Decoding Destabilization: Investigating the Mechanisms by Which Disruption of the RAD51:RAD51 Interface Affects RAD51 Nucleoprotein Filament Integrity and Function*

Homologous recombination is a DNA repair technique in which nucleoprotein RAD51 facilitates strand exchange between the broken double-stranded DNA and a homologous strand. RAD51, with assistance from mediators, forms nucleoprotein filaments on single-stranded DNA overhangs produced after a double-stranded break. Mutations in the RAD51 interface can have negative effects on the stability of the nucleoprotein filament. Using FRET and mass photometry this study examines the effect of mutations on essential RAD51 functions