Histone H2A phosphorylation in DNA double-strand break repair.

DNA repair must take place within the context of chromatin, and it is therefore not surprising that many aspects of both chromatin components and proteins that modify chromatin have been implicated in this process. One of the best-characterized chromatin modification events in DNA-damage responses is the phosphorylation of the SQ motif found in histone H2A or the H2AX histone variant in higher eukaryotes. This modification is an early response to the induction of DNA damage, and occurs in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms, suggesting an important conserved function. One function that histone modifications can have is to provide a unique binding site for interacting factors. Here, we review the proteins and protein complexes that have been identified as H2AS129ph (budding yeast) or H2AXS139ph (human) binding partners and discuss the implications of these interactions.