# Destabilizing DNA during Rejoining Enhances Fidelity of Repair

## TL;DR

A protein helps DNA repair by destabilizing mismatched strands and clamping matched strands together.

## Contribution

The study reveals a novel mechanism by which a protein enhances DNA repair fidelity through destabilization and clamping.

## Key findings

- A single-strand annealing protein destabilizes DNA duplex formation during repair.
- The protein ensures annealing occurs only between perfectly matched DNA strands.
- The protein clamps the strands together to facilitate accurate DNA repair.

## Abstract

A new study shows that during repair of DNA, the effect of a single-strand annealing protein is to destabilize DNA duplex formation so that annealing only occurs between perfectly matched strands; the protein then clamps the strands together for repair. Read the Research Article.