Double-strand breaks are most strongly associated with which cellular outcome?

Double-strand breaks are most strongly associated with which cellular outcome?

• A. Mutation of a single base
• B. Cell death
• C. Hair follicle damage
• D. No effect due to repair

Answer: (B)

Double-strand breaks are breaks in both DNA strands, creating a severe threat to genome integrity. When such breaks occur, cells activate damage-sensing and repair pathways; if the damage is too extensive or unreparable, the cell is pushed to programmed cell death to prevent passing on damaged DNA. This makes cell death the most strongly associated outcome, because DSBs are the kind of lesion that triggers the strongest anti-propagation response. Mutating a single base arises from different, less catastrophic damages; hair follicle damage is a tissue-specific effect that isn’t the universal cellular fate of DSBs; and repair does not guarantee a lack of effect—damage can still lead to cell death, mutations, or chromosomal rearrangements if repair is faulty.

Double-strand breaks are breaks in both DNA strands, creating a severe threat to genome integrity. When such breaks occur, cells activate damage-sensing and repair pathways; if the damage is too extensive or unreparable, the cell is pushed to programmed cell death to prevent passing on damaged DNA. This makes cell death the most strongly associated outcome, because DSBs are the kind of lesion that triggers the strongest anti-propagation response. Mutating a single base arises from different, less catastrophic damages; hair follicle damage is a tissue-specific effect that isn’t the universal cellular fate of DSBs; and repair does not guarantee a lack of effect—damage can still lead to cell death, mutations, or chromosomal rearrangements if repair is faulty.