Persistent accumulation of unrepaired DNA damage in rat cortical neurons: nuclear organization and ChIP-seq analysis of damaged DNA

We investigated the nuclear topography, organization and genome-wide gH2AX distribution of unrepaired DNA in rat cortical neurons 15 dyas upon X-Ray ionizing adiation (4Gy). Unrepaired DNA is confined in persistent DNA damage foci which would help preserving genome integrity. ChIp-seq analysis revealed a number of genomic regions enriched in gH2AX. Some of these regions are in close proximity to genes encoding essential proteins for neuronal function and human neurodegenerative disorders.