenance, telomeric silencing, TERRA transcription, replicative senescence, the DNA damage checkpoint, cell cycle checkpoint, sister chromatid cohesion, V-J joining, apoptotic process, lycopene anabolism, and regulation of viral transcription. It localises to subtelomeres, telomeric repeat regions, centric heterochromatin and sites of double-strand breaks. Phenotypic associations include decreased telomere length, decreased silencing, increased mutation frequency, decreased replicative and chronological lifespan, decreased stress resistance, altered cell size, and changes in competitive fitness. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to ATP-dependent DNA helicase activity (EC 3.6.4.12).