Genes to Cells

Dezomeshiki (the New Year Fire Review), held every January, is a traditional Japanese event dating back to the Edo period, in which firefighters perform acrobatic stunts using ladders. In this illustration, the performers now begin the procedure of joining the ends of the double-helix-shaped ladders through non-homologous end joining. Two pairs of performers play the roles of Ku70 and Ku80, the subunits of DNA-PK (DNA-dependent protein kinase), each forming a ring and gathering near the ends of the ladders. Additional performers playing as other subunits of DNA-PK will soon join, and the two ends of the ladders will be joined together.

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