Repair of DNA lesions associated with triplex‐forming oligonucleotides

Abstract

Triplex‐forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are gene targeting tools that can bind in the major groove of duplex DNA in a sequence‐specific manner. When bound to DNA, TFOs can inhibit gene expression, can position DNA‐reactive agents to specific locations in the genome, or can induce targeted mutagenesis and recombination. There is evidence that third strand binding, alone or with an associated cross‐link, is recognized and metabolized by DNA repair factors, particularly the nucleotide excision repair pathway. This review examines the evidence for DNA repair of triplex‐associated lesions.