DNA repair and recombination protein RAD54-like is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RAD54Lgene.[5][6]
The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the DEAD-like helicase superfamily, and shares similarity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad54, a protein known to be involved in the homologous recombination and repair of DNA. This protein has been shown to play a role in homologous recombination related repair of DNA double-strand breaks. The binding of this protein to double-strand DNA induces a DNA topological change, which is thought to facilitate homologous DNA pairing, and stimulate DNA recombination.[6]
RAD54 is one of the key proteins necessary for homologous recombination and DNA repair in many organisms. Without functional RAD54, tumor development is more likely. RAD54 was initially described in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as being a member of the evolutionarily conserved RAD52 epistasis group, which additionally includes RAD51, RAD52, RAD55, and RAD57 factors. This group is believed to be involved in DNA recombination events and repair mechanisms, especially those involving double-stranded DNA breaks during both mitosis and meiosis. Recently a human homologue of the yeast RAD54 was discovered and termed hRAD54.
